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EDDM - Results

15K views 80 replies 19 participants last post by  Stephen H 
#1 · (Edited)
I know there has been alot of talk about EDDM so I thought I would share my experience.

-Flyers Printed = 5,000
-Flyer Size = 9 Inches x 14 Inches
-Printing Cost = $ 494
-Postage Cost = $ 799

- 4 Contractors Shared Flyer
- I did the design work and bundling of flyers for the post office and it saved me/us $600 and took me about 3 hours

- We added a $50 Prepaid Visa Giftcard for anyone that "like" and "shared" our flyer to their facebook wall with a drawing in May

- Cost Per Contractor = $323.00
- Cost Per Flyer = $ 0.065

Mailed on 2/27/13

Results to Follow.........

Day 1: 2 Calls - 2 Estimates - 0 Booked - $0.00 Booked
Day 2: 0 Calls - 0 Estimates - 0 Booked - $0.00 Booked
Day 3 6 Calls - 4 Estimates - 1 Booked - $1500.00 Booked
Day 4: 5 Calls - 0 Estimates - 0 Booked - $0.00 Booked
Day 5: 3 Calls - 2 Estimates - 2 Booked - $9700.00 Booked

Day 6-10 1 Call - 1 Estimate - 1 Booked - $ 149.00 Booked
Day 10-20 0 Call - 1 Estimate - 1 Booked - $ 109,000.00 Booked (Call/Estimate Return Call from Day 3)
Day 20 -30 0 Call - 0 Estimate - 0 Booked - $0.00 Booked

I think its safe to assume there will be little calls after one month

So after 30 Days

17 Phone Calls - Less than 1% Interaction
10 Estimates - 59% of Calls turned to Estimates
$120,349.00 - Work Obtained

Google Analytics showed that I had low page views of 12 per day and high of 61 before the flyer got mailed.
After I mailed Google Analytics results showed:
Day 1 45 Page Views
Day 2 14 Page Views
Day 3 93 Page Views
Day 4 172 Page Views
Day 5 29 Page Views

After day 5 Page views returned to normal

Large Project was a Basement in 8700 SqFt Home that started with 3D Design and led to Estimate. I was disappointed with the number of calls, but I understand that many variables are a factor in that. I did target "newer" well off areas and I am sure a large percentage didn't have a need for any work. Also as some said my graphics sucked, but at the end of the day the Marketing paid for itself with the first job I sold and the rest is a bonus.

Lessons I learned:

1. Graphics - Keep them simple and don't group with other subs
2. Target - I targeted heavily, removed large apartments, PO Boxes, Business
3. Don't be Scared - Even doing it yourself is not hard, the most complicated part is filling out the form and bundling in stacks of 50

4. Time Management - Even tho the phone didn't ring 100 times a day you have to account for additional phone and windshield time. At least for the first week solicit help to answer/screen calls and set appointments.

5. Callers that did call were impulsive, they wanted numbers quick and fast and expected you to be there yesterday. Their interaction with us wasn't planned and was completely impulsive so strike while the iron is hot.

6. Don't be afraid to say no, a few of the calls were pointless and you should screen as you usually do.

We are satisfied with the results, and I will do it again within the next 90 days. Next time we have planned to send 10,000

On our next mailing 5000 will go to the same area we just sent to and 5000 to new areas. I would like to compare and see if there is any branding advantage to covering the area twice and curious to see the results versus each other.

Oh and free marketing: I used Build a sign.com for printing. The in hand product was great, shipping was quick and I would also use them again.
 
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#2 ·
I know there has been alot of talk about EDDM so I thought I would share my experience.

-Flyers Printed = 5,000
-Printing Cost = $ 494
-Postage Cost = $ 799

- 4 Contractors Shared Flyer
- I did the design work and bundling of flyers for the post office and it saved me/us $600 and took me about 3 hours

- We added a $50 Prepaid Visa Giftcard for anyone that "like" and "shared" our flyer to their facebook wall with a drawing in May

- Cost Per Contractor = $323.00
- Cost Per Flyer = $ 0.065

Mailed on 2/27/13

Results to Follow.........

Day 1: 2 Calls - 2 Estimates - 0 Booked - $0.00 Booked
Would you be able to show us the flyer?
 
#10 ·
I used manage a retail business and we ran around 22k-50k flyers a week. My $.02 is that you should have someone design your flyers for you. It would probably tack another $100-$200 to the total cost but then it's just a matter of tweaking or changing the design for future work.

You need much better visuals and a more straightforward call to action. I understand the pressure to fill up the space but after running hundreds of thousands of flyers I can tell you that you have to catch their eye before the info will be read.

Thanks for sharing your results with us. It's what makes this site great!
 
#12 ·
We get where you are coming from, but please understand that your numbers may be skewed by the quality of the graphics. While I do think it was a bit crowded I don't think it was horrible, I've seen some really bad advertising before and this is not bad, just not good.

I also do EDDM, usually it's just a picture of a recently finished project and it goes to the postal route right by the project, this let's the neighbors know who did the project even after our signs are gone.
 
#14 ·
Well...if you don't want open graphics related discussion, that only leaves results. I assume you're going to post daily and/or weekly results of your feedback, progress, cost per lead & sales figures? My opinion...don't be so thin skinned. Nobody on here wants to shred your ideas only offer alternative roads to benefit you.
 
#20 ·
I find it unrealistic to expect good sales from 1 blast of postcards. These usualy require 3-4 to the same addresses within a 1-2 month time frame to get results that will pay for the add.

Than you want to make sure your stuff doesn't go to apartments, condos, old folks homes etc. Also it would be foolish to send vinyl siding flyers to subs that are all brick and less than 10 years old.

There are lots of variables rather than the zip code thing.
 
#22 ·
RobertCDF said:
I know I've booked a $30,000 project from an EDDM mailing that was probably $120 of total cost... :)

Looking at 2 projects, I think we'll get them both, should total over $100,000 in sales from 1 EDDM mailing, that one was around $140 in total cost.

I like EDDM I'll keep it up.
Years ago I used to look in yellow pages and get names of hairdresser beauty saloons and mail them all postcards. It is where all the women gather and gab so good place for Martha to say she's looking for a painter and do any of the women know of one? I got a call from a hairdresser who gave my postcard to her client and I sold the job. The job was a total of $6500 or so. The next year we did her exterior ($5500) and her daughters interior ($7800) and her neighbors exterior decks and painting ($10, 500). This year I ran into her other daughter who remembers my company name from her mother and just sold her a exterior painting job. ( $4875).

All from one postcard sent at random pretty much although I did target where I thought it would get seen. Don't give up on DM it does work but takes time and money. Sometimes ya hit a home run right away and sometimes gotta run the bases . Just my 2cts.
 
#23 ·
The best record we've got is some color flyers I printed at home on a laser printer (1/2 page) and put out to <100 houses... Sold a $50,000 project off them, then proceeded to sell $40,000 across the street, $50,000 across the street, and $35,000 up the street, $40,000 further up the street and $50,000 across from them... over $250,000 sold based on referrals and that 1 flyer (cost <$20 including the gas to drive there). And people think I should pay SM/HA $55 a lead and maybe close 1 in 10 for $10,000... No thanks, I'll stick with what works for FAR less money.
 
#28 ·
Steve, EDDM has nothing to do with zipcodes... It's CARRIER routes and MUCH smaller than zipcodes. (~500-1000 houses) and the postage is far cheaper per card (and larger cards) that it doesn't matter if 10% of the houses in a route are not your customers. EX. 9x12 postcard is $.90 to mail with conventional methods so if you mailed 800 it would cost $720 (plus printing) but with EDDM it costs $116 to mail those, so as long as 130+ of that 800 are your target customer you've come out ahead. These figures are based upon last years postage rates.

I did a homeshow once where there were 7 deck contractors and 3 general contractors listing decks as a prominent part of their display.

I'm glad billboards work great for you, here at $4,000 a month for a billboard I could mail cards to a 1000 house carrier route EVERYDAY for that month. I would much rather work in one area over and over again than be moving allover the city.
 
#29 · (Edited)
Steve, EDDM has nothing to do with zipcodes... It's CARRIER routes and MUCH smaller than zipcodes. (~500-1000 houses) and the postage is far cheaper per card (and larger cards) that it doesn't matter if 10% of the houses in a route are not your customers. EX. 9x12 postcard is $.90 to mail with conventional methods so if you mailed 800 it would cost $720 (plus printing) but with EDDM it costs $116 to mail those, so as long as 130+ of that 800 are your target customer you've come out ahead. These figures are based upon last years postage rates.

I did a homeshow once where there were 7 deck contractors and 3 general contractors listing decks as a prominent part of their display.

I'm glad billboards work great for you, here at $4,000 a month for a billboard I could mail cards to a 1000 house carrier route EVERYDAY for that month. I would much rather work in one area over and over again than be moving allover the city.
It is still blanket marketing instead of targeted marketin. Targeted marketing would be sending postcards to all the new c/o's list (from the building dept) vs just sending out cards to a geographic area no matter how small.

I do the following, homeshows, postcards to c/o's in 46 communities, yardsigns, seo for my web sites, all of which are linked together and targeted to a specific area.

Billboards, are like women. there are some very beautiful, that need attention and are needful, there are some that are pretty and don't require lot's of attention and chip in, than there are the others.

We have very expensive billboards all over metro Det. 4-5k a month it's easy to find those needful HO's, but the good ones, are on a waiting list, when available, one needs to swoop in and realize the value they hold and never let go of them. These are the kind I have, and am looking for, they bear fruit. They cost me $800 per side per month and have 200,000 cars a month drive by them. They are guaranteed winners. Most of the people that drive by them live within that targeted area.

Should you ever look for and find a great billboard you'll know what I mean. CBS sells em all over the country. It takes time, I have one I have to trade 6 months on and 6 months off with a car dealer, there are others I am waiting for that have been booked solid for 10 years, than there are others that change every 6 months for good reason.
 
#30 ·
I know there has been alot of talk about EDDM so I thought I would share my experience.

-Flyers Printed = 5,000
-Flyer Size = 9 Inches x 14 Inches
-Printing Cost = $ 494
-Postage Cost = $ 799

- 4 Contractors Shared Flyer
- I did the design work and bundling of flyers for the post office and it saved me/us $600 and took me about 3 hours

- We added a $50 Prepaid Visa Giftcard for anyone that "like" and "shared" our flyer to their facebook wall with a drawing in May

- Cost Per Contractor = $323.00
- Cost Per Flyer = $ 0.065

Mailed on 2/27/13

Results to Follow.........

Day 1: 2 Calls - 2 Estimates - 0 Booked - $0.00 Booked
Day 2: 0 Calls - 0 Estimates - 0 Booked - $0.00 Booked
Day 3 6 Calls - 4 Estimates - 1 Booked - $1500.00 Booked
I like the Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 breakdown you're doing. Please continue to update this as it's interesting that Day 2 was dead but 3 was very lively. Day 3 fell on a Friday and I wonder if people wanted to persue home repairs over the weekend, hence the volume.

Also, are your figures for you alone or all 4 contractors put together?
 
#33 ·
The daily updates would have been a good idea as a way to track how the responses show up by day of week and so on. This business has too many insecure guys in it as it is. Tell someone their cornerboard is crooked and next thing you know their fired up and it must be your eye or the Earth's gravitational pull or the framers hacked it and it's not their fault.

Not having the patience or willingness to step back and see what you could do to make something better is stupid and in the long run not cost effective.
 
#34 ·
MattK said:
The daily updates would have been a good idea as a way to track how the responses show up by day of week and so on. This business has too many insecure guys in it as it is. Tell someone their cornerboard is crooked and next thing you know their fired up and it must be your eye or the Earth's gravitational pull or the framers hacked it and it's not their fault.

Not having the patience or willingness to step back and see what you could do to make something better is stupid and in the long run not cost effective.
I'm going to start my next mailing soon. I'll let everyone know how it goes.
 
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