Poor-quality door drops have given leafleting a bad name in the past. To make your flyer stand out, it must be well designed and professionally printed. The creative approach of your campaign will have a significant impact on response levels.

Your marketing message should be clear, with a call to action. Offers and coupons work well as an incentive and are likely to be kept and used. On the doormat, your leaflet will be competing with other door drops, post and newspapers. Your challenge is to create a flyer that captures the attention of the recipient and does not go straight into the recycling box.

The good news is that door drops offer a great deal of creative freedom. Your only restriction is the size of the letter box. Shape, weight and look are all up for grabs. You can use more than one creative design or have different versions of the same leaflet if you are targeting different groups of people. It is worth talking to your leaflet printer about the options.

 

How to produce your own marketing leaflets

Colourful kiteFlyers are a smart way to spread the word about your business. Rachel Miller explains how to produce your own inspirational marketing leaflets

Leaflets and flyers are a cost-effective way to tell everyone in your area about your business and they can deliver powerful results. They are ideal for start-ups that want to get off the ground and can be a great way to communicate special offers for any business with a local clientele.

 

Writing effective marketing copy

The rules about writing good copy that sells are the same, whether you are producing an advertisement, an email or a leaflet.

  • Plan your approach: who is your target market, what tone of voice will work, what results are you looking for?
  • Split your copy into bite-sized chunks so it’s easy to read and navigate. It’s a lot easier to write, too!
  • Focus on the benefits, not just the features – how will your products or services actually improve someone’s life? Focus on your customers’ needs.
  • Spell out your USPs – what makes you different from the rest? This could be price, expertise, speed or top-quality service.
  • Use satisfied customers to bring in more business – include testimonials.
  • Appeal to customers directly by using the words “you” and “your”.
  • Include all the important contact details: phone, fax, email, website, address.
  • Try asking a question – “Does your garden need a makeover?” or “Are you paying too much for your MOT?”
  • Reassure new customers by offering money-back guarantees or trial periods to encourage them to try you out.
  • Keep it fresh by cutting out any jargon, clichés or waffle.

 

The call to action

Every piece of marketing material should have a call to action to encourage potential customers to take the next step. It’s good to raise awareness, but it’s also vital to turn that awareness into new business.

A flyer is a good way to advertise a money-off promotion or a sale – anything that will encourage people to pick up the phone, go to your website or visit your premises. Depending on the nature of your business, you could offer a discount, a free gift or a special offer. You’ll need to set a time limit on offers so make sure you don’t print more leaflets than you need as they will become out of date. However, minor changes can easily be made to leaflet layouts so that new versions can be produced at a later date.

 

Designing the layout

Your first step is to make sure you have a software package that will allow you to create a design with words and pictures. Many common business software packages allow you to create layouts, including Word, PowerPoint and Photoshop.

If you are nervous about starting a layout from scratch, there are two main options. You could ask a designer to create a basic template to start you off. Or you could use one of the many free templates available online.

The key to good design is simplicity and consistency. Start by choosing the font you want to use. Keep it simple – anything fancy can be difficult to read. It’s important to balance all your elements. Your heading should stand out and be supported by relevant graphics and pictures. Text should be easy to read. You should use colours and graphics that you already have in your company literature, letter headings and in your premises. Contact details should be easy to spot.

 

Working with a printer

Printing costs vary and it’s worth shopping around on price and doing some negotiating. You’ll also need to choose a printer that you can work with – their input could improve the final results no end.

Printers can advise on everything from paper size and weight to colours and fonts. Start a dialogue with a printer early on in the process. Make sure they can work with the software you are using and get advice on how to supply artwork and images. It’s worth looking for printers that can offer an environmentally-friendly service using recycled paper – and don’t forget to mention that fact on your leaflet, as it could bring in more business. Many printers have a design service of their own so if you get stuck, ask for help.

Alternatively, you could print your own leaflets. This may mean buying a new printer, but if you plan to produce a lot of your own marketing material the investment will be worth it. When choosing a printer to buy, make sure you get one that will meet your needs without lots of capability that you simply don’t use.

 

Add regional personalisation

As door drop circulation can now be targeted to specific geographical areas, a reference to the local store or location can add a level of personalisation to increase interactivity and response rate. This can be done to drive footfall into a local store or make the recipient aware of a local offer. The personalisation can include:

  • Store Information
  • Store Contact details
  • Map to Store
  • Promotional offer to incentivise action

 

Make the format more captivating

There are a number of format ideas which can enhance the value of your campaign:

 

Make it a Shape

One challenge for all users of mail is how to make the pack stand out on the doormat. One way is through die-cutting the pack into a shape. This will attract attention and increase the number of people engaging with the offer. To see this format in animation, go to www.creativeformats.com and search on ID number 179.

 

Add scent

Adding an area of scratch and sniff to a door drop can increase the level of engagement from the customer and increase the emotional response to your offer.

 

Add a tipped-on card

The addition of a tipped-on card gives the customer something to keep – allowing your offer to be retained until it is most relevant. The card could be personalised with a local offer, contact point or person to increase its relevance and drive redemption.

 

Make it a pull-out

Entice the customer with an instruction to ‘Pull Here’. This creative device lets you put your full promotional information inside an outer wallet for a dramatic reveal. This can include a coupon to increase response rates. To see this format in animation, go to www.creativeformats.com and search on ID number 39.

 

Add a Note

A re-peelable note on the front of your door drop catches attention. You can add your phone number or website address and let customers keep it until they need to contact you. To see this format in animation, go to www.creativeformats.com and search on ID number 154.

 

Make it a wallet

A simple wallet format lets you include separate smaller pages inside an outer wallet. The pages inside could be made to look like photos of the product; or tickets for a retail outlet or coupons for a special offer. Including your offer in a wallet increases the level of expectation and thus involvement with the promotion. To see this format in animation, go to www.creativeformats.com and search on ID number 87.

 

Add a pop-up

A pop-up can enhance the creative concept to increase the engagement and response to the piece. To see this format in animation, go to www.creativeformats.com and search on ID number 137.

 

Make it an Inline Mailpack

A mail pack can be the right format for your campaign but the cost or the timescales to produce are a problem. An inline mailpack is a letter inside an envelope but produced in a single operation. This is quick and cost-effective and doesn’t require additional envelopes or the time needed for enclosing. An additional separate insert can be included as can a business reply envelope. To see this format in animation, go to www.creativeformats.com and search on ID number 116.

 

Make it a Maltese Cross

A Maltese Cross format is an exciting way of presenting your campaign and ensures a controlled method of revealing your message. Each separate leaf is seen in a specific order to allow a great way of communicating with your customers. To see this format in animation, go to www.creativeformats.com and search on ID number 22.

 

Make it a Slider

To ensure your message is interactive, a slider is a great tool. You can include tabs to show where to pull the inner section and show your advertising message inside. If you include apertures in the outer wallet, you can reveal different aspects of your message as you extract the inner – creating interest and response. To see this format in animation, go to www.creativeformats.com and search on ID number 108.

 

Add a Label

A re-peeable label can be included within a door drop to give your customers something to keep. This information could relate to a way of communication with you or your promotion and allows them to retain information until it is needed. To see this format in animation, go to www.creativeformats.com and search on ID number 117.

 

 

Editing and final checks

Always allow time for checking. Show your leaflet to friends and colleagues to ensure that it’s readable and effective. At the same time, check for spelling errors, poor grammar and inconsistencies. Check and double-check contact details and the spelling of any names. Make sure you’ve got permission to use images or quotes.