The question of what the flyer distribution response rate is has to be one of the most frequently asked questions we get from potential and existing customers. To put this question in context, it’s like asking a gym instructor, ‘how much weight will I lose by joining the gym?’. There are many factors that determine how much weight you can lose, and the same applies to the response rate of a door-to-door distribution. The following paragraphs will help illustrate how you can maximize your response rate.
What do the statistics say?
The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) has conducted extensive research in an attempt to give you a good idea of what to expect from your flyer distribution campaign: “A key finding is that 89% of consumers recall receiving snail mail. more than any other marketing channel. And it has a powerful place in people’s lives, with 45% keeping brochures on a bulletin board or kitchen drawer.” This is great news! However, the average response rate is around 1%. So the question is why people aren’t responding, and more importantly, how can we encourage people to respond?
What industries benefit the most from brochure distribution?
According to a DMA article, the retail sector is most successful with 9 out of 10 people happy to receive retail-based unaddressed mail. FMCG brands followed closely, then local restaurants and services. According to our experience, our largest group of clients who frequently repeat with us due to the high ROI are Real Estate Agents, Gyms and Workshops (car sales showrooms such as Perrys Mazda).
New business vs. established brand, who wins?
Imagine that two companies in the same industry decide to invest in door-to-door distribution; Who will receive the highest response? Think about it, if you get a brochure from DFS Sofas and another from Mr Sofas, both saying 50% off Boxing Day sale and both have images of cute sofas for just £399, which one would you most likely respond to? Even if Mr Sofas had a better deal and better starting prices, I’d still go to DFS over Mr Sofas because I know and trust the brand, while I’ve never heard of Mr Sofas (probably because I invented them!).
How many people will respond to your flyer?
For this let’s continue with the example of the sofa. If you receive a flyer from DFS, a well-established brand, and you receive a flyer from Dominos Pizza, again a well-established brand, the response rate would be the same, right? No! How many times do you buy a pizza compared to a sofa?! The point here is not to dwell on the percentage response rate, but on the potential value of each converted lead. Dominoes need to sell a lot more pizzas than DFS couches to see a return from their distribution.
But I’m not an established brand, is flyer distribution a waste for me?
Absolutely not, and there are a number of reasons why. If you’re a local business looking for a local custom, I can’t think of a better solution to advertise locally than flyer distribution. So why will people respond if they haven’t heard of you? They won’t necessarily at first glance, but going back to the joining the gym analogy, leafleting isn’t a one-hit wonder event, just like going to the gym doesn’t work if it only shows up once. Flyer distribution works most effectively when it is treated as a long-term campaign, targeting the same people over and over again with a professionally planned strategy. This is the same whether you are an established brand, a new business, or a small business looking to expand.
What is the campaign-based approach?
This is the essential ingredient to ensure that you will see a return on your investment. People don’t tend to respond to something at first sight, they need to see it over and over again, which is known as trickle-down marketing. You need to plan a long-term campaign, tailored to your budget, that allows your brochure to reach the right audience on a regular basis with practical brochures.
What impact does the flyer design have?
A great quantity! For example, if you have a real estate agency and you send out a flyer with a boring picture of your office and it says something like “we are real estate agents, we sell and rent houses”, you probably won’t get any response, even if you send 100,000 regularly to the same agency. audience. However, if you simply have a headline like “Thinking of selling this summer?” Followed by a caption, ‘Offering free appraisals in your area this week’, with a call to action, ‘Call us today at…and book your free appraisal’, and an image of an exciting home with a happy family hugging it, your response rate will be completely different. Why is this? Because instead of talking about your boring business, you need to make your business relevant to the recipient and give them a solid reason to respond. Actionable design is vital.