Flyer Response Rate?

SuperiorR

For you guys that do flyers. I am starting a flyer canvassing campaign and would like your thoughts on a few things. What is your normal response rate? I have done flyers from time to time with limited success. Now, I am getting a campaign set up that is both affordable and can be done with a more direct targeted areas on a regular schedule . I plan to hit a few different area's each month and rotate so I hit the same area every 3 months. I have always been told 1/2-1% response. Is that the average you see, or is it higher or lower. Also do you improve your % the more you hit an area? I am mainly targeting Windows and Siding Replacement. Also, I believe doing a quality colored gloss flyer with pictures and info. will get you the best response. The company that will be canvassing the flyers say's to do a more basic flyer, black and white or colored paper to keep the printing cost down and spend it covering a larger area. What are your thoughts? Once I get a job in a neigborhood I plan to canvass it again with a hand written addressed post cards to let people know we are in the area.
Thanks in advance for any helpful information.
Doug

SeamlessGutters

When I was doing insurance we had a postcard that was getting like a 6% response rate. That was unbelievable.

The ones that did best for us were:

Something is prepaid to send back,

Example: Are you interested in any of the following projects?
___Decks
___Roofing
___Siding
___Remoldling

If so just fill out your contact info and return this prepaid mailer!

Also, I would offer a coupon, or something that creates urgency, Example

I am offering the following projects at 10% for the month of May.

Head lines are key.

Bright colors can help.

Its hard to get people to call but easier to get them to fill out the mailer.

I had a company that was doing it for me at 50 cents a piece- With the prepaid mailer, postcards design and everything. But they could only target as small as county i believe. I think they were precision marketing out of Iowa.



Hope that helps.

Ryan 320-237-7001

nlgutters

I was just looking around and found this site. They are cheap
http://www.wholesaleinserts.com/index.html

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pcplumber

I have a company in Los Angeles that is printing 100,000 flyers on glossy 8 x 10 and full color on both sides for 1.6 cents, or $1600 per 100,000. This is an unbelievable low price, but I am sure this is only for local delivery. It may still pay to have the flyers shipped for probably about $500, or less.

If you get .001, or 1 lead per 1000 you are doing fairly well for your type of business. Although, we delivered 400 flyers last week offering free services and got 10 leads to provide free service and give us the opportunity to find something else to sell. I thought that was an amazing return and that comes out to about 2-1/2 percent, or .025.

The company that is both printing and distributing flyers is J. J. Distribution (213) 944-2922. His English is not so good (Hispanic speaking).

For printing flyers, check with your local newpapers. They have huge web presses and often print our flyers for us.

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Chris G

I think I got 10 estimates out of 1400 flyers last year. Some jobs I didn't take, but I think I closed three. Which for a small outfit like mine is about 6 weeks work. I target neighbourhoods, and then what usually happens is that I stay in that neighbourhood through referrals and word of mouth. I haven't sent any out this year cause my site is giving me most of my business. I have 3600 of them sitting in a box waiting.

The post office delivers them for 11 cents a piece. Private outfits charge 5 cents a piece.....I am in Canada FWIW.

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cbscreative

I would build on what SeamlessGutters said. It's not so much a question of how well flyers work or what the resonse rates are, it's how you use them. If you can find out what is important to your target market (your current customers are a gold mine of information) and create a flyer that speaks to them, your response rate will be higher. The 6% SG mentioned is not as unusual as you might think, but 1% should be expected unless the flyer is poorly done.

I'd be interested in seeing your design or knowing what message you need to communicate. Then I could tell much more about whether I believe the flyer will work well or not.

Your plan for follow up is right on though. That will help considerably.

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tc70518

I, too, am thinking of doing flyers, so this thread is very helpful.

pcplumber

If any company could get a 1% return or 1 lead for every 100 flyers we would all be billionaires. I can get flyers printed and delivered for 7 cents, so that means every lead would cost me only $7. This is a link to an older post with numbers I think are fairly accurate.

http://bestlineplumbing.com/Flyers.htm

We are currently delivering flyers that are giving us a 2-1/2 leads per 100 flyers, but we are giving away free plumbing services. Look for the thread about door-to-door???

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cbscreative

Thanks, pc. I've been following your other thread, and it's very interesting. The info on your link is great. I thought it was especially useful that you noted a loss on a professionally designed flyer. I've received hate mail from designers who were offended because of comments I've made stating that great looking design can be a waste of money. I'm not against it, I'm a graphic/web designer myself, but it takes a lot more than pretty to create persuasion.

It looks like you've discovered things on your own that even many (possibly most) graphic desingers don't know. This is so true, even though many designers would be offended:

Your comment on headlines and not emphasizing a company name reminded me of something I see a lot that I try to educate people on. Think about how often you see flyers with either just the comany name and/or logo on the cover, or it's the dominating element. That flyer will not be opened by most recipients. It must have a compelling headline that causes people to want to open it.

As you probably already know, the effectiveness of a flyer is influenced by who is getting it, when they get it, if it's the first or 10th time, how familiar they are with you (whether they heard of you through other means), what your message is, how well they identify with the message, etc. I'm sure your business makes a lot of difference too. A plumbing flyer compared to a flyer for closet organizers will likely have very different response rates. That is something anyone reading this thread should also keep in mind.

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One reason I know so much about the web and marketing is that I don't have to know as much about construction.

outlaw

So what I am hearing you say is you are getting 2.5% response rate at GIVING AWAY work.

Pc, I like you. You make me smile

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Publisher1

I think the key to Bestline's success is the conversion/closing rate once someone phones because of the flyers. (I met Pcplumber yesterday).

If the response rate is low but the distribution costs are equally low and the conversion rate is high, the process is successful and easy to maintain -- you just print and distribute more flyers!

But you also need a good lead conversion process and this is where Bestline has things really well organized.