Why ListAware beats EDDM

Why ListAware Beats USPS EDDM for Local Postcard Marketing

Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) from the USPS has long been a go-to option for businesses wanting to reach local customers. But for modern, savvy small businesses that value personalization, precision, and efficiency, EDDM just doesn't deliver the same punch. Here's why ListAware is the smarter, more powerful choice for hyperlocal postcard marketing.

1. Personalization That Converts

EDDM postcards are addressed generically to "Local Postal Customers" making them easy to ignore. ListAware, on the other hand, allows for smart personalisation. Postcards can be tailored with customer names, street names, business branding, and even photos of recent nearby projects, making each card feel relevant and trustworthy.

2. Precision Targeting

With EDDM, you're forced to mail to entire carrier routes, often hundreds of homes, whether they fit your ideal audience or not. That means wasted impressions and higher spend. ListAware allows for pinpoint targeting. You can send to just the homes surrounding a recent job, street name, or filter by property type, home value, or geographic radius.

3. No Bulk Minimums

EDDM has volume constraints: you typically must send at least 200 pieces per drop and bundle them according to USPS's complex rules.

ListAware removes these barriers. You want to target just 42 houses around your latest landscaping job? Go ahead. No bundling, no minimums, no trips to the post office.

4. Next-Day Mailing

EDDM requires handling and drop-off at designated USPS entry units. This adds days to your timeline.

With ListAware, postcards can be printed and mailed the next day, meaning your message reaches potential clients when it's most relevant — while the paint is still drying or the mulch still smells fresh! We also help you skip the trip to each different post office for EDDM drops.

5. Stronger Design and Visuals

EDDM is limited by USPS design restrictions and its mass-market approach. ListAware is optimised for high-impact, visual storytelling — ideal for industries like:

• Home renovation
• Landscaping
• Real estate
• Painting
• Roofing
• Interior design

You can easily showcase before-and-after photos, testimonials, and tailored offers — all printed on high-quality stock paper that feels like a real brand experience. EDDM doesn't allow for you to address the homeowner directly and you need to place a generic EDDM Indicica stamp. With ListAware you can customise each set of cards you send too!

6. Tracking and Insights

EDDM provides no visibility into who received your postcard or when it was delivered.

ListAware gives you campaign-level insights: what was sent, when, and where - and soon, response tracking to measure ROI.

7. Price conscious budgeting

EDDM has the requirement to mail at least 200 addresses, and you are required to send to all houses on a mailing route. This means you are possibly sending to more people than you'd like to address. Typical EDDM costs are mailing: $0.223 per postcard. With a typical send being at approximately 225 houses, or $50. Then you have design, printing costs, bundling and drop off to each post office you'd like to target. Your average costs per campaign is $150 - $250. With ListAware you can send to just 30 houses, and the only costs are the 5 minutes to select the houses and design a card and $30 in a blended mailing and printing cost.

Conclusion: Smarter, Simpler, Sharper Marketing with ListAware

If you want to blanket a whole town with generic mail, EDDM might work. But if you're a contractor, real estate agent, or small local business looking to generate leads on the very street you're working, ListAware is the better tool. It's faster, more focused, more personal — and built for businesses that care about impact.

Ready to get your postcards in the mail? Try ListAware today and send something your future customer actually wants to read!