Looking for a cost-effective way to reach new customers? Door drops are not just affordable - they are versatile, highly targeted and effective. For local firms in particular, door drops can bring in valuable new business, as Christian Petersen of the Royal Mail explains
The door drop was once regarded as a somewhat blunt tool, and the poor relation in the marketing mix. Now, sophisticated audience targeting, better designs and more responsive customers have all helped improve the impact of door drop leaflet campaigns, especially for local businesses looking to raise their profile.
And, as consumers increasingly delete "junk" email, the door-drop mailing is actually proving to stand out from the crowd when it comes to getting attention. Customers pick them up, read them and, even if they don’t respond straight away, they often keep them for future reference.
Every part of your marketing strategy needs to work hard for you, generating awareness and communicating the benefits of your product or service. But it is the door drop where you can literally hit home.
Door drops can be as local as a few streets in your town, or they can cover every household in the country. They play a fundamental role in:
- promoting start-ups or entering new markets;
- extending existing databases - find new customers;
- steering customers into new shops;
- reaching a large audience cost-effectively;
- sending samples to a wide audience - there's no easier way to get your product into a customer's hand;
- supporting other advertising activity, as part of an integrated campaign.
Items can be delivered by local postal staff, via teams of leaflet distributors or as an insert in free local newspapers. They can come in all shapes and sizes.
Targeting software can also allow you to select geographic areas where your campaign is most likely to be successful, based on profiling current or prospective customers.
Used well, the door drop is a very powerful piece of advertising. Its key strengths are:
- You have space to educate and persuade your customers with details of your offer.
- You can include samples, steer people to your store, or ask for their feedback, all cost-effectively.
- You can use it as a response channel as part of integrated campaigns. Combine door drops with other marketing activity to convert awareness into action.
- You can collect data for use in future activity. Include a short questionnaire or prize draw to gather names, addresses and other intelligence on your new customers.