Door Hanger Marketing Glossary
Complete Industry Terms & Definitions
Welcome to Our Glossary
Welcome to Direct to Door Marketing’s comprehensive glossary of door hanger marketing and distribution terms. With over 30 years of experience distributing 500+ million door hangers nationwide, we’ve compiled this authoritative reference guide to help you understand the terminology, concepts, and industry jargon used in door-to-door marketing.
Whether you’re new to door hanger marketing or an experienced marketer looking for precise definitions, this glossary covers everything from basic terms like “door hanger” to advanced concepts like “geo-targeting” and “response rate optimization.”
A
Address-Level Targeting
Definition: The practice of selecting specific street addresses for door hanger distribution based on demographics, homeownership, or other criteria, rather than broader geographic areas.
AI Management Platform
Definition: Technology system that uses artificial intelligence to track, manage, and verify door hanger distribution through GPS tracking, photo documentation, and real-time reporting.
Attribution
Definition: The process of identifying which marketing channel or campaign generated a specific customer response, sale, or conversion.
B
Bleed
Definition: The area of a printed door hanger that extends beyond the final trim edge (typically 0.125 inches on all sides) to ensure no white edges appear after cutting.
Break-Even Response Rate
Definition: The minimum percentage of door hanger recipients who must respond to cover the campaign’s total cost, considering customer value and profit margins.
C
Call-to-Action (CTA)
Definition: A clear instruction or prompt that tells recipients exactly what action to take next (call, visit, order, scan, etc.).
Carrier Route
Definition: A specific geographic area assigned to a single USPS mail carrier, typically containing 400-600 addresses. Used in EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail) targeting.
CMYK
Definition: A color printing model using Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (black) inks. Standard for professional door hanger printing.
Conversion Rate
Definition: The percentage of respondents who take a desired action (purchase, appointment booking, etc.) out of the total number of responses generated.
Cost Per Acquisition (CPA)
Definition: The total campaign cost divided by the number of new customers acquired. Key metric for evaluating campaign profitability.
D
Demographic Targeting
Definition: Selecting distribution areas based on population characteristics such as age, income, homeownership, family size, or education level.
Die-Cut
Definition: The custom-shaped cut in a door hanger, typically the door handle opening, created using a specialized cutting die during manufacturing.
Direct Mail
Definition: Marketing materials delivered through the USPS postal system to mailboxes, including postcards, letters, catalogs, and promotional pieces.
Distributor
Definition: An individual who physically places door hangers on residential or commercial door handles as part of a distribution campaign.
Door Hanger
Definition: A printed marketing piece designed with a die-cut hole to hang on residential or commercial door handles, typically measuring 4.25″x11″ or 4.25″x14″.
DPI (Dots Per Inch)
Definition: A measurement of image resolution for printing. Higher DPI means sharper, more detailed printed images. Professional door hangers require 300 DPI minimum.
E
EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail)
Definition: A USPS program allowing businesses to mail marketing pieces to every address within selected carrier routes without requiring a mailing list or individual addressing.
F
Farming (Real Estate)
Definition: The strategy of consistently marketing to the same geographic area over an extended period (typically 6-12 months) to establish name recognition and market dominance.
Flyer
Definition: A single-page printed marketing piece, typically flat without a door handle cutout. Unlike door hangers, flyers are often handed out person-to-person or placed under windshield wipers.
Flyer Distribution
Definition: The process of distributing flat printed marketing materials through hand-to-hand delivery, windshield placement, bulletin boards, or public locations (distinct from door hanger distribution).
G
Geographic Targeting
Definition: Selecting specific areas for door hanger distribution based on location, such as neighborhoods, zip codes, cities, or custom-drawn boundaries.
Geo-Targeting
Definition: Using geographic location data to deliver marketing to specific areas. In door hanger marketing, this means selecting precise addresses or neighborhoods for distribution.
GPS Tracking
Definition: Technology that uses Global Positioning System satellites to record the exact location and time of door hanger distribution for verification purposes.
R
Response Rate
Definition: The percentage of door hanger recipients who take a desired action (call, visit, order, inquire) calculated as (responses ÷ total distributed) × 100.
Return on Investment (ROI)
Definition: A profitability metric calculated as (Revenue Generated – Campaign Cost) ÷ Campaign Cost × 100, expressed as a percentage.
Frequently Asked Questions
A door hanger is specifically designed with a die-cut hole to hang on residential door handles and stays in place. A flyer is a flat sheet typically handed out person-to-person or placed under windshield wipers. Door hangers have significantly higher visibility (98%) versus flyers which are often immediately discarded or blow away.
EDDM stands for Every Door Direct Mail, a USPS program for mailing postcards to every address in selected carrier routes. The key differences: EDDM goes to mailboxes through postal service (60-70% visibility), door hangers go on door handles (98% visibility). EDDM costs $0.26-0.35 per piece, door hangers cost $0.11-0.23. EDDM takes 10-21 days, door hangers take 5-10 days.
It varies by industry: Restaurants 8-15%, Home Services 6-10%, Retail 4-9%, Real Estate 4-7%, Political Campaigns 12-18%. “Good” means above your industry average AND profitable based on your customer lifetime value.
Our proprietary AI Management Platform oversees every aspect of distribution, from route optimization to delivery verification. The platform monitors distributor performance, tracks campaign progress in real-time, and provides accountability through verified delivery confirmation. This ensures your door hangers are distributed professionally and efficiently nationwide.
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