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Door hangers for a service business: what to write and where they go
A layout with one offer and one phone number, three copy examples, the mailbox rule and the nearby-job move.
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Key Takeaways
- 1A door hanger needs one offer, one phone number and a code word that shows where the call came from.
- 2Hang it on the door and keep every hanger out of the mailbox, because federal law covers unstamped mail in a letter box.
- 3Check your city and HOA rules, and treat a no-soliciting sign as a skip.
- 4Start with the nearest doors to a job you just finished, and never name the customer.
- 5No primary source publishes a door hanger response rate, so track your own and count your time as a cost.
A door hanger works when it carries one offer, one phone number and a code word that shows where the call came from. Hang it on the door, never in the mailbox. Federal law makes it an offense to put unstamped mailable matter in a Postal Service letter box. I found no published response rate, so you test your own.
Is it legal to hang a door hanger?
The mailbox part is settled. 18 U.S.C. 1725 makes it an offense to knowingly and willfully put mailable matter with no postage into a Postal Service letter box to avoid paying postage. Keep every hanger out of the mailbox, and the question never comes up.
Items hung from a mailbox or its post are a separate question. I couldn't confirm the USPS position on those from a USPS page, so leave the mailbox and its post alone.
Your city or HOA may have its own rules on door hangers, signs and no-soliciting. No single source covers them, so ask your city. Treat a no-soliciting sign as a skip. A gray case is a question for a lawyer.
What goes on a door hanger?
Three things: who you are, one offer and one number to call. Past that, it reads like a flyer.
- Your name and what you do. Use the name and phone number on your Google profile, so a neighbor who looks you up finds the same business.
- One offer. A free first visit, say, or a start date. Pick one.
- One number and a code word. Ask the caller to say it. That is how you count hangers later.
Don't put a customer's name or address on it as proof. And don't suggest a neighbor recommended you unless they have said you can.
What do I write?
Keep it short and a little dry. Swap the number for yours.
Pet waste removal:
We scoop yards on your street every Tuesday. The first visit is free, so you can see the yard before you decide anything. Call or text 555-0100 and say "hanger."
House cleaning:
Our crew cleaned a house on your street today. If you'd like a quote for yours, call 555-0100 and say "hanger." We'll tell you the price on the phone.
Lawn care:
Your lawn won't mow itself. We will, on the same day every week, with the edges done. Call 555-0100 for a free quote and say "hanger."
Each one names the service, makes one offer and ends on a number. None of them claims to be the best in town.
Where do I hang them?
Start on the street you are already working. When a job is done, hang one on the ten or so nearest doors. A neighbor has just watched your truck pull up, so the name on the hanger is already familiar.
Say "on your street," not the customer's address. A sign on a customer's lawn needs the customer's permission first.
One vendor case describes the same idea by mail. NiceJob reports a three-postcard sequence, a month apart, to the 10 nearest neighbors of a finished job. The page gives no cost, so I'm not repeating its ROI claim.
Do door hangers work?
I found no response rate from a primary source, so I left out the percentages printer sites quote.
The one data point is a landscaper in a PostcardMania case study who said earlier door hangers underperformed. It has no numbers, so treat it as one owner's experience.
So test it. Write down the street, the quantity, the date and the customers who call. The do door hangers work answer covers the short version.
What does a door hanger really cost you?
More than the print bill, because your time counts. In a made-up example, 50 hangers at 30 seconds a door is 25 minutes. At $30 an hour, that is $12.50 of your time on top of printing.
Add print, labor and fuel into one total, then divide by the customers you won. It is the same math as the customer acquisition cost guide.
When is mail the better call?
When you want every house on a route. EDDM Retail postage is $0.26 a piece, and the card goes in the mailbox the legal way. A hanger costs your walking time instead of postage.
The Every Door Direct Mail guide shows a one-ZIP test with the arithmetic.
What do I do next?
Print 50 hangers, hang them near your next finished job and watch for the code word. Then do the math from the section above.
A hanger gets a neighbor to look you up. On ProveWorth, your reviews live on your own page, so what they find backs up what the hanger says. You can get your free page, or see how it works.
Sources
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put door hangers in a mailbox?
No. Federal law makes it an offense to put mailable matter with no postage into a Postal Service letter box to avoid postage. Hang it on the door instead.
What should a door hanger say?
Your business name and trade, one offer, and one phone number with a code word the caller says. Anything more reads like a flyer.
Do door hangers work?
No primary source publishes a response rate. One landscaper in a vendor case study said earlier door hangers underperformed, with no numbers. Test a small area and track your own results.
Do I need permission to hang door hangers?
City and HOA rules vary and no single source covers them. Ask your city, and skip any home with a no-soliciting sign.
Are door hangers or mail better?
Mail reaches every address on a route inside the mailbox. EDDM Retail postage is $0.26 a piece. A hanger costs your walking time instead of postage.
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