Try a five by 8 postcard. You can pass them out leave them as fires or use them as business cards

 

ive always done flyers, but wondering if business cards will work as well. they certainly are cheaper.

 

Flyers are better, business cards should be easy to read, and not advertisements. They're part of your professional image and you hand them out when people stop you, or you meet new people. Don't leave them at doors, your rate of return will probably decrease dramatically.

The big thing for flyers in my opinion is direct service marketing. Have a website that lists everything you do, but if you want mowing accounts, make it about mowing. Of you want to book aerations, make a flyer for that at the appropriate time.

Having a call to action is also an incentive you don't want on your business cards, say "1/2 off your first mowing service." I do that in the spring and it always lands me new accounts, and not tire kickers, good customers. But it's because the other three bozos that sent them ads that week put nothing on it and spelt landscaping wrong. Some of the ads I see around here are incredible.

My favorite this year is the idiot that put a flyer in a sandwich bag with rocks and threw it on one of my customers driveways. Idiot. I hope no one here does this.

 

So the flyer in a bag on the driveway makes that person an idiot?

 

I think flyers are better. You can put in more information and use some great pictures. If you can get them to pick it up and save it like it was valuable, so much the better. How? Perhaps by including a gardening calender. Perhaps a guide to the 5 most common lawn diseases your town. Perhaps a dollars-off coupon. Perhaps a couple top-quality tomato seeds glued inside.

And why not--include your business card with the flyer? Your printer can do that.

If you are going to throw something onto the drive--why not use a quarter? Better yet, a spring flowering bulb--gladiolus, maybe.

http://www.michiganbulb.com/categor...ource=msn&utm_campaign=Category_Bulbs_(General)&utm_term=spring flowering bulbs

Could be a coupon for a spring flowering bulb (or several)--delivered at the time of the estimate.

 

I have been using fridge magnets in place of business cards. Clients still have them on their fridge years later.

 

My experience with vista print has been sub-par. Cards from them are not that high quality. It's worth spending the extra money and buy from a better site. Try signazon.com that's where I order from and they are the best cards I have gotten and well worth the price.

 

My experience with vista print has been sub-par. Cards from them are not that high quality. It's worth spending the extra money and buy from a better site. Try signazon.com that's where I order from and they are the best cards I have gotten and well worth the price.

That's pretty interesting about vistaprint...I've never used them before, but i've been trying to get some car magnets ordered and i was thinking about going through them to get some. Checking out signazons and they look pretty good: http://www.signazon.com/car-magnets/

Is their stuff just a better quality material or something?

 

That's pretty interesting about vistaprint...I've never used them before, but i've been trying to get some car magnets ordered and i was thinking about going through them to get some. Checking out signazons and they look pretty good: http://www.signazon.com/car-magnets/

Is their stuff just a better quality material or something?

Yeah the paper they use is thicker and holds up better. With vista print some cards were not aligned when printed and that resulted in parts of the card not even having ink. Vista prints did not seem to have as much detail printed onto the cards also. Of course you can expect these flaws if they are practically giving away their cards. But if you want a good looking card defiantly go with signazon.

 

Why not go local? You can sit right there and bounce ideas off each other, tweak the card, whatever. I do everything local. The guy even does my newsprint ads and forwards them to the ad dept at the news agency.

I always keep a box of cards in my truck. I toss a card in my monthly invoices, in case they have someone to refer.

I use doorhangers to target specific areas I want to work in, see a house that could use my services, etc. Also, if someone approaches me, I hand them both. My doorhangers have a complete list of services down the back.

The front.

The back.

BTW, local businesses, I do business with, are my 3rd best source of new clients.

 

You should always have a special offer. It should be limited-time, to give the owner an incentive to call now. My wife seldom buys anything that is not on sale. It helps if you have a photo of a girl answering the phone. She should be absolutely beautiful, of course: "Call Shelly at 222-222".

For instance, " This week only-- free soil test (for acid level) included with your lawn analysis."

Call for your free grass seed--for bare spots or dog spots. Lawn analysis included free.

Call for your free pound of special soil-sweetening lime, also includes free lawn analysis and quote.

Free soil-conditioner, flower seeds, zinnia seeds, rain gauge, tomato plant, marigold plant...whatever you can think of.

 

Hey ... if you're looking for flyers and door hangers that include a perforated, tear-off business card, please consider visiting our website:
http://www.adeasprinting.com Our unique "Stick-It®" feature makes it possible for customers to remove the perforated card and "stick-it" to their refrigerators (like a magnet) at a fraction of the cost. (We call it our Door Hanger Rip Card) Plus you still have the advantage of the larger size door hanger to use for your message about the services you provide, including pictures and your specials. Our lawnsite customers seem to like the Band-It® and Stick-It® features which you can review on our website. We've got a great special running right now:
1,000 Band-It door hangers for $112 with FREE 2-day rush and FREE ground shipping. Feel free to order a sample packet so you can see our products for yourself.
We're proud of our quality and competitive pricing. My name is Glenda.
Give me a call at 866-778-4254 (ext 212) or email me glenda@adeasprinting.com. Happy Thanksgiving week!

 

So the flyer in a bag on the driveway makes that person an idiot?

No, but it gives off the impression that they are too lazy to walk up and hang it on the door.

 

Why not go local? You can sit right there and bounce ideas off each other, tweak the card, whatever. I do everything local. The guy even does my newsprint ads and forwards them to the ad dept at the news agency.

I always keep a box of cards in my truck. I toss a card in my monthly invoices, in case they have someone to refer.

Two pieces of great advice here. I use a local graphics guy to create all my advertising materials including my yard signs, door hangers, post cards, shirts and vehicle graphics. I'm able to walk in and sit down with him and explain exactly what I want. I use Vista Print for cards because they're decent quality and always have some sort of deal going on.

 

I'm new to the game, but I leave flyers on doors and hand business cards to anyone who I meet in the process of flyering (that's a word, If not it is now). I've had one customer of my twenty or thirty jobs so far tell me she called because someone actually left a flyer instead of a business card.

Fyi i changed one phrase, yard work to lawn care and my calls dropped off to almost non existent. Be careful what you put on your flyers!!
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I liked business cards that are things other than cards.

Ice scrapers, drink cozies, mouse pads…stuff people will hold on to.

business cards are wallet fillers and dash board junk, unless you can get them to enter you into their phone contact list these days, people loose your number.

it usually best to get THEIR number and then share YOUR contact with them. then they push a button and enter you…. when they want something they will call you.

Hand out swag to people, hats… gold bag towels, even golf balls… people will remember you and/or your company name… Im not a fan of just a business card.

 

So the flyer in a bag on the driveway makes that person an idiot?

Maybe a hack litter bug would be a better description.
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I use postcards that I have made up by a small print shop here in town as I believe small business should support each other.I use to use fliers when I started out but now I find everyone is printing some sort of flier and people's doors and mailboxes are full of them so they don't even look at them anymore they just toss them.
I went to postcards and I hand them to the prospective customer, It just feels and looks more professional then a flier that I printed up on my home printer from a template from GopherHaul or some place. I have small plastic holders for my business cards and I have them at my barbers, family restaurants and any bulletin board that will let me put them up.