A relatively short time ago, the United States Postal Service (USPS) developed a tool called “Every Door Direct Mail” to help businesses target specific geographic areas with their direct mail efforts. Of course, a tool is only helpful if you know how to use it. And for many of us, learning to use yet another new tool can be overwhelming. So, how does this thing work?
The good news is that “Every Door Direct Mail” (EDDM) is refreshingly straightforward and easy to use. Here’s how it works.
1. Get a Mailing Permit Imprint: If you don’t already have a permit (sometimes called an indicia) you can download a form from the USPS, fill it out, and take it to your local Post Office. You can even download help for designing your own indicia (it’s simple).
2. Create a USPS Business Account at the USPS site and Log in
3. Define Your Audience: Every Door Direct Mail has an easy-to-use-tool that helps you choose the area you want to mail to by address, city, state, ZIP Code™, or up to a 5-mile radius around your business. You can even use street names or an intersection as your target area.
4. Create Your Mail Piece: You can work with your marketing department, a marketing service provider, or local printer to create your mail piece. Be sure to check the approved specifications for Every Door Direct Mail, including sizes, address formats, and mailing permit (required on each mail piece).
5. Take Your Mailing to the Post Office: Take your properly prepared mail to the BMEU (Bulk Mail Entry Unit) where the mailing permit is held or ask your printer to take them to the BMEU for you.
By the way, TMR Direct can help you with any or all of these steps. So if you’d prefer not to interact with the Post Office, a designer, and a printer, we can help you do the whole thing. Just shoot us a note and tell us what area you’d like to target and we can do the whole thing for you very reasonably. It’s a great way to reach everyone in a specific geographic area, quickly, efficiently, and economically!
