If you run a local business — restaurant, real estate practice, dental office, gym, retail store — EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail) is the most accessible direct mail program available. No mailing list required, no addressing required on each piece, postage cuts of up to 60% versus first-class mail, and neighborhood-level saturation that drives real foot traffic and phone calls.
This guide explains how EDDM works, what it costs, the design specs, and which businesses actually see ROI from it.
What EDDM is
EDDM is a USPS program that lets you mail to every household on a selected mail carrier’s route — without buying a list, without addressing individual pieces, and at deeply discounted postage. You select target zip codes and mail routes, design a piece that meets EDDM size requirements, print the quantity needed, prepare the bundles per USPS specs, and drop them at the local post office (or have a print shop drop them for you).
Why local businesses use it
Three reasons EDDM works for local businesses where targeted direct mail might not:
- Geographic relevance. If you’re a coffee shop, the people who’ll buy from you live within a 1–2 mile radius. EDDM lets you saturate that radius without renting a list.
- Postage savings. EDDM Retail postage runs about $0.20 per piece versus $0.55 for first-class. On a 5,000-piece run, that’s $1,750 in savings.
- No list required. Buying or renting a quality mailing list runs $50–$200 per thousand. EDDM eliminates that line item entirely.
Design specs that qualify for EDDM
EDDM Retail (the most common program) has size requirements:
- Minimum dimensions: 6.125" x 11" (postcards must be one of the larger USPS-approved sizes)
- Maximum dimensions: 12" x 15"
- Maximum thickness: 0.75"
- Indicia placement: top-right corner reserved for the EDDM Retail indicia (usually applied by your printer)
The most common EDDM format is the 6.5" x 9" oversized postcard — large enough to make impact but small enough to keep production cost down.
What EDDM costs end-to-end
For a typical 5,000-piece EDDM campaign with a 6.5" x 9" postcard, expect roughly:
- Design: $300–$800 (or use a designer you already work with)
- Print on 14pt cover stock, full color both sides: $400–$700
- EDDM bundle prep: included by most printers
- EDDM postage: $1,000 (5,000 x $0.20)
- Total: roughly $1,700–$2,500 all-in
That’s about $0.34–$0.50 per piece delivered. Compare with the cost-per-impression of paid social or Google Ads in your geographic area — EDDM often comes in cheaper, especially for high-intent local audiences.
Who EDDM works for (and who it doesn’t)
Works well for: restaurants, retail, dental and medical practices, real estate (geographic farming), home services (HVAC, plumbing, landscaping), gyms, automotive service, local nonprofits, political campaigns.
Doesn’t work as well for: B2B businesses with narrow target audiences, niche services where geography isn’t the qualifier, anyone selling something a typical household won’t buy. For B2B, list-based first-class mail or LinkedIn outreach typically performs better.
Common EDDM mistakes
Three things that kill response rates:
- Tiny offer copy. Your offer should be the biggest element on the piece. If recipients have to hunt for it, response drops 5x.
- Missing call to action. Every piece needs to tell the recipient exactly what to do: visit, call, text, scan a QR code, walk in.
- Generic creative. EDDM lives or dies on creative quality. The same offer with strong design vs. cheap design can produce 3x different response rates.
Imprimo Group’sMail2order brand handles EDDM end-to-end — design, print, bundle prep, and USPS drop-off. Talk to a specialist about your campaign.