How To Design An Effective Door Hanger

This posting is not to encourage you to become an expert on Photoshop or to become a graphic artist… it’s about being able to tell the person who is designing your door hanger what you want.

There have been thousands of books written on how to design Direct Marketing Material. Remember a door hanger is not a “BROCHURE” it’s a “LURE”. The purpose is to generate a lead or an opportunity to make a sale.

Over the years we have developed 4 key points that have provided the outline for many successful door hanger designs.

Number 1 – “THE GLANCE TEST”

The nice thing about door hangers is that they get noticed. They are hanging on the front door so they are usually removed by the next person who opens the door. You’ve only got a few seconds to grab that persons attention so make sure your door hanger passes “The Glance Test”. Test your design on family and friends. They must be able to determine what the door hanger is about with just a quick glance. Use a large headline or an image (or a combination of both) to get that message across.

Number 2 – “USE A MAGNET”

A magnet is a powerful benefit or a reward. Something strong enough to compel your prospect to respond. It doesn’t always have to be a discount. For example: after Hurricane Wilma hit Florida in 2005, everyone wanted to install standby generators. Because of the demand there was a 3 to 6 month waiting list. We had a customer who advertised “STANDBY GENERATORS INSTALLED IN 30 DAYS OR LESS”. In this case, the benefit of a fast installation was strong enough to “generate” lots of response.

Number 3 – “CALL TO ACTION”

Decide how you want your prospects to respond and make sure the call to action is very prominent. If you have a combination of methods (i.e. PHONE, EMAIL, GO TO A WEBSITE, REGULAR MAIL or COME TO YOUR LOCATION) make sure they are listed in the order you prefer and vary the emphasis according to importance.

Number 4 – “CLAIM TO FAME”

Avoid cliches. Figure out what sets you apart from your competitors and include it on the door hanger. This information is usually less prominent than the other 3 items listed. It’s the “icing on the cake”. If items 1, 2 & 3 have done their job this can be the final response trigger.