Does leaflet marketing still work for local businesses?

With so much marketing now online, it is fair to ask whether a printed leaflet is still worth paying for. For many local businesses, the answer is yes, because a leaflet does a job that online adverts find hard to do. It reaches a real household, on a street you chose, and it stays in the home long after a social media post has scrolled out of view.

A leaflet reaches people where they live

A leaflet lands in a specific home, on a specific street. If your customers are within a few miles of you, as they are for takeaways, trades, gyms, salons, tutors and estate agents, you can put your offer in front of exactly those households and nobody else.

That kind of targeting matters most for businesses that cannot serve people far away. A plumber in Hove has no use for attention from the other end of the country. A leaflet drop lets you spend only on the neighbourhoods you can actually serve.

It is physical, so it lasts

A leaflet gets picked up, read and often kept. Takeaway menus go in the kitchen drawer, a plumber's card goes on the fridge, and a voucher gets pinned to a noticeboard until it is used.

This is why leaflets often keep working after the drop. Someone may not need a decorator today, but when they do, the leaflet is already in the house.

It works alongside online marketing

People who see your leaflet often look you up before they call. That is why it helps to have an up to date Google Business Profile and good reviews, so the search confirms what the leaflet told them.

Think of the leaflet as the introduction and your online presence as the reassurance. If you need help with that side, our Google Business Profile management and review management service are built to support local campaigns.

What to put on your leaflet

A leaflet that gets results usually has a short headline that says what you do, one clear offer, a photo or image that shows your work, and contact details that are easy to spot. Add your website, and mention that people can find your reviews on Google. Keep the back of the leaflet for supporting details, such as the areas you cover or a short list of services. If you are choosing a size, A5 is a popular choice for door drops because it has room for all of this without feeling crowded.

When leaflets work best

Leaflet marketing tends to suit businesses that:

• Serve customers within a set distance, such as a delivery radius or a call-out area.

• Have a clear, simple offer that is easy to explain on one page.

• Need to announce something new, such as an opening, a new menu or a change of hours.

• Sell services that people need from time to time, so a kept leaflet has a chance to be used later.

If your customers could be anywhere in the country, a leaflet drop may still help locally, but it should be one part of a wider plan.

A worked example

Say you open a new gym in Lewes. Online adverts can reach people across a wide area, but many of them will never travel to you. A leaflet drop to the streets within a short drive puts your opening offer in front of the people most likely to join. Add an offer code to the leaflet, and you can count how many sign-ups came from it, then decide whether to repeat the drop in the same streets or move to new ones.

How to make a leaflet work harder

• Lead with one clear offer, not a list of everything you do.

• Give people a reason to act now, such as an offer with an end date.

• Make your phone number and website easy to find.

• Target the streets nearest to you, or the areas that already bring you customers.

• Track responses with an offer code, so you know what worked.

Common mistakes

Trying to say everything. A crowded leaflet is hard to read. Pick the one thing you most want people to do.

One drop and done. People often need to see a name more than once before they act. Planning a second drop to the same streets can help.

Weak follow-through. If people call and nobody answers, the leaflet has done its job but the sale is lost. Our missed call text back service sends an automatic text to anyone whose call you miss.

Frequently asked questions

Are leaflets better than online adverts?

They do different jobs. Leaflets are strong for reaching specific local streets, while online adverts can reach people as they search. Many local businesses use both.

How many leaflets should I send?

Start with the households you can realistically serve, then build from there. We can help you map the streets and count the homes.

Can you design and print the leaflet too?

Yes. We design, print and deliver, so the whole campaign is handled in one place.

How do I know if it worked?

Use an offer code or ask every new customer where they heard about you. Over time, this shows which areas respond best.

Talk to us

Leaflet Media Brighton designs, prints and delivers leaflets across Brighton, Hove and Sussex, with every round GPS tracked. Visit our home page to find out more, see our door to door leaflet distribution page, or call 07525 722 427 or email Brighton@leaflet-media.co.uk.