Before you begin your mailbox delivery campaign, it’s a great idea to think through your strategy and brush up on your tactics, so let’s explore the thinking you’ll do before you begin.
Check your own mailbox
When you collect your mail, you’ll usually shuffle through the envelopes and flyers you find. What excites your interest? What sets your teeth on edge? Although you’re advertising, you don’t want to send ‘junk mail’ – what you’re working towards is something pleasing, interesting, useful or fun. If you’ve ever received a mailed advert that made you think “Gee that was clever”, you’ve already got a good idea of what you want from your campaign.
Use a bold headline and ask a question
Using a bold headline will capture people’s attention. Asking a question is also engaging. For example; “does your house need a flick of paint?” By grabbing people’s attention with a question gets them thinking about whether they do, and often stirs emotion.
Be sure your potential customer knows what you do?
There is nothing worse than looking at a flyer and not knowing what is being offered, or what they do. Always be clear and use simple, precise wording. Use language that everyone can understand.
Is there some way you can engage your reader?
Here’s an example: if you’ve got a house painting company, an image of paint being applied by a uniformed employee and the words “Gold Coast House Painters” says what you do, but it doesn’t necessarily get attention.
But use the same image with the captions “Wow, love! Did you paint the house?” and “It was hard work, but someone had to do it” will make your reader pause for a moment. Why should the homeowner take credit for painting the house when he obviously got painters in? And by the way, my own house needs painting, so maybe I should do the same… It’s very mild humour, but it will get you more attention and make you more memorable.
Give your reader information – but keep it brief
Even without gimmicks, you can create a basic flyer that really works, but less is more. Your headline and images should be designed to make people want to know more. Your body text should be brief and be easy to scan quickly.
Subheadings and bullet points work well if you have a lot of information to convey, but don’t go into unnecessary detail. If you don’t have a lengthy list of services, you should be able to cover your business description in five sentences at most. Keep it to the point and easy to read.
“Unbelievable value!”
Exaggerations also known as ‘puffery’ may not work. They annoy, and you can bet that your reader won’t believe the “unbelievable value” statement. In fact, they might even snigger and say “I don’t believe you” as they consign you flyer to the bin. Using too much exaggeration doesn’t work. Instead, offer your customers a message that they CAN believe and trust.
Have a strong call to action
What do you want people to do after they’ve seen your flyer? Do you want them to call you? Should they visit your store? Would you like them to get a quote from you? Don’t be afraid to say so, and don’t be afraid to repeat your call to action at both the top and bottom of your flyer. Make sure that you make it easy for people to follow the call to action. If you want them to call, give them the number, if you want them to visit, clearly show your address and possibly a simple thumbnail map of how to get there. And don’t forget your contact details!!
Work out your target market and where you would like to advertise
It is important to have an advertising plan. What are you offering? Do you have a store you’d like people to visit? Flyer distribution into which suburbs would be best for your business? Do you have a great customer base in your area but would like to expand into a new area? Think about your demographics and where you would like to reach or expand into.
Remind them that you’re there
The secret ingredient in brand recognition and advertising is repetition. Regular flyer drops will help to reinforce your message and make it (and your business) memorable. Remember, even if they don’t rush off to your shop or call you right away, your potential clients might pop in later on when they need your services or products. But if they forget that your business is there for them, you won’t be seeing them.
If you are keen to look into leaflet distribution on the Gold Coast or Tweed Coast please call Bec on 0418 475 193 or visit our website for suburb numbers, delivery areas, and pricing for both printing and or distribution: www.localleafletdistributor.com.au.