Pamphlets, leaflets, flyers……whatever you call them, one thing is clear; these are an incredibly effective and inexpensive way of reaching your customers where they live.
A relatively simple concept, flyer dropping is the art of promoting a local business by creating a killer leaflet and then distributing it to your target audience.
While it sounds straightforward, there are a lot of moving parts to take into consideration for an effective flyer campaign, and, in this article, we’re sharing the ultimate guide to flyer drops.
By design
Needless to say, a flyer drop campaign starts with the actual flyer, and when putting this together, there are a few things you need to know:
Message – Start by figuring out what the main message of your flyer should be. For example, you may have a special offer going for one of your products and so want to showcase this.
Copy – One of the cardinal sins of flyer design is to cram every single bit of space on your flyer. This is often counterproductive as the result is messy and confusing and will mean that your flyer is destined for the bin. Focusing on one product or service, make sure that your leaflet is clean, clear and understandable – and be sure to proof it before printing to catch any pesky spelling mistakes which will make it look cheap.
Images – A good flyer will always feature great-quality photos or graphics. Try to avoid stock images which your customers will have seen before and, instead, invest in your own photography or graphic design.
Call to action – Your call to action is the bit where you tell the reader what you want them to do next – for example, make a phone call, visit your premises or visit your website. If you want the reader to visit your website, be sure to include a QR code – customers are lazy so and so’s these days – even to the point that typing in a website address is too much effort so, including a QR code scan will help nudge them toward your website.
Perfect printing
A quick internet search will throw up any number of options when it comes to printing your leaflets but beware; not all printers are created equal. When printing your flyers, it’s always worth investing in a printer with a good reputation and high-quality paper stock. This latter is particularly important if you don’t want your customers receiving tattered, soggy pamphlets.
Divine distribution
Once you’ve created and printed the perfect pamphlet, it’s time to think about distributing it. For a local business, this is a really valuable marketing tool, with around 46% of leaflet recipients either hanging onto the leaflet or passing it on to somebody else. This can mean gaining some fantastic results – as long as you stick to the golden rules:
Don’t DIY – Too many businesses make the mistake of assuming that distribution is easy and, therefore, is therefore something that they can take care of themselves. In reality, attempting to tackle this yourself without experience or expertise will almost certainly result in a waste of time and money. At DOR-2-DOR, we know what it takes to make sure that your leaflet gets to the right people – and we offer a number of options, including shared delivery.
Targeting – In order for leaflet distribution to be effective, proper targeting is essential. This is the art of figuring out who your ideal customer is and, more importantly, where to find them. An experienced company like DOR-2-DOR will take care of this for you – and will provide detailed reporting to keep you in the loop as to what’s going on with your campaign.
Types of flyer drop
Depending on your requirements and budget, you have a few options to choose from, and these are:
Shared leaflet drops – The most cost-effective option and a popular one with a lot of small businesses, shared drops are ones in which your leaflet will be delivered along with those from other businesses. Although this doesn’t offer you an exclusive service, it still gets your message in front of your potential customers. This is ideal if your business is unusual or does not have much in the way of competition in a particular area.
Solus leaflet drops – This option gives you exclusivity when it comes to delivering your leaflets – so yours will be the only leaflet delivered. While this is usually a little more expensive, it’s a great way of focusing customer attention, particularly if you have a lot of competition in the area.
Hand-to-hand drops – As you’ve probably guessed, this method involves physically putting your leaflets into people’s hands, usually on the street. Although this can be effective, on a busy shopping street, a fairly large number of your leaflets are in danger of ending up in the nearest bin.
Business to business – This kind of campaign is a great way of sharing the load with other local businesses. In many cases, this also leads to some great collaborations and partnerships. A good agency like DOR-2-DOR will be able to advise on the best way of getting started with business-to-business campaigns for the best results.
Testing, testing
As with any kind of marketing, flyer drops can be a case of trial and error, and because of this, A/B testing is vital. This means creating two or more different flyers with different images and messaging, and sending them out, via your distribution agency to see which gets the best results.
A failure to perform proper testing can mean that you don’t really know how successful your campaign is, as you have nothing to compare it against.
When starting out with flyer drops, it’s a good idea to complete two short runs to see how they perform and then to go ahead with a full campaign with the leaflet that resonated most with your customers.
Don’t drop the ball with distribution
Flyer drops are increasingly popular with businesses that are becoming disillusioned with digital marketing in 2022. The advantages are many and include the fact that:
- It’s impossible to ‘scroll past’ a leaflet
- When you can physically hold something in your hand, it’s automatically more memorable
- When a leaflet includes a local address or map, it allows the customer to visualise the location
- Unlike a digital advert, a flyer can be kept in a drawer or pinned onto a board for future reference
- Flyer drops can be more effectively targeted than digital marketing techniques
As great as flyer drop campaigns can be, it’s really important to get them right. Proper targeting, intelligent design and profiling all go into the mix if you want to see real results. For these reasons, it’s always recommended that you hire a professional agency such as DOR-2-DOR, particularly when first starting out.
Trying to perform your own leaflet distribution will almost certainly result in lost money and time; compared with the professional approach performed by a company with years of experience and expertise.
