[bettakleen]

Has anyone here any experience of using Royal Mails Door to Door service for their leaflet distribution.

I am thinking it as an alternative to newspaper distribution (never know whether the paper boys actually deliver the leaflets, plus they usually get packed in a bundle of about 20 different leaflets - supermarkest, take-aways, etc!) or delivering them ourselves (time consuming and never seem to find the time to get the desired quantity delivered). I was thinking of RM's D2D service as a way of getting blanket coverage quickly and efficiently (as an ex-RM employee I know they are pretty hot when it comes to ensuring the guys actually deliver the mailshots with the morning mail).

Just wondered if anyone has any experience or opinions on this?

[AJCleaningServices]

In Newcastle, where I live there is a company called Amaro Professional Distribution Ltd.  They offer the same service as RM's D2D, but for less and they much more flexible in terms of number of leaflets and size of the area you would like to cover and so on...  I am sure there is a similar company where you are, just take a look at yellow pages. 

I personally do not use leaflet distributors as I think leaflets go to the bin straight away.  Every month I advertise on the back page of a local parish magazine, it is cheaper than leaflet distribution and what is most important it works. 

Hope it helps,
Arthur

[bluesky1]

Hi I have looked into this couple of things to bear in mind,you have to book 8 weeks in advance,pay before delivery and minimum order is 10,000 leaflets cost £500.It is not cheap but offer quality service.

[*Chris Browne]

your right that does seem expensive, but that would to me, ive always done my own and ive never taken out more than 200 at a time.


chris

www.scsf.co.uk

[AJCleaningServices]

... ive always done my own and ive never taken out more than 200 at a time.


chris

www.scsf.co.uk

Chris,
What is your response rate?

The two magazines where I advertise are distributed in a compact area of about 3500 houses (every single house over there is a potential customer) and I got about 2-4 new customers every month.

To distribute leaflets over the same are would cost me 3.5 more than what I spend on my ads in the magazines.

Kind regards,
Arthur

[bettakleen]

Thanks for feedback - some good points.
I guess we all have to speak as we find  as regards the various forms of advertising, and a lot depends on the area we are working in I think.

Here in Swindon I find the following

Newsaper ads - totally ineffective, very little response
Leaflets with newspapers - cheaper but leaflet is bundled with about twenty higher profile leaflets. Many people bin the entire bundle without looking (I know I do)
Yellow pages - trying for first time in new edition this month
Self leaflet delivery - the most effective method for us, some will always get binned but at least you can be sure they actually get delivered when you deliver yourselves.  On the downside, the most I can get out is 1000 per week, and round here that is not enough to get the desired response (in areas where there are a higher percentage of more upmarket homes, I can appreciate it would be easier).

One reason we are considering using MR Door 2 Door is that we also intend to target nearby town such as Oxford (since our area alone does not generate the work required to take our business to the desired level) and to physically deliver out there ourselves is difficult (would probably cost almost as much in fuel and man hours as it would to pay RM).

[AJCleaningServices]

...Self leaflet delivery - the most effective method for us, some will always get binned but at least you can be sure they actually get delivered when you deliver yourselves.  On the downside, the most I can get out is 1000 per week, and round here that is not enough to get the desired response ...

Sometime you can get a very high rate of respond from “self leaflet delivery”, that is because many people may meet you outside their houses may talk to you.  Such “no obligation” conversations can develop in to request for service straight away or some time later.  So self leaflet delivery should not be underestimated, but should be done in a right way, I mean sales techniques.  Unfortunately I am not good at giving advice on sales techniques, but I believe as long as you are trying to sell your service without being a pest you have great chance of success.

Kind regards,
Arthur

[TVCS]

I spoke to RM today, basically asking about prices and quantity for door to door. 
They said 56 pounds per 1000, and a minimum contract of 500 quid to start with.  This was abit too pricey for us so I will continue doing the leg work myself and as it has been mentioned before I think people are less likely to bin the leaflets or ad if they see you and you give them the time of day, what ever you havent put in the leaflet( there is always something) you get the chance to mention it.  In some cases you get the ad handed straight back to you, but alot of the time a 5 min chat turns into a phone call asking when you could fit them in.

Being a very small company that is just really finding its feet, I have only handed out a very limited number of flyers.  less than 200 so far but, after delivering them on saturday, the phone is beginning to ring and most of the calls are from the people who I spoke to.
The response from the flyers is greater than from the ad in the local paper.  Luckily due to a spelling mistake in the ad ( the papers fault, not mine thankfully) I have had 3 weeks of free adertising.  Glad really because the ad has not generated a great deal of response.

A small company local to me claims "Free leaflet distribution".  A lie of sorts.  17 quid per 1000 leaflets delivered.   A bargain if compaired to RM.  A coleague of my wife put me off when he told her that his son works there and the leaflets will get delivered, unless its raining, or its cold, or he cant be bothered, or the pubs open.

I think if you have a large enough advertising budget then RM is a good way forward as you can choose what areas you want to cover but for the people like myself, on abit of a tight budget a bit of D I Y is the way forward.  Little and often.