The question of what is the response rate of brochure distribution has to be one of the most frequently asked questions we receive from potential and existing clients. To put this question in context, it’s like asking a gym instructor, ‘how much weight will I lose by joining the gym?’ There are many factors that determine how much weight you can lose, and the same applies to the response rate of a door-to-door distribution. The following paragraphs will help illustrate how you can maximize your response rate.
What do the statistics say?
The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) has conducted extensive research in an attempt to give you a good idea of what to expect from your flyer distribution campaign: “A key finding is that 89% of consumers recall receiving a post. More than any other marketing channel. And it has a powerful place in people’s lives, with 45% keeping brochures on a bulletin board or in the kitchen drawer.” This is great news! However, the average response rate is around 1%. So the question is why are people not responding, and more importantly, how can we encourage people to respond?
What industries benefit most from the distribution of brochures?
According to a DMA article, the retail sector is more successful with 9 out of 10 people happy to receive mail without an address based on retailers. FMCG brands followed closely, then local restaurants and services. According to our experience, our largest group of clients who very often repeat with us due to the high ROI are Real Estate Agencies, Gyms and Workshops (car sales showrooms such as Perrys Mazda).
new business vs. established brand, who wins?
Imagine that two companies in the same industry decide to invest in door-to-door distribution; Who will receive the highest response? Think, if you get a brochure from DFS Sofas and another from Mr Sofas, both say 50% off Boxing Day sale and both have pictures of cute sofas for just £399, which one are you more likely to respond to? Even if Mr Sofas had a better offer and better starting prices, I’d still go to DFS over Mr Sofas because I know and trust the brand, whereas I’ve never heard of Mr Sofas (probably because I invented them!).
How many people will respond to your brochure?
For this, let’s continue with the example of the sofa. If you get a flyer from DFS, a well-established brand, and you get a flyer from Dominos Pizza, again a well-established brand, the response rate would be the same, right? Nope! How many times do you buy a pizza compared to a couch?! The point here is not to stop at the percentage response rate, but rather the potential value of each converted lead. Dominoes need to sell a lot more pizzas than DFS couches to see a return on their distribution.
But I am not an established brand, is distributing brochures wasteful for me?
Absolutely not, and there are a number of reasons why. If you have a local business looking for a local custom, I can’t think of a better solution to advertising locally than flier distribution. So why would people respond if they haven’t heard of you? They won’t necessarily do it at first glance, but going back to the analogy of joining the gym, handing out flyers isn’t a one-hit wonder event, just like going to the gym doesn’t work if you just show up once. Flyer distribution works most effectively when it is treated as a long-term campaign, targeting the same people over and over again with a professionally planned strategy. This is the same whether you are an established brand, a new business, or a small business looking to expand.
What is the campaign-based approach?
This is the essential ingredient to ensure that you get a return on your investment. People don’t tend to respond to something at first glance, they need to see it over and over again, which is known as trickle-down marketing. You need to plan a long-term campaign, tailored to your budget, that allows your brochure to target the right audience on a regular basis with practical brochures.
What impact does the design of the flyer have?
A great quantity! For example, if you run a real estate agency and you send out a flyer with a boring picture of your office and it says something like “we’re real estate agents, we sell and rent houses,” chances are you’re not going to get any response, even if you regularly send 100,000 to it. audience. However, if you simply have a headline like “Are you thinking of selling this summer?” Followed by a subheading, ‘Offering Free Appraisals in your area this week’, with a call to action, ‘Call us today at…and book your free appraisal’, and a picture of an exciting home with a happy family embracing it, your response rate will be completely different. Why is this? Because instead of talking about your boring business, you need to make your business relevant to the recipient and give them a solid reason to respond. Actionable design is vital.