Handbill and Coupon Advertising for Beginners

Get the skinny on handbill advertising and coupon marketing
By Andrea Townsley Handbill and coupon advertising is one of the most effective ways to market your company and your products or services. Handbills and coupons can be even more effective in times of economic strife as consumers look for discounts. However, handbill and coupon advertising is not just about giving out discounts: The goal is to make people aware of your company and entice them to buy.
 

Coupon advertising companies vary in reputation as well as cost and many require up-front contracts. A three-month minimum is somewhat standard, but it varies. There's room to negotiate about almost every aspect of the handbill or coupon. Here are some tips for handbill and coupon advertising for beginners:

1. Consider doing handbill advertisement if your business is very social. This works well when marketing nightclubs, concerts or other local events, like grand openings.

2. Check out the coupon advertisements in your area. These may include coupon books, newspaper inserts and direct mail.

3. Do some coupon marketing online. This is a really good idea for anyone with a website or online presence.

Try your hand at handbill marketing

Traditionally, handbills are pieces of paper that are handed directly to potential customers, but the modern meaning has grown to encompass doorhangers and other types of flyers. These are great marketing tools for spreading the word about a new business or a sale. The downside is that they often get thrown away, as they can easily be perceived as junk. The trick to it is making the design sufficiently attention-grabbing but not over-the-top (i.e., watch the exclamation points and the color of the handbill itself). Handbills come in a variety of shapes, sizes and types of paper, so always consider the look your company is trying to achieve.
Try: Nationwide Direct Marketing has some samples of effective doorhangers. Play around with the design tool at Next Day Flyers.

Do some coupon advertising in local media

Coupons are popular among consumers because they're free and offer discounts on their favorite items. In addition, coupons can entice customers to try an item they've never tried before, and even if they don't buy, the coupon will have at least put your company's name on their radar. Your coupon can simply advertise your business or it can offer a discount on one of your products or services; it can even point customers to your website to check out your offerings. Choosing the media that contains your coupon is a huge consideration. For example, advertising your steakhouse in a coupon book placed in vegetarian supermarkets would be a waste of money.
Try: Consider placing an ad in the popular annual book from Entertainment Publications. Read through the article at CMS to find out more about successful coupon campaigns.

Place some coupon ads online to catch Web surfers

Online coupons come with lots of pros and cons. First off, you can design almost anything using HTML code, so you have a lot of room for creativity. Also, the coupon can be found by anyone since it's available on the World Wide Web. The downside is that some consumers either can't print the coupons for lack of a printer, or they're just too lazy to take the time to do it. Offering coupon codes as an alternative to printable coupons can side-step this problem if you own an online marketplace (as opposed to just a bricks and mortar shop).
Try: Consider submitting your ad to Coupon Craze so local consumers can find your discounts. RetailMeNot.com can help you in your local market as well as if you sell things through an online store.

• Before you start a handbill advertising campaign, carefully consider the area you're targeting. There may be laws regarding handbill ads.