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EDDM or Every Door Direct Mail costs will increase one cent to 17.5 cents per piece on January 26th 2014. For those of you not familiar with EDDM, I think it is best I let the USPS explain it.

From the USPS website:

Every Door Direct Mail® from the U.S. Postal Service®, is designed to help you reach every home, every address, every time. Now it’s even easier using our redesigned tool!

You can map out a target area, use demographic data (e.g. age, household income, and size) to select a delivery route, choose a mailing drop off date, and pay online—all from your computer. And, you can create your mailings up to 30 days before you plan to mail them.

EDDM is a cost effective method of reaching your target audience . You simply log in to the USPS website, enter an address, select a carrier route around the address and the USPS will drop one of your marketing pieces in every mailbox of the residences and/or businesses on the route.

I’m not a fan of direct mail. By “not a fan of” I mean – I hate it. I hate to be SOLD TO. I hate that it becomes a chore to sort my mail – junk over here, bills over here. I really hate that I have to SHRED these unwanted and unsolicited messages (to prevent identity theft). All of this takes time. Time I don’t have. Time I would rather spend online – WHERE I ACTUALLY GO WHEN I HAVE A NEED FOR A PRODUCT OR SERVICE.

Maybe this is why I only check my mail every 4 days.

Maybe I wouldn’t hate direct mail so much if the messages I received wire actually of value. Maybe I would think differently if the messages actually pertained to me. But they don’t. The bras ads and the Boston Proper and the Pottery Barn magazines don’t pertain to me. These marketers simply spam all of us with the hope their message lands at the moment we have a need. It’s a challenge to reach consumers like me as I only check my mail every 4 days – remember.

I think direct mail could be effective IF it was part of a bigger plan. Not THE plan. For instance, if I was a small business owner who was so inclined to use direct mail as a marketing method, I would first target a specific demographic or geographic area where those that lever there would be most interested in my offering.  Then I would create a message that pertained specifically to them. “Residents Of”.. Fans of.”.. etc. Then I would make the message more about them than ME. I personably HATE marketers that only talk about them. I want them to talk about ME. How are they going to help ME? How are they going to make my life easier? Save me time or money?  But no, they only talk about themselves. Wow, that’s great that you are a TOP PRODUCER Mrs Real Estate Agent but how does that help ME? If its all about them it can’t be about ME. Then I would encourage them to visit my website, for an exclusive coupon or to learn more information or to watch a video.

It is there – on my website where they will be educated and informed. It is on my website where they will learn more about me and how I can help. What problem I solve. It is on my website where they will sell them-selves. They can watch my testimonial videos of other satisfied customers (social proof). They can watch the videos of others (just like them) enjoying my product or service. They can watch my website introduction video where I welcome them and tell them what to expect and most importantly – HOW it will help them.  It is on my website there they can fill out inquiry forms.

Direct mail is part of the PLAN, it is not and should not be the THE PLAN. It’s all about getting traffic (your ideal client – those that would be most interested in your product or offering) to your website.

Businesses will always be subject to increasing costs in broken models – US Mail, TV, Radio, Magazines, Yellow Pages. They will always be reliant on third parties like the US Mail until they learn HOW to market where the consumer is. Not at their mailbox but ONLINE. The great thing about the internet is, IF you know how to leverage it, and you know how to create content (blog posts, videos, pictures) your ideal client would look for, those that will be finding you online are those that actually needed your product or service.

Now all you need is a website and the knowledge to use it. You probably want someone that can help you create the video content your ideal client is looking for too right?. As luck would have it – we can help with all of that. Please fill out the form below. Lets talk.