There are no current Special Offers.

INTRODUCTION

One of the biggest mistakes small businesses make is that they do not plan their advertising and allocate an annual budget to cover expenditure.

Advertising has a compounding effect in that the more money spent (carefully and sensibly) the greater the response.  Too many try out an advertising medium and disregard it because of poor initial results.  An ad hoc approach is the best way to burn your money.

Mailbox advertising has a response rate of 0.5% to 1% on average for an unsolicited leaflet through a letterbox.  At first glance it might be thought that it is not worthwhile, yet 80% of the U.K.’s biggest (and therefore most experienced) advertisers use leaflet distribution as part of their marketing mix.

Yes, the response is low, but compared with newspapers, radio and television, direct distribution is FAR more cost-effective.  Do not discount mailbox marketing out of hand.

DISTRIBUTION BY WIRRALBIZ MAILBOX

The biggest reason advertisers use direct distribution is that they know their advertising message will literally end up in a householders’ hands.  What happens after that depends on a diverse range of factors. The most important are:

• Does the headline and appearance entice the potential customer to delve further?

• Does the reader identify a need for the product or service advertised, which by the words used and layout build a desire by the recipient to take some action immediately.  Alternatively the leaflet might be put away and acted upon at a later date.

According to the highly respected Direct Marketing Association as many as 79% of recipients keep, pass on or glance at the material; 38% keep it for at least a few days, whilst 13% retain it for a week or more.

Many who could benefit from direct distribution advertising do not use it because they believe large quantities do not get through the letterbox.  Unfortunately, it has happened in the past and no doubt will in the future, but never at wirralbiz.  Every step is taken to ensure that the exact quantity promised is delivered.

Before leaflets are given to the team for distribution each leaflet is electronically counted not one but twice.  They are then bundled in 100 lots.

Each distribution member carries a clever sat. nav. type device which plots exactly where they are at any point in time.  Each one also carries a dictation machine into which they list the name of every street they deliver and provide comments on any abnormality.  These are transcribed and available to all advertisers.

All distribution items are encapsulated in a polythene wrap.  This makes it easier for the distribution team and makes sure an advertiser’s material is presented in a dry, tidy fashion.  Our research confirms recipients like this too.

WHAT RESPONSE CAN YOU EXPECT?

The honest answer is nobody knows.  If there was a formula we would all be rich beyond our wildest dreams.

There are however several factors that can impact on the response rate.  Some of these are:

• The words/layout combination.

The essence of a sales message is delivered by words.  The layout should grab attention and provide an ‘emotional empathy’ with the words.  There is a profession that is devoted to this difficult job of producing a persuasive sales message.

Exponents are called copywriters and can be difficult to find and expensive.  wirralbiz has a specialist adviser who is a copywriter.  Please contact the office to find out more and book an appointment.

If you want someone to respond, you have to make then an offer they can respond to.  These days the offer has to be significant to motivate immediate action.  Remember advertising is essentially buying customers.  If you delight one customer, by various methods, it is possible to persuade that customer to encourage others to become customers too.  That’s how advertising expenditure is turned into profit.

By advertising a special offer, you might not reap big profit immediately but, with attentive marketing, your customer-base will expand and profit, worth while profit, will materialise.

• THE TIME OF THE YEAR/STATE OF THE ECONOMY

 The time to pile on advertising activity is immediately prior and during, the period of naturally high demands.  The objective is for you get the lion’s share of customers spend.

However, most businesses need turnover every month of the year.  To encourage response you might make a compelling offer.  As stated before, at quiet times the keyword is turnover not profit maximisation.

SUMMARY

Total expenditure is the door to door sector is now more than £1bn a year representing delivery of over 12.5bn items.

Advertisers like it because it is the surest way their material will literally end up in the recipients hands.

To achieve response a good offer is advisable.  It is the advertisers responsibility to ensure the message is clear and appealing, and that the layout is attractive and impactful.

For real value for money contact wirralbiz mailbox.  We help you plan, design, print and distribute.  In 2008 the cost per ‘000 leaflets delivered was £30 per ‘000.

To Help small businesses to afford to advertise in this recession, it has been halved to £15.