How Many Letters to Send Each Month
One of the most common questions trades ask when using TradeMailer is how many letters they should send each month. The short answer is that the number of letters you send directly affects how many opportunities you create.
Understanding response rates, conversion rates, and planning activity in your chosen areas helps you choose the right level for your business.
How TradeMailer response rates compare
TradeMailer campaigns typically see response rates of between 2% and 5%.
That’s because letters are sent to a very specific audience — homeowners who have recently been granted planning permission. These people are actively planning work and are far more likely to be looking for tradespeople.
For context, a traditional cold direct mail campaign sent to a general audience might only expect a response rate of around 0.5–1%. TradeMailer performs significantly better because the targeting removes most of the guesswork.
The key difference isn’t the letter — it’s who the letter goes to.
Why the number of letters can vary
The number of letters you can send each month depends on planning approvals in the postcode areas you choose.
When you set up your account, you select the postcode areas you want to target. If you choose to send 100 letters in a month but only 80 relevant planning applications are approved in those areas, then only 80 letters will be sent.
Any unused letter credits automatically roll over to the next month. You can also change postcode areas at any time, giving you flexibility as demand shifts.
Response rate vs conversion rate
Not every enquiry turns into a job — and that’s completely normal.
What matters is understanding:
• Your response rate (how many homeowners contact you)
• Your conversion rate (how many enquiries turn into confirmed jobs)
Once you know these two numbers, you can work backwards to decide how many letters you want to send each month to achieve the level of work you’re aiming for.
100 letters is the ideal starting point
For most trades, sending around 100 letters per month is ideal.
It provides:
• Enough volume to generate regular enquiries
• Clear data on response and conversion rates
• A manageable flow of conversations for most businesses
At this level, you can properly assess performance without feeling overwhelmed or underwhelmed.
50 letters is the absolute minimum
Sending fewer than 50 letters per month usually doesn’t create enough activity to properly judge results.
While 50 letters can work, it should be seen as the minimum level needed to generate meaningful feedback — not the recommended starting point if you’re actively looking for work.
More letters means more opportunities
If you want more jobs, sending more letters is the most direct way to achieve that.
More letters means:
• More homeowners seeing your details
• More enquiries coming in
• More chances to convert work
There’s no shortcut here — volume creates opportunity. The key is choosing a level that matches how much work you want to take on and how quickly you can respond.
You stay in control
Your TradeMailer account can be paused at any time.
If work picks up or you need to reduce enquiries temporarily, you can stop sending letters and restart when you’re ready. This flexibility allows TradeMailer to fit around your workload, rather than dictating it.
In summary
TradeMailer response rates are higher than standard direct mail because letters are sent to homeowners who are actively planning work. For most trades, sending around 100 letters per month is the ideal balance between opportunity and manageability. Sending fewer than 50 letters should be treated as a minimum, while increasing volumes is the most reliable way to generate more enquiries and win more work — all with the flexibility to pause or adjust whenever needed.
Before deciding on volumes, it helps to understand what TradeMailer is and who it’s for.
You may also want to read why speed of response matters once enquiries start coming in.