Direct mail is not dead for local trades. It is just usually sent without any way to measure whether it worked.
TL;DR Use dynamic QR codes so you can track and redirect them. Send to tight geography, not a broad list. Point the code at a dedicated mobile page, not your homepage. Time it to the season and to work you just completed nearby.
Why mail still works locally
Your mailbox has less competition than your inbox. A well-designed postcard to 500 nearby homes gets seen by most of them, which no email list achieves.
And it pairs with something digital does not have: physical proximity. You can mail the 300 houses around a job you just finished, which is the highest-intent list you will ever build.
Dynamic QR codes, not static
Static QR codes bake the URL into the pattern. Change your mind and the printed cards are dead.
Dynamic QR codes point at a redirect you control. Which means:
- You can change the destination after printing.
- You get scan data: how many, when, roughly where.
- You can run different codes per campaign, per neighbourhood, per offer.
- You can fix a broken link without reprinting 2,000 cards.
Use a dynamic code provider. Most charge a small monthly fee, and it is worth it the first time you need to change a destination.
Design rules that matter
- Minimum 1 inch square on print, larger if the card will be read at arm’s length.
- High contrast, dark code on light background. Never light on dark.
- Quiet zone. Keep a clear margin around it, or scanners fail.
- Test the printed proof, not the digital file. Print, scan with two different phones.
- Add a short text URL underneath as a fallback for people who will not scan.
Tell them what happens when they scan
A bare QR code gets ignored. People need a reason.
Scan to see what your neighbours paid for the same job.
Scan to book a free 20-minute estimate. Next available slots shown.
Scan for $50 off before Nov 30.
Name the destination and the benefit. Curiosity alone is not enough.
The landing page has to be built for this
Do not point a QR code at your homepage. Somebody standing in their driveway holding a postcard has different needs than a search visitor.
Requirements
- Mobile-only design. Nobody scans a QR code on a desktop.
- Loads in under 2.5 seconds on cellular, which is Google’s threshold for main content at the 75th percentile.
- Matches the postcard. Same offer, same headline, same colours. A mismatch reads as a mistake.
- One action. Book, or call. Not a menu.
- Prefill what you know. If the code was for a specific neighbourhood, prefill the town.
- The offer restated at the top, because they will check that it matches.
Targeting: tight, not broad
The instinct is to mail widely. The economics say the opposite.
| Strategy | Description | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Radius around a completed job | The 200 to 400 homes nearest work you just did | Highest. Your van was visible, the work is local proof |
| Single neighbourhood, repeatedly | Same 500 homes, 3 to 4 times a year | High. Repetition builds recognition |
| Filtered by property age or type | Homes likely to need your service | High for specific trades |
| Whole ZIP code, once | Broad blast | Lowest. Expensive and forgettable |
The every-door approach. USPS Every Door Direct Mail lets you send to selected carrier routes without buying a list, at reduced postage. For neighbourhood saturation this is usually the cheapest route.
Trigger mail off actual events
Automated direct mail platforms can fire cards based on triggers, which turns mail from a campaign into a system.
- After completing a job: mail the surrounding streets. “We just replaced a roof on Oak Street.”
- After a quote goes cold: one card, four weeks later.
- Seasonally: before the first freeze, before the first heatwave.
- On an anniversary: one year after a service, for maintenance.
- After a storm: to the affected area, if you can respond fast and ethically.
That first one is the strongest and the most underused. Proof plus proximity plus timing.
Measuring it
QR scans are your primary signal, but not your only one.
- Unique scan count per campaign, from the dynamic code dashboard.
- A dedicated tracking number on the card, separate from the QR.
- A promo code for people who call rather than scan.
- “How did you hear about us” on your intake form, with a mail option.
Calculate cost per booked job, not cost per card. A campaign at $0.60 a card to 500 homes costs $300. Two booked jobs at typical margins usually clears it, and mail campaigns often produce calls weeks later.
Mail the 200 homes closest to your next completed job, with a photo of that job on the card. That is the single highest-return direct mail you can send, and most trades never do it.
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