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Just pondering on a more expensive leaflet?

Usually go for black on white A5 2 sided through Paul Clark printing. Cheap and cheerful!

Wondering whether its worth having a leaflet professionally designed and going for full colour?

Does a professional looking leaflet produce a better response?

Also wish to target certain postcode sectors, anyone used Royal Mail who offer this service?

Re full colour, glossy with graphics etc. I feel that his approach can dilute the 'we are local/straightforward/in your face' approach that seems to work so well

As we are simply attempting to grab the attention of distressed sellers, a subtle graphic led, visually impactive approach risks not hammering home your message clearly enough

Its debatable if a so-called 'more professional leaflet' would do better or worse - but I don't think there is a conclusive argument that it definitely does. Given that the 'more professional' leaflet would undoubtedly cost much more - its potentially a risky thing to vastly increase your largest cost on a whim,

However, if you do it Im sure we would be interested in how it turns out ofr you.

RE Royal maill, I don't use them because of feedback  I've received form dozens who have.

 Main gripes seem to be...

• Lack of focus. they insist on postcodes and sectors and these arent ever going to be exactly the target houses you need. there will therefore be wasteage cost wise
  
• They have you jumping through hoops logistically to fit in with their plans rather than trying to please a customer - no surprise there. I understand they have fined some people who have not dropped the leaflets off with them on time!
  
•  If you query delivery they apparently are very pig headed and will always insist all leaflets went out on the days contracted.
• They insist on large blanket drops - which means you get your leads all at once rather than spread over time. Tjhis can tend to lead to you undervaluing leads due to the abundance.
• They dont go out solo - they are accompanied by other leaflets and your message is diluted
  
• Overall, for me, it means lack of control as opposed to implementing and maintaining your own operation. I may be wrong but it appears to me to be the lazy persons way of doing it. I cant recall anyone who has used the RM for long after their initial trials.
  

The right answer is to test, test, test.

Use the present model as the control. Collect statistics in terms of response rate, closer rate, sales or revenue or profits, etc. The key is you need to know how well the present system work. You also need to tease out how the numbers change over time. Seasonal differences, etc.

About 80% of your marketing budget should be poured into methods that already work. About 20% should be used to run new tests. A-B tests where you change one variable (a headline change is normally the best thing to start with). Track the numbers for the test to see if A (the control) pulled better than the B (the new headline, etc). When B performs better it becomes the control.

In some cases a lower response rate can be better if the quality is higher. Some flyers will get the phone to ring but will not lead to many deals. Other flyers will cause fewer phone calls but higher number of deals as a percentage of the total drop.

When ever someone says to try X, Y or Z try to understand why they think it is better. You can up your response rate if you offer to pay £5 for each appointment. Hence the response rate is but one indicator and not always the best indicator.

Cost per deal is sometimes the best as it blends in all of the costs to land a deal. It hides the process by which you obtained a lead so harder to know what to tweak. Cost per deal will get you to spend more on marketing if you are doing profitable deals. The marketing will be self-funding over time.

John Corey 

I would have to say that by using RM you will probably make money because as ever - the beauty of this business - is that one deal from leaflets puts you in profit.

For that reason someone who has only ever used RM would swear by the decision. However, there is no doubt in my mind that running your own campaign is even more profitable and controllable than RM.

initially there is a little work to do in setting up a leaflet dropper - but thats hardly a  tough task...once its set up..thats it.

I'm not convinced about colour though.Ive tried it and it was no more effective than black and white. I am actually convinced that the 'bluntness; of a simple full on b and w leaflet has more impact than a visually creative colour effort too.

Sorry guys,

I'm a modest property investor and new to the site potentially interested in the lead generation aspect. Excuse my ignorance but can someone explain to me what the "RM" you refer to is in your thread?

Thanks,

Neal.

RM=Royal Mail

They deliver leaflets as well as mail but they are expensive and a nightmare to work with ie deliveries have to be only a certain size and weight and delivered at specific times often in batches (increasing delivery costs)not to mention the lag before they will actually deliver them

Zulu is right

But i know i picked up two properties using RM as i did no other advertising in that area.... 6 month campaign, can't emember how many leaflets but i do know that lots were NOT deliverd by RM due to their pain in the *** nature, equity of 50k + from the two and currently £680 pcm positive cash flow

i suspect that at least one third if not half were not delivered out of approx 60,000

so yes it did work, would i use them again....? Not sure

as Rialto said, the issue is that one good deal will make it worthwhile, its not like delivering 10,000 leaflets advertising your flower shop/limo hire/takeaway where you may get a grands worth of work/business from the leaflets, if you get one decent bmv property it could make you 30k. Likewise you may get no calls at all....!