Ayup! Here are the top seven leaflet distribution mistakes I see most frequently. Often, it’s a client who’s new to print marketing and/or door drops. Unfortunately, the more items you tick off this list, the more likely your response rates will suffer.
We want your campaign to succeed as much as you do. With a few simple tweaks, you can maximise your enquiries, leads and ROI. Everything here draws on twelve years of research across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. Let’s do this!
Leaflet Distribution Mistakes to Avoid
Usually, things go pear-shaped when a business designs and prints flyers without the right preparation. Wherever possible, plan your entire campaign with us from the very beginning. That way, we can guide and advise you on best practices and response rate optimisation.
If, however, you’re happy to handle all of this, here are 7 common mistakes to avoid:
1. Only printing on one side
Hands down, the biggest blooper we see the most here at Leaflet Lion. A single-sided flyer might be OK for a reception desk, but not for door drops. You’ve got a 50/50 chance it’ll land the wrong way up. With the first milliseconds of someone seeing your flyer being the most important, this is far from ideal.
Always, always, always, have two sides designed and printed.
2. Unsuitable paper stocks
Next up, while cheaper paper stocks might seem budget-friendly, they’re not suitable for going through letterboxes. The thinner your flyer, the more it will crumple as it’s pushed through. Furthermore, a high percentage won’t even make it all the way through. Yep, it’s stuck in limbo until the postie pushes it towards the final leg of its journey with the mail.
Printing on 170gsm is the absolute minimum recommendation for door drops. Whenever the budget allows, opt for 250gsm or even 350gsm. The higher you go, the better they’ll look when they reach a potential new customer or client.
3. No online presence
Print and distribution campaigns should always be backed up by your online presence. Lots of new and smaller businesses sidestep this and wonder why their response rate tanked.
Super important! If someone receives a flyer but hasn’t heard of you, they’ll almost certainly look you up online. A nosey at your website, see which social platforms you’re active on, check out your reviews, etc. If they can’t find anything, you’ve instantly lost their enquiry.
4. No social proof
Social proof is essential for building trust and credibility. Folks want to see what people are saying about your business. From day one, do everything you can to obtain genuine reviews from your customers.
This should then be presented on your flyer or leaflet. Include your Google, TripAdvisor, or TrustPilot rating as well as snippets of your testimonials.
Beyond the power of narrative, testimonials and reviews serve as communal vetting in an otherwise impersonal market. Each positive review acts as a communal nod of approval, subtly suggesting that one’s personal risk in a purchase is mitigated by the approval of peers. This sense of a shared journey in the consumer experience creates a powerful psychological safety net, encouraging individuals to make purchasing decisions with greater confidence.
5. Unoptimised artwork
I’m all for a bit of DIY when it comes to business and marketing. Canva makes it nice and easy to create decent-looking visuals these days. That said, the templates aren’t geared towards maximising your door drop ROI.
If you’re not a graphic designer, always fire over your artwork to us before ordering any print. We can let you know if any essential elements are missing.
6. Only delivering 1000
Most distribution companies require a minimum of either 5k or 10k per job. Here at Leaflet Lion, we take on 1k+, but mostly to support planning permission consultations that need to target a small, specific area.
For businesses, 5k is always a solid/recommended starting point. Our campaigns usually range from 5000 to 50’000, with the average being around 8k.
7. Scams and outsourcing
Lastly, one of the broadest leaflet distribution mistakes is not researching who to work with. Most businesses come to us having had at least one negative experience. The world of door drops is rife with unreliability and outdated business practices.
Scams are common, as are nationwide companies that outsource the work to whoever they can get to do it the cheapest. Based on client feedback, both result in your leaflets not being delivered properly, if at all. Always do plenty of research.
Conclusion
Avoiding these common leaflet distribution mistakes can make a significant difference to your campaign’s success. By taking the time to plan carefully, optimise your artwork, and build a strong online presence, you can maximise your return on investment and see real results. If you need help getting started or want to ensure your next campaign is a success, feel free to reach out. Thanks for reading!