Flyers get a bad reputation, and I'm not sure why, because they work. Yes they are considered by some to be junk mail, but if you feel that strongly about it then you can just put a note on the door asking not to deliver them. But most doors don't have that note, so plenty still get delivered. It's often argued too, that anyone can make a flyer but that is a load of rubbish. Anyone CAN make a flyer, but so too can anyone make a website, advertise in newspapers and magazines, get a radio ad (don't even bother!) or any other advertising method. The best way to find good companies is by recommendation, and a lot of that can be found online on impartial websites like Yell.com or Bark.com and on social media, but those companies, especially the smaller ones, still need to draw attention to themselves somehow, and flyers work brilliantly for that. There is a trick to the perfect flyer and the ones that work best have to follow these simple rules.
Your Flyer is a Piece of Rubbish
That sounds harsh, but it's true. You need to design your flyers with the mindset that 99% of them are going straight in the bin. But that doesn't matter. Even the ones that go in the bin sometimes do their job. The aim is to fit as much information into as few words as possible so that it can all be read absent mindedly on it's journey to the trash can. If you write 200 words then none of it will be read. If you write 10 words you've got a fighting chance.
Big Logo
Make your flyers double sided and one side just a big logo and no more than five words about what you do. This is enough to get the point across and even if it goes in the bin, the company name and what you do is still absorbed by the customer on some level, so if they see your van, or another ad, they'll already be familiar with you, and customers will usually choose a company that is familiar even if they know nothing else about it.
Don't Write Too Much
As I said before, don't write too much. Nobody will read it. A huge list of everything you do won't be read, but five bullet points will.
If You Keep it Simple People Will Keep Your Flyer
I regularly get work from flyers that were delivered months or even year ago. In fact the inspiration for this article came a fortnight ago when I was contacted by a customer who had held on to a flyer for 11 years. ELEVEN YEARS!!!
