Every Door Direct Mail, or EDDM, is a mailing service that allows you to send direct mail to targeted potential customers based on specific mailing routes and the demographic data found on those mailing routes.

Using the EDDM tool, you simply enter a ZIP code or address, choose a carrier route or routes, and then send direct mail to every address on that given route.

While the USPS EDDM Online Tool is easy to use, you must identify the best mailing route for your goals. This is because each geographical location consists of different demographics, and while one mailing route may be home to your perfect audience, another may not.

Let’s look at best practices for planning and selecting your Every Door Direct Mail routes so you can market to the right audience for your business.

How to Get Started Planning Your EDDM Mail Routes

1. Understand Who Your Message Is For

As mentioned above, each mailing route is home to different types of people. While you want to reach the people in your chosen ZIP code, most importantly, you want to select mailing routes in that ZIP code based on the demographics that reflect your target audience.

When selecting your mailing routes for your EDDM campaign, you can see the average income, age, and more within that specific location. This means you’ll need to understand who your target audience is so you can choose the best mailing routes.

• Is your message intended for businesses or just consumers?
• What age group is most likely interested in what your business has to offer?
• Is your message intended for families, couples, or people living alone?
• What is the average income of your ideal audience?
• Does the distance between your business and your audience have any impact on their decision-making?

2. Find An Every Door Direct Mail Provider

Many print and direct mail providers, including the USPS and Kingston Printing, offer EDDM as a mailing service.

If you’re looking for an EDDM provider who can also print your direct mailers, look for one who offers the best options for your goals and budget. It can be easier and cheaper to work with a printer who works with the USPS and who can handle everything you need in-house, rather than paying a printer for your mailers and then lugging them to the post office.

3. Search for Routes Using The EDDM Mapping Tool

Once you've chosen a print and direct mail provider, it's time to explore the USPS EDDM mapping tool and decide on the best routes to mail to within your chosen ZIP code.

We'll go into more detail on what to look for and how to select the best EDDM mail routes, but within the online EDDM mapping tool, you'll be able to choose routes and view the average income, age, number of family members, and more so you can narrow down the mailing routes and choose the best ones for your goals.

How To Select Your EDDM Routes

So, you've figured out your ideal audience, found an EDDM provider, and navigated to the online EDDM mapping tool. Now it's time to enter your ZIP code—the ZIP code you choose could be in your area, or it could simply be an area you'd like to bring awareness about your brand to—hover over each highlighted mailing route, and consider the following carefully:

1. Average Age Range of Your Target Audience

Your audience's age dramatically impacts how many responses to your EDDM campaign you will receive.

For example, the age group 25-40 typically spends less money on cars and clothing and more on experiences that positively impact the environment and eating out.

The age group 45-60 would be more likely to spend money on investments like property, home improvement, and cars as they typically have more funds to make these purchases.

When selecting mailing routes within the EDDM mapping tool, you can see the percentage of people within your target age group within a given area. If you're not sure what age group best fits your target audience, don't worry. You can easily figure this out with a bit of research, or to get a more exact number, you can use solutions like Look A-Like Analysis to discover the age group of your ideal audience.

2. Average Income

While the 40-60 age range typically has more money, you shouldn't assume that a mailing route with a large percentage of 45-year-olds is more likely to spend money on luxury goods or services. Plenty of 25-30-year-olds make well over $100,000 a year. This is why, when choosing your Every Door Direct Mail route, you need to pay close attention to the average income of each mailing route.

For example, if your business offers affordable services or products, sending an EDDM postcard to mailing routes with an average income range of $30K to $70K would be ideal.

On the other hand, if you're looking to target a high-end audience to market your luxury cars or resorts, you'd want to focus more on mailing routes with an average income range of $100k to $300K.

Average income is a significant factor to consider when choosing your EDDM mailing routes and you can easily view the average income by hovering over each mailing route within your selected ZIP code.

3. Number of Businesses and Residences

Within the Every Door Direct Mail route selector tool, you can easily see how many residences and businesses are present on each mailing route. This is crucial because it will determine how many people you reach and how many EDDM mailers you need. The number of addresses needs to be closely looked at as well because depending on your budget will determine how many people and mailing routes you can mail to.

You can exempt businesses from receiving your direct mailers or include them if it makes sense for your business.

4. Average Number of Family Members

Is your message directed toward families, or is your business an ideal brand for single people and couples?

The EDDM mailing route selector tool displays the average household size when hovering over each mail route so you can select the best mailing routes for your message.

For example, if you're promoting the grand opening of your sports park and want to send locals a family discount, you may want to select mailing routes with an average household size of at least three or more.

5. The Distance from Your Business

If you’re just starting out with Every Door Direct Mail or want to promote your grand opening, you most likely want to choose mailing routes within your ZIP code to let locals know you're nearby.

If you're an established business, choosing surrounding ZIP codes to expand your audience can be a great idea.

Location is typically a big deal for people when making purchasing decisions, so in most cases, marketing within your business's ZIP code and neighboring ZIP codes will generate the best results. However, for some businesses, like hotels or campgrounds, finding areas further away that match their target audience's age group, income, and household size using Every Door Direct Mail is the most effective and affordable way to bring in new customers.

Now that you've discovered the best practices in planning your EDDM campaign, as well as how to select the best Every Door Direct Mail routes, you're ready to get started on a successful EDDM campaign.

Visit our EDDM service page today to get started. Our team of experts is here to help you select the best mailing routes using the USPS EDDM Online Tool. We'll even help you choose the best EDDM mailer type, and we can print and mail your EDDM mailers, so you don't have to worry about a thing.