$1,000 for Each Postcard: The Every Door Direct Mail Side Hustle - Side Hustle Nation

      Side Hustle Nation is focused on enhancing your personal profitability. To achieve this, we frequently collaborate with companies that have a similar goal. If you register or purchase through one of our partner links, we may earn a commission—at no additional cost to you. Learn more. What if you could transform every mailbox in your neighborhood into a $1,000 earning opportunity? That’s precisely what Rachel and Dalton from Big Sky Automation have accomplished with Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) postcards.

      The concept is straightforward: the Postal Service allows you to send a postcard to each home on a mail route for roughly $0.25 each. You can use this to promote your own business, or, as Rachel and Dalton do, sell that advertising space to other local businesses.

      By combining multiple advertisers onto a single large postcard, they reduce the overall cost, create an economical option for local advertising, and keep the profit margin. They have mailed out 20 postcards over roughly seven months, indicating this is more than just a one-time project. In this episode, they explain how the model operates — and why it continues to attract repeat business.

      (Want to learn how to implement this in your own area? Check out their free mini course at CommunityCardPlaybook.com) Tune in to Episode 719 of the Side Hustle Show to learn: how the Every Door Direct Mail side hustle functions, how to market it to local businesses, and how to make it sustainable and scalable.

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      How Every Door Direct Mail Functions

      Rachel and Dalton originally used a larger postcard that targeted 10,000 homes at once. The cost for participating businesses was approximately $600 per mailing. It quickly became clear that if direct mail is most effective when repeated, that pricing made ongoing efforts unrealistic for most small businesses, especially with mailings done once or twice each month.

      The solution wasn’t to increase volume but to enhance targeting. Instead of 10,000 homes, they concentrated on specific neighborhoods that local businesses already wished to reach. These neighborhoods typically included around 2,500 homes each. They often mailed to two neighborhoods per month.

      The postcard dimensions were reduced to 6.5 × 12 inches, allowing for space for up to 16 businesses. This alteration substantially lowered costs and made ongoing participation feasible. Businesses could now remain on the card month after month, which is when the model begins to thrive.

      Why This Differs from Valpak

      At first glance, this may seem similar to Valpak or Money Mailer, but the distinctions are important. Valpak envelopes often contain 50–75 businesses, making it easy for individual ads to get overlooked. They also permit direct competitors within the same envelope. Rachel recounted an experience where she received a Valpak with two roofers side by side. She contacted one, who then switched to her postcard specifically due to her guarantee of category exclusivity.

      That exclusivity is a key selling advantage. Solo direct mail campaigns can cost thousands per distribution. Coupon envelopes tend to be crowded. The community postcard occupies a middle ground: cost-effective, targeted, and uncluttered.

      How to Present the Offer

      This postcard constitutes indirect advertising — more like a billboard than a Facebook ad. This perspective is vital. Some business owners understand this marketing method, while others do not. However, when you clarify that they can have their name in thousands of local homes for $150 per mailing, the discussion stays open.

      Once explained and framed appropriately, it is well-received. Businesses can then begin to compete with larger companies in the area and appear in their community's mailboxes. Direct mail remains one of the few advertising strategies that is completely localized.

      Why Businesses Appreciate This Model

      Several factors make this offer appealing to local businesses:

      - Cost-effective exposure: They reach thousands of homes without incurring solo-mail costs.

      - Targeted reach: They mail to neighborhoods they actually serve.

      - Category exclusivity: No rival companies competing for attention on the same card.

      - Increased credibility through association: Being featured alongside other local businesses boosts trust.

      How to Locate Your First Advertisers

      Rather than cold calling endlessly, Rachel and Dalton employ a low-pressure outreach strategy:

      - Use Facebook Messenger for business pages

      - Send email follow-ups

      - Make phone calls only after showing interest

      Their rationale is straightforward: decision-makers are busy. Messaging allows them to reply at their convenience. Facebook is particularly effective as business owners can easily review their page, see previous postcards, and verify that genuine mailings are happening.

      Rachel’s initial message is brief and to the point: “Hi