Leaflet drops are a great way to get your name in front of people who can buy what you do.
That’s a pretty basic principle of marketing (perhaps the fundamental idea of all marketing) but as with everything in life, it’s not quite as simple as that.
So, the question is how do you ensure your leaflet drop is successful? And what defines success for you?
Let’s start by looking at the five elements you simply MUST include to ensure your leaflet drop is actually works…
1. Designing A Successful Leaflet
There’s no such thing as the perfect leaflet. Well, maybe there is but it will never be worth the time and effort to get there because the cost of perfection is missing out on getting your content in front of people.
But perfection is naturally something we all strive for… which makes designing a leaflet one of those annoying things in life. Unless you’re a design whizz, of course – in which case, feel free to ignore me!
If you are designing a leaflet, you need to remember a few key things.
Firstly, it needs to catch the eye.
That doesn’t mean you need to make it bright pink with a load of flashy images all over it, but you do need to make sure it’s worth taking note of when it drops through a letterbox or sits on a stand.
The colours used on your leaflet should match your branding (being consistent helps to build recognition), but you also shouldn’t be afraid to leave blank spaces in your design.
There used to be a school of thought that any empty space on marketing leaflets was a waste but the reality is that filling space for the sake of it can result in an overcrowded leaflet where the real message gets lost.
2. A Clear And Focused Message
It might sound obvious, but including a clear and focused message can be the difference between a good and bad leaflet.
Sure, any leaflet is better than no leaflet at all… but if you’re going to the effort of a leaflet campaign, you want to maximise your potential returns.
A confused message can have a negative effect even if someone might be interested in buying from you, especially if it’s unclear what it is you’re trying to sell.
Some things are more obvious than others but, in each leaflet, try to stick to one clear aim.
If it’s oven cleaning and your leaflets are going out in the autumn, your message should be around getting that oven sparkly clean ready for the big Christmas dinner when all the family pop round.
There’s no point trying to cover all bases because you’ll end up trying to please everyone but missing the mark with them all.
3. Use Your Words Carefully
When it comes to leaflets, you’ll often hear about word economy…
And that basically means you’re limited to a certain amount of words, which means you’ve got to make every single one count.
There’s no need to paint a story and take people round the houses with background detail – just give them the essential bits.
Of course, you want to get the key information on there, which means contact details, address, phone number, email, whatever might be relevant. Don’t forget to include your name/business name too – you’d be surprised how often that slips people’s minds…
But when it comes to the headline information, that’s where word economy is really crucial.
For example:
Bring your kids to our superb school holiday camp this half-term for a fun-filled week of activities, sports, and entertainment.
Could simply be…
Join us at our half-term holiday activity camp this October!
That way, the rest of the details can be included in a sub-heading or in the body of the text. The crucial point is that you need to convey precisely what it is you’re doing in as few words as possible.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you drop into slang or colloquial language, but it does mean that you grab someone’s attention as quickly as possible.
4. Imagery That Fits The Bill
There’s nothing worse than a leaflet that says all the right things… only to be ruined by a grainy image.
Well, that and generic stock imagery that doesn’t quite fit.
The reality is that most businesses are by their own admission not doing a good enough job of capturing what it is they do.
If you’re a man in a van, a photo of you with your van that’s hi-res is perfect and adds a real person to the name. But a blurry or grainy photo that’s been ripped from a website and compressed beyond all belief gives the wrong impression from the off.
And when you’re going to the effort of creating a leaflet, it seems a waste not to go the extra mile to get some good imagery to fit the bill.
Don’t worry if you’re camera shy, we’re not saying you need to go all David Gandy or Kate Moss here.
It’s simply an illustration of you and what it is you do… it might not even need to feature you!
5. Decide Where They’re Going!
One of the most crucial parts of any leaflet drop is the second word there… the drop.
We’ve talked a lot about ensuring the leaflet itself looks good, does the job and to paraphrase Ronseal, does what it says on the tin.
So, what about the bit where it goes from a leaflet sat on your desk to something that’s landing in the letterboxes of potential customers?
Well, distribution is a vital part of the operation and finding a reliable way to get it around the areas you want is as important as creating a good leaflet.
Speak with your printers because they’re either going to be able to help you distribute it or they’ll know the people who can help you.
Of course, you can organise your own leaflet drops whether that means heading out yourself or paying people to do it… or even roping in family and friends.
The reality, though, is that it’s probably not a great use of your time when you could be getting important stuff done while someone else handles the admin of getting your leaflets distributed.
So, where are they heading? And when will you be starting your leaflet drop campaign?
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