Letterbox Distribution Guide

Does letterbox advertising work?

 

The top retailers in Australia invest more in letterbox distribution than in any other media. Letterbox advertising is highly targeted and extremely affordable. Research says that 88% of people who receive flyers or catalogues read at least some of it, 63% discover new brands and businesses, and 56% use letterbox advertising to help them decide where to go for what they want.

Tips for leaflet marketing

Call to action

If you’re going to invest in letterbox advertising materials, make sure you include a call to action that encourages customers to come to your business. Just displaying your details is not enough to make them act. Your goal is to make your target audience act. To do this, you need a strong, irresistible call to action that will have them reaching for their phone, computer or wallet.

Offer an incentive in your leaflet to encourage a response (e.g, a short-time only 10%-off deal, a complimentary coffee on arrival, or free after-sales service).

You don’t need large discounts, but your offer should be aligned to your target market, offer genuine value and directly contribute to your goal. If you want a hundred more visits to your store as a result of the letterbox drop, your offer could be, “Visit our store for your complimentary gift – this weekend only!”

What’s the best method of distribution?

Make your leaflet stand out from the crowd. Choose a distribution method that increases the chance of your leaflet being the only thing your customers read. For example, book a sole item letterbox drop or seek permission to hand out your leaflet from a community event convener who hasn’t booked other advertisers.

Design – stand out!

Prepare high-quality material. Your leaflet will compete with other letterbox material for attention. Use a professional designer where possible. Aim for impact, and keep your leaflet clear, simple and direct. Your flyer should always be designed with your target market in mind. Show your flyer design to people in your target segments, even customers, and ask: Does it catch your attention? Does it make you want to act? Do you understand the message?

Why use targeted advertising?

Target your best customer leads and prospects. Collect postcodes from your customers. Select a postcode range for distribution that matches the locations of your existing customers.

Advertising goals

Set a realistic goal. Look at your average store visits, inbound phone calls, website visits or bookings during the same period. How much do you want to increase this using your direct marketing campaign?

No advertising will work 100 per cent! Reaching 10,000 people will not guarantee you 10,000 new customers. For example, a television ad may reach millions of people, but how many of them will actually see it and then purchase that product or service?

A great tool to use is the LDN Response Calculator. It will help you work out how even a small response rate may be all that’s required to get the results you want and a worthwhile Return on Investment (ROI).

Frequency – the power of repetition

We know that the more we hear or see something, the more likely it is we will remember it. Ever noticed something, and cannot recall it later? With advertising, this is a challenge for any business. For many reasons not everyone will see your campaign the first time. Even if they do, there’s no guarantee they will be interested at the time or even remember to act on it. It typically takes three letterbox drops to get the best results.

Also, people will rarely respond straight away. How many times have you received a flyer and immediately reached for the phone? Chances are your customers won’t need you the minute they receive your flyer, but they will do at some point in the future. Your job is to make sure they remember your business when this moment comes along.