Lay My Hat

Hi

Had a quick look down the list of posts and couldnt see anything.

Has anyone tried printing off leaflets and putting them through doors where they live with any luck?

I've got August free still and as I've been made redundant and am starting to climb the walls at home I thought I might make use of my time and take some leaflets/cards out.

Liz

Can't do any harm as long as it's not costing a fortune

BTW - just looked at your site and felt someof the photos were a bit grim - cloudy skies don't do it for me for a place that's supposed to be a sunny spot.

I'd be tempted to move the photo

"The Golden Sands of the nearest beach and the start of the Las Dunas National Park"

of the front page and replace it with the one with the blue sky and the lady on the beach.

(Not trying to pick holes, - just thought it might help )

When I started, I RUSHED to have some leaflets ready.
Can't say they are absolutely useless, but...
Starting from spring time, I usually have some leaflets with me, in my bag. This means that, when I go to a bar, pizzeria or restaurant in Genoa (a large town 2 hours drive from my place), I would ask if I can drop some of them. I have been doing this for like 2 years and can't remember any guests brought by this system...

Hi

No offence taken thats also part of the "stop liz going insane plan"! I intend to give the whole thing a make over, I have some great new photos that also no longer have the crane in the background on the balcony shots!

I accidentally managed to put my leaflet onto the photocopier before I left work so I have plenty in stock.

Liz

I haven't tried that but in our early days I did put postcards in newsagents windows around here, very cheap! I got my first booking that way. I figured it wasn't too far for folk to travel, especially when I did weekend breaks. Worth a try?

Did the same in newsagents, supermarkets etc and got quite a few local bookings.

On my weekend bike rides I keep a stock of colour flyers to post up on notice boards in expensive looking villages, houses and hamlets around Berkshire.

It can be a good way to reach the non-internet using section of the population who are looking for bespoke holiday accommodation. And as long as the flyers don't cost a fortune and you have the time, I dont think there is any harm in it.

We've had one enquiry last year via this way.

In our early days, we also used to flyer staff pigeon holes at university campuses...

We did get a few sales on brochures, but we distribute it only in special events and tourist fairs, magazine ads perform better for us, but more expensive.

We have a town magazine and i advertise in that each month at a very reasonable rate. You can also have leaflets inserted into the magazine so it goes through every door. I've done that too plus put them on display in the library, the shops, post office etc. It's difficult to say whether they have given us any bookings direct but I do get a lot of bookings from relatives of local folk who don't have the space to out them on on long visits so word has spread.

I try anything so long as it doesn't cost a fortune. I've got abooking for Xmas from a family who are visiting relatives at a nearby town so now I'm thinking I should be putting my brochures out round the surrounding area too.

I thought about doing this some years ago (advertising in the village mag in fact, not flyers) and decided against it: could be awkward if a set of locals became the guests from hell!

It's probably OK GG if you don't let them know they were the guests from hell! We have had a few friends and acquiantances book apartments over the years and there has never been a problem.

Re the flyers, why not? But I would agree about going for the more well heeled areas.

Margaret wrote:It's probably OK GG if you don't let them know they were the guests from hell!

Small community here Margaret and anway, one might have to let them know in as polite a way as possible - eg if they do damage that you can't shrug off. Suppose they only live a few doors down ...

Also, what if they want to re-book?

It's a bit like mixing business with pleasure: not a terribly good idea on balance perhaps.

Here in Germany, I tried a flyer on the free board in my local supermarket with some last minute offers and although all the 10 detachable details were taken within a few days, I only received two enquiries. I wouldn't hesitate doing it again though.

I designed an A5 double sided flyer (i do a fair bit of graphic design at work) and had 10,000 copies printed. Might sound like a mad number, but it only cost just over £100 by having them printed at www.onlineprinters.com

I'll admit it was a bit of a risk as it's a non UK company, but they delivered in about 5 days and had free delivery, the quality is excellent as well. I'm very pleased with them. I am in no way affiliated with this printer, but will happily recommend them from my experience and will use them again. Prices were a third of what i was quoted by UK companies (which itself is a little sad).

I've got rid of well over a thousand already, putting them in staff pidgeon holes at work (getting permission first of course!!) - This has generated four bookings. I've given piles to friends to pass around at their work etc.

I had instant success this week from an hour or so hand delivering around a few nice local housing estates. Within about 20 minutes i had enquiries, and by the end of the day i had two bookings from it. Both were from people of an elderly persuasion that i presume (perhaps wrongly) wouldn't have found the Cottage on the internet. I'll be out leaflet dropping this weekend again, see if lightening can strike twice.

I've only had the leaflets a couple of weeks and they've paid for themselves many many times over already. I also intend to leave some in the Cottage for people to take and to leaflet drop the areas around the Cottage as well.

What a result Riverside! You must let us know the final tally of those who booked as a result of the leaflet at the end of the year

Riverside wrote:Both were from people of an elderly persuasion

Love the way you put that, it's so sweet, the way it implies we all have a choice!