Cheap Leaflet Distribution – 3 Reasons to Avoid

On the hunt for cheap leaflet distribution? Read this first! If you’re new to this form of marketing, this quick read outlines how and why companies charge what they do.

We’ll cover the difference between paying £35 and £110 per thousand. Additionally, you’ll find out how long this type of work takes and what it costs to get the job done correctly. So let’s get into it.

When it seems too good to be true, it probably is (especially with cheap leaflet distribution)

How leaflet distribution is charged

Here at Clearcut Derby, we charge per thousand. This is a standard payment structure used across the whole of the UK.

You pay the agreed amount, and your flyers or leaflets are delivered accordingly. The amount you pay will usually depend on the plan you’ve opted for, which leads nicely onto…

Shared or solus?

A shared plan means your flyer goes out with several other leaflets simultaneously. This is usually the cheapest option, bringing in the lowest response rates. Furthermore, certain companies will hide your leaflet inside a pizza menu. Prices start at £35 per thousand.

A solus+1 plan would instead be your flyer with a maximum of one other, whereas a solus plan is delivered entirely on its own. Both solus and solus+1 plans are more expensive but give you the highest response rates. Prices range from £60 to £140 per thousand plus the cost of printing.

How long does it take?

Keep in mind that the team and I here in Derby walk pretty fast; the average is six to eight hours per thousand properties.

This can, of course, vary pretty drastically, depending on the area and property types.

National Living Wage

The National Living Wage as of 1st April 2024 for age 23 and over is £11.44 per hour.

gov.uk

Equally important are the team wages. For flyer and leaflet distribution staff, they are usually per thousand flyers or properties. So, for the work to be completed properly, they should receive enough per hour to cover at least the national living wage.

If a company only charges £60 in the first place, what are they paying their staff? Not enough.

Three reasons to avoid cheap leaflet distribution

As with everything, the cheapest option is rarely the best option; regardless, the choices are available for all budgets. Even so, the lower end of the pricing is best avoided for the following reasons.

1. Less exposure, fewer responses

A cheap leaflet distribution plan is often low-cost because it shares the limelight. This is a shared distribution, where your flyer will go out with several others. However, though this may seem a budget-friendly option, it will directly affect your response rates.

Furthermore, the less a company charges, the less it can pay its staff. This work is hard and time-consuming and therefore deserves a decent hourly wage.

As a worst-case scenario, some or all of your marketing materials won’t be delivered at all.

2. It’s cheap for a reason

As mentioned above, this could be because the distribution company is making money by adding other flyers to the round. However, what if they offer solus plans for £55 or £60 per thousand?

Alarm bells would be ringing at this point. But, again, this boils down to what the company are paying their staff. I’ll bet they end up way below the national living wage for the hours it usually takes.

When the staff know they’re being paid so poorly, will they really put in the maximum effort?

3. Value your marketing message

A lot of time and effort goes into designing and printing your materials for a leaflet marketing campaign. Do you want to risk them not being seen by your audience?

Give your campaign the attention it serves. In this situation, that means either a solus or a solus+1 plan with a reputable distributor.

Consider your flyer being delivered hidden inside a pizza menu. Then, by comparison, consider it being shown on its own or with a maximum of one other leaflet. Which do you think is going to gain the highest response?

Cheap Leaflet Distribution – Conclusion

Good work ain’t cheap. Cheap work ain’t good.

Sailor Jerry

Sailor Jerry knows the score. The leaflet distribution industry is wrought with unreliability. If it seems too good to be true, it most likely will be.

The most important thing is research. Dig deep into your local options, and don’t automatically default to the lowest when shopping around for quotes.

Businesses in Derby, Nottingham and the UK should avoid cheap leaflet distribution because;

1. Less exposure, fewer responses.
2. It’s cheap for a reason.
3. Value your marketing message.