The video is only about a minute – so why not watch it now?

Now, the second step of our approach is reach and frequency. Simply put, reach is the number of prospects exposed to an ad, and frequency is the number of times an ad is exposed to a prospect.

So which you think is more important, reach or frequency? For the same budget, is it better to mail 5,000 prospects one time or 1,000 prospects five times?

Consider this. Have you ever established a good friendship with someone you met only once? Probably not.

Here’s another analogy. Let’s say you’re given 100 seeds and enough water to water each seed one time. Would you plant all 100 seeds and water them just once? Or would you be more successful planting 25 seeds and using all the water to water those 25 seeds?

It’s pretty obvious. Most direct mail advertising campaigns need frequency to succeed. And to schedule frequency, you’re going to need an advertising budget, even if it’s a modest one.

So set a budget, and then stick with it. Be patient. Maintain frequency, and gradually expand your reach. That’s the way to grow your business. Think about.

Each salesman is planning to knock on 50 doors today. So who do you think is going to sell more, Harry, with one product to sell or Sam with an entire line of cleaning products and services? The key to remember here is that Harry and Sam are being proactive. The prospects they will be contacting haven’t expressed any interest in buying cleaning products today. So let’s listen in on their presentations.

Hmm, how can I get rid of this guy?

Good afternoon madam. Hi, I’m Sam from the AAA cleaning solution company. I carry everything you need to have a sparkling clean home. I have a state of the art vacuum, a full line of brooms, traditional and sponge mops, cleaning solutions for every room in the house. And if you don’t have time to clean, I also represent a great maid service. May I show you what I have to offer? I’m sure I’ll have something here that you will want to buy.

I don’t have time for this! I have a vacuum! I buy all my cleaning supplies at Wal-Mart, and I certainly can’t afford a maid service! I’m sorry, I’m really busy. I don’t have time.

Now let’s see how Harry does.

Hmm, how can I get rid of this guy?

Good afternoon madam. I’m Harry from the AAA vacuum cleaner company. Are you spending too much time cleaning? Would you like to cut your cleaning time in half? Well today we are offering a free one week trial of our new, lightweight, ultra powerful, and surprisingly affordable vacuum cleaner. Can I give you a quick demonstration? I promise you’ll be amazed.

Lightweight? Powerful? Affordable? Free trial? Maybe I do need a new vacuum. Sure! Come in and amaze me!

So what’s the moral of the story? When trying to get the attention of the busy prospect, start by selling just one thing. Feature your best or most popular product or service, present a problem, and offer a solution. Make your offer uncomplicated, clear, and attractive just like Harry did. Want to talk more about it? Give us a call or send us an email.

Every business wants to get the most from their advertising dollars. Advertising can be expensive, especially if no one responds. So it’s natural to want to include as much information as possible on a door hanger. Fill in all the “white space” and get your money’s worth. That strategy rarely works.

Let’s take a look at America’s most successful retailer: Wal-Mart. When Wal-Mart advertises, do they list every item that they sell? With literally hundreds of thousands of items that would be impossible. Well how about if they listed every department or even one department with all related products. You would still require a very big ad and few prospects would take the time to read it.

This week one Wal-Mart ad featured a 42” Toshiba LED 1080P TV for $649.98. You could say that ad was targeted at only one prospect: one that needs a new TV, has room for a 42” model, and has $650 in his wallet or available on his credit card. That’s pretty specific targeting and a whole lot of prospects will simply not be interested and ignore the ad. The good news for Wal-Mart is that there are a lot of prospects that fit the target profile, and as a result, they will probably sell a lot of those TV’s.

Do you think Wal-Mart was worried that if they advertised a specific TV model, that the rest of their inventory would not move? Hardly. In fact, they will be tickled pink if prospects just come to a store to look at the Toshiba TV on sale. Even if they don’t buy that model, perhaps they will buy a different TV or at least buy something before they leave the store. Most visitors will.

They succeeded. They generated a lead. Once they have a prospect in the store, chances are they are going to sell him something.

You can do the same thing. Think of the door hanger as a way to generate a lead, not a sale. Remember, leads turn into sales. Tantalize prospects with a single offer and be prepared to sell that offer or something else when they respond. Don’t be afraid to feature a low price. Most shoppers start off looking for the lowest price. Once they respond you can justify higher prices by demonstrating value.

So there you have it. Don’t try and speak to everyone when creating your door hanger. Target one prospect and you will find there are many who fit the same profile. Even if you are speaking to only 5% of the prospects who receive your door hanger, make sure your ad is strong enough to get noticed by 95% of the 5%

A carrier route is the daily delivery route of a mail carrier (usually 300-500 addresses)

Carrier routes are shown on the map below with a 5 digit code.

Example: 23C08 – The first 2 digits (23) are the last 2 numbers of the Zip Code (33023).

The next 3 characters (23C08) is the Carrier Route Number.

Use the chart below to cross reference the Carrier Routes shown on the map to find the total number of deliveries. A breakdown of single family and multi family homes is shown for information purposes only. To qualify for EDDM rates, all of the residential addresses must be included. Businesses can be added, however, businesses cannot be mailed without residential addresses.

Example: 33023 C008 (shown on map as 23C08)

Single Family Homes = 406
Multi Family Homes (Apartments) = 107
Trailers = 0
Sub Total = 513
Businesses = 48
Grand Total = 561

If this route is selected, it can be mailed 2 ways.
With only the residential addresses = 513 or if the businesses are included = 561

General Information About Mailing EDDM

Post Office Drop Off

The mailings must be dropped off at the Post Office which handles mail for the Zip Code selected.
If multiple Zip Codes – each must be dropped off at their respective post office.

Minimum and Maximum Pieces

Minimum daily mailing is 200 pieces and the maximum is 5000.

Postage Rate 14.2¢ Per Piece – Pay As You Mail

The entire carrier route count must be mailed at the same time.

If multiple carrier routes are purchased, they can be mailed all at once or one at a time.

Example: Refer to the chart above. If all carrier routes in Zip Code 33023 are purchased (10).
All 4742 pieces can be mailed at once or individually on whatever schedule the mailer chooses.

Payment for each carrier is made on the day of mailing.
C008 with 513 pieces would cost 513 x .142 = $72.85

Door Hanger Advertising is one of the best ways to generate new business. There’s no envelope to open or flyer to unfold, a Door Hanger starts working as soon as it is removed from the door.

So what are the secrets of designing a door hanger that will generate a sensational response? We have developed a 4 Point Design Strategy that has been proven effective.

4 POINT DESIGN STRATEGY

Step 1 – THE GLANCE TEST
The goal is to let the prospect know what the door hanger is about with just a passing glance. Seems obvious, but many door hangers fail the Glance Test and are tossed out without getting the chance to deliver their message.

So, how do you design a door hanger that will pass the “Glance Test”? Use a big headline, with few words, that shouts the main purpose and benefit of your offering.  A photo or graphic can also be very effective. A combination of both may be even better.

Step 2 – THE 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 stronger your magnet, the more business you will attract.

Which of the four magnets below do you think is the strongest?

Remember, you don’t have to give all the details. Just tantalize the prospect. The purpose of the door hanger is to generate a lead, an opportunity to make a sale. The door hanger normally will not make the sale, you have to do that.

Step 3 – YOUR CLAIM TO FAME
If you can avoid the trash can by passing the Glance Test and tantalize the prospect with a strong Magnet, your Claim To Fame is used to seal the deal. What is your level of expertise, why should you be trusted and what do others say about your product or service? Sometimes the claim to fame might be you. If so, don’t hesitate to include a photo and a brief professional biography. This is not the time to be modest.

Step 4 – THE CALL TO ACTION
How do you want people to respond? Call on the phone, visit your website or perhaps come to your physical location. If there is more than one option, make sure you emphasize the one you prefer with larger type on both sides of the door hanger.

Design is the most important part of your campaign. Take your time. Show it to family, friends and even a few loyal customers. Remember, no one knows your business better than you do, so make sure you feel as confident as possible that your design is a winner before you launch.

Take advantage of our “No Risk Design Guarantee”. We’ll offer suggestions and make as many changes as needed (never an extra charge) until you are convinced the design is as good as it can be. Good Luck!

ARE YOU READY? HERE IS ONE OF THE SECRETS TO DOOR HANGER  SUCCESS:

Repetition is one of the most important parts of any advertising.

Repetition is one of the most important parts of any advertising.

CAN YOU FILL IN THE BLANKS?

National firms, like companies that sell auto insurance rely on repetition to create a “top of mind awareness”. They recognize the fact that consumers may not be ready to purchase insurance the first time they see their ads. To prove the premise, fill in the blanks with the name of the auto insurance company below:

• You’re in Good Hands with ____________________
• Like a Good Neighbor ____________________ is there
• Call ____________________ , 15 Minutes Can Save You 15% On Car Insurance

Chances are you got all 3 right. It’s the result of repetitive advertising.

Studies have shown the importance of repetition. The more we see or hear something, the more likely we are to believe it and act on it. One report says that 59% of respondents will believe and remember the information they receive if they see or hear it 3 to 5 times.

HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO DOOR HANGER ADVERTISING?

So how does this relate to Door Hanger Advertising? Think of it this way. If your goal is to “Grow Your Business”… for the same budget, it is better to distribute door hangers to 1000 prospects 3 times, than to distribute to 3000 prospects 1 time.

Here is an excerpt from an article by the National Federation of Independent Business:

“When designing and placing ads, many small business owners search for the magic bullet: an ad that is so compelling that customers will immediately pick up the phone and call to make an appointment. Remember, advertising is a process, not a one-time event. Advertising research has shown that a consumer usually needs to see an ad five to seven times before responding. This is what the ad industry calls the rule of seven.”

CREATE A TARGET MARKET, BUDGET AND A DISTRIBUTION SCHEDULE

We recommend a monthly distribution schedule in most cases. The important thing to remember is be consistent. Work out a plan that will fit your budget and then stick to it. Momentum will build.

Advertising can be expensive, when it doesn’t work well.

However, when a campaign is successful, it won’t cost you money, it will make you money!

How can we improve the results of your next door hanger distribution? By generating a bigger response. Well, it’s the message (or special offer) that makes people respond, right? So consider “Kicking It Up A Notch”!

Here are two examples:

____________________________________________________________

A Pizza Shop Distributes 3000 Full Color Door Hangers with the Usual Coupons

- ESTIMATED RESPONSE: 3% – Or about 90 coupons redeemed
- COST PER RESPONSE: Cost of the door hangers $367 divided by 90 = $4.07
- REVENUE GENERATED: Average sale $20 x 90 responses = $1800 – not too bad

____________________________________________________________

What if we ”Kick It Up A Notch” and make a really remarkable offer:
“Try Our Pizza – Get a FREE Large Cheese Pizza, No Strings Attached”!

- ESTIMATED RESPONSE: An offer like that could triple the response rate to 9% or 270 coupons
- COST PER RESPONSE: Cost of the door hangers $367 divided by 270 = $1.36 (Much Lower!)
- ADJUSTED COST PER RESPONSE: Add in the cost of the “FREE” Pizza at $3.50 + $1.36 = $4.86
- REVENUE GENERATED: With a FREE Pizza, the average sale will drop to about $8  X 270 = $2160

____________________________________________________________

But don’t evaluate the success of the door hanger campaign by only the revenue generated from the coupons.

Let’s say of all coupons redeemed about 30% were new customers.

- NEW CUSTOMERS GENERATED with the Usual Coupon Offers: 30% of 90 = 27 New Customers

- NEW CUSTOMERS GENERATED with the FREE Pizza Offer: 30% of 270 = 81 New Customers

Consider the “Value Of A New Customer” over the next year (or longer).

- How many times will he purchase over the next year?
- How much will he spend over the next year?
- How many friends or family members will he tell about your Pizza?

Maintaining regular customers by rewarding them with special offers and at the same time generating new customers… that is how to Grow Your Business!

In both examples, enough revenue was generated to justify the cost of the promotion without even taking into consideration the potential of future business from new customers.

The usual coupons or a very special offer? You decide how aggressive you want to be.

I was watching The Food Network the other night. It was one of those competitions between chefs. The judges were handing out criticism in large doses.

It was tough to watch. I witnessed the chefs give their best efforts in a timed performance as the clock wound down,  until finally time was up. Ready or not, they were being judged by celebrity chefs and thousands of viewers across America.

Most of the competitors were trying to smile and put on a brave face while their food creations were ripped apart by the judges. One of the contestants had tried to create a towering dessert that consisted of several layers including cookies, cream, fruit and topped with a caramel sauce. It collapsed on the plate and although it probably tasted delicious, it looked a mess.

The chef with the dessert disaster listened to the judges criticism and then responded. “I don’t  feel bad. Only Mediocrity Escapes Criticism“.

She was so right. If you are trying to be the best. You should expect criticism. You should even welcome it! In fact, you should even ask for it.

In business, your customers are the “Celebrity Judges”.

We recently started sending out surveys to our customers after each completed sale. The survey includes 5 questions and the answers are multiple choice: A- Excellent    B- Above Average   C-Average and   D-Needs Improvement.  We have been delighted with the results. Just about every question has been answered “Excellent”.

However, we noticed that one of the five questions was often answered “Above Average”. Good enough, some businesses might say. Although we are getting a high mark, “Above Average” in this one area, for some reason, we are not being graded “Excellent”. We’re analyzing our process and won’t be satisfied until we achieve a top mark for all 5 questions.

The journey to becoming the best can be a long and exhausting one.  Criticism along the way can help keep you on the right path toward your destination. Remember, Only Mediocrity Escapes Criticism.

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.