- Darwin Bell / Foter / CC BY-NC
Every few months on the work-at-home-mom and direct selling forums someone will ask if going door to door to advertise works. Do door hangers – hanging catalogs on neighborhood doors – work? Or is it a waste of time and catalogs?
One way to determine if it works is to try it. I would rather see someone try something, even if it doesn’t turn out so well, rather than be stuck in analysis paralysis and try nothing. One of two things will happen, either it works and it is a success, or it doesn’t work and you’ve learned something from the experience. Either way sounds like a winner to me.
Of course it’s always a good idea to make informed decisions before trying things. When considering different marketing techniques, ask yourself if you’ve ever responded to that type of marketing. For example, have you ever called someone to join a company or to buy something based on a decal you saw on someone’s car? I have not; though you may find someone who will tell you that they have.
Have you ever visited a website or made a phone call because of a flyer that was hung on your door? Or did it likely go straight into the trash dumpster or blow away in the wind or perhaps it’s still rolled op on the door knob on the side door that you never use. Do you read and take action based on fliers that are tacked on bulletin boards in your community?
You may get lucky and get a few responses from doing a neighborhood door-hanger blitz. But you will have to determine if it is worth the time, effort and expense of doing so. Hitting up all the houses in your neighborhood may not be reaching your target market, though you may be able to get some referrals.
As a rule, playing ding-dong ditch-it around the neighborhood leaving catalogs doesn’t generally bring any substantial results. It’s like spraying an arsenal of bullets, hoping to hit something. If you do want to give it a try, I would suggest a brief cover letter introducing yourself as their neighbor and requesting that if they know of anyone who may be interested to please pass along the catalog. That way you at least have better odds of being somewhat fruitful.
Whenever you try a new marketing campaign, start with a small sampling to test the waters. Before you invest much you want to see if it may work. If it doesn’t bring you any new web traffic or phone calls then try something else.
You’ll never get anywhere if you don’t take risks, but it’s equally important to be smart about where you invest your marketing dollars.