We've been busy printing 1,000's of leaflets over the years, helping to promote products, places and people.
A noticeable trend has appeared over the last year or so (which is probably in part due to the changing competitive business landscape), in that, as work is getting harder to come by, the colour leaflet is called in to action as a “quick fix” to drum up extra trade. No harm in that I hear you say. Of course not, any publicity will help your cause. Work is quiet, so let's advertise.
This is my point, why on earth wait when work is slow, you should be keeping your pool of potential customers informed about your services all the time. This could be the reason why work is slow in the first place.
The urgency to get orders from your “drum up trade” leaflet effects the way you perceive the results of your leaflet marketing. You want immediate sales there and then. The wider thoughts of informing your market that you're there when you need us, and pinpointing a campaign to particular sales points, tend to be lost in the “we do everything approach” and “hurry, buy now” at a discount.
Stop, and think!
Why do you need the leaflet? identify the reasons why its to be sent out, who its aimed at, and where/how its going to be distributed. Then you will have some idea of how the leaflet imagery and its message is going to increase the reply results.
Some points to consider when preparing leaflet campaigns:
- Keep your main message short and to the point
- Consider different sized leaflets or use a postcard
- Have prominent call to action (message, bold telephone, web address)
- If you're giving an offer, make it something genuinely useful. Don't skimp!
- Don’t skimp on design or quality of the leaflet ~ create something interesting!
- Consider following up with a sales call
- Send more than one campaign over a period of time, changing the pitch, test which gets more response
Finally, some leaflets will always fall on fallow ground. Sales is a numbers game, the more you send out, the more likely a reply. The absolute worst thing that might happen is that nobody will return a call to your leaflet promotion (obviously not everyone will need your services the same day of a promotion). That does not mean it has not worked. Consider, 1,000 good leaflets sent out equals 1,000 customers are aware of your products, how invaluable is that!
David Owen
