Sometimes it comes down to strategy. As with many things in life, it's not just what you do that counts, it's also quite a lot about the way you do it. And leaflet advertising campaigns, simple though they are in principle,can be given a huge boost by clarifying and optimising your strategy before you begin.

What do you want to achieve - how are you going to measure it?

This two part question is at the root of any strategic plan and the clearer you can make your answer, the better. For example, are you expecting people, immediately upon receipt of your leaflet, to leave their house, come to your premises and make a purchase? Do you want them to go and follow your Instagram account? Do you want them to sign up for a mailing list? Beware of what the military calls “mission creep”, where one objective blends into the next and you're expecting one leafleting campaign to deliver on all your business's objectives in one go. So, what's the call to action? Is it “Visit your local store today”, or “Visit our website to find out more”, or “Watch our YouTube videos to see what we do”.

From long experience, it's been shown that picking one will work a lot better than trying to push people to do all three. It's for this reason that the concept of the “sales funnel” is a useful metaphor. Where about in the funnel does your leaflet come? Is this the first contact, the first time this audience have heard from you and who need to gain some familiarity with your brand? Are these more qualified leads that maybe are ready to be nudged towards making a buying decision? These things will depend on your brand's relationship with its audience and if the answers for your particular business aren't apparent to you, then perhaps this is an area we will be able to provide some useful guidance.