You should never be satisfied with the response rate of your Door Hanger Advertising Campaigns. To be effective, Door Hanger Campaigns, and most forms of advertising, require tracking, evaluation and fine tuning in order to achieve the highest possible response rate.

When we evaluate the response of a Door Hanger Campaign, we use this 4 point check list:

1. THE TARGET or DISTRIBUTION AREA
   [    ] STRONG
   [    ] AVERAGE
   [    ] WEAK
2. THE MAGNET or SPECIAL OFFER
   [    ] STRONG
   [    ] AVERAGE
   [    ] WEAK
3. THE DOOR HANGER DESIGN
   [    ] STRONG
   [    ] AVERAGE
   [    ] WEAK
4. DISTRIBUTION PLAN (Repetitive Distribution Strategy i.e. Distribute to 3000 prospects 1 time or to 1000 prospects 3 times?)
   [    ] STRONG
   [    ] AVERAGE
   [    ] WEAK

If possible, when fine tuning the door hanger, try not to change everything at once or you will be starting from scratch each time. Try the isolate which of the 4 factors is the weakest link. The distribution area and the design should be pretty solid before launching the first campaign. Usually it’s the magnet or special offer that affects the response rate the most.

When setting up a distribution strategy, remember, higher priced products and services may take a series of distributions to generate response unlike lower priced items that are bought on impulse.

The good news is that after a few campaigns, response rates should be very predictable. At that point, every distribution is an opportunity to increase sales.

If you would like us to help you evaluate the results of your last campaign – just give us a call 866-585-0965.

Many of you keep thinking about launching a Door Hanger or other Advertising Campaign but for some reason keep putting it off. Could it be that you are waiting until you can find the time to fine tune your plan and make it perfect? When will you find that extra time?

“A good plan violently executed today, is better than a perfect plan executed next week.” – that quote from General George S. Patton inspires me nearly every day.

In the current economy, procrastination can be a recipe for disaster. You have got to work harder than ever just to maintain market share let alone grow your business. However, smart business owners know that there are opportunities during strong or weak economic times. Advertising can help you exploit those opportunities.

What’s that old saying, “…if you keeping doing the same things over and over again, you are going to keep getting the same results!”.

Do something different this week. Advertise.

WHAT KIND OF RESPONSE WILL I GET?
Everyday I speak to small business owners all over the U.S.A about Door Hanger Advertising. What question do I get asked the most? By a margin of more than 2 to 1, the most asked question is: “What kind of response will I get?”. I always give the same answer:  ”….it depends on the strength of your Magnet”.

WHAT’S A MAGNET?
“Magnet” is the term we use to describe the lure, hook, special offer or incentive that will motivate the prospects you are targeting to respond to your advertising. Yes, it’s the bait that is most important when you are fishing for new customers.

THE MAGNET IS IMPORTANT… SO TEST IT
The Magnet is probably the most important factor influencing the success of a door hanger distribution campaign. So how do you know if your Magnet is strong enough? It’s not rocket science. Test it. Show it to your family, friends, employees and even a few loyal customers. Look them in the eye. Tell them to be honest. And listen.

PEOPLE LOVE TO SAVE MONEY, SO GIVEN THEM A DISCOUNT
Discounts are probably the most common Magnet used in advertising. You can minimize lost revenue from discounts by limiting them to time periods when business is slow or to new customers only (but don’t forget to reward your loyal customers from time to time).

The way discounts are presented can make a big difference in the response generated. When using percentages, always give a reference price point. You may think 10% OFF is a great offer, but the prospect is thinking “10% OFF What?”. Are you afraid to show your prices? If so, why? (and don’t say because your product or service is too complicated) If you are advertising a great offer, make it big and bold and easy to understand.

DISCOUNTS ARE GOOD, BUT THERE ARE OTHER TYPES OF MAGNETS
In this economy, that last thing you probably want to do is cut your prices. So here are some other ideas.

• A Unique, Interesting or One of a Kind Product of Service
  A pizza shop advertising their “Famous Upside Down Pizza” (are you curious?)
• A Donation To A Worthy Cause
  We had a propane provider purchase a helmet liner for solders in Iraq and Afghanistan with every fill up.
• A FREE In Home Estimate
  More valuable today than ever. I remodeled my kitchen recently and went to Lowe’s Home Improvement. I was surprised when I was told that I would have to pay for an in home estimate (that would be applied to my purchase) until they explained how much time was involved measuring and going over options. So if a Free Estimate is your Magnet, make sure you describe what’s involved and perhaps even put a dollar value on it.

SO HOW STRONG IS YOUR MAGNET?
If you are not getting the results you want from your advertising, take a look at your Magnet, some fine tuning may be in order. Resist the impulse to do what everyone else is doing. Run-of-the-mill Magnets will generate mediocre results. So be creative, generous and aggressive.

SHARE YOUR OPINION ON WHAT WORKS BEST
Take our poll (takes less than a minute) and see what business owners around the country think about using Magnets in their advertising. CLICK HERE!

Here are a few Ideas and Magnets that have been used successfully by our clients. Use one or a combination, but don’t over crowd the postcard with too much information. The postcard must pass “The Glance Test”, which means the reader will know what the card is about with just a passing glance. This can make the difference between getting noticed or being tossed out as junk mail.

1. Concentrate Your Customers – Save Time, Save Gas, Cut More Lawns!
   Distribute door hangers in the neighborhoods where you have the highest concentration of customers.  It’s probably better to have a smaller distribution area that you cover more frequently. Research has shown that it often takes 4 or 5 solicitations to get a prospect to respond.
2. Are You Happy?
   If you are looking for new customers they fall into two categories: 1- Those that cut their own lawns and 2- Those that already have a lawn service. Go after group 2 with this message on your door hanger: “ARE YOU HAPPY WITH YOUR LAWN SERVICE?  OUR CUSTOMERS ARE!  READ WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY: ” Written testimonials (a sentence or two) work great. If you can include photos of some of your customers and their lawns, even better.
3. FREE Lawn Service!
   You are probably thinking “…that’s easy for you to say”.  Try this offer: FREE LAWN SERVICE (Headline) and then a disclaimer – For new customers. Get 2 cuts at our regular low price and your 3rd cut is Free! That works out to a 33% discount. Plus, after 3 cuts in a row, it is probably safe to say you’ve got a new regular customer.
4. Need A Tune-Up?
   We thought this was a unique idea. Offer an on site lawn mower tune up service. In the process you will identify prospects that do their own lawn. This group can be targeted for additional services like landscaping, fertilization, spring and fall clean-ups, etc. And remember, just because they have a lawn mower does not mean they love doing the lawn. Tempt them with a special offer.
5. Be Flexible On Pricing
   Offer one time pricing as well as contracts. By the way, if you are selling contracts, don’t call it a contract, call it a “Savings Package”.
6. It’s All About You!
   Do you have a small operation? Try this headline to emphasize your personal service: “I Own The Company, I Cut The Lawns, I Guarantee Your Satisfaction!” Include your photo and you will have a very powerful message on your postcard.
7. Promote Your Website On Your Door Hanger
   Don’t have one? You should. And it should contain more than just a laundry list of your services. Photographs of your work, testimonials, gardening tips, monthly specials on seasonal flowers and services and more.  The website should have plenty of good content that can be used to sell new clients and keep the ones you have.
8. 5 To The Left & 5 To The Right
   Here’s an easy and effective way to enhance your distribution efforts. Everytime you cut a lawn, hang door hangers on  five homes on either side of the job your doing. Cut 5 homes a day and that’s 50 door hangers distributed, 250 in a week! In fact you might consider designing a door hanger for just that distribution plan. Use a title like “WE CUT YOUR NEIGHBOR’S LAWN TODAY AT ___________________ Would you like a FREE Estimate? We Have A Special Friends & Neighbors Rate For You!” Leave a blank line and fill in the actual address of the job you completed.

1. Clarify The Goals Of The Door Hanger Campaign
   For example:
   - Introduce the candidate if he is not well known
   - Talk about the most important issues
   - Ask for contributions
   - Ask for volunteers
   - Expose competitor’s weaknesses
   - Invite voters to a town hall meeting
2. Use Full Color Door Hangers With Lots Of Photos
   It’s true, a picture is worth a 1000 words, or more! But, don’t just use a head shot of the candidate that looks like it came from a drivers license. If the candidate is for Education, get a photo of him at a school with kids. If he’s pro-business, get a picture at a Chamber of Commerce Meeting. If he’s for moral values, a shot with the family on Sunday talking to the Pastor. You get the idea.
3. Use The Door Hanger To Drive Voters To The Candidates Website
   Make sure there is lots of good content about the issues and the candidate. Don’t disappoint web visitors. Your website doesn’t have to be “Madison Avenue”. It can even have a “home-made” look, but it most deliver on content and be worth the voters time.
4. Send An Invitation To “Ask The Candidate”!
   Not always possible, but if you can manage it, get a cell phone and dedicate the phone number to taking calls from voters. Invite them to “ask the candidate”, “express their views” or just “sound off”. You can limit calling to specific times during the day or week.
5. Target Residential Communities With A Club House
   Target communities with a club house. Contact the homeowner or condo association and ask if you can use the facilities for a mini town hall meeting exclusively for their residents. Then promote it with door hangers.
   

Here are a few Ideas and Magnets that have been used successfully by our restaurant clients. Use one or a combination, but don’t over crowd the postcard with too much information. The door hanger must pass “The Glance Test”, which means the reader will know what the card is about with just a passing glance. This can make the difference between getting noticed or being tossed out as junk advertising.

1. Increase Lunch Business
Distribute to local businesses and offer a lunch special.  Use a radius from your location, a half mile to a mile. For this campaign, it is better to have a smaller distribution area and to distribute more often.

Your magnet doesn’t have to be a discount. Take a lesson from the national chains like Subway’s $5 Footlong or McDonalds Value Menu. Feature value packed lunch specials, that are served up quickly and taste a lot better than the  ”fast food” competition.

A word of caution, don’t try to combine this idea with a dinner promotion. In most cases, workers who are around during the day probably live in a different part of town and won’t be prospects for evening business. Don’t clutter up the card. Stay focused on lunch.

2. Build An “Earlybird” Crowd
Is there a senior community near your location? They like to eat early and save money. You want to fill seats between the lunch and dinner hours. Sounds like you may have something in common! Once you get them into the restaurant, keep them coming back with a frequent diner punch card.

3. If You Show Them, They Will Come!
How many nearby residents have never been inside your restaurant? How many drive by without ever stopping? Show them what you are all about with a full color door hanger. Start with a photo of the exterior that prospects will recognize from their daily travels. Then, include photos of the interior, your customers, your staff, you and especially your food. Include a partial menu of your best dishes. Finally, include a personal invitation with a special offer. Tell the prospect to ask for the owner or manager when they arrive, and then roll out the red carpet.

4. Build Your Delivery Business Door hangers are an effective and affordable way to keep in front of potential delivery customers. Once again a smaller area, with frequent distribution will yield the best results. Experiment with different offers and track response carefully. Repeat your best offers, get rid of the ones that don’t work and keep adding new ones. Once you have fine tuned your door hanger, your campaign won’t cost you money, it will make you money every time you distribute. At that point, it’s time to expand that delivery area.

Make sure you include a menu with a “Bounce Back” coupon with every delivery order. Give them an incentive to order again, sooner rather than later.

5. Give A Really Big Discount
In this economy everyone is looking for a deal. So give them one. Just make it valid only on the days or hours that you need to increase business. Don’t measure the success of your campaign on this one discounted transaction. If you make a new customer as a result of this promotion, you’ll see benefits all year long. And don’t forget about the value of “word of mouth”. So be aggressive and make them an offer they can’t refuse.

6. Secret Recipe Revealed!
If you have a dish that you are really proud of, publish the recipe with some photos of the preparation on your door hanger. The Olive Garden does this all the time in their TV Advertising. They make the food the star of the show (which it should be). Don’t worry about potential customers staying home and cooking instead of going out to eat at your restaurant. Most couples today have too little time and energy to cook a special dinner at home. But if you are worried, you could leave out part of the recipe (only kidding).

7. Use A Discount Coupon On Your Postcard To Test New Menu Items
Want to add a new item to the menu, but you’re not sure how it will go over? Include a coupon with a discounted price on your door hanger, to jump start the introduction.

Here are a few Ideas and Magnets that have been used successfully by our clients. Use one or a combination, but do not over crowd the postcard with too much information. The door hanger must pass “The Glance Test”, which means the reader will know what the door hanger is about with just a passing glance. This can make the difference between getting noticed or being tossed out as junk advertising.

1. It is all about you!
   When you are advertising your services, it is not the time to be modest. Selling Real Estate is a one on one,  personal service. Include your photo and a brief resume. If you are new to the business, do not try to conceal it, let folks know that you are building a reputation and will work harder to get results. Include memberships in community organizations or church groups. If you live in the neighborhood you are targeting, be sure to mention it.
2. Farm Area: It’s Not The Size But The Frequency That Counts
   Door Hangers are an effective and affordable way to keep in front of new listing prospects. A smaller distribution area scheduled on a frequent basis will yield the best results. Remember, your name needs to be “top of mind” when the decision to sell is made. The only way to do that is to distribute on a regular basis.  Be consistent and over time, the listings will come. Once you’ve built momentum, it’s time to expand that farm area.
3. Develop A Market Plan for New Listings And Give It A Name
   Sure, most listings sell through the MLS. What other marketing activities do you include with your listing service? Open house, lawn signs, newspaper advertising, website, door hangers, etc. Make a list and present it as a results oriented marketing package. Make it even more special by giving it a name i.e. “The Exclusive, Bill Sullivan, Residential Real Estate, Marketing Plan”.
4. Use A Slogan To Help People Remember Your Name
   Sometimes it may seem corny, but it works. i.e. “Selling Your Home? If You’re In A Hurry, Call Billy Murray!”
5. The FREE Market Analysis Offer
   Everyone uses this offer, but perhaps a little rewording can make it more appealing, by targeting curiosity: “Find Out How Much You Neighbors House Sold For….You May Be Surprised!”
6. List The Houses You’ve Sold Recently. Don’t Have Any? You Can Still Make A List.
   Put together a list of houses that have sold recently, including prices and a brief description. If they are not your listings, put a small disclaimer at the bottom “complied from MLS data base”.
7. Can You Offer A Discount Brokerage Fee? People Love To Save.
   If your broker allows, you might consider offering a discounted brokerage fee and advertise: “Full Service At A Lower Fee”!

Let’s deal with factor one first. How much would you pay for a new customer? Isn’t the amount you would pay for anything determined by the value of the product or service. The same rule should apply to customers. So before we ask the question, how much are you willing to pay for a new customer, let’s ask how much is a new customer really worth. Here’s one method you can use.

Small Business Example: ABC Dry Cleaners

Work out the numbers for your business and go on a shopping spree! Buy as many new customers as you can. But wait minute, you might have a limited amount of cash on hand. Furthermore, your cash flow may not allow you to wait up to two years to recover the profit. That brings us to factor number two: your budget. The most important thing to consider here is being consistent. You can start with a small budget and expand it as cash flow permits. Determine a budget that you are comfortable with and then stick with it.

Don’t despair, you can get new customers with advertising. But you’ve got to pick an advertising method that is measurable. Door hanger distribution is very measurable and it is cost effective. You can even target the type of customer your looking for (your definition of the best customer), by picking neighborhoods based on home values and proximity to your business.

Keep close track of the results of your door hanger distribution efforts. Then compute your cost per customer: Cost of the distribution divided by the number of customers generated. By fine tuning your door hanger design and special offers you can increase the response rate and lower your cost per customer.

Advertising isn’t easy, but if you know the cost to generate a new customer and the value of that customer, you will be well on your way to running successful advertising campaigns.

A “S W O T” Analysis is a simple yet effective marketing exercise (first introduced in the 1960′s) that can help a business focus on improving sales.

The initials stand for:

• “S” – STRENGTHS
• “W” – WEAKNESSES
• “O” – OPPORTUNITIES
• “T” – THREATS

You don’t need a marketing guru to conduct the analysis, you can do it yourself, if you are willing to be honest. Start with 4 blank sheets of paper and title each with the headings shown above.

Here are some examples to help get you started:

STRENGTHS could be -
Your location, a one of a kind product or service, a reputation built over the years, your staff, etc.

WEAKNESSES could be -
Your location, similar products and prices offered by nearby competitors, not enough parking, a bad reputation

OPPORTUNITIES could be -
A competitor goes out of business, new homes being built in the neighborhood, new products available from a supplier, using the internet to expand sales, etc.

THREATS could be -
New competitor opens nearby, gas prices go up, temporary road construction, etc.

With a completed analysis, you will be better equipped to develop an effective marketing and advertising plans, including a door hanger advertising campaign.

A good way to do this is to include a “Special Offier” on your door hanger. We call this your “Magnet”. A good magnet will attract new customers.

Try being creative. Many advertisers use the old “10% Off” approach. It may work, but it’s been over used and often the prospect doesn’t believe the discount is real.

No not a "Chcik Magnet". Use a special offer as the "Magnet" on your door hanger to attract new customers!

Try adding value instead of a discount. Price your product competitively and then add more product or service for the same price. For example, a door hanger for a carpet cleaner might say “3 Rooms Cleaned for $99 – Plus 1 Chair Cleaned FREE!” This is a “WIN, WIN OFFER”. He gets his full price for the carpet cleaning and lets the client know that he also offers upholstery cleaning – and after cleaning one chair the rest of the upholstery may look a bit dingy, which could lead to an additional sale.

The value added offer doesn’t always have to be free either. We’ve all been asked to “SUPER SIZE” our order at a fast food restaurant. That extra $1.99 for a larger fountain soda and a few extra french fries really adds up.

So take some time to think about the Magnet on your door hanger. If you need some help, just give us a call and we’ll be happy to brain storm with you. Call 866-585-0965 M-F – 9-6 Eastern Time.