Do door hangers work for a service business?
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Founder, ProveWorth
They can work, but I found no reliable published door hanger response rate, so nobody can prove it with a number. The one public hint is a landscaper in a PostcardMania case study who said earlier door hangers did not work very well.
Keep them out of the mailbox, and check your city's rules and any no-soliciting sign first. Federal law, 18 U.S.C. 1725, makes it an offense to put mailable matter with no postage into a Postal Service letter box.
The catch is your own time. A stack of hangers looks cheap, and an evening of walking is still a cost, so count it before you judge the test.
Is there a response rate for door hangers?
No public one. Printer sites quote figures, and none comes from a source I could check, so I left them out.
One landscaper's remark is not a rate either. It names no spend and no count.
Can I put a door hanger in the mailbox?
No. A Postal Service letter box is off limits to mailable matter without postage under 18 U.S.C. 1725. The penalty is a fine under federal law.
Then check your city's rules, any HOA rules and every no-soliciting sign. Rules vary by place, and no single source covers them all.
What does a test look like?
Keep it to one area and one offer. Write down the number of hangers, the dates, the area and the customers who came from it.
Put a price on your walking time and add it to the printing cost. Divide by the new customers and you have a CAC to compare with mail or ads. Do not imply a neighbor endorsed you unless they said so.
What if I want every house on a route?
That is what Every Door Direct Mail is for. It is the postal route to every address, and Retail postage is currently $0.26 per piece.
See Every Door Direct Mail cost for the full bill.
What do I do next?
Run one small test, then read what is CAC to check the arithmetic. The longer version is door hangers for service businesses.
A hanger can send a neighbor to look you up, and reviews on your own page give them something to read. You can get your free page or see how it works.
Sources
Key takeaways
- 1No reliable public door hanger response rate exists.
- 2One landscaper in a PostcardMania case study said earlier door hangers did not work very well.
- 318 U.S.C. 1725 makes it an offense to put mailable matter without postage into a Postal Service letter box.
- 4Check city rules, HOA rules and no-soliciting signs before you hang anything.
- 5Count your walking time as a cost, and test one area with a written record.
Related questions
Do door hangers work?
No reliable response rate has been published that I could find. Test one small area and count the customers it brings.
Can I put door hangers in a mailbox?
No. 18 U.S.C. 1725 makes it an offense to put mailable matter without postage into a Postal Service letter box.
Are door hangers legal?
Rules vary by city, HOA and property. Check them and respect every no-soliciting sign before you hang anything.
How do I test door hangers?
Pick one area and one offer. Write down the number hung, the dates and the customers who came from it.
What is the alternative for reaching every house?
Every Door Direct Mail is the postal route for reaching every address. Retail postage is currently $0.26 per piece.