In order to understand how door drop campaigns work in depth, one might want to consider information from various sources.
Practical experience of distributors on the ground and testimonials from companies using flyer drops to advertise are going to be very important.
Sometimes, it can also be helpful to look at statistics and research that attempts to quantify different aspects of leafleting.
- Who uses leaflets to advertise?
- Do flyers just get thrown out?
- Are leaflets environmentaly friendly?
Who uses leaflets to advertise?
From our experience at The Private Postman, door drops are used by companies of all sizes across many industries. From small businesses to large corporations.
The data from the 2025 DMA Door Drop Report indicates that in 2024
– 22% of all Door Drop volumes were accounted for by local tradespeople
– 18% by restaurants and takeaways
– and 13% by retail
– In 2024, political volumes increased to 7% share. 2024 was a General Election year. As such, in 2025 this will likely return back to normal.
This largely aligns with our experience. While local tradespeople, restaurants and estate agents are even anecdotally some of the largest users of leaflet distribution, you will also find many other businesses, ranging from schools to tech start-ups, using flyers successfully.
Do flyers just get thrown out?
You will spend a considerable amount of time and resources on the design of your flyers, campaign planning and the distribution itself.
What happens to your pamphlets after they are delivered? Do they just get thrown out?
Here are some interesting statistics shared in the 2025 DMA Door Drop Report
– 84% of Door Drops have some action taken rather than being immediately thrown away upon arrival
– 9.3% of Door Drops prompted discussions in the household
– The average Door Drop was interacted with three times across a 28 day period in 2024
– 1.4% of Door Drops prompt voucher usage
– 2.7% prompt purchases overall
– 13.9% of Door Drops generated at least one of the commercial actions tracked
The physical nature of the flyer does distinguish it from some forms of digital marketing. An A5 flyer is a large canvas to share information about your business or display photos of your products. Its design and layout are in your control.
The fact that people physically interact with your leaflets when they are being collected from a door mat or a letterbox is also not trivial.
Are leaflets environmentally friendly?
Some people are concerned about the environmental impact of their flyer campaigns. Let’s have a look at some of the facts around paper production, its use and the environment.
According to the research done by Two Sides
– Approximately 50% of the fibrous raw material used in Europe’s paper industry comes from paper for recycling
– In Europe, 75% of paper and more than 80% of cardboard packaging is recycled.
– The paper industry requires good forest management. European forests have grown by more than 58,000km2 between 2005 and 2020
– 90% of the European paper industry’s wood fibre originates from Europe
(you can find more information about paper production and water usage, the relationship between paper production and forests or recycling on the Two Sides website )
