The painting industry is leveling up. Contractors are professionalizing their businesses on a broader scale. Small but ambitious painting companies are hiring marketing agencies, and business fundamentals like job costing are becoming more commonplace. While this is all great news for the industry at large, it also presents some challenges – namely how to stand out in a crowded market.

When painting businesses think about marketing, their primary focus is typically digital. And digital marketing works great! I should know, as my team has generated tens of millions of dollars in painting projects via digital marketing. But what often goes ignored is offline marketing, specifically direct mail.

Direct mail allows you to laser target individual neighborhoods. This ability to “geofence” certain areas means you’re able to invest your marketing dollars into targeting only the most desirable homeowners. Direct mail also enables you to reach an audience that doesn’t typically respond to digital ads, such as senior citizens. And finally, direct mail puts something physical in the homeowners’ hands – building a more personal connection.

This guide will help you leverage direct mail for maximum results. We will cover the different campaign types and budgeting to assess success metrics and scaling. Whether you’re just starting out or a titan of industry, direct mail can be a powerful tool for lead generation and brand building in the painting industry.

Why it works

There’s something unique about receiving a well-designed postcard or flier in the mail. It doesn’t just disappear with the swipe of a finger. Instead, it gets set on the kitchen counter or hung up on the refrigerator, sometimes for weeks or longer. That’s why direct mail works so well in the painting industry. It’s about being there, in the homeowner’s space, when they’re ready to take action.

Another reason direct mail is so effective is its ability to target specific homeowners. Whether you’re looking for neighborhoods with single-family homes valued at $500,000 or more, or laser focused on owner-occupied properties with high income levels, direct mail gives you the precision to focus on quality over quantity. MailiDirect Mail in the digital age

By Brandon Pierpont

ng lists tailored to your ideal audience are relatively inexpensive, making it easy to zone in on the homeowners most likely to book your services.

And when it comes to the quality of leads, direct mail delivers. Many direct mail leads are older homeowners who prefer professionalized companies, and they’re less likely to shop around with multiple painters. This means fewer tire-kickers, better close rates, and often bigger jobs.

Choosing a campaign

Direct mail isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Different types of campaigns serve different purposes, so the key is choosing the one that best aligns with your goals. Here’s a breakdown of the most common direct mail options:

• Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM): If you’re new to direct mail, you might hear about EDDM first. This USPS program delivers your mail to every home along a postal route. It’s simple and affordable, but there’s a tradeoff—you don’t get much say in who receives it. Your fliers will hit renters, apartments, and homes that might not fit your ideal customer profile. EDDM can work for creating broad awareness, but it’s not the best option if you’re looking for high-quality leads.
• Saturation Mailers: For a step up from EDDM, consider saturation mailers. These campaigns still target the majority of homes on a postal route, but they allow for a little more flexibility. Total cost for these mailers, including postage, printing, and other costs, usually comes in at around 34 cents. Saturation mailers are a great way to reach a large audience cost-effectively. Just keep in mind that the broader targeting means some pieces will still go to households outside your ideal audience.
• High-Density Plus Mailers: If you want better precision, high-density plus mailers are the way to go. These campaigns require at least 125 homes on a postal route, but they let you refine your list to include owner-occupied homes, higher income levels, and properties over a certain value. High-density plus mailers are slightly more expensive than saturation mailers, coming in at around 39 cents per piece, but often deliver a stronger return on investment.
• New Mover Programs: Targeting new homeowners is a no-brainer. People who have just bought a home are often eager to personalize it, and painting is usually high on their list. New mover mailers cost a bit more—68-85 cents per piece—but they reach a highly motivated audience. Combining new mover campaigns with well-structured digital ads can yield excellent results.
• Radius Mailers: Radius mailers let you target homes around a recently completed project. At around 66 cents per piece, they’re a great way to let neighbors know you’re in the area and ready to help. However, if you’re already mailing frequently in that neighborhood, radius campaigns might overlap with your existing efforts.

Setting it up

Every successful direct mail campaign starts with a solid plan. First, you need to know your audience. For most painting contractors, this means targeting single-family, owner-occupied homes in higher-value neighborhoods. Homes valued at $500,000 or more are a good starting point, but you can also add filters like income level, demographics, or other criteria. For example, age of the home can sometimes be an effective filter, but this depends on how counties report property records.

Next, think about your message. Your mailer should stand out visually while keeping things simple. A clean design, a strong call-to-action, and an offer like “10% off your next project” can go a long way. Percentage-based discounts tend to work better than dollar-based offers or value-add promotions, which can sometimes lead to unrealistic expectations.

In terms of volume, it’s best to start with at least 10,000 pieces to get enough data to see what works. This level of volume gives you a chance to test multiple ZIP codes, track results, and identify the neighborhoods that respond best. It also helps you take advantage of economies of scale since larger mailings often come with lower per-piece costs.

Finally, set up tracking tools to measure your success. Call tracking numbers, unique URLs, and QR codes are essential for understanding how many leads your campaign is generating and where they’re coming from. This data will not only help you evaluate your campaign’s success, but also refine your strategy for future mailings. Softwares I like to use include WhatConverts for call tracking, Switchy.io for trackable URLs, and QR Tiger for dynamic QR codes.

Measuring success

Once your campaign is in motion, tracking and analyzing the results is key. Start by looking at response rates. These can vary depending on the type of mailer and the time of year, but a typical campaign might see response rates between 0.5% and 2%. 

We often see the majority of responses come in during the first four weeks, with roughly equal numbers per week. By week five there will typically be significant drop-off, but straggler leads from a mailer campaign can come in anytime thereafter, sometimes even years after the mailer went out.

Next, calculate your cost per lead. If you mail 10,000 high-density pieces at an average cost of 32 cents each, your total cost is $3,200. If that generates 20 leads, your cost per lead is $160. While this might sound higher than some other forms of advertising, remember that direct mail leads often convert at higher rates and lead to larger job sizes.

Over time, refine your strategy by analyzing performance by ZIP code. Track your number of leads, estimates conducted, and number of projects that come from each area. If one ZIP code consistently outperforms others, focus more of your budget there. This kind of data-driven adjustment can make your campaigns more efficient and effective with each drop.

Finally, ensure you test different designs, offers, and messaging. This ongoing experimentation will allow you to learn what elements resonate most with your audience, so you can continue to improve your marketing. 

Timing Is everything

When it comes to direct mail, timing matters. Garrett Martell, the owner of Two Day Painting and Tradesfix, suggests mailing every six weeks to keep your business top of mind without overwhelming homeowners. 

Seasonal timing is also important. Spring and summer tend to be the busiest times for painting contractors, with higher response rates and lower costs per lead. Winter campaigns, while typically generating a lower response rate and higher cost per lead, can help keep your crews busy during slower months.

Potential pitfalls

Like any marketing method, direct mail isn’t without its challenges. Here’s what to keep in mind:

• Vendor Markups: Many vendors charge excessively, with some marking up costs to 60-70 cents per piece. Research and negotiate to keep costs closer to 40-45 cents per piece, as excessive markup makes it difficult to achieve a positive ROI.
• Postal Issues: Rarely, mailings can be lost or delayed within the USPS system. Plan for a 1% failure rate as a precaution, meaning 1% of the time your entire mailing may go missing.
• Seasonal Variability: Be prepared for fluctuations in response rates based on the time of year.

A holistic approach

Direct mail works best when it’s part of a bigger marketing plan. Pairing it with digital strategies like social media ads, SEO, and retargeting can amplify your results. For example, if you’re running a new mover campaign, you can also target those same homeowners with Facebook or Google ads to reinforce your message. It’s not about choosing one method over the other—it’s about making all your marketing channels work together to create outsized returns.

Something else important to note is that homeowners are going to research your company after receiving your mailers. An impressive digital presence, including a professional website, polished social media, and active Google Business Profile with plenty of 5-star reviews will help you turn more of those interested homeowners into customers.

Send it

Direct mail remains one of the most effective tools for painting contractors to connect with homeowners. With thoughtful planning, careful tracking, and a commitment to consistent improvement, it can drive meaningful results for your business. Whether you’re targeting new movers or saturating high-value areas, direct mail offers a proven way to build trust and grow your client base. Start planning your direct mail strategy for 2025, and you’ll be well on your way to a year of strong growth!

Brandon Pierpont is the founder of Painter Marketing Pros. He can be reached at [email protected].