A $559 Ad Turning Into ~$2,200 in Profit (Real Math)
Most advertising fails for one simple reason: it disappears.
Emails get deleted. Social ads get scrolled past. Search ads stop working the moment you stop paying.
Direct mail is different, it arrives, it gets seen, and it sticks.
That’s why direct mail consistently delivers the highest ROI of any marketing channel.
Here’s a simple, real-world example using conservative numbers.
A Realistic 9×12 ROI Scenario
Investment:
• $559 for one 9×12 ad spot
• Delivered to about 5,000 local homes
Industry-standard direct mail response rate:
• ~4.5% (this is a blended average, not a best-case)
That means:
• 225 households respond (5,000 × 4.5%)
Now let’s be conservative.
Assume only 10% of those responders become customers.
• 22 new customers
Assume:
• Average sale: $300
• Profit margin per sale: $100
Profit generated:
• 22 × $100 = $2,200
Ad cost:
• $559
The Result
• Net profit: ~$1,641
• ROI: ~293% on a single mail drop
And that’s without counting:
- Repeat customers
- Referrals
- Brand recognition from a postcard that stays on the fridge
- Or the fact that your competitors are not on the card
Why the 9×12 Card Works So Well
✔ Jumbo 9×12 format, impossible to miss
✔ Only one business per category, no competition next to you
✔ Shared cost model, pennies per door instead of dollars
✔ Physical, tangible, and trusted by households
✔ Reaches every home, not just people searching today
Digital ads rent attention.
Direct mail earns it.
That’s why 9×12 continues to outperform email, social, and paid search for local businesses that want predictable ROI.
If you want to see how your business would look on the next card — and whether your category is still available, it takes about two minutes.