WASHINGTON, DC — It’s now easier for small-business owners to harness the power of direct mail to drive traffic, attract new customers and increase revenue. That’s because the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) introduced Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM), a simple, low-cost service that allows local businesses to market to every address in their neighborhoods without the need to rent or purchase mailing lists.

To teach businesses about EDDM, the Capital District is inviting small businesses, home-based businesses, entrepreneurs, and other customers to visit their local Post Office during Grow Your Business Week, July 25-30.

EDDM uses mail-delivery route information, instead of names and exact addresses, to reach targeted groups in specific geographic areas. The mail can be addressed to “Postal Customer,” “Residential Customer,” or “PO Boxholder” and dropped off at a local Post Office. EDDM saves mail preparation time and money and is delivered by local, trusted USPS letter carriers.

Businesses use a simple online tool at https://smp.usps.gov to identify neighborhoods and number of households, prepare mailing documentation and calculate postage. With EDDM, no permits are needed, and there are no special fees.

“Every Door Direct Mail is ideal for restaurants, doctors’ offices, hair salons — or any kind of local
business that is not currently using the mail,” said Gerald Roane, Postmaster Washington, DC. “Direct mail has long been a proven advertising tool of choice of successful large businesses and Fortune 500 companies to promote products and drive sales. Now it’s easier and less expensive for small businesses to grow using direct mail.”

According to Angela Brown, Marketing Manager, direct mail has strengths other advertising media can’t claim — it’s personal, tangible, portable (to re-read later and share with others), manageable and measureable. The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) states that every $1 spent on direct mail generates $12.57 in sales.

For more information about Every Door Direct Mail visit www.usps.gov/everydoordirectmail.

USPS receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

We’re everywhere so you can be anywhere: www.uspseverywhere.com

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A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. We’re everywhere so you can be anywhere: www.uspseverywhere.com. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $67 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 29th in the 2010 Fortune 500. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency six consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.