Fliers through letter boxes

[Mad Hatter]

I would like to give out fliers in my local High Street but my Council won't let me. Sticking things on car windscreens (see previous posts) seems not to be a good idea, so I am stuck with posting through letter boxes of private houses. The problem with this is that having spoken to a lot of people, most of them say they actually pick stuff up off the mat and throw it straight in the bin - they don't even bother to sift though it or give it a quick glance.
Question 1: would putting something in an envelope help? Has anyone any experience of this? Are people more likely to be curious and open it?
Question 2: has anyone tried a different way of posting fliers? eg just leaving on the doorstep outside (in a plastic envelope though cos of the rain?) or somewhere else?

[barney1]

If I were you i'd try inserts in a local newspaper or if you are doing door to door mailing, make sure you mail in a street that is not so prominent. I live on a main street and we get loads of stuff so I don't look. But when I lived in a more residential area I only got one or two a week so did have a quick look. Make sure its eye catching and professional and people will look - its all about timing.

[Mad Hatter]

Thanks Barney. My whole town is densely populated and swamped with fliers (and newspaper inserts as far as I can make out) but there are some outer lying areas, hadn't thought of that, will bear in mind.

[admagic]

Originally Posted by Mad Hatter

I would like to give out fliers in my local High Street but my Council won't let me. Sticking things on car windscreens (see previous posts) seems not to be a good idea, so I am stuck with posting through letter boxes of private houses. The problem with this is that having spoken to a lot of people, most of them say they actually pick stuff up off the mat and throw it straight in the bin - they don't even bother to sift though it or give it a quick glance.
Question 1: would putting something in an envelope help? Has anyone any experience of this? Are people more likely to be curious and open it?
Question 2: has anyone tried a different way of posting fliers? eg just leaving on the doorstep outside (in a plastic envelope though cos of the rain?) or somewhere else?

You have not said what you do, which makes it almost impossible to advise you - since I have no idea of your market, your $£ per customer - or any of the things needed to make economic decisions on your marketing.

Let me say that most fliers are dreadful which is why they do not work.

The key is ...

Attention grabber.
Copy that makes people want to read it! not just a blatant pitch!

An irresistible offer
Proof that the value of the offer is so good
A reason why they should do business with you not anyone else
Credibility
A reason why it has to be now!

The reason most people dont respond to fliers, is there is no offer to respond to.


Regards attention grabbing...

Putting direct mail in odd sized and coloured envelopes with simulated or actual handwriting works to get people to open - particularly if it carries a real stamp. THe more like personal mail it looks, the more likely it will be opened.


Attaching something to the flier or letter can work as well or better.
From a teabag, to a bag of dirt, to a lottery ticket,

Anything that makes the reader think...WHy on earth have they sent me this?

Then your copy has a chance ...

"Dear reader

You are probably wondering why, I have attached this xzzzz to your letter

Two reasons actually

First I had to grab your atttention

And second it concerns........"

Without knowing your business I cannot help more
You should consider using the most targetted method you can....

The biggest impact you will make with a joint venture partner who already has a list of people who would be interested in your product.

[Mad Hatter]

Admagic,
Thanks, good advice. I have a fairly new business painting art in oils in the colours and sizes customers want to match their rooms. I have no competition for many many miles around. The art is from my range (I have contact with around 40 European artists who do contemporary stuff) - we don't do the 'copy the Grand master' thing. Although i planned to sell via the Net, it doesn't work - there was pressure on me to open a retail shop where people could come and see stuff 'in the flesh'. And the fact is that when they come in, my sales conversion rate is excellent. The problem is getting people to come in in the first place. I am a very secondary area in a quite poor part of town. I have sent out cards, fliers etc, and the response is awful - which surprised me since the thing is pretty novel (well certainly around here!)
I think they just think I am yet another gallery, or they associate art with culture vultures or big bucks - which is not what I do at all. Most of my sales go at under £100.
I have a feeling that most people in my area throw almost anything that goes through their door away - we do get swamped here. I just wondered whether doing a proper brochure would get them to perhaps at least pick it up, or failing that is there another way to get them to see either cards or brochures. Have tried leaving cards in doctors surgeries and dentists, but they get thrown away by cleaners desite my requests not to. I guess there is just too much of the printed word everywhere.

[fisicx]

Have you tried running an art show? Most shopping centres will allow you to set up a show to promote your business. It may cost a few bob but the benefits may be tremendous. As you suggest you are there is no competition so it could simply be that you are either targeting the wrong customer or your promo material is not sufficiently attractive.

[Mad Hatter]

Fisicx,
Costs for shopping centres are high (have checked already), and my two local ones are not high quality - they are full of cheap pound shop and discount type places so wrong client type. There are one or two OK ish ones within striking reach, though. I'll find out. Problem is that I dont sell stuff by local artists and this seems to strike a bit of a wrong cord in some people. The shopping centre management might warm to the idea of local art but maybe not something that is very much a commercial venture, not a 'local hobby' type thing. Another marketing challenge. Never mind, I'll find on with the forums help!

[admagic]

Originally Posted by Mad Hatter

Admagic,
Thanks, good advice. I have a fairly new business painting art in oils in the colours and sizes customers want to match their rooms. I have no competition for many many miles around. The art is from my range (I have contact with around 40 European artists who do contemporary stuff) - we don't do the 'copy the Grand master' thing. Although i planned to sell via the Net, it doesn't work - there was pressure on me to open a retail shop where people could come and see stuff 'in the flesh'. And the fact is that when they come in, my sales conversion rate is excellent. The problem is getting people to come in in the first place. I am a very secondary area in a quite poor part of town. I have sent out cards, fliers etc, and the response is awful - which surprised me since the thing is pretty novel (well certainly around here!)
I think they just think I am yet another gallery, or they associate art with culture vultures or big bucks - which is not what I do at all. Most of my sales go at under £100.
I have a feeling that most people in my area throw almost anything that goes through their door away - we do get swamped here. I just wondered whether doing a proper brochure would get them to perhaps at least pick it up, or failing that is there another way to get them to see either cards or brochures. Have tried leaving cards in doctors surgeries and dentists, but they get thrown away by cleaners desite my requests not to. I guess there is just too much of the printed word everywhere.

Forget brochures....they are FAR too expensive to put through doors, and in the end they dont convert.

You need to start by characterising your customers...who are they? where are they? what social class? do they meet to talk about art? do they talk about art on the web? what other kinds of product do they buy? are they people who think "interior design" or are they artists? are they investors?
do they play golf? do they visit garden centres too?

Somewhere in the answers to those questions is also the answer to your marketing

Untli you know the answer to that...you cannot win.
Scattergun marketing never works well.

Although with a well crafted sales letter, you will ALWAYS beat a typical flier response by a factor of probably 5

Also...work out how much you make per visitor to your shop.

If you make £20 per visitor to the shop, you can afford to spend £5 in a bribe to get them to come!! and that opens manyopportunities

Finally...re the web. You didnt succeed on the web. That is not the same as saying you cant. I am confident you can get generate traffic to the shop that way if you do it correctly...

[Mad Hatter]

Thanks again, helpful comments. My target market is anyone with an income of c £25,000 - £50,000 who is into making their home look stylish - so pretty wide. The stuff I do is more for interiors than a collectors art thing. A fiver per caller is a bit high but might be a possibility - what could I get for that though? Some people are still saying a wine and cheese evening do but i have doubts.....I think people are really lazy these days and won't be bothered even for that. If I did the legwork and took stuff to them they would probably buy. It doesn't help that I am in a location which suffers from London-type congestion most of the time...Have considered showing stuff in pub function rooms which would be on their doorsteps but it seems a bit silly when I have a decent shop and they would only have to drive 5 miles or less.

[admagic]

Originally Posted by Mad Hatter

Thanks again, helpful comments. My target market is anyone with an income of c £25,000 - £50,000 who is into making their home look stylish - so pretty wide. The stuff I do is more for interiors than a collectors art thing. A fiver per caller is a bit high but might be a possibility - what could I get for that though? Some people are still saying a wine and cheese evening do but i have doubts.....I think people are really lazy these days and won't be bothered even for that. If I did the legwork and took stuff to them they would probably buy. It doesn't help that I am in a location which suffers from London-type congestion most of the time...Have considered showing stuff in pub function rooms which would be on their doorsteps but it seems a bit silly when I have a decent shop and they would only have to drive 5 miles or less.

Look....here is a strategy that will work...

Start targetting those LOOKING for interior design ideas.

First....getting...traffic.

I have done a very rapid long tail k/w analysis and you can certainly get organic traffic to a number of phrases such as "art decor" if you know how to use web 2 properties.

There are also a number of opportunities for cheap traffic on adwords too - based on interior design - not art keywords - and some underhand "mindset" methods too - and geo targetting those key words...

When they get to your site offer them a free ebook in exchange for an email address .... with a title thatboth interests them, and alerts them to the idea that they can make massive mistakes

"
secrets of how to use minor art for enhancing your interior design, as a long term investment and getting visitors to your home to say "wow" -
The key things you must know - and the worst mistakes you can make.
"

Those that register for the ebook.... are offered an immediate one time offer upsell free DVD of example paintings -and styles ... but charged £1 to post it....that way you get their physical addresses too.

Then....start mailshotting those people -
with cracking information - pictures - both email and physical with photos, offers, one off specific day £30 off vouchers"

Operate as a direct marketer - not a scattergun advertiser.