What leaflet distribution is
Leaflet distribution — sometimes called door drops, leaflet drops or door-to-door marketing — is the physical delivery of printed marketing material to residential and commercial letterboxes. It is one of the oldest forms of direct marketing and remains widely used in the UK because it reaches addresses that digital channels cannot.
Shared distribution
In a shared round, your leaflet is delivered alongside a small number of non-competing leaflets. Cost per thousand is lower than solus, and well-managed shared rounds still produce strong response rates for offers with clear visual identity. Watch-outs: ensure your leaflet stands out within the bundle, and confirm in writing that competitors are excluded.
Solus distribution
In a solus round, only your leaflet is delivered. This maximises attention and is typical for higher-value campaigns — restaurants with strong seasonal offers, estate agent valuation flyers, charity appeals. Cost per thousand is higher, but response rates often justify the difference.
Targeting
Targeting determines how cost-effective a campaign will be. The main options:
- Postcode-sector targeting — selecting sectors based on demographic profile.
- Polygon or street-level targeting — drawing a custom catchment around a business location.
- Walking-distance catchments — concentric coverage from a single anchor point.
- Exclusion lists — removing streets or sectors that historically underperform.
Delivery mapping
Before a round, a route is planned for each distributor. After the round, the actual delivery path is captured and compared with the plan. The output is a delivery map showing the streets covered and the order in which they were walked.
GPS verification
GPS verification has become the industry standard for accountable rounds. Each distributor carries a GPS device that records latitude, longitude and timestamp. The recorded route is matched against the planned area to produce a verification report. See GPS tracked leaflet distribution for what this proves and where it has limits.
Campaign planning
A well-planned campaign considers timing (day of week, season, alignment to local events), creative (offer, headline, call to action), targeting and follow-up. The distributor handles delivery; the customer is responsible for creative and offer strength. The best results come from coordinating both sides of that equation.
Response tracking
Practical ways to measure response:
- Campaign-specific phone extension, URL or QR code.
- Comparable baseline weeks for enquiry and footfall data.
- Branded search uplift in the days following delivery.
- Direct attribution at point of sale ("how did you hear about us?").
Common misconceptions
- "Leaflets don't work any more." They work for the same reason direct mail still works — letterboxes are an attention channel digital cannot easily reach. Performance depends on targeting and offer.
- "GPS tracking proves every leaflet was posted." It proves coverage, not every individual letterbox. Treat it as strong evidence of effort, not absolute certainty.
- "Cheapest provider wins." Untracked rounds with no verification often cost more in practice because there's no way to confirm what was delivered.
- "More leaflets equals more responses." Volume helps, but well-targeted smaller rounds frequently outperform large, untargeted ones.
How this applies to choosing a provider
Once you understand how the channel works, evaluating providers becomes straightforward. See leaflet distribution reviews UK for the practical checklist, and common problems for what to avoid.