[Hilton]

Interesting report I read today from a major marketing organisation that Tuesday and Wednesday are the best days to put fliers out and at/ towards end of month or beginning of new month, which of course is when people are a bit flush with cash or at least expecting payment.

Has anyone tracked this and found similar, apparently doing it at the weekend is a waste of time and money. I bet many that have done it at the weekend have been put off by the results and not done it again and may benefit from giving it a go mid-week.

Makes perfect sense to me, has anyone tracked this before if so what has been the best time to post out. 

[dan paton]

I leafleted constantly for nearly 3 years and found no day was best. The evening was always best by a mile. Regardless of what day of the week you are putting them out. If they go out daytime their being mixed with other crap going through the letterbox. I'm not saying daytime leafleting doesn't work but evening deliveries work far better.
The next best for me was Sunday daytime as there is no royal mail but there are other leaflets although the uptake still wasn't as good as the evenings.
I suppose it depends on how you plan to distribute them. Mine where done by me and a guy I had part time 4 hours an evening. I wasn't always out for 4 hours but I always done at least 2.
Last  November I took the plunge and used a local distribution company to get more out and results plummeted. I believe they where delivered but going out daytimes with 3 other leaflets then  couple that with royal mail and other leafleters delivering  etc. The results where disastrous to say the least. I still got business but nowhere near as much. 

 

[COLIN BRIGHT]

personally I find leafleting a complete pain in the arse, the results are poor and it annoys the hell out of me if someone shoves stuff through my door, especially in the evenings and Sundays, I don't even look at them,they get binned or burnt ( free fuel)
I have done them myself in the past, used agents, royal mail but still the results have been very poor,  I find (if you are going to do offers) to give them to the clients you are working for at the time and some extras for their friend and family, (and offer them an incentive i.e free spotter or a voucher of some description) you be amazed at how many people recommend to a friend, for me a much better cost effective way of drumming up business.......just my opinion...I do know of others that run their whole business on leaflets to great effect but its not for me, beside I am far too lazy

[Paul Wisdom]

Leafleting does work - but its crap for carpet cleaning I have found. Delivered mega amounts over the years - but these days do very little CC.

This year I delivered about a 2000 of both carpet cleaning and my new gardening tree service leaflet. NOT ONE carpet cleaning enquiry - friggin loads for my garden tree service.

[Mike Halliday]

 I find leaflets incredibly effective and use them to find new customers and as a reminder to my old customers ( who are constantly receiving my leaflet)

I think the reason they work for me and not other people is I use them as part of a whole image recognition stratagy ( ohh.....that sounds fancy . ) my leaflet has a big picture of me and my very noticable van, this van is constantly seen in the area I serve, everybody in beverley knows me, complete strangers speak to me in supermarket queues, I book tables in restaurant and when I give my name they ask "are you the man with the animal van"

My van is 6yrs old In that time I would guess every home in Beverley has received my leaflet over 40 times that's why my leaflet works for me, my image and name is imprinted in the memory of  the local residents.

As for the best time to put them out, you need to look closer at who your market is, if you want OAPS then any time they are always at home sat doing nothing,  for working families  who need to discuss spending money you need to deliver the leaflet when they both are at home so if one of them picks it up they can show it to thier partner and at that moment discuss it (evenings & weekends)

To finish unless you wear a blindfold in the house it is impossible to pick something up off the doorstep and throw it in the bin without looking at it,...........if today I get a leaflet about a new koi shop in town it will get thrown in the bin as I have no need or interest in koi but if I get a leaflet about a new lap dancing club then that will be quickly shoved in my pocket to be carefully read later.......... It's the same with our leaflets, it's about finding that person who needs us

[Hilton]

As for the best time to put them out, you need to look closer at who your market is, if you want OAPS then any time they are always at home sat doing nothing, 

That's a pretty crass thing to say, do you have many 'older generation' customers 

[Mike Halliday]

I would guess more than half my customers are retired so have quite a lot of experiance of their daily habits, if they are not  writing letters to the local paper complaining about the bins not being  collected  they are on the street  harassing. Motorist about parking half on the pavement.

Just so we are clear (and  as you seam to be  devoid of a sense of humour) I was joking about them sat doing nothing,  just like I was about the lap dancing leaflet.

[Paul Clapham]

Mike, the population  of Beverly  is around 30,000 , is your whole business built around the just the people who live in Beverley ?

cheers

Paul.

[Hilton]

I would guess more than half my customers are retired so have quite a lot of experiance of their daily habits, if they are not  writing letters to the local paper complaining about the bins not being  collected  they are on the street  harassing. Motorist about parking half on the pavement.

Just so we are clear (and  as you seam to be  devoid of a sense of humour) I was joking about them sat doing nothing,  just like I was about the lap dancing leaflet.

Stop being so precious.

The smiley face following my post sort of showed I was also joking and was in on it 

[Mike Halliday]

Mike, the population  of Beverly  is around 30,000 , is your whole business built around the just the people who live in Beverley ?

cheers

Paul.

Beverley and its  surrounding  villages, it's about a 4 miles radius although I work outside this area 95% of my marketing is done in the area  and most of my customer live in it.

I might get a call from 15 miles away saying "you cleaned my sisters carpets will you clean mine" so will travel out of my area but I won't market that far.

Hilton sorry missed the smiley face     ..... Here's a kiss to say I'm sorry

[COLIN BRIGHT]

you are right mike, it is impossible not to glance at leaflets, I sort out the mail, then bin the rest, i never pick one up to actually read it, just burn or bin

[Ian Gourlay]

I think with Leaflets if you use Distribution Companies instead of putting out say 3K you and your mate you put out 6k through Distribution Company hopefully getting same result   Perhaps with less stress.

[tim handley]

at the moment my marketing consists of ccn and yell .co,   should i be looking at leafletting as well? ive never really gone into leafletting in a big way. id like to know how much importance some of you long established operators would put on leafletting as a marketing strategy?  any advice re does and donts when creating a flier???   any examples of good/bad fliers, etc etc,  would be very  gratefull for any advice........