Leaflets

Leaflets are printed sheets used to give information or promote a product. They are a non-digital advertising medium, so they carry a message on paper rather than on a screen. A business writes what it wants, has the sheets printed, then hands them out or posts them through doors.

Why leaflets work

• Local targeting: a business can choose which households or locations receive its leaflets, so a small firm can concentrate on nearby streets, a shopping centre or a single event. A new roller-skating rink could hand out leaflets at the town's Saturday market and at a school summer fair, reaching people already out and about in the town rather than paying for a county-wide door drop.
• Something to keep: a leaflet is a physical copy the customer can hold, pin to the fridge and read later. People often glance at a screen and move on, but a leaflet stays in the house.
• Visual and readable: leaflets can be laid out to be easy to read, with photos, graphics and space for detailed information such as opening times, prices and directions.
• Relatively cheap: producing leaflets costs little compared with many other media, and the design can be adapted to fit the budget. A full-colour leaflet with several photos costs more, while a black-and-white version printed on one side is cheaper and still carries the same facts.

Limits of leaflets

• Many leaflets are thrown away or ignored before they are read, especially ones pushed through doors with junk mail.
• Paper and ink have environmental costs, and customers who care about waste may disapprove of heavy leaflet drops.
• Their impact is often short-term, because most people do not keep a leaflet for long before it is recycled.
• Handing out or delivering leaflets takes time and effort, and the number of people reached is small compared with mass media such as television.

Leaflets therefore suit a local business with a small budget that needs to give detailed information to customers close by, and they are weaker when a business wants wide national reach.