Virtually any type of pizzeria — from dine-in to take and bake — can benefit from door hanging. The old standby of pizza parlors the country over, door hangers have generated results for decades. Any complete marketing plan should find a home for door hangers, and here’s why:
• they are inexpensive
• they offer high visibility
• they offer room for a message, special offers and a menu
• they can be used to target specific areas, neighborhoods and demographics
The biggest negative? It takes manpower to hang them. This problem can be resolved in a handful of ways. For starters, a simple solution is to send drivers out to hang the flyers during slow delivery periods. Or, you could bring in one or two extra employees for one shift every two weeks to door hang. Obviously, the latter option increases labor costs.
There are companies that will hang your ads on doors for you, but you are placing a great deal of power in their hands by hiring them. If their employees are not up to standard in terms of appearance and etiquette, your potential customers will assume your shop is equally sloppy and unfriendly.
One idea with particular potential for effectiveness is to work out a deal with local Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts or Little League players. Let the organization of your choice do the hanging for you in return for a donation. First, you get the good fortune of having your pizzeria associated with a beloved, feel-good local organization. Secondly, your donation will likely be deemed newsworthy by local newspaper editors. Plus, you have saved labor costs by converting extra payroll expenses into a charitable contribution — a good PR move.
Cost Considerations
In terms of cost, many printers offer 5,000 colorful door hangers for under $200. Depending on final price and quantity, you’ll likely pay in the vicinity of four cents per hanger (though some run as high as 20 cents each).
How many do you need? It depends on your goals and target area, but 5,000 should be more than enough to get started. Target 1,000 homes and hit them frequently to ensure maximum exposure. After your first hanging, canvas the same area 10 days later. Hang the same doors again at day 30, day 45 and day 60. Within two months, 1,000 homes in your area will have been exposed to your message five times.
Return on Investment
Most marketing delivers a two percent response rate. If that applies to your door hanging efforts and you send out 5,000 hangers in two months, you should generate 100 new sales. If your average guest check is $15, that means $1,500 in additional sales over the 60-day cycle. Subtract the printing costs and the donation to your Girl Scout hangers (or the labor for your employees), and the rest is your profit.
Additional Tips
If you are going to use door hangers, make sure to check with local ordinances first. Some areas do not allow door-to-door canvassing. Also, avoid hanging your message on windy days — you don’t want to create neighborhood litter, which is a sure way to turn off potential customers. Also, make sure your hanger does the following:
• contains an attention-grabbing headline
• explains what makes your shop and your food unique
• features a professional, mouth-watering photo of your food
• makes a compelling offer (such as a good discount, a free appetizer, etc.)
• prominently displays your address and phone number
• has a full menu on the back, including prices
• contains your logo
• asks customers to respond right away.