Direct mail in a digital world
Direct mail is more expensive than email, less crowded, and still works for trades.
Target by neighborhood, not zip code
Map the neighborhoods that match your best existing customers. Mail those specifically. Blanket zip-code mail wastes most of the budget.
Postcards, not envelopes
Open rates on postcards are roughly 100% because there's nothing to open. Envelopes get tossed unread.
One clear offer, one call to action
Pick one service, one offer, one number to call or QR code to scan. Cluttered mailers get glanced at and thrown away.
Take your version of this question further
This is one operator-tested angle on the question. Your shop, your size, your trade, and your team change the answer. Ask your specific version inside Ask a Shop Owner to get a response grounded in how owners like you actually handled it.