GLOSSARY
Direct Mail Terms for Tree Service Companies
Clear explanations of the terms that come up when tree service companies evaluate direct mail marketing — from EDDM to carrier route targeting to route-level call tracking.
What Is Carrier Route Targeting?
The practice of selecting specific USPS carrier routes — rather than entire zip codes — based on data about the households in each route. For tree service marketing, this means targeting only the routes with high tree density, high-income homeowners, and large properties.
What Is Tree Density Analysis?
The measurement of mature tree canopy coverage within a geographic area using satellite or aerial imaging data. Tree Traction uses proprietary satellite imaging to score every carrier route in the U.S. by tree density — identifying which neighborhoods have the most mature trees and therefore the highest likelihood of needing tree service.
What Is Route-Level Call Tracking?
A call tracking methodology where each carrier route in a direct mail campaign receives its own unique local phone number. When a homeowner calls, the tracking system identifies exactly which route they're on — allowing campaign managers to cut underperforming routes and concentrate spend on high-performing neighborhoods.
What Is EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail)?
A USPS program that allows businesses to mail to every address on a carrier route without needing a list of individual addresses. EDDM offers significantly lower postage rates than first-class addressed mail — roughly 65% less. Tree Traction uses EDDM as the delivery mechanism but layers proprietary targeting data on top to select only the most valuable routes.
What Is Direct Mail Marketing?
A marketing channel where physical printed materials — letters, postcards, flyers — are sent directly to recipients' mailboxes. Unlike digital advertising that relies on search intent or social media algorithms, direct mail creates demand by reaching prospects who haven't started looking yet. For tree service companies, it reaches homeowners with trees that need work before they ever open Google.
What Is Direct Mail Response Rate?
The percentage of recipients who take a desired action (typically calling) after receiving a direct mail piece. Industry benchmarks for prospect lists typically run 0.5–2%. For tree service direct mail with proper targeting, response rates of 0.5–1.5% are common in early months, with top-performing campaigns exceeding this as route optimization removes underperformers over time.
Want the full picture?
Read the Complete Guide to Direct Mail for Tree Service CompaniesSee How Tree Traction Uses These Methods
Book a free 30-minute strategy call and we'll walk through exactly how we'd target your market.
Book a Free Strategy Call