A neighborhood postcard campaign starts with an audience and an offer. Decide which homes or businesses you want to reach, what recipients should do, and how you will recognize a response. The print format and mailing method follow those decisions.
EDDM versus addressed direct mail
USPS Every Door Direct Mail selects carrier routes instead of individual addresses. Addressed direct mail uses a recipient list. Route coverage can suit a neighborhood restaurant or home service business; a customer reminder may be better served by an addressed list. Do not assume an entire ZIP code is one carrier route.
EDDM postcard sizes and templates
An ordinary 4 × 6 postcard is not automatically an EDDM piece. Check the finished dimensions and stock against the current USPS EDDM Size Checker before building the artwork. Use the current USPS indicia and mailing layout; a decorative stamp graphic does not replace them. The indicia belongs above and to the right of the address area. Confirm the approved placement and customer-address wording using the official USPS EDDM guide.
A print template and an EDDM template solve different problems. The print template establishes trim, bleed and safe areas; the postal layout reserves space for mailing information. Both must fit the same finished piece. Avoid placing a coupon code or your only phone number where a mailing mark could obscure it.
Printing, postage and mailing preparation
Postcard printing, route preparation and postage are separate parts of a campaign. The direct mail postcard product is a starting point for choosing print options. Do not treat a print price or local delivery of finished cards as postage or a completed mail drop. Any addressing, bundling or mailing service must be separately confirmed in the job scope.
Before ordering, identify who selects routes or supplies the list, who prepares the mail, who pays postage and who delivers it to USPS. Ask for a written breakdown covering artwork, printing, preparation, postage and transport. This is the useful distinction between print-only postcards and a full-service direct mail quote.
Plan the campaign and measure responses
Work backward from the intended arrival period, allowing separately for proof approval, production, preparation and postal transit. Confirm the print quantity after the audience is selected, then allow for the samples and spares your campaign needs. Print lead time is not a guaranteed mailbox arrival date.
Keep the card focused: one offer, one deadline if applicable and one clear next step. A dedicated landing page or campaign code helps distinguish this mailing from other advertising. Test a QR code from a physical proof and include a readable alternative. Compare results across comparable audiences before expanding the next mailing.
Browse marketing materials for matching pieces, or send your campaign brief with the audience, finished size, quantity, proposed mail date and the parts of the job you need quoted.