Flyer distribution is one of the oldest marketing techniques, but surprisingly, it is still effective today. However, it needs to be done the right way to promote your brand or products, or it may not be as effective for your business.
Here are a few common options for flyer distribution:
Stack Approach
Community centers, coffee shops, pubs, restaurants, and libraries are places experiencing high footfall daily. Stack your flyers up at one or more of these places as there’s a high chance people notice them.
Seek permission from the owner or manager to stack the flyers at the reception or tables. Most people will agree to help another business, as long as you’re not a direct competitor. Nonetheless, you should always be polite when using others’ property.
If people see your flyer and like your offering, they will often try to get in touch with you or visit your store to learn more about that product or service. This is a very straightforward process that doesn’t require too much labor or distribution costs. You just need a representative to place the papers in a readily noticeable place.
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Hand-to-hand
Local businesses can reach out to their target audience by handing out flyers. The person involved in the distribution should choose a proper location and time to hand out the papers. For instance, if you are opening an eatery, plan to give out flyers to people traveling to work and invite them for lunch.
The distribution professional may also stand outside a shopping store with the leaflets and hand them over to everyone exiting the store. Several people head to restaurants and diners after shopping. The flyer may as well direct them to an eatery.
The next thing to remember is to ensure a well-versed and confident team of distributors in branded uniforms. If you cannot afford that, get branded stickers for sweatshirts or t-shirts.
Startups always do not have the budget to hire a team. In such cases, you can do this work yourself. The delivery of the flyers is as essential as the message conveyed through them. So, try to impress your target audience the very first time.
While distributing, you may find that some people are trying to avoid you. There is no need to badger them. As a savvy professional, look for people who seem interested in checking what product or service you are offering.
Publication Pull-out
Sometimes, when you pick up your daily newspaper, a small pamphlet or leaflet slides down from the newspaper’s folds. You, too, can insert your flyer within the newspaper to tap into that audience market.
Like the stack approach, this distribution method also involves some collaboration or payment to the publication house or the newspaper distributors.
Door-to-door
Distributing a flyer to a potential customer’s home confirms action from their end. Wait for them to take a break and look at your advertisement. People tend to be more relaxed at home compared to the workplace or when they are commuting.
The best part about this is, even if the customer doesn’t want your product or service, they may still be able to refer you to someone who does. On the other hand, if they do like what you’re offering and decide to buy your product, they will automatically refer you to friends and family members.
However, before adopting this approach, make sure to check the door-to-door delivery rules in the area to protect yourself from encroachment complaints.
Cross-promote
Identify another business serving a similar customer type like yours. Get in touch with the owner and swap flyers to distribute each other’s marketing material to each other’s customers. This works best if you find a business that offers a complementary service or product to yours. However, it should not be a direct competitor.
For instance, if you own a bookstore, you can distribute flyers for office furniture sellers and ask that business to distribute your flyers.
Business Events
You can sponsor small business events and expos. Funding such events and expos is not as expensive as you would think. Talk to business networking groups and local councils directly to get an insight into when the next event may take place and how much you have to invest.
In return, they will probably let you display your banner at the event venue and circulate flyers and other promotional materials to visitors.
Community or Shopping Mall Noticeboards
Get your flyer on the shopping mall or community notice boards. People often linger around these spaces to read what is pinned on them. You may be able to find several interested buyers after displaying your flyer on the board.
Networking Groups
In business, you should not market only to your customers. Local community or business network groups can help you reach your target audience.
It would help if you also tried to find companies that let you distribute your flyers at their premises (stack approach), agree to cross-promote with you, or help with your other flyer distribution strategies.
