Firstly you need to think about your market and what you are trying to achieve from your campaign. Is it simply a brand awareness exercise, or is it to have a direct impact upon sales?

Once this has been established you can think about the content of your material, here you can exercise your creative talent. Corporate image is important, it is worth thinking about one logo that is present on all advertising material as this helps build recognition rates and brand awareness.

Obviously money off vouchers will provide a more quantifiable uptake rate in that you will be able to directly measure the response on redemption of these particular coupons.

Try to keep the message short and sweet. Getting your message across quickly in a few simple words which are easy to understand, possibly by using something humorous or a funny graphic, will trigger recognition and therefore help the recipient to remember and hopefully act upon your message.

Think about the type of paper that you use for your flyer , we would recommend that you use no less than 130gsm paper and preferably 300gsm, as this does not fold or crumple as it goes through the letterbox. Sizing is also important, A5 needs no folding so is therefore more suited to flyer distribution.

You now need to source a supplier who specialises in flyer distribution, you may think about finding a small local company who usually will be able to offer better rates, but then they will not be so accountable if things go wrong. The market is dominated by three or four larger companies who specialise in the distribution of advertising material, and it would be wise to approach one of these, as not only will they have the manpower and availability, but they will be able to offer much advice and guidance which will help you at this vital planning stage.

Remember that very attractive rates do not necessarily mean that you will be getting good value for money, it is better to pay a little more, but have the confidence in the company that is undertaking the distribution contract. It is vital that your message reaches the letterbox and not the bin.

When talking with your chosen supplier you need to discuss the areas that you wish to cover. Targeting your material rather than blanket coverage can be the most cost effective way of reaching your most receptive audience. Most companies will offer some form of profiling, and this will help in sourcing the better areas according to your target audience. It is normally possible to target by income group, age range, and leisure preferences etc. Vital here will be determining the size of your print run and therefore the final budgetary expense. This will help you in establishing your final return on investment.

It is very important to undertake this planning process well in advance of your chosen date for distribution; it is too late to plan your Christmas campaign in late November!!

All of the above, form a very simple process that will enable you to get the very best from your distribution, therefore providing a profitable return on expenditure.