[Jamie Wiles]

Hi, I am seriously considering starting up a CC business some time in the next couple of months and I'm just trying to do a bit of research.
The company that publishes the local papers around here offers a promotional leaflet distribution service, where they deliver your leaflets along with the free local paper. Has anyone used this or a similar service before and was it effective?
Any help will bit greatly appreciated  

[cleanability]

When I started I had more time then. So delivering my own was no problem. If you're interested the rate of delivery for 1 man alone is approx 200leaflets/hour. The advantage of doing it yrself is u can really target specific ares and you know they are being delivered. We have a free paper in my area with leaflets in but its hit and miss whether you get a paper one week to the next.

                            Chris

[gwrightson]

jamie, i too often wondered about delivery of leaflets,
some put out thousands per week (wonder who that could be ) by using independent leaflet distributers,
and the free press ,and i know it works very well
i personaly prefer to deliver my own ,i feel a better feedback is acheived for a number of reasons
1 you can target the areas.
2 your getting guarranteed delivery.
3 customers can be picked up along the way ie. a chat to them if you see in garden etc.
4 some of the distributers i have seen delivering leaflets to my door , i would not let any way near my house >
cig in mouth ,not closing gates jumping over fences etc.
ok a little unfair i know there only doing a job , but the image can be tied with the leaflets dropped ....association!!!
5 and in my case still in my first year, it gets you working
in the quite periods.
had a quite spell last week first for a while got of my backside delivered around 600 ...700  now have another 5 jobs from those drops already ,
i think thats a reasonable return!!!!
dont get me wrong  i know i shall be using distributors in the the future "hopefully to busy to do myself"
but get out there yourself  in the beginning ,and i lost nrly a stone since doing this  lol a benifit for me
good luck geoff

[CATMAN]

James,

I had 50,000 dropped a few weeks ago. Now you may find this hard to believe but I had a response of five!

Total cost for leaflets & deliverey £1400.

When I checked a paper, there was a dozen other leaflets (NOT C/C) in it, far too many, straight in the bin for the lot.

There is a local splash & dash that do it on a regular basis, but with a charge of £17 for a lounge and £35 for a suite, they must be busy fools.

I've also done the local rag(you'll get fed up with the price shoppers).

Forget business cards in supermarkets, BNI,  all waste of time and money. If I haven't tried them I know a man who has.

My advice is find a good established C/C and ask him or her what works for them. You could save yourself £££££'s in advertising costs.

[gwrightson]

james hard to believe yes ,but im not doubting you
thats a return of 1 in 10000 not good i agree
are you sure they all went out ?
maybe the contents of the leaflets where wrong in some guise ,
have a word with mike "an expert on the subject"
im sure he will give you a little advise ,always very helpful ,and there are plenty on here with ideas
geoff

[paul_smith]

James,
I had tradeprint warehouse in Hull send me samples of
carpet cleaning leaflets,they sent about 12, you can make a good one up just by looking at all these.
I decided after advice to-
1. put your name and address on it.
2. freephone number and mobile.
3.    the most thorough carpet cleaning you ever seen
    guaranteed.
4. special offer ie 10% discount for oap
5. testamonials
6.price guide
distribution and also quantity are important, i am currently putting out 4/5000 a week.
make sure they deliver to your house aswell so you can check how many others are being delivered with them.
Give it time, dont expect instant results.
Good luck
Paul

[declanb]

Put a passport size photo of yourself smiling and in uniform, in colour, on the top right-hand corner of your leaflet. Makes it more personal and people will make a connection quicker

Hope this helps

Dec

[Mike Halliday]

the success of leaflets I think is about delivery, you can have a fantastic leaflet but if it ends in the bin it won't work.

this might work to gaurantee delivery

tell the delivery company that the leaflets are part of a big canvassing campaign. the same night they are delevered a canvasser will be door knocking to follow up the leaflet drop.

So you need to know the exact street they are delivered to and the exact day .

or an easier way is to tell the company that you'll meet them while their delivering so you can pay them.

Mike

[paulchambers]

I had 10000 leaflets printed by tradeprint far better quality than getting pc to print them and cheaper, and a better response than self printed ones.  I wish i had my address and photo printed on mine but didnt realise at the time i now print name and address on the back of my leaflets.

My response rate is very poor about 1 in a 1000.  I deliver them myself due to lack of work and funds and target nice houses so dont understand why response is so low but will plod on.

I have a 3 for 2 offer going which i thought maybe the problem but the people who have rang me have all mentioned the offer.

I have delivered about 1000 this week had and done 1 job so far.


paul

[Jamie Wiles]

Thanks a lot for the replys so far guys. All food for thought for a would be carpet cleaner...

[Ian Gourlay]

Catman. I am knockerd back with disapointment.

Your campain was meant to make you very rich.

Personally I can only deliver about 100 leaflets an hour to nice houses.

[Big_Fish]

Yes Ian, that's the answer. Deliver yourself to the houses that you want to work in. The leaflet doesn't get left hanging out of the letterbox all screwed up (and possibly wet). It's not delivered with several others all folded up together, or with the rubbish and pizza menu's that come through the door with the local rag.

Sometimes when you're out delivering yourself, you meet the homeowner doing the garden etc and can start polite conversation. We've done surveys while out leafleting just by striking up conversation. In fact one of our very regular clients started out that way and has passed our name on and on.

We'd never entertain spending money on a delivery service.

BFN

[ABLECLEAN]

I have been in business for 24 years and believe me I have tried everything to drum up work. Over the years I worked out that a half of one percent is a good return on leaflets.
My advice to you is simple. Invest as much money in a yellow pages ad as you can afford (In colour) and make sure that the ad comes across with the most important details; Local firm/ domestic and commercial/professionally trained/family business/affordable prices state-of-the-art machinery/reliable, and have a photo of yourself cleaning a carpet in uniform (no cartoon) a large phone number and mobile number. And the best thing I did was to have my landline diverted to my mobile phone (customers do not like answer machines). My ad cost £2300 and Yell let you spred the cost over 10 months (interest free) = £230.00 or £57.50 per week!!!!!!! :

[paul_smith]

Which do you think is best
1 delivery by leaflet drop company
2 delivery with free weekly paper
Thinking of trying the latter after slow start with first option and little controll over how regular delivery is.
Cheers Paul

[Doug Holloway]

Paul,

Both are rubbish,

Get your own people ,solus.

Then you will have a better response and control.

Cheers,

Doug

[Ian Gourlay]

Leaflets are hard work.

However I beleive at the right time of year Now half percent return or better is achievable.


That is 5 customers per thousand total cost aprox £40 leaflet plus good quality delivery.


I am currently looking into cost of Post office delivery and if 50k leaflets can be spread over ten weeks for the same price as 50k all at once

[paulchambers]

I was a postman for 11 years,  though the majority of postman are efficient with the leaflet delivery there are some who  lose them and claim the extra money for delivery i would say probably 97 % do a good job   Paul

[amberville]

Hi I just had 10.000 Colour Leaflets with 2 weeks promotional offer, put out by my wife and daughter over 4 weeks. 5 jobs. Last year had Local paper at a cost of £16 per thousand had nothing. Sorry i feel Leaflets delivered are hard work and a waist of time today. 10 years ago was a different story, normally just give to customers with receipts that’s works for me.

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys,

Leaflets were how I established my business and I still believe same rules apply.

It's tough but if you get the fundamentals right, persevere ,you will succeed.

Cheers,

Doug

[jacko]

I have personally delivered 1800 over 8 weeks and got 13 jobs - a return of 0.72%.

Sometimes i have delivered 400 in 1 hit and got nothing, another time i did 150 and got 2 jobs!

I also monitor in excel all my marketing activity and i have had a call 6 weeks after delivery!

So i will plod on with this foot blistering activity it is working for me (alongside my other marketing activities)