Leaflets -a waste of time?

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Passionate

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I was thinking of having some leaflets printed and dropping them around the local area. I know a few other geeks have not got much response from leaflet drops and was wondering if I should bother and go down a different route?
 
Hi!

I did some and got a call from it about a week or two after. I didn't do that many houses and was happy I got a call. But then I did get my leaflets for free so I wouldn't lose out if nothing came of it.

Hth xx
 
At the last salon I worked in they did a leaflet drop and we got two responses, one of which was from an old man complaining that the leaflet wasn't pushed through the letterbox properly and was an 'invitation to thieves'!!! Personally I have never bothered with leaflet drops, I prefer advertising where I come face to face with the potential customers (talks, demonstrations etc etc).
 
Hiya,
Handing out price lists got me clients, leaflets did not.

I make my own price lists so it doesn't cost anymore than flyers, any special offers I just attach to price lists.

Maybe where I live is more price conscious but I've found people like to know full prices up front, not sure what your flyers would include on them?

Kim x
 
Leaflets work good if there is a good offer on it, and they have to return the leaflet to claim the discount then u can see how well it's worked.
 
I was thinking of having some leaflets printed and dropping them around the local area. I know a few other geeks have not got much response from leaflet drops and was wondering if I should bother and go down a different route?

I've tried leaflets with little response+massive costs. I'm trying Groupon next week although I'm a bit nervous about doing a service for virtually nothing!! However it is targeting NEW customers so fingers+ toes all crossed!!!!
 
I love leaflets and always get a great response from them I drop 10,000 every couple of months or when I have something to shout about.
I usually get quite a few back.
Costs me a couple hundred quid and even if you only get 20 or so clients back you make that back. Plus with new clients come frieds.
xx
 
Hiya,
Handing out price lists got me clients, leaflets did not.

I make my own price lists so it doesn't cost anymore than flyers, any special offers I just attach to price lists.

Maybe where I live is more price conscious but I've found people like to know full prices up front, not sure what your flyers would include on them?

Kim x

same here, i make my own leaflets so just costs, time, paper and ink. i find it a good way, sometimes i'll get alot of clients out of a leaflet drop, but other times i'll get 1 maybe 2. its good exercise though lol. although as said above, you have to be VERY careful about closing peoples gates, not walking on their grass, pushing the leaflets right through the letter box and making sure the letter box closes back up. and yes, i have broken a few letter boxes in my time haha x
 
Leaflets drops really only get you approx 2% return, and a very low response compared to other possible promotional items

Website
Facebook
etc

Word of mouth is the biggest income stream
 
"Leaflets drops really only get you approx 2% return, and a very low response compared to other possible promotional items"

Leaflets work for my salon. Always have done for some reason.

Those figures above are based on large business doing a mailshot over a massive geographical area. It's not really comparable to be honest....

The problem/challenge for busineses like ours is that its going to vary massively from business to business and area to area.

I think we're too small an industry (as individual concerns) to deal with generalisations like that really. I've heard lots of people say Facebook isn't working for them- for example.

You'll hear anecdotary evidence of it working well, and not working well for others. Sounds mad, but the only way you'll know is by giving it a try.

But- I will say that you should give it every chance to succeed. Make sure theres a reason for someone to read it, and put on there a "call to action" i.e. give them a reason to contact you!

Lastly, measure its impact. Make people return the leaflet to you in order to get that discount etc. as if you can't measure a campaign, you'll have no idea where people are coming in from.
 
"Leaflets drops really only get you approx 2% return, and a very low response compared to other possible promotional items"

Leaflets work for my salon. Always have done for some reason.

Those figures above are based on large business doing a mailshot over a massive geographical area. It's not really comparable to be honest....

The problem/challenge for busineses like ours is that its going to vary massively from business to business and area to area.

I think we're too small an industry (as individual concerns) to deal with generalisations like that really. I've heard lots of people say Facebook isn't working for them- for example.

You'll hear anecdotary evidence of it working well, and not working well for others. Sounds mad, but the only way you'll know is by giving it a try.

But- I will say that you should give it every chance to succeed. Make sure theres a reason for someone to read it, and put on there a "call to action" i.e. give them a reason to contact you!

Lastly, measure its impact. Make people return the leaflet to you in order to get that discount etc. as if you can't measure a campaign, you'll have no idea where people are coming in from.


Thanks everyone for your replies! I suppose it depends on your area etc I might give it a go and see how I get on! I'll probably contacting you with regards to design soon Carl!
 
Hi Verve,

Figures are from Chartered Institute of Marketing for SME's but they were part of the info I got of them some while ago so maybe things have changed.

I think if you're smart with your targeting then there's quite a bit that can work, but you have to be just that, smart with it.
 
Hi Verve,

Figures are from Chartered Institute of Marketing for SME's but they were part of the info I got of them some while ago so maybe things have changed.

I think if you're smart with your targeting then there's quite a bit that can work, but you have to be just that, smart with it.


Well- thats fair enough :) I think most of us are smaller than SME's as well really, I'm a "micro" business- in that I employ less than 10 people.

But what i'm saying is that generalisations can be counted by anecdotal evidence really. It works for me, for example. But I totally accept that it might not work for another business on another side of town.

I think, again this is just an opinion, that the leaflets that are failing either arent being targetted well (as you're alluding to) arent written or designed well and just generally arent offering enough of a reason for an individual to contact a business.
 
It works very well for us. We acheive 2-3% return from leaflets. We always have an offer on them, and use them for data mining. We do 10000 at a time, and do one per season. All of our staff participate in the leaflet dropping, including me.
It's hard work, but targetted and very local.
 
I've tried leaflets with little response+massive costs. I'm trying Groupon next week although I'm a bit nervous about doing a service for virtually nothing!! However it is targeting NEW customers so fingers+ toes all crossed!!!!
hi will u let us know how u get on with groupon thanks shellie
 
Hiya,
Handing out price lists got me clients, leaflets did not.

I make my own price lists so it doesn't cost anymore than flyers, any special offers I just attach to price lists.

Maybe where I live is more price conscious but I've found people like to know full prices up front, not sure what your flyers would include on them?

Kim x


I leaflet dropped using my pricelist too and printed them myself - My partner has his own business as well so one side was for my business and the other for my partners. It worked out really well for us and have both got good repeat business. It is hard work though (we dropped them ourselves) x
 
I've done leaflet drops and think they work great. I did find that offers work great and putting some prices on them. I've done no end of advertisement's and not worked, leaflets were so much cheaper and had a great response.

I found facebook didn't work for me. Website work's great and I have that also on all my leaflets
 
I think the comeback from leaflet drops is about 2%.

I find facebook a huge help for clients. It's almost like an online leaflet drop!
You're inviting them into your world, and it's interactive... I don't mean my personal facebook, no no no! I have a seperate work one! :green:
 

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