Business cards that pop

Business cards that pop

How to Write a Flyer That Sells Your Local Services in Just 4 Steps

Ashley Gray

Whether you're a dog groomer or a housekeeper, when it comes to selling your services to local customers, flyers are one of the most efficient ways to get the word out and secure bookings. Of course, for your flyer to generate profits, it must tell customers what they need to know in a way that makes them pay attention. Here's a simple 4-step method to writing your first flyer for your local service business. 

Step 1: Analyse Before You Write

Imagine a butcher creating discount flyers to distribute at an event, only to find that the gathering is a vegan market fair. While this is an extreme example of misunderstanding an audience, even a simple incorrect assumption about your potential customers could lead to financial losses. If you want your flyer to be as effective as possible, find out what the locals in your area want. For example, if you run a paving business, take a walk around your town and peek at the driveways to see what sort of problems most people are having. If you're a tutor, you could a look at the NAPLAN statistics in your area to find out what subjects local children are performing worst in. Everything from newspapers to neighbour interviews can be your friend when it comes to analysing your prospective customers. The information you gather will influence your entire flyer, so make sure you have enough before you begin.

Step 2: Make the Headline Eye-Catching

First impressions are everything. How many flyers do you receive throughout the year? How many do you actually read through? Chances are, you toss most of your flyers in the bin. If you want people to actually read your flyers to find out how good your service is, you need to grab their attention with a great headline. Think about the information you gathered in your customer analysis and use it to craft a heading that people will actually be interested in.

One of the best ways to phrase your headline is as a yes/no question. If you can get your prospect to say yes to your title, it's easier to get them to say yes to your proposition. As an example, a roofing repair contractor who's found out that there's been a lot of hail in the area recently might opt for a headline like, 'Has Your Roof Been Damaged by Recent Hailstorms?'. You can then pair this with a subheadline that plays on people's fear of missing out, such as '50% off Roof Repairs When You Book This Month'. 

Step 3: Show People What's in It for Them

Imagine yourself as a carpet cleaner who has just purchased a revolutionary cleaning solution that you plan to use in customers' homes. This fluid has the power to remove almost every bacteria known to man, but doesn't contain any harmful compounds that damage fragile respiratory systems. You're so excited about it that you decide to make Formula XYZ the focus of your flyer, detailing the fascinating science that makes it work. However, while you may be interested in such topics, your local community (uneducated in matters of the cleaning industry) just sees a whole lot of jargon, and no one bothers to read your flyer before disposing of it.

When you write your flyer, it's crucial to make sure that you're telling customers what's in it for them. This means describing the benefits of your service, rather than the features it possesses. Your customer analysis comes into play again here. In the example of the carpet cleaner, interviews with neighbours may have showed that locals are worried about hiring professional carpet cleaners because they don't know if they'll use chemicals that are harmful to their children. Instead of talking about the formula, the cleaner can show prospective customers the benefits by writing something like, 'Guaranteed Stain Removal, 100% Safe for Pets & Children'. 

Step 4: Get Them to Take Action

The longer your flyer sits around in someone's house, the more likely it is to get thrown away before they use your service. You need to write something on the flyer which makes them act immediately. There are multiple ways to do this. In the earlier example of the roofing contractor, the 50% off deal represents one method: limited time discounts. You can also use scarcity and urgency to encourage customers to act now. As an example, local newspapers may have reported that there are important exams coming up soon at local schools. A tutor may capitalise on this analysis by using scarcity and urgency: 'Book Before the Big Exams, Only 5 Tutoring Slots Left'. Make sure you include the necessary booking information on your flyer so customers can actually use your service. It's a good idea to include multiple methods of contact, such as a phone and website, to address all customer contact preferences.

Once you've got your text written up and proofread thoroughly, it's time to address the other important aspect of your flyer—the design. When you get your flyers printed, make sure you take advantage of any graphic design services available. Solid flyer design is essential in bringing your words to life and securing those valuable bookings.


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About Me
Business cards that pop

I'm a graphic designer and it's a very competitive industry. It's important to have a business card that showcases my brand and helps clients remember my name. It's one of the ways that I can attract new business, but it also helps me to get more business from my existing clients. I have experimented with a new types of business cards over the past few years and I thought it might be useful to show which ones got the best responses. This blog has some tips on choosing a great business card and how to get the cards printed from an impressive printing service.