Guide to leaflet distribution
1 Rockley Road London W14 0DJ Phone: 0208 123 0612 Email: info@leafletdistributionteam.co.uk Website: www.leafletdistributionteam.co.uk
Guide to leaflet distribution Some business managers may feel there are not enough skills training and knowledge required to warrant a guide for leaflet distribution. After all, what could be simpler than taking a leaflet and either handing it to someone in the street or pushing it through a letterbox? If this is your way of thinking then prepare yourself for a shock: this is an area that needs not only skill but dedication. If it is done in the wrong way it can herald the death knell for both the distribution company and the business which the leaflets are promoting.
Introduction In this world of high technology, the humble leaflet would seem to be somewhat of a misnomer when it comes to advertising or promotion. This could not be further from the truth. A door drop campaign has the kind of immediate impact other mediums can only dream of, and has been proven to generate fast and measurable responses. It is very cost- effective as there is no duplication of the recipient, and unlike any other kind of marketing you are specifically targeting the households that fit your demographic profile. It also carries a rare flexibility that allows you to target your activity from either a single street, right up to every street in Britain. It has proved itself time and time again as a medium that gets results - fast. There are two main uses for a leaflet distribution campaign: strategic and tactical The following are just some of the main objectives:
• Advertising your services and products • Generate the trials of new products • Increase you retail or online traffic • To let potential customers know of your seasonal promotions and sales • Increase awareness of your cost effective brand • Secure new clientele and thus build your customer database • Disseminate new and important information
Proof that flyer distribution as a marketing tool really works The following are examples of popular misconceptions regarding flyer distribution: Misconception: Doorstep distribution will have not have any impact on the effectiveness of you campaign. In reality; 88% of those who have received flyer through the door said that they boosted their awareness of the products or services a company offers. Misconception: The response rates from door drops are lower than direct marketing material.
In reality; The response rates for leaflet drops compare well against those from direct mail, with an estimated response rate of 18% compared with the 16% estimated for direct mail. Misconception: Door to door flyer distribution carries a very low response rate. In reality; 30% of respondents to a recent survey say that in the past 12 months they have recorded an average increase in response to their flyer delivery campaigns. Misconception: Leaflet drop marketing simply doesn’t work. In reality;42% of respondents have said that door drop campaigns play a vital role in their company’s overall marketing strategy. Misconception: Flyer distribution fares poorly when compared to TV, press or direct mail. In reality; Door drop marketing has a higher ROI rating than press, TV, radio or online advertising and 34% say this find this medium to be highly effective. This information comes courtesy of research carried out by DMA,(The Direct Marketing Association) in April 2010. The full findings of the research can be found at Mail Media Centre. There is also additional information available from an ITV data talk study carried out in September 2009 amongst 3000 adults in the UK. Door to door flyer distribution is the most received channel of communication when it comes to recall at 88%. This compares to 60% for direct mail, 59% for TV and 36% for online ads. Door drops are just as acceptable as direct mail is when it comes to successful engagement in a marketing campaign. Leaflet drops drive a response rate of as much as 50% more than online advertising, and have an almost identical response as direct mail does: 12% flyer delivery 13% direct mail. 12% of those in the 15-24 age bracket are more likely to respond in the future to door drops. This compares favourably with the 13% who will respond to online ads. Doorstep leaflet distribution is the type of marketing more people will respond to ahead of television, ads in newspapers/magazines and online.
How leaflet distribution plays a vital role in the marketing mix Leaflet door drops offer all businesses, large or small, a unique opportunity to get the message across by delivering a hard hitting campaign and effectively calling potential customers to action. By taking a pivotal role in an integrated marketing campaign, flyer distribution can be easily co-ordinated to complement a campaign in print, or on the radio or TV. You can also use door drops as a follow up strategy
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in order to either reinforce or build on a campaign message you are sending out via multiple media channels. This will help you achieve even higher levels of customer response and recall. If you are embarking on a TV or radio campaign, then it is easy to implement door drops within the catchments areas of the aforementioned mediums. Your flyer distribution could also take their sales regions or even the specific retail territory of a company. Mass leaflet delivery right to your target audiences home benefits from the fact that it is a tangible item in someone’s hand and as far as a business is concerned, this is a win-win situation. There is no other medium that puts you in such direct control when it comes to contacting your target audience. While there may be a minimum number of leaflets in a drop, the total amount circulated can be flexible dependent upon how many households there are in your target area. A colourful informative flyer that has an impact, delivers its information directly to the consumer allowing them to read it and then act upon it.
How to select the best method of door to door flyer delivery for your business There are several ways in which you can make you leaflet reach its target. As delivering thousands of flyers yourself is simply not an option, the following are the most popular methods currently used. Timing and method of delivery can have a huge impact on your campaign’s success, so read this carefully and see which one works best for you. With your local free newspaper You can contact your local free newspaper with a view to having their delivery agents popping your flyer through the letterbox at the same time as the paper. This is a popular delivery method as you are using a trusted source, and so you will be safe in the knowledge your leaflet will reach the letterbox it is intended for. This can prove cost- effective as the agent is going to these homes anyway, but the downside is that several other companies will probably have the same idea, and you leaflet may not have the impact you hoped for if it just one of many. Royal Mail Another tried and tested option is to take advantage of the fact the postman is going to your target areas anyway. Larger companies tend to go with this method for their flyer distribution as they will have a long standing contract with the Royal Mail. The downside, once again, is that your leaflet may be one of many and dismissed as junk by the householder if it is buried in a pile and they remain unseen. On average, it also costs more to have your leaflets distributed through Royal Mail.
Independent Leaflet distributors You have a choice with this method that you don’t have with the others: to have your flyer delivered separately or with others. The former also known as Solus, may cost more but you are guaranteed that only your leaflet will land on the doormat at that given time and not be part of a bundle. Smaller businesses find this method yields the best results with an average response rate of 1-2%. In a standard drop of 5000 leaflets, which is often the minimum, this equates to 50-100 customers, a healthy response by anyone’s standards. Using an independent distributor is also usually cheaper and more flexible than using Royal Mail.
An example of how to use a postcode for your target area When you look at the various letters and numbers that make up a postcode, many of us just dismiss it as being something assigned to the street we live in. There is more to it than that however. Take, for example, the postcode SL6 7QY. • The area SL has 200,000 homes • The district 6 has 9000 homes • The sector 7 has 2,500 homes • The last letters, QY, indicates the street which may have 15 homes This information helps you to break down your demographic target area. The district is what most businesses target, as the entire area will prove very costly. The sector and street don’t have enough households. Having this information can help you greatly if you are a new start-up business traveling to clients (i.e. hairdressers, gardeners etc.) and you aren’t sure of the town you are looking to expand into. Most door drop campaigns are based on postcode sectors, but a chat with your distribution agent will tell you which method they use. There are 9500 postal sectors in the UK and of these the Royal Mail covers 9300 or 98%. Free newspapers are delivered in 7000 sectors or 75%, and flyer distribution teams operate in 9100 sectors or 93%. The science behind targeting When it comes to precise targeting and accountable responses, door drops are up there amongst the best. Advertisers are able to customise their flyer distribution to match any specific objectives they may have in their campaign by using sophisticated and data driven systems for targeting. This allows you to supply different geographical targets and create unique messages as they can be customised to fit that demographic audience. To establish your target market you can employ various systems – one of which is to use your current
Phone : 0208 123 0612 Email : info@leafletdistributionteam.co.uk Website : www.leafletdistributionteam.co.uk
customer database profile. Other systems allow you to analyse households and thus identify the areas that carry the characteristics you require. Listed below are just some of the key systems used today when it comes to targeting key areas for your leaflet distribution.
• TV regions • Radio coverage • Area boundaries • Bespoke catchment areas • Grocery catchment areas • Retail centre catchment areas • Leisure catchment areas • Census counts taking into consideration age, ethnic origin, occupation and family status
It doesn’t matter if your campaign is to be national, or regional, or local, effective planning for your target area is vital. Unfortunately, it can also be time consuming. Especially when it comes to the census as they are only held every 10 years and the information could be well out of date after 3 years. Your distribution agent can be invaluable when it comes to this, as after all, they will want your repeat business and so want you to yield the best possible response from your target area. Timing is also all important. If you have a sale or seasonal promotions coming up contact your flyer delivery company as soon as possible as you may not be able to choose the delivery slot you are seeking if you find your campaign clashes with several others. Another timing issue that is just as important is the day you choose you to have your leaflets delivered. If you have a special weekend promotion you don’t want to tell people about it on a Monday when they are likely to forget about it. Likewise if you are offering a special price on a food delivery on a specific day, you want people to know about it a couple of days in advance at the earliest.
How to make an impact Nothing comes close to door drop marketing when it comes to literally placing your information in the hands of a potential customer. Another plus is that the only limit placed on the creativity of your leaflet is your imagination. You want a flyer that grabs the attention of the householder, engages them, and urges them to respond. You must, however, be in possession of a clear object and not try to cram too much info into one flyer. Carefully choose the colours, the size, the format and the font in order to capture the attention. Be bold with your name, brand recognition is vital and should be on both the back and front as you have no idea which way up your flyer will land. Keep your message clear and concise, there is such a thing as too much info. Any design should be in keeping with your type of business - what works best for a florist will not be suitable for a fast food joint.
Questions worth asking your distribution agent Hopefully, by the time you have reached here you will have a totally different outlook on how a leaflet delivery campaign can work for you. There are certain questions, however, that you should ask any distribution agent before engaging their services. Are the staff vetted? Do they have proven reliability? Is there a training programme in place to ensure your leaflet arrives in pristine condition? Do they have references you can follow up? Do they employ a follow up service to ensure leaflets have been delivered? How long established are they? Are they nationwide? Which companies do they work with in your local area? Some of these questions may sound unnecessary, but at the end of the day the best designed leaflet in the world in the wrong hands will not give you the impact you were hoping for. Better to deal with a professional proven company, than someone cheap who may just drop your precious flyers in the nearest rubbish bin. The company you employ to distribute your leaflets are the link between your flyer and your customers. Cutting corners here is simply not worth it. Finding reputable companies in your area is not difficult. Online is a good place to start, or if you see a team of leaflet distributors ask them who they work for. Look at some of the leaflets that come through your door and give the companies a ring. It may cost you the price of a curry but they will probably be more than happy to tell you who they used to deliver their flyers. The leaflet distribution chain There are several people involved in your leaflet drop campaign. The first one is you. It is your business being promoted and you call all the shots. Then there is the company who prints your leaflets. Always go with quality over price as spelling mistakes and blurred images will have your flyer heading straight for the bin. Have a look at a leaflet that you particularly like the look of and at the bottom on the back it should say who printed it. Be very careful with the information you give them as you cannot hold them responsible for your spelling and grammatical mistakes. Next up is the distribution company who will take your leaflets and drop them through the doors of the area you have chosen, and last but definitely not least, is the householder who picks up your flyer. There are few chains where every link is as important as the rest, get yours right and you have the best possible chance of success from your flyer door drop campaign.
Phone : 0208 123 0612 Email : info@leafletdistributionteam.co.uk Website : www.leafletdistributionteam.co.uk
1 Rockley Road London W14 0DJ Phone : 0208 123 0612 Email: info@leafletdistributionteam.co.uk Website: www.leafletdistributionteam.co.uk