Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) is a popular direct mail service provided by the United States Postal Service, which provides an affordable option for businesses and entrepreneurs to reach an audience in a specific region.
One of the biggest reasons EDDM has gained attention, especially for small businesses with limited marketing budgets and/or experience, is the inexpensive postage, which is approximately one-third of the typical cost to mail a standard postcard.
However, this low postage comes with a different price, and depending on your overall goals, it can do more harm than good for your real estate marketing strategy.
While EDDM offers a cost-effective way to blanket entire neighborhoods with your marketing materials, its lack of targeting capabilities can be a double-edged sword.
Unlike targeted direct mail campaigns, where you can tailor your message to specific demographics or geographic areas, EDDM casts a wide net, reaching every household on a postal route. This means your message might end up in the hands of many people who are not your ideal customers or who have no interest in real estate at all.
While EDDM may seem like a budget-friendly option on the surface, the costs can quickly add up when you factor in printing expenses.
Since EDDM requires larger-sized postcards to meet postal regulations, you may end up spending more on printing than you would for standard-sized postcards. When combined with the lower response rates typically associated with EDDM, this can make the overall return on investment less favorable compared to targeted direct mail campaigns or other marketing strategies.
While EDDM can be a useful tool for some businesses, it’s essential to weigh the pros and cons carefully before incorporating it into your marketing strategy. Depending on your specific goals and target audience, a more targeted approach may yield better results in the long run, even if it comes with a higher upfront cost.
In this post, we will provide more detail about Every Door Direct Mail, some of the pros and cons, and whether it makes sense for a real estate agent or team to utilize it.
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How Does EDDM Work?
Using Every Door Direct Mail is relatively straightforward and simple. First, you choose the neighborhood you want to target, and then the EDDM interactive map allows you to select postal routes within the specific area.
The tool will provide you with census-based demographics for your selected region, including income, average age, and number of residential vs business addresses.
Next, the interactive tool will allow you to select the dates you want to mail your postcards. Once you have your selected dates, the USPS website provides you with a list of printing services to help you create and print the postcards you will deliver to the post office. Before printing, it’s essential to review the EDDM postcard requirements to ensure your postcards align with USPS guidelines.
Using EDDM is a straightforward and cost-effective option for direct mail. But for real estate agents, does simpler always mean better?
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Are EDDM Requirements Worth it?
There are a variety of factors to consider when deciding on how beneficial EDDM is for their real estate campaign.
If you are trying to cast the widest possible net for your real estate business in the most cost-effective manner, EDDM is a viable option. Every Door Direct Mail is also a solid option for those with limited marketing budgets who don’t mind the limitations.
However, if you want the ability to track, customize, and hand-pick the very best prospective clients, EDDM’s savings simply do not add up.
While EDDM offers the advantage of reaching a broad audience at a lower cost per piece, it lacks the precision and customization capabilities of targeted direct mail campaigns.
With EDDM, agents are essentially casting a wide net, reaching every household on a postal route regardless of their demographics or interests. While this approach may result in a higher volume of impressions, it also means that a significant portion of the recipients may not be relevant to the agent’s target audience.

In contrast, targeted direct mail campaigns allow agents to hand-pick their recipients based on specific criteria such as income level, homeownership status, or past purchasing behavior.
This level of customization enables agents to tailor their messaging to resonate with the unique needs and preferences of each recipient, increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversion.
Targeted direct mail campaigns offer the advantage of trackability, allowing agents to monitor the effectiveness of their campaigns and make data-driven decisions to optimize performance.
By tracking metrics such as response rates, conversion rates, and return on investment, agents can refine their targeting strategies and messaging to maximize results.
Targeted direct mail campaigns offer the opportunity for personalization, allowing agents to create a more meaningful connection with their audience. By incorporating personalized elements such as the recipient’s name, property preferences, or recent market activity, agents can create a sense of rapport and trust that is difficult to achieve with generic EDDM mailers.
While EDDM may offer cost savings and broad reach, it falls short in terms of precision, customization, and trackability compared to targeted direct mail campaigns. Agents must weigh the trade-offs and consider their specific goals and target audience when deciding which approach is best suited for their real estate marketing campaign.

Benifits of Direct Mail in Real Estate
Direct mail remains a powerful and versatile tool in the real estate industry, offering a range of benefits that contribute to its enduring popularity among agents and brokers.
Tangible Impact
Unlike digital marketing channels, direct mail delivers a tangible and physical piece of marketing material directly into the hands of potential clients. This physical presence can make a lasting impression and evoke a sense of credibility and professionalism, especially when paired with high-quality design and printing.
Precision Targeting
Unlike EDDM, which blankets entire postal routes with marketing materials, direct mail allows for precise targeting based on specific demographics, neighborhoods, or segments of the market. This level of granularity enables real estate agents to tailor their messaging to the unique needs and preferences of their target audience, increasing the relevance and effectiveness of their campaigns.
Customization and Personalization
Direct mail offers greater flexibility for customization and personalization compared to EDDM. Real estate agents can tailor their mailers to include personalized elements such as the recipient’s name, property preferences, or recent market activity, creating a more engaging and impactful experience for recipients.
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Brand Differentiation
With direct mail, real estate agents have the opportunity to stand out from the competition and showcase their unique value proposition. By investing in high-quality design and printing, agents can create visually stunning and memorable mailers that capture the attention of recipients and reinforce their brand identity.
Brand Reputation and Trust
Direct mail can help real estate agents build and maintain trust with potential clients. By consistently delivering high-quality, personalized mailers, agents can demonstrate their professionalism and expertise, promoting trust and confidence among recipients
Targeted Marketing
Direct mail allows agents to target specific demographics, neighborhoods, or segments of the market with precision. By using data such as income levels, homeownership status, and past purchasing behavior, agents can tailor their messaging to resonate with the unique needs and preferences of their target audience, increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversion.
Personalization
Direct mail offers the opportunity for personalization, allowing agents to create a more meaningful connection with their audience. By incorporating personalized elements such as the recipient’s name, property preferences, or recent market activity, agents can create a sense of rapport and trust that is difficult to achieve with mass marketing approaches.
High Response Rates
When done effectively, direct mail can yield higher response rates compared to many digital marketing channels. According to industry research, direct mail response rates for real estate-related campaigns can surpass 5%, significantly outperforming email and online advertising.
Lead Generation
Direct mail is an effective tool for generating leads and inquiries from potential buyers and sellers. By including compelling calls-to-action and contact information, agents can encourage recipients to reach out for more information, schedule a showing, or request a market analysis of their property.
Complement to Digital Marketing
Direct mail complements digital marketing efforts by providing a multi-channel approach to reaching potential clients. By integrating direct mail with online advertising, social media, and email campaigns, agents can create a cohesive and comprehensive marketing strategy that maximizes reach and engagement.
Measurable Results
Direct mail campaigns are easily measurable, allowing agents to track metrics such as response rates, conversion rates, and return on investment. By analyzing these metrics, agents can gain valuable insights into the effectiveness of their campaigns and make data-driven decisions to optimize performance.
Direct mail offers several advantages over EDDM for real estate marketing, including precision targeting, customization, brand differentiation, trackability, lead quality, and brand reputation. By capitalizing on these benefits, real estate agents can create more effective and impactful marketing campaigns that drive results and ultimately help grow their business.
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Have You Used EDDM?
Have you used Every Door Direct Mail for your marketing campaign? What have your experiences been? Let us know in the comments below!