With so many companies using leaflet distribution with ongoing success, is it time you jumped in on the action too? It certainly has some highly effective applications, the promotion of an event or special offer or launching a new business. Whatever your message, leaflet distribution is a genuine option to spread the word.

Door-to-Door Leaflet Distribution

To start with, like all things, it depends on who you choose. Shop around, get plenty of quotes and analyse your options. The cheapest might be the cheapest because no one will ever see your leaflets. They may be dropping multiple leaflets at the same time, lowering the impact of your message. Ask them about their process and how they achieve the price.

They may offer additional services, like GPS tracking of your delivery. This means your deliverer will be tagged (not the ankle type) and you will be able to see a map of their route. This can give you some extra piece of mind that the investment you made has reached the intended audience.

If you have any doubts as to the power of your message, you could try an A/B test. This is easy to do yourself if you are a local business with a local message. Get a handful of leaflets printed with two slight variations on the same message. Deliver the first leaflet to one street and the other version to a different street. If you’re not able to do this yourself, discuss this with your distributor. Your call to action needs to be carefully planned here. Use different landing pages or offer codes so you can keep track of which version had the greatest success.

Magazine and Newspaper Inserts

Having your leaflet inserted into a newspaper of magazine allows you to have more control over the audience. You can target by demographics rather than by region alone. If you carefully select the publication, you can create a bespoke message for the readers, which should increase your conversions. You could use multiple publications but create leaflets with tailored messages for each publication, capturing the attention of people with different interests.

Using inserts rather than dedicated publication space gives you greater freedom over your deadlines and design. You are not restricted by the space and avoid having your message lost when placed next to an overpowering design.

As with door-to-door distribution, you can pay extra to have your leaflets placed on their own in the publication. Generally people find much greater success with this option, the leaflet is less likely to be lost as the magazine is shaken over the bin.

What will success look like?

So now you have got it there what response rate should you expect? This is a subject of great debate because ultimately it is the same as any marketing method, pay per click, email, radio. Do you have a powerful, relevant message with a clear call to action? The more time you spend researching and planning your message, design and target audience the greater success you will have.

If you have found this useful, check out last weeks article to find out about the regulations on leaflet distribution.

Lisa Cooper

Lisa Cooper is a photographer and marketing writer working for Print-Print Limited, promoting business and building your brand through quality print marketing.

If you’re interested in small business promotion then please get in touch info@print-print.co.uk