Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) vs. Targeted Mailing Lists: Making the Right Choice

By Lee Garvey (Refreshed 11/3/2025)

Let’s say you’re about to launch a direct mail campaign seeking new customers in a geographical area. You have two options:

Option 1: Send your mailers to every single address in your chosen neighborhoods (that’s EDDM – Every Door Direct Mail from the U.S. Postal Service). Option 2: Mail only to specific people who match your ideal customer profile (that’s targeted mailing).

On the one hand, EDDM hits a huge number of people for a great postage rate – as little as $0.219 per piece. That’s pretty good when you compare it to the price of a Forever stamp – $0.73 as of late 2024 – or even bulk mail rates, which only get down to $0.357.

But if you don’t choose correctly, those savings will quickly turn to losses. In this guide, we’ll examine the pros and cons of each approach and help you determine which is right for you.

Read more: What is EDDM? A Beginner’s Guide to Every Door Direct Mail

From your desk — in minutes

Launch 500 postcards / flyers / letters in ~5 minutes. We print, address, and mail for you.

Upload your design and mailing list, pay, done.
No post office run. No subscriptions.
Next-business-day mailing for most products.

Create your free account No minimums. Use any email to get started.

EDDM vs. Targeted Lists: A Side-by-Side Comparison

To help you visualize the core differences at a glance, here’s a direct comparison of Every Door Direct Mail and Targeted Mailing Lists across key decision-making factors.

Feature	Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM)	Targeted Mailing Lists
Targeting Method	Geography (Carrier Route)	Demographics, Behavior, Life Events
Mailing List Needed?	No	Yes, a curated list is required
Ideal Audience	Broad, universal appeal (e.g., everyone eats pizza)	Niche, specific customer profiles
Primary Advantage	Very low cost per piece; simple setup	Higher conversion rate; less waste
Primary Disadvantage	High potential for waste on uninterested recipients	Higher upfront cost and list management
Best For	Market saturation, grand openings, local brand awareness	Lead generation, driving specific actions, ROI-focused campaigns
Cost Efficiency	Efficient in cost-per-piece	Efficient in cost-per-acquisition

What Are Targeted Mailing Lists? The “Surgical Strike” Strategy

While EDDM casts a wide net, targeted mailing lists are the precision instrument. This approach uses a curated database of recipients, selecting them based on specific demographics, behaviors, or life events that match your ideal customer profile. The goal is to mail only to people who are most likely to need your service, dramatically increasing the chance of conversion while sending out fewer pieces.

The Power of Precision

The effectiveness of this strategy hinges on moving beyond simple geography. Modern data allows you to drill deep into demographics, targeting households based on factors like income, home ownership, age, and even hobbies. This means you can reach new parents with baby gear offers, luxury car owners with high-end detailing services, or pool owners with maintenance plans. The more targeted the list, the more you avoid the fundamental mistake of mailing to people who can never become customers.

The Critical Factor of List Quality

However, not all lists are created equal. The success of a targeted campaign depends entirely on the quality and accuracy of the data. A list riddled with outdated addresses or incorrect information leads to wasted mailings and missed opportunities. Proper validation is a non-negotiable step to ensure your investment reaches real people who match the profile you’re paying for.

EDDM vs. Targeted Lists: Your Decision Matrix

So, which path is right for your business? The answer isn’t about which method is objectively better, but which is better for your specific goals and audience. Your choice should be guided by one key question: Does my product or service appeal to everyone in a neighborhood, or only a specific type of person?

When EDDM Makes Sense (The “Everyone Eats” Model)

EDDM is the clear winner for businesses with a truly universal local appeal. It’s the go-to strategy for reaching a mass audience where the assumption “everyone is a potential customer” holds true. You can send EDDM and eliminate the cost of a mailing list, but you must be confident that everyone on that route has a reason to want your product. This model works brilliantly for:

• Local pizzerias and family restaurants
• New grocery stores or convenience stores
• Hardware stores and local pharmacies

When Targeted Lists Work Better (The “Specific Need” Model)

Just because you serve a geographic area doesn’t mean every resident is a prospect. For many businesses, mailing to everyone is a fast way to burn through your budget on people who have no use for your services. Targeted lists are the solution, allowing you to focus your spending only on high-potential leads. This approach prevents you from wasting money and is essential for:

• Landscaping services (homeowners, not apartment dwellers)
• Pool maintenance companies (only pool owners)
• High-end salons (specific income brackets)
• Private schools (families with school-age children)

The Cost Analysis: Beyond the Sticker Price

At first glance, EDDM’s low postage rate seems unbeatable. However, the true cost of a campaign isn’t just the price on the mailpiece; it’s the cost per result. Sending 5,000 mailers with only a handful of conversions is far more expensive than sending 1,000 highly targeted pieces that generate a strong response, even at a higher per-piece rate.

The mailing list itself is the biggest variable in a targeted campaign’s budget. Acquiring a highly specific, well-validated list costs more than a generic one, but it is an investment that pays for itself by dramatically reducing waste. You are paying for precision, not just names and addresses.

This is why the most important metric to track is your cost per customer acquired. A campaign with a slightly higher upfront cost can have a significantly lower cost per acquisition if it connects with the right people. Sometimes, paying more per piece to reach a qualified audience is the most cost-effective strategy in the long run.

The Final Verdict: A Simple Test to Eliminate Guesswork

If you’re still on the fence, the most reliable path is to let the data decide for you. Running a simple, controlled test will provide a clear answer for your specific business without a massive upfront commitment. Here’s how to do it:

1. Pick Two Similar Areas: Select two neighborhoods or regions with similar demographic profiles.
2. Run an EDDM Campaign: Send your EDDM mailer to every address in the first area.
3. Run a Targeted Campaign: Send a targeted mailing to a curated list of qualified leads in the second area.
4. Track Responses Meticulously: Use unique promo codes, dedicated phone numbers, or specific landing pages for each campaign to track responses accurately.
5. Calculate Your Cost Per Response: For each campaign, divide the total cost by the number of leads or sales generated.
6. Scale the Winner: Double down on the method that delivers the lowest cost per customer and the highest return on your investment.

Ready to Find Your Perfect Mailing Strategy?

You now have the knowledge to choose between EDDM and targeted lists confidently. But why navigate this decision alone? Click2Mail provides the complete toolkit and expert support to execute either strategy—or test both—with incredible ease. From launching a neighborhood EDDM blast with just a few clicks to accessing over 216 million verified contacts for hyper-targeted campaigns, our platform turns complex mailroom logistics into a simple, automated process.Let our experts help you maximize your ROI.

We’ll review your business goals, compare costs for both approaches, and help you launch a campaign that gets results. Visit Click2Mail.com to explore your options or call our team today to get started—there are no minimums, no subscriptions, and your next high-converting campaign is just a conversation away.

volumes, and next-day mailing is available for most products. Let us help you find the right direct mail strategy for your business.