Flyers as a Sales Page?

[Paranalysis]

I've been looking at different ways to promote my offline business and thought I'd try something a little different with flyers and format them in a similar manner to one of those single product sales pages. I'd really appreciate any feedback anyone can provide.

I've posted the work-in-progress here: http://www.hwca.com.au/flyer/

Being intended to be printed, it's obviously limited in size (A4) I'm only using one side of the page at the moment.

I'm considering is using both sides with two columns, landscape format and folding it in half to create 4 pages. That would at least give me room to include some testimonials - but I'm not too sure which version is most likely to get read.

[webgal]

That's not a flyer. And it's a bunch of information for a flyer.

Your flyer should focus on the one core feature this product does. That's it. You only want to communicate that one idea and create a need for it.

So headline with product benefit.

Pay off of copy. Two or three lines. That's it.

Bullet points. No more than 5.

Sign off that includes website and other contact information.

Include the testimonial on the page and treat it like a visual.

Sales letter style would work more for direct mail and isn't very effective as a flyer. Flyers have to be quicker but it depends on the method of delivery. If it's your purpose to nail it up as a post bill, you need to make it even shorter. If it will be delivered to some kind of flyer box, the above format.

[Paranalysis]

Thanks for the feedback.

Just to clarify, this flyer would be delivered to letterboxes in the local area. I'm guessing the term flyer means something a little different in your country :)

[webgal]

No, that's a flyer here, too. It needs to be shorter to be that type of flyer. Think of it as a billboard with room for copy.

[Sven]

I never entertain thoughts of fear.

So after reading the head line, your flyer would be binned, as was your website. There probably are people that would continue reading but they might just be to scared to contact you.

I believe that you can communicate EVERYTHING in positive terms. Try it.

It is a lot easier for a customer to come towards somthing good then to stay away from something bad....

Sven

[Paranalysis]

Thanks a lot webgal. It looks like my old flyers might have been the way to go after all. They basically contained a main benefit, 4 bullet points, a special offer (to track responses) and contact info.

I never entertain thoughts of fear.

So after reading the head line, your flyer would be binned, as was your website.

I can certainly understand why you would feel fear after reading the headline. When we read a question, we can't help but answer it - and knowing that you cannot defend yourself is quite frightening indeed.

Just to clarify - this flyer has nothing to do with the website. The only link to that page is on this forum.

Anyway, thanks also for your feedback. Self defence is the main reason people train in martial arts. Fear of being attacked is a reality. It's certainly a very tricky line to tread between dealing with helping people overcome the reality of that fear, and sensationalist scare mongering. I agree that this flyer probably crosses that line.

I believe that you can communicate EVERYTHING in positive terms. Try it.

I know you can. I've been doing that for 5 years. Like I said, I was just considering something different.

Anyway, thanks both of you. I really do appreciate the feedback. To be honest, I don't feel particularly comfortable with the fear-of-attack marketing tactic (even though it's very common in the industry - hopefully it's not so common because it works!:)) and will continue to focus on the positives.

[webgal]

Thanks a lot webgal. It looks like my old flyers might have been the way to go after all. They basically contained a main benefit, 4 bullet points, a special offer (to track responses) and contact info.

EVERYONE says keep it positive. I hear that over and over again. But the truth is, negative some times does work. And it's worth testing. Because while people will tell you one thing, how they react to it is something different all together.

[Sven]

Very true, testing is king!

But I think that if a negative message were to my product the best sales, it would no longer be a product that I would enjoy selling...

But that may not aply to others.

[Paranalysis]

But I think that if a negative message were to my product the best sales, it would no longer be a product that I would enjoy selling...

I'm not too sure how you are defining "negative". Every product or service we offer should be solving a customer's problem, right? In essence, the purpose of absolutely anything which is sold is to take a negative and turn it into a positive.

In that context, there's nothing wrong with identifying a genuine negative to help a buyer see their need, and the solution you're offering.

Where people can cross the line is if they create a perception of a negative which doesn't actually exist, in order to create a false need for a product.

I'm certainly not doing the latter - but I don't want it to look like I am either, so will need to word things very carefully. I think I'll tweak my old flyer and do a split test, one with a negative + benefit (ie solution), the other with just a benefit.

[Sven]

to give an example, my competitor uses the slogan "survive your dream". The dream being a long cruise with a sailboat. Their website is full with the danger of a trip like this. I'm not saying this danger should be negelegted but I believe that it is more difficult to stay away from something bad than it is to travel towards something good.. In this light my competitor could use something like. "Add some safety to your dream"

To stay with the OP's slogan (the slogan is gone now) I would be more attracted to a slogan like "Feel confident in the darkest alley"

Sven

[Paranalysis]

I would be more attracted to a slogan like "Feel confident in the darkest alley"

I like it! I'll give that a try, if you don't mind :)

I've taken the feedback on board and re-re-(etc)edited one of my old A5 flyers. Anyone have any thoughts?

http://www.hwca.com.au/f1.jpg

http://www.hwca.com.au/f2.jpg

[Sven]

Nope, I don't mind :-)

I think the flyers lack a bit of friendlyness (which does seem to be present in the school?). How about turning the black in to grey, and rounding off the corners of the frame?

Good luck with it!
Sven