During any recession, a lot of businesses cut their advertising budgets to save money. This can give short term relief, it will almost certainly pave the way to long term loss of revenue and even closure. So in short advertising should never stop!

What if a shop owner, fearing a recession and loss of trade, turned off the lights in their window display to save money on electricity? They would see some savings on their power bill, but their customers will quickly disappear simply because they assume they’re not open.

It’s the same when you stop your advertising, customers don’t see you.

This is because they think you’re not open or worse you’ve gone out of business and quickly find your competitor who are still advertising and keeping their lights on.

There is no time to lose
Waiting until the lockdown is over is a dangerous mistake to make.

Unlike normal recessions, this recession fell upon us almost overnight. There were no gloomy forecasts from government and economists, no noticeable decline in business, just a sudden stop. The economy did not ground to a halt, it crashed. Thousands of thriving companies have been forced to close, and their owners are wondering if there will be customers when the lock down is finally lifted.

It’s never as bad as it seems
Many experts are predicting life will never go back how it was before the COVID-19 virus arrived and they may be right, and many things will change, but people will not have changed. They will still need the same products and services they did before.

A survey taken by Marketing Week reveals fifty-five per cent of marketers have decided to delay or review any campaigns’ they had planned. Another study conducted by Econsultancy and Marketing Week reveals 887 UK brand marketers have delayed or are reviewing their budget commitments.

Despite prophecies of doom, many businesses will emerge from this lockdown, and they will be hoping for customers.

The real businessmen and business women in the community who believe in their businesses and realise there is a future for them if they react in the right way to ensure there is a future after coronavirus. They won’t be hoping for customers they will be doing what is necessary to absolutely ensure they do.

Normality will return
As the lockdown is gradually relaxed we will all be looking get our lives back to normal.

We are still driving cars, we need servicing, we need repairs and MOT stations. We have gardens and are still looking for gardeners. Most of us live in houses and flats, painters, decorators and general handymen are still in demand. Soon, we hope, restaurants, pubs, bars, gyms and hairdressers will be allowed to open. All these businesses will be looking for customers and they will have to advertise.

However, not all of these business owners will be feeling optimistic. The lockdown would have played havoc with their finances, and they will be very nervous about spending money. Although it may be hard to be optimistic in these unusual times, it is in everybody’s interest to advertise, and it is in our interest to convince all our customers that leaflet distribution is still one of the best ways to advertise.

Promoting Leaflet Distribution
Leaflet distribution was never directly restricted by the lock down. Some Post-People decided to keep off the streets and a number of clients stopped their campaigns but we were never banned.

Now that the lock down is slowly being relaxed the government and our trade body the DMA are very keen for us to get back to the level of activity we were achieving in January & February as soon as possible, on the basis that not only is it good for businesses but it’s good for the community as well.

Even though these are unprecedented times, patterns and consumer actions that develop today could eventually cause a shift in long-term behaviour. Brave moves now might make sense for your business and advertising in the longer term.

Consumers and householders are your valuable audience and businesses that continue to advertise will enjoy increased prominence as consumers still need all the things they were buying before. Businesses that continue to advertise through the coronavirus crisis will enjoy an increased market share in the long term. If you don’t, your competitor will.H

The word unprecedented has been used so much lately during these very trying times, that we are almost expecting change every single day of our lives right now.

As a self-employed business owner I have taken some time, whilst in lockdown, to re-evaluate the situation we as a country find ourselves in. I’ve used the time to also take a good strong look at myself, my door to door leaflet distribution service and also my other internet marketing businesses.

I want, and need, to be prepared for the resumption of what we class as normality, lifestyle wise and business wise.

As a small business owner I have set out plans to come out of the blocks raring to go, faster, bigger and bolder, which won’t be easy. The bar is set quite high as I envisage my type of business being busier than before the government lockdown situation.

The reason for this is quite simple, all businesses will be trying to make up for lost time and revenue and all with the same goal in mind, getting customers back into their shops, pubs, clubs, restaurants, the list goes on. I’m in the advertising and marketing niche, we promote via a leaflet and  magazine distribution network in our local area. We also promote online for our clients through design and social media platforms.

By the way, this is not a few paragraphs about me promoting my services to you all, this is spoken with my marketing head on.

So what is the point of this article you might ask, and who is it for?

To answer the second part of the question first; this is quite simply for every business owner, big or small, full or part-time, entrepreneurs, new start-ups, existing struggling or thriving concerns. People and businesses in the event planning industry, companies offering a service the list is endless.

The point of this is simply a view into our uncertain future, and what you do with your time right now is probably more important than ever before Covid-19 struck.

We all have time on our hands, so if you are a member of the above mentioned list then you must use this time wisely and plan for the comeback of all comebacks. Your business, big or small, needs some undivided attention in order to survive and succeed.

A few questions to ask yourself.

How are you going to get your old customers back and make new ones?

How are you going to let them know that your business is fully operational again?

How are you going to advertise your business?

Finances might be hard right now, but be prepared to spend in order to get back into the race you were involved in.

Business planning is key, rebrand if you have too!

Check and update your website, modify and tweak it, make it better, make it sing to your audience.

The majority of businesses are on some kind of social media right now, keep potential clients in the loop about what’s going on.

Research new advertising avenues, they are there for a reason, don’t be too hasty to dismiss anything that will benefit your business.

It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey!

How can you improve your direct mail copy to boost your ROI?

Seasoned pros may baulk at the prospect, but there’s never a bad time to brush up on the basics of direct marketing / direct mail. Here’s a coffee-break reminder on how to maximise response with your direct mail copy;

1. Use a person’s name.

Wherever possible, use a person’s name. “Dear Richard” or “Hi Rachel” will always get more interest from the reader than “Dear Homeowner” (although I appreciate the former may cost significantly more).

2. Grab their attention early.

Headlines needn’t be short, but they must entice the reader, ensuring your message is seen / heard. Leaflet presentation is key.

3. Be clear as to what your objectives are.

Often the message included in direct mail copy is lost, because the writer wasn’t absolutely clear about what was required. What do you want people to do? Request more information? Ask for a catalogue? Call a telephone number? Make an outright purchase? It should be impossible for potential customers to miss (or misinterpret) your call to action.

4. Keep paragraphs short.

And sub-headings engaging. People are busy, and many will scan your direct mail copy to see if it’s relevant to them (see below point number 8 re including a ps). Also, people may not understand particularly complex ideas, so keep it simple (unless of course you’re selling a complicated product to a savvy audience).

5. Talk about them – not you. 

Understand your customer. They don’t want to hear about you. They want to know how your product or service will make their life better.

6. Benefits, not features.

Don’t just talk about the fact that your widget includes 720 hand-stitches – who cares? But when you add that 720 hand stitches make your widget 5 times more durable than the best of the rest, and that as a result you will happily include a 5 year guarantee – now you’re talking in language that appeals to their emotions. If you’re not sure whether the thing you’re talking about is a benefit or feature, one quick test for you – add “which means that” to the end of whatever you’re saying and complete the sentence. Now you’re probably closer to a benefit. Keep doing this until you can’t add anything more. eg “Our fence panels are treated with wood preserver” becomes “our fence panels are treated with wood preserver, which means that with just one coat the colour is guaranteed to last for a minimum of 5 years”. OK, so if your whole piece became littered with “which means that” it would sound clumsy, but you get the idea.

7. Add subsequent layers of incentives.

Hopefully you’ve included your big ‘offer’ or your major benefit in the headline. What else leads your customers down the path you’ve chosen for them? Is there a time limit on this offer? A money-back guarantee? A ‘try before you buy’ option? The more reasons you’ve got, the more opportunity to turn that ‘no’ into a ‘yes’ (or a ‘not now’).

8. Make your message scan proof.

For direct mail, include a P.S. at the end of your letter.  As with point 4, above, people are in a hurry. At the very worst, your reader may scan their name, the first paragraph (which is why it should be fairly short) your signature (to see who sent this DM piece to them) and the P.S.

9. Split testing.

I’ll talk more about this another time, but briefly – split testing gives you an opportunity to assess two or more different approaches to see which generates the best response. For example, use a freephone number on one postcard mailing, and a local number on another. Try two different covers for your brochure or catalogue. Test different colours to see whether your customers respond better to one or the other. Monitor the results! No matter how primitive your system for tracking responses may be, you simply have to know what worked, and what didn’t. Remember leaflet presentation is crucial to success. Then pick the best from before, amend slightly and test again. And to those people that say they can’t afford to test… can you afford not to?

10. Follow-up.

Don’t assume that once is enough, and don’t put all your eggs in one basket. You must never spend your whole budget on one element of a campaign and hope to generate enough sales to fund the next part of the campaign. It’ll end in tears. Much better to spend more time targeting the right people on a smaller scale. That’s all for now! More next time on choosing who to contact, and deciding who your best prospects are. As always, all feedback is welcome!

Do you want to reach out to potential new clientele with a business leaflet?

Do you quickly, efficiently and effectively want new and existing customers to understand your company’s concept and what you offer?

An informative business leaflet is what you need. Professional printing is not as expensive as you would think and yields professional results.

In one small fold of high-quality, yet inexpensive paper, you will be able to ensure that each customer you reach out to receives the proper understanding of your company’s mission statement, products and services offered, philosophies, pricing or whatever else you choose to share. If you have a company logo, this is the time to introduce it and use it to help your potential client know your work, who you are and identify your company whenever and wherever they see that logo. High quality cheap leaflet printing is available, so there are no reasons not to promote your company and inform your customer by offering an informative and eye-catching business leaflet filled with images and literature to entice existing and new customers your way!

A business card is nice, but only extends contact information to your potential customer. An effective and well put together business leaflet becomes a sturdy point of reference for your client. As they go about their own business dealings, they may question or consider what other services you offer and if your company could be of assistance when in a certain crisis. With the informative business leaflet at close hand, by the phone or in the office, they can easily refer to your products and services and be the first person they call! A nicely created business leaflet is something existing customers can easily pass on to other potential clients they know. Word of mouth is still the best form of flattery and helps to create new contacts.

Offering an informative business leaflet also saves your company employees time. Making information easily accessible to the customer, including your company products, services offered and maybe pricing and warranty information, cutting down on phone calls from people with general questions. Don’t try to design and print a high-quality and professional business leaflet on your own. Cheap leaflet printing is available and is a one-time great investment for your company’s future!

Professional printing offers a certain standard of paper quality, expert lettering and types of ink used and the way the printing is processed makes a difference. Have you ever received a business card from someone that obviously created it themselves? Let a little drop of water hit and the lettering begins to smear, or overtime the edges deteriorate and the ink begins to lighten and disappear due to natural oils on the fingertips when the client continually touches the card. It shows a company that cuts corners and does an unprofessional job and is generally tossed into the trash. Don’t let that be your company. Invest in a high-quality and professional business leaflet and distribute them responsibly to real potential customers rather than anyone.

Interesting fact, in 2018 approximately 21% of total UK sales were generated through direct mail marketing!!

Measurable – A key advantage of leaflets is the ability to measure responses. By including a code or voucher you can help monitor the response and see what works best for you.

Integrated – Leaflets can complement any existing advertising you may be carrying out in magazines, radio, newspapers, bush shelters etc. A well timed leaflet can reinforce other advertising and take a campaign from brand awareness to direct response and bring new customers on board.

Convenience – Unlike some other forms of advertising, leaflets can be viewed by the consumer at their own convenience. If they are kept then they will be referred back to time and again.

Tangible – Leaflets reach people in their own homes and businesses and can’t be switched off unlike TV or radio adverts. A leaflet is highly visible and ensures that people see your message.

High Return on Investment – according to recent research by TGI, direct mail now offers a better return than digital advertising with £3.22 generated for every £1 spent.

Do you know why 87% of consumers remember door drops?

Targeted – Because Hallway Distribution are a local company we understand the local market and where you should be distributing your leaflets. Our detailed direct mail marketing system helps us deliver over 25,000 leaflets & magazines each and every month.This also means you can distribute to a town, postcode or even a street based on your requirements.

Cost – We are at least half the cost of the Royal Mail and offer targeted distribution from just 3.5 pence per household. Yes that’s right, for just over a 3p you could reach a whole house full of potential new customers.

Advice – We can help you look at the goals and objectives of your campaign and design a leaflet, through our creative design process, to make sure your leaflet looks as good, and is as effective, as possible.

Reliable – Our tried and trusted methods of direct mail marketing mean that we can give you peace of mind in knowing that your leaflets have been delivered safely and correctly. We offer comprehensive GPS tracking as part of each campaign. Our dedicated back checkers spend time each month speaking to households to make sure they have received their leaflets.

Ways to interact with your audience post.

Everywhere we go, every single day, we are subjected to a world of in your face advertising. Turn on the TV, your radio, the internet, Facebook, emails, billboards, leaflets, magazines, I could go on but you get the message, right?

Arguably, spam emails and unsolicited junk mail form part of the direct advertising tool used by marketers, businesses big & small for in your face advertising. The majority of it we never asked for or subscribed these marketing messages that we all receive on a daily basis.

Let’s first take a quick look at the predecessors of the spam techniques that marketers have used and are still using today. Some of which have been totally abused and are thus illegal or restricted.

Advertising mail is probably the first type of direct marketing used to sell a product or service directly to the consumer. It was also the first to be termed Junk mail, since it was over used by marketers, and people started seeing it as a nuisance. Besides you didn’t ask for it!

Advertisements are found in newspapers and magazines mixed up with interesting articles where the ratio of articles to advertisements varies depending on the publication. With some publications having a section for adverts, whereas others having articles hiding a discreet marketing message within them. But generally these are accepted, WHY?

Radio and TV commercials are another nuisance that we have to endure on a daily basis. Some stations are dedicated to simply selling stuff, whereas others mix their ads into the mix of movies, soap operas, news broadcasts, talk shows and many TV series. Again this is accepted but no different to junk mail, isit?

There are other similar techniques used to promote a product or brand. These include door to door leaflet delivery, cold calling, telemarketing, voicemail marketing and last but not least billboards.

While writing this article, I recall the frustration I felt every time the film I was watching was paused for an advertising break, or the countless ad pages I have to sift through in a newspaper or magazine, just to get to a section of interesting reading. But at the same time, we are tolerant to such marketing content. WHY I ask?

However we treat “junk mail” very differently, we do our best to stop that. Why do we need to subscribe in order to receive spam? I never subscribed to the billboards on the side of the road, TV ads, radio commercials ect.

Compared to all the marketing techniques described above, email marketing is the cheapest way of sending a marketing message to millions of people. Being so cheap, it is the tool of choice for marketing teams with a small budget trying to sell cheap products. Most of the times, such products do not deliver what they promise.

Most of the marketing techniques described above deliver something useful. This is true for newspapers, magazines, TV and radio. These media would not be free, or would be much more expensive had it not been for the ads.

Unfortunately with email marketing, you run the risk of being exposed to malware and fraudulent emails. Worms and viruses often make use of email and spam techniques to propagate.

Similar to junk mail received at your home mailbox, spam frequently gets mixed up with emails from friends, colleagues, and bosses. And probably this is the thing that we hate most about spam, the fact that it is sometimes difficult to distinguish a legitimate email from a spam email at first glance.

So while email marketing is the tool of choice for most marketing teams, it does require stringent regulations to ensure that it does not get abused. Some countries have updated their regulations to cover spam, but others still have to catch up. In any case, regulations are not stopping cheap email marketers and fraudulent emails and until that happens, it is wise to make use of a good anti-spam product.