business flier posting through your door

[untamedstylist]

do you find it informative or annoying?

is it affective advertising?

im thinking of doing it for my own business and wondered if its worth while or not

[Dorothy]

I tend to rely on word of mouth or recommendations on this forum when I am looking for businesses/services. I don't think I have ever responded to a flyer posted through my door.

[Twirly]

They go straight in the recycling in our house, so I'd think it's probably a waste of money.

[The Minkey]

Ditto - straight into recycling.

[Sue]

The problem with flyering every house, apart from the time and expense involved, is that you are not targeting your prospective customers, you are taking a scattergun approach which will result in probably 99% of your flyers being binned.

I don't have a solution for your particular business but apart from a presence on the EDF, which you have, your website needs to come up when someone googles eg hairdresser in east dulwich, or hairstylist in south london, and I reckon you'd be better spending your money on that.

You could also try to get some editorial in the local press, or put an ad in SE22 magazine.

PS If you are the local stylist who has all that music on their website, I have to say I found it so irritating I didn't look any further, but probably I am not your target customer :))

[Ramble66]

Have to agree with Sue, not liking the music on website. Sorry. And I think I probably am your target customer.

Flyers usually go straight into recycling unless there is a good offer on it.

[Loz]

Flyers are a low hit rate type of advertising, but at least most people glance at them before they land in the recycling bin. So, you have about 1 second to grab their attention and, if they are your target audience, hold it. Make sure what you offer and, if you have one, your USP (unique selling point) is clear. Less is more.

Also, make sure there is a good offer on there that you don;t offer anywhere else. Apart from helping grab people's attention, it will help you gauge the effectiveness of the campaign.

[untamedstylist]

thanks for the feedback and i am removing the music...

[untamedstylist]

LOZ... out of interest could you take a look at the flier and tell me if it gauges interest?

ive attatched it! many thanks? ive never done something like this so am just using what i have to make them...

i tried to just keep it simple but effective! i do believe less is more.....

thanks

[Moos]

Typo in "appointments"

[untamedstylist]

whats the correct spelling?

[untamedstylist]

ah i spotted it missed the t thanks! crikey!

[Jeremy]

Why not try it on one road first, and see if you get any results?

[Alec John Moore]

This is what brings out the pedant in me. Typos in "background" and "website". Better to have the text in sentence case, i.e. upper and lower rather than all caps. I'm sure there must be a market for your service.

[untamedstylist]

THANKYOU ALEC I AM NOT THE MOST ELITERATE! (tu)

HAVE CORRECTED IT NOW!

IS THIS BETTER?

THANKYOU!:-$

[Loz]

1) What everyone said about the typos. Screams 'unprofessional'.

2) The top line should be in a bigger font size. It is the 1 second attention grabber. If that fails you are in the recycling bin.

3) Your USP is the 'at home' bit. I almost missed that fact. It blurs into the rest of the info.

4) As said - you need an offer. It's your second attention grabber.

On the plus side it is simple and clean layout with good photos. Unlike Alec, I rather like the all upper-case, so it just shows that this all opinion. Apart from the typos...!

[Loz]

I don;t like the NVQ bit of the new one. Sounds like you are just out of college. The fully insured bit is kind of scary as well.

[untamedstylist]

IT WAS JUST WHAT SOMEONE MAILED ME SAYING IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW U WERE QUALIFIED! THATS THE ONLY REASON I PUT IT ON THIER..

ANYCHANCE ANYONE COULD SPARE A FEW MINUTES AND COME UP WITH SOMETHING PERFECT IF I SENT THEM THE IMAGES?

[untamedstylist]

HAVE CORRECTED IT I THINK THIS WILL BE MUCH BETTER THANKS EVERYONE FOR UR FEEDBACK VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!

I THINK I WILL JUST DO MAYBE 100 AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS AND THEN TAKE IT FROM THIER....

[Huguenot]

Hi untamed stylist, I think it's great idea. I love to see initiative and investment, and I really hope it'll be the first stop on a styling empire!

Advertising is a mathematical business based on calculating a 'return on investment'

Basically you need to work out how much you spent on creating the campaign, and how much you got back on it.

For the spend you need to calculate not only the cost on design, printing and distribution, but also your time and energy. The first three are usually easy as you have receipts. To calculate yor own personal investment then you need to decide how much you value the time.

Don't call any of these zero. Even your own computer cost you hardware, ink and paper. Letterbox dropping cost you time - which has a value. What's your target hourly revenue? How much time did you spend? Add these together and you get a 'cost per campaign'.

Divide the 'cost per campaign' by the number of bookings you make as a result. This gives you a 'cost per booking'.

The styling itself costs you hardware - scissors and trimmers get blunt and wear down. How many hours do they last? What is the sharpening or replacement fee? What's that per hour? Per person? What do the styling cosmetics cost? How much per person? What then is the cost per person? Add in your hourly rate. The total of this is the 'cost per style'

Subtract the 'cost per style' from the 'cost per booking' and you get a profitability figure.

Now compare the effectiveness of different flyers. Do some in capitals, some in sentence case, some with different pictures, some with your photo and qualifications on, some without.

Make sure each flyer has a different code on it. When people ask for a booking ask them what the code was.

You'll find that each flyer has a different profitability figure.

Do more of the flyers that gives you the best profitability.

[Sue]

Do you really need to mention your "prestigious background"? I find that offputting rather than probably what you intended (and please don't be offended, but if it was that prestigious you wouldn't be needing to put round flyers, would you?).

Would it not be better just to let people know your website address and then let them be suitably impressed for themselves?

I don't think 100 is going to give you much of an idea if you're putting them through doors - that's about one smallish street's worth!

Would you not be better seeing if beauty salons etc (which don't do haircuts but which have customers looking to make themselves look good) would take them?

And - you really do need to make sure that everything you put into the public domain - flyers, website etc - has been looked over by somebody who can spell etc.. I know poor spelling doesn't make you a poor stylist, but it really does give a very bad impression of your attention to detail.

[untamedstylist]

Duely noted sue, but i believe seeing someone has a prestigious background also provides a selling point... As was discussed earlier it's about the selling factors on the flier before it gets binned, hopefully it's a word which will catch someones eye as appossed to just without.... Allot i'n the area will probably think "prestigious.... This guys having a laughlets check it out and prove him wrong" just going on some the comments I've heard before on my threads,,, they will indeed see my good background and maybe take it serious, so I'm going with it for now to see what the response is like... However i do genuinely appreciate all feedback... Sadly i had to do it i'n paint and forgot that it hasn't a spell check so am ver glad i did put on here to ask opinions before putting it public as such....

So thefire it has been spell checked before going out as was my website with a fine tooth comb... So i hope it's enough...

It's only a temporary measure anyway not a huge future business venture just one to make some cash flow right now as I'm embarking on session styling right now instead of normal salon work, so it's just to keep me afloat, although i will keep doing any clients i gain if they like my work enough when I'm back to doing my normal thing...

Thanks all

[untamedstylist]

Oh and as for the comment about if it was prestigious as u say ud have no need to put it about on fliers....

I'm unknown i'n the area... So unless they have used me or seen my website they would not have a clue and I'd just be the same as any other hairdresser.... So i think it's a good idea.... And as u can see if u have looked into it... My background is probably as prestigious as u might be able to get really..... So i feel it's an important selling point.... As i said how would someone know unless they have a source to refer to

[rememberwhen]

Before you go to print, you have still not corrected "Background"

Good luck.

[KalamityKel]

I can't quite get the right word in my head but I dont think "prestigious" is the one you're looking for.

I don't mean that you're not prestigious only that it seems a bit of a heavy word to shove in the simpleness of what's already there... only a thought.

Full caps is always a no no in effective publicity - it looks cheap, rushed and, to me, is not clear on the eyes (too blocky). Reminds me somewhat of those annoying window cleaning/general cleaning/odd job fliers you see on poorly photocopied tiny bits of paper cut up incredibly roughly shoved through your letterbox. Again, just a thought.