Street Marketing Smarts: Strategic Flyering FTW
- Haines Eason
- Jun 18
- 8 min read
Updated: Jun 22
Flyering? I do expect a laugh and/or eye roll at the mention, but that kind of instant dismissal usually sends me into investigative mode. When people are speed-of-light nope-ing something, that usually means there's a blind spot, and an opportunity.
Yes, flyering is throwback. So is IRL, apparently. And, are you tracking the news out of Google? Search as we know it is ending. I've said to friends privately for several months if not years now that Google's aim has been to keep searchers in search and not deliver them to your website.
Now, with AI, Google will use your content to create a mashup search query answer and the searcher may never even know your site supplied the relevant information.
Yay! Even better: Maybe cash is tight. You're a small business owner. What are you to do?
Go guerilla. Flyering is one tactic that, for some B2C businesses, remains highly effective. No kidding.
That said, there are definitely right ways to do it, and using a tiny bit of data strategy will definitely keep you from going down a money-and-time-draining rabbit hole.
Flyering ≠ scattering and hoping
Friends, please. Don’t just scatter and pray – take just a minute and strategize a lil. In the right places, with the right messaging and a bit of creativity, the humble flyer can punch far above its weight and create more than buzz.
The data backs this up:
89% of people remember receiving a flyer, more than any other form of advertising – including digital. And, 45% keep flyers on hand. (DMA, 2022)
79% of recipients glance at flyers, and 23% read them thoroughly (DLM, DMA, 2022).
71% of small business owners still rely on physical marketing like flyers and brochures, while 82% say combining physical and digital marketing yields better results (SG360, 2022).
As seen on Reddit (🤣 yeah I can find a lot more like this): “Door-to-door leaflets are the highest performing channel for my local services company.”
Tactility (look it up) still matters. Flyers – and associated pull tabs, etc. – work because they ideally create a physical memory, especially if they travel with the potential customer.
Coupled with the right local positioning, flyers are memorable and visible in a way digital ads often aren’t. With smart targeting and creative presentation, they can spur thought and action.
89% of people remember receiving a flyer, more than any other form of advertising – including digital. 45% keep flyers on hand. 79% of recipients glance at flyers. 23% read them thoroughly.
Location above all: How to choose your perfect strategic spot
Great flyering is great placement. A ho hum flyer in the right place at the right time can deliver. A great one plus all the other variables? Real return for like NO investment.
But, rather than plastering every pole or window, think about where your ideal customers already spend time – and, more importantly, take a pause.
Start with your biz. Who's your customer? Have you done any persona work? What do they do for fun? For work? What do they eat and drink? Are they into art? Sports? Is faith important? From here, you can begin to list out some target locations:
Coffee shops, cafes, even laundromats
Community centers and co-ops
Dog parks, libraries and independent bookstores
Bus stops and waiting rooms
As you brainstorm what kinds of businesses and congregation areas could be a good fit, think hard about alignment.
If you’re promoting a wellness service, consider yoga studios. Some may have a board for community postings – though be sure to check if they allow business postings.
Promoting art classes? Try local galleries or craft supply shops. But, do yourself a favor and always ask for permission. Sense resistance? Be respectful, but maybe offer the biz owner a deal. Leads from that establishment could be eligible for a kickback. More on that below.
Ew, but those flyer boards and poles! So cluttered!
Full boards and utility poles mean one thing: You're in a good spot. Others have found success there and are crowding in to capture eyeballs.
You've got two ways to approach such a situation: Dive in and stand out, or try to pull eyes away to a close-by-if-also-busy spot.
If stand out it must be, you know then that your flyer HAS TO BE distinct. Focus on three things:
Design: Go with bold contrast, a clear focal image, a readable font and intentional whitespace / open space. Don't cram! In a busy space, more visual noise is TOXIC.
Lean into your tagline. Get funny, be bold, but don't be overly wordy. Run a cleaning business? Consider something like this: "If your house looks like this pole, we should talk."
Have the copy acknowledge the locale. In a cafe? Speak to that: "Drink order wait times, amirite?"
Funny IMO always wins the day: "If your house looks like this pole, we should talk."
Think of your flyer as a micro-conversation. If you're not trying to connect or on some base level acknowledging the reader, get ready to be ignored.
Yes, paper can be interactive
Interactivity turns a glance into engagement into, ideally, a positive memory. The more time a person spends with your flyer, the greater the chance they'll think of you when their next need for (your service here) arises.
So, here are a few ways to make your flyer playful, tactile or even mysterious:
Peel-to-reveal messages using Post-its. Underneath: an affirmation, joke, image, etc. On the Post-it front: Copy that encourages the viewer to peel. On the back, your biz info.
Tear-off tabs with funny phrases: Multiple could have some version of "this is the lucky one."
Pocket flyers – small envelopes with notes, business cards or stickers inside.
Texture-based designs using fabric, felt, bubble wrap, etc. to make people reach out and touch.
Hidden-layer flyers with stacked messages ("What’s under this page is better than what’s on it").
Each one invites action – and that’s where memorability begins.
Rising (literally) above the fray
Honestly, if you're flyering, this is the most important section. In a crowded area, where you put your message and its physical presence – especially in a sea of sameness – matter. A lot. Again, get permission / check your local posting rules, but consider these ideas:
If a utility pole is your target, consider turning your flyer into a wrap. You don't have to spend a lot of money: Measure a pole's circumference, go design something about the same size in Adobe or Canva, etc., and print it in sections. Tape or staple the sections together, bring a stepladder and attach your message above the crowd.
This def begs asking permission or getting a permit, but: Mini installations are very memorable and are not that hard to put together. Think clipboards or signs with pens attached. Obviously tear-offs fit here, but so do removable business cards, postcards, etc.
One of my faves is the “anti-flyers” stuck in unusual places and using unusual shapes like a speech bubble. Get sassy and even position yourself near a crowded spot and comment on how messy or hard-to-read the flyer area is.
Here's a great place to reminder you to not overdo it. Mind your bandwidth, but also be respectful of the locale, community preferences, etc. Over-postered clutter is just litter.
If you're not tracking, you're dying
Everyone will tell you that tracking (a.k.a. data) is where its at. But, tracking doesn’t need to be high-tech. You'll save a lot of money going low-fi here.
You can use Google My Maps to record your flyers' locations, or a printed map works. So does a spreadsheet with addresses and/or cross streets.
Per the spreadsheets, be sure to log:
Date posted
Flyer version
Any location notes
Back to design: Consider adding QR codes or unique short URLs for each version/location. Free tools like Bitly and QR Code Monkey let you track clicks.
If you're going with tear-offs, you can track (though less effectively) via a prompt like “Mention ‘Green Flyer’ for a discount.”
I also like to photograph flyer placements. And, don't check daily if you want to stay sane. Check back weekly or less often to see which locations lose the most tabs – or which flyers are removed, etc. Tabs gone or lots of QR traffic or verbal codes? Those are your hotspots.
So, about that hot spot
Yay! You've got a location that's bringing in the biz. What now??? Don't just put more of the same flyers in the area, friend. Consider these next steps:
Refresh the flyer. Change the headline or color to avoid staleness.
Try some urgency in this area. "New offer ends this week!” or “Exclusive to this neighborhood.”
Introduce deeper offers. Try a QR code to a special landing page or offer a physical coupon.
Go for an in-person meeting with the nearby businesses. Ask about a trade or deal or commission for counter space, window signage, etc.
Test nearby – explore similar venues within a few blocks to expand your footprint.
In short: Please don't work harder. Work smarter!
Yeah, you should be A/B testing
One flyer consisting of one design one one color of paper with one tagline and the same copy? This is a recipe for meh. Just because you love your flyer or ad doesn't mean it'll resonate.
I'm not the marketer who'll claim to know what will make it rain money. I'm brave enough to know that testing and trial and error will always be smarter than me.
Vary the paper color! Vary the headline, vary the flyer shape, use QRs on some and tabs on others! MIX. IT. UP.
But, I do get excited, so let's slow it down. Consider the following:
In the early stage, test drastically different messages, flyer formats and designs across various locations.
Middle stage: Identify hot areas and do some refined testing. Play more gently with headlines, mix in some incentives, try some new tab styles, etc.
As your effort matures, revision areas that have gone cold and see if you can get some traction. Or, end your effort in that area and find new areas of opportunity.
And, of course: Track which versions perform better by flyer pickup, QR click, tab pulls or code use. And, when changing things in a warm area, limit your updates to one thing at a time so you can isolate results.
Just because your flyer will be out there a while doesn't mean timing doesn't matter
Just because you've got time to spread the word doesn't mean your ideal clients will be in the right place at the right time – or in the right frame of mind – to get your message.
And, note: The longer your flyer is in the wild, the more weathered or tacked over or handled it'll become. So, choose your launch date(s) wisely:
Hit laundromats or barber shops on or just before weekends.
Post outside event venues a day or two before your target crowd arrives.
Hit up an arts district a day before a First Fridays, a gala event, etc.
Canvas for professionals near co-working hubs and office districts on Mondays or Tuesdays.
Feeling good about all this? Great. You're just getting started. Next? DOCUMENT. IT. ALL.
Remember: Every flyer is an opportunity to take a photo for your records or promotion.
Even if you're just recording placement, you'll be able to see or note the nature of the area and then track that condition as time goes on. You'll notice changes that may encourage more flyering in the area or less, etc.
If you made it all the way down here, you too might be thinking that flyering isn’t outdated – and that means you're very, very smart 😉
Digital trends have put a damper on this old marketing practice, but done right, flyering gets your preferred hometown audience excited and engaged.
A little effort plus a lot of intention and this old-school tactic can get you some real results and grow your business street by street.
Boutique content marketing agency Freelance Kansas is owned and operated by Haines Eason and serves clients in the Kansas City region and beyond.
While Haines specializes in copywriting for small businesses and startups, he is also an expert when it comes to SEO, content strategy, communications, public relations and more.
