Figuring out the cost of leaflet distribution is crucial for any business, whether you're just getting started or already established. The idea of paying for leaflets to be created and delivered can seem daunting, especially for smaller companies worried about their budget and return on investment (ROI).
Leaflet design, printing and distribution doesn’t come free, though it can still work out to be a highly cost-effective solution. Typical leaflet distribution costs 6 to 7 pence, and printing can range from 1 to 3 pence per leaflet. These costs vary based on factors such as the size of the leaflet and the distribution method. Even factoring in these expenses, leaflet distribution remains a cost-effective method to boost your local presence and complement any digital marketing strategies.
In this guide, we take you through how to price your leaflet distribution campaign so you can plan and budget effectively.
How much does leaflet distribution cost?
There are many kinds of leaflet distribution and each one can vary in cost.
Solus leaflet distribution is where your leaflet is delivered on it's own to each household. This can be a more expensive route as the distributors are out delivering your item only. In many cases, you need to pay some form of salary to these distributors, especially if you’re working with an external partner to put feet to the floor.
There are also inserts, where your leaflet is stuffed into a newspaper, magazine or leaflet pack. This can be a cheaper option as it is delivered with other items however, you can lose out on crucial attention and reach when your leaflets competes with other items. While this is overall cheaper, it can be least cost-effective because the efficacy of your results is reduced.
Then you have Royal Mail distributions. These are leaflets that are delivered by Royal Mail alongside a households normal post. Your item can be delivered with other flyers at the same time, but as a standard for Royal Mail, it is never delivered alongside a competing business's flyers.
At Leafletdrop, we utilise Royal Mail distributions for the maximum stand out on the doormat at a competitive cost-effective price.
Leaflet distribution cost per 1000
Many leaflet producers cost per 1000 to create batches of leaflets for your campaign, so many customers looking to get a ballpark cost of their first campaign or seeking out a new supplier often ask this. This price varies by supplier, often depending on time spent and reach available. At Leafletdrop, it's £84.95 if your leaflet weighs under 20g, and £92.95 if it falls between 20-35g. As with many other suppliers, we work on the principle that the more you book, the cheaper it gets. For example, booking 100,000 leaflets brings the example cost down to £71.16 for under 20g and £77.29 for 20-35g.
It’s important to work out what’s right for you in leaflet distribution, but always remember that cost is a two-way street. While you may choose an overall cheaper leaflet distribution partner or method, this can come back to bite in ineffective results and small reach with your target audience. A little more investment can achieve more business gains, giving you better ROI and profit margin from your marketing activity. Also be mindful that striking out on your own in a bid to save costs can also make things pile up, as design, print and distribution can cost more time and money when split across different suppliers.
Heidi Rollinson, Marketing And Communications Officer“I found the Leafletdrop website really clear and easy to use, with transparent pricing so you could see exactly what was achievable within your budget and plan accordingly.
Southdown
What Factors Affect the Cost of Leaflet Distribution?
While the number of leaflets you get printed and delivered will have the largest impact on price, there is more to it. Factors which impact the total price of a leaflet campaign include:
- The size of the leaflet
- How many sides of the leaflet are printed
- Paper weight and finish
- Number of households for delivery
You may also want to pay an expert to design your leaflets first, which should also be factored in to your overall costs. Once you have a leaflet design, organising printing separately can work out cheaper in some cases, though it involves more than one expense, which can further complicate proceedings.
How Design Affects Leaflet Prices
Double-sided, colourful, or intricate designs increase the price. If you aim to save money, opting for a simpler design is often the best approach, but you may want to consider some investment in order to stay true to your brand colours and usual presentation. You want to stand out, but also make sure your customers know you for you!
You can design the leaflet yourself if you or your team have design skills. Alternatively, online design tools provide easy DIY options, many of which are free, though some platforms may have subscription costs and set limits for fancier fonts and effects. Another option is hiring a professional designer, with prices here ranging from £100 to £500 for an individual designer and potentially thousands for a full-service creative agency.
Quick insight: Our professional design services start from £200. Get in touch to learn more.
How Printing Affects Leaflet Prices
When it comes to printing leaflets, your costs can vary widely depending on several factors such as size, folds, paper weights, styles, and the volume you require. Paper prices fluctuate, behaving like a commodity that rises and falls based on availability in the market.
For instance, recycled paper, often in high demand, can impact costs. Another significant factor is print economy of scale: the more you print, the cheaper each item becomes due to the cost efficiencies of bulk printing.
How Delivery Affects Leaflet Prices
If you only need distribution or delivery, our free online calculator offers the option 'I will organise my own print,' providing an accurate estimate of your leaflet distribution costs alone. It's important to note that the price is primarily determined by the number of households you want to target, not their location. For example, distributing 10,000 leaflets in Bristol will cost the same as 10,000 distributed in Peterborough. Some suppliers may charge more to reach particular areas, such as hard-to-reach rural or gated communities if you’re working with solus or insert distribution.
Additionally, the frequency of your campaigns will also affect your spending. A one-off local campaign is usually affordable, but expanding to a larger market or running more frequent campaigns, though more effective, leads to increased costs. We can also print extra leaflets outside of the distribution requirements, contact us to find out more.
How to Calculate Leaflet Distribution Costs
As we’ve discussed, there are a lot of different factors that can affect the cost of leaflet distribution. If you want to work on your own or are still choosing between suppliers, it’s often best to get a quick quote for 1,000 leaflets, then multiply or divide this to meet your volume needs. After that, add your design, printing, and any other distribution costs on top of this (e.g., delivery to Royal Mail, staff for solus distribution). A lot of these will be the best estimates available. In order to get more accurate calculations of leaflet distribution cost you’ll want to work closely with one chosen supplier, or suppliers that can cover design, print and distribution for you.
With Leafletdrop, you can book your entire campaign online, in minutes with one clear price. Then you can sit back and relax as we organise everything for you from high quality print to reliable Royal Mail distribution and all the logistics in between.
With our handy online pricing calculator you can work out the cost of your next leaflet distribution or sign up for free to begin building your campaign. Our leaflet targeting tool lets you choose the appropriate households within the desired area(s) for your campaign to make your budget go further and ensure your business is getting in front of your ideal customers.
The Cost of Leaflets with Leafletdrop
That’s right, with Leafletdrop you can get leaflets designed, printed and delivered from just 7p per item. This will depend on the exact number ordered, printed and delivered. Compared to the costs involved with other marketing channels this can be highly cost-effective, especially as research has shown that 63% of people are more likely to take mail seriously compared to only 18% for email.
Try out our handy online price calculator to quickly estimate the cost of your campaign and effectively budget for your leaflet distribution needs.
