Cleaning Talk - Professional Cleaning and Restoration Forum banner

Preparing a Flyer

9K views 14 replies 13 participants last post by  Sarah Bell 
#1 ·
Hi all

I'm in the middle of making my business cards and just thinking of making flyers so when I go door knocking I have some thing to leave behind.

Just wondering how to start my flyers off and types of information I should have on the flyers.

Regards,

Pomba
 
#2 ·
Hi Pomba, I am new to the business and have the same question. Nice to meet you by the way:thumbup:
I was also wondering if anyone has actually used before and after photos and full color flyers.
I know they say a picture is worth a thousand words..
Thank you.
Thomas
 
#3 ·
Postcard Info

Hey guys! :)

I am a freelance graphic artist/designer that runs a company based in Pocatello, ID. I’m sure that this is not probably an appropriate place to solicit work and bug you with an advertising pitch but that said I do a lot of work in your industry for a couple of the giants and have done a lot of work advertising and marketing utilizing postcards and direct mail. Here is a link to a article with some good advice about postcards/direct mail. The article is geared to the real estate biz, but the truths are pretty universal:

http://www.postcardsmart.com/realestate_article7.php

I hope this helps and apologize in advance but I can’t resist myself—
My company specializes in branding and “creating an image” for companies of all sizes from ma-and-pop shops to multimillion-dollar corporations all over the country (with a lot of experience in your industry) and if I can be of service, or answer any questions for you please don’t hesitate to contact me. Thank you for your time and my shameless plug. :whistling2:

Ryan Roghaar
Independent Graphic Designer
R2 Media Group, LLC
208.406.1069
ryan@r2mediagroup.net
www.ryanroghaar.com
www.r2mediagroup.net
 
#4 ·
We have had a great response with our flyers. We do them ourselves and send them out about every other month. One thing to keep in mind is that if you put too much information on them it can be overwhelming to a potential customer. I have seen some where there is so much unneccessary info on them that I miss the great points. Keep it simple and to the point. You need something to grab their attention then why you are better than the rest and a basic list of what you do. They know you are going to clean there toilets and all the basics. We use colored paper also. Before and after pics are good. I plan on putting those on our website someday. If I can ever remember to take my camera.

We did high dollar professional post cards when we started out and honestly have had more of a response from our simple flyers. We mail them as opposed to handing them out. Of course we always keep some handy for when an opportunity arises. Every area is different so what works for me might not work for you and vice versa. Hopefully this helps.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Each area is different, Here in Denver NC~ We put out tons and I mean tons of flyers and I haven't saw a good result. Most people around here find you by doing a google search or find your business card in a local establishment. To be perfectly honest least sucessful would be Flyers, magnets, and word of mouth. Go figure! I recently started a referral sheet I number from 1-10 and ask them to write down name and phone of people they think would take my service. I'm curious to see if they even do it. I've only ever got 1 referral. I don't get that either because they still continue to use my service and they could save $10, but they choose not to refer me! huh!
 
#6 ·
I would have to agree that is greatly depends on the area that you are in. The most important thing is to try a few things out and see what works. Don't put all your eggs in one basket, so to speak and be sure to ask prospective clients where they heard about you. You'll be able to keep track of what advertising is best for you. We've used flyers and they worked great. We do them about every two to three months, more around holidays as we provide specials. Word of mouth has been phenomenal for us. I have about 10 clients that I can trace back to one I started out with about 3 years ago. One clients gives you another, which gives you another and so on. My husband is in the process of doing the website right now, so hopefully that brings even more!
Look around for newsletters, small papers, etc in your area. They are pretty inexpensive (or at least around here) and we've had a wonderful response. Every place you look is another opportunity to advertise!
 
#8 ·
I have used flyers for a while now, every couple of months or so. I use colored paper with black ink. You can, of course, use colored ink to contrast colored paper, but black seems to work best for me. I use a paper color that will stand out, but is not viewed as obnoxious. (nothing florescent) I've used blues, greens and yellows before. "Clean" colors that stand out. I also do third-page flyers, as to not waste paper. A full page flyer is great, but you can fit everything you need to say in a half or third of a page too.
Hope that helps!
 
#12 ·
You should eventually test every advertising method within reason so don't rule out flyers until you have given them a go.

'Call to action' is the way to go as houstencleaning suggests - make some kind of time sensitive offer that gets them to contact you right away as if they put your flyer down they probably will never pick it up again - except to put it in the trash.

List benefits rather than features - tell them how you can help them instead of listing your services.

Have a compelling headline to get them to read it in the first place (don't use your biz name as the headline).

Keep it simple and uncluttered - if you want to go into detail direct them to a website or to the reverse side of the flyer (you may as well use both sides).
 
#14 ·
Simple and to the point works best. Imagine that as the person is walking to their door, they see your flyer. From the moment they see your flyer until the moment they reach it, they are absorbing the information. Most everyone's first inclination is to crumple the flyer up and throw it away. So you have that small window of time to make an impression, and convince them to change their minds. Keep that in mind as you are creating you flyer. Large bold important text. Good use of white space. They need to know what you do and what you're offering in a split second. Once again, another flyer thread, and everyone seems to be under the impression that 400 flyers is a lot. You should do a minimum of 5,000 flyers, either yourself, or through a flyer distribution company, before you can know whether they will work for you.

What ever your angle or deal is (most important), business name, catch phrase, phone number, what it is you do, why you're special, and whatever else you think will get their attention.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top