4 steps to using leave behinds in your marketing

Think about how much information you want to communicate, and what kind of medium will work best for you. Are you a house painter and want to leave customers with detailed information about your pricing and services? Choose a leave behind like a brochure, where you'll have plenty of space to print this information.

Also, consider whether there's a certain kind of leave behind that matches up with your small business. If you're a plumber, maybe you can leave a cheeky door hanger on your customer's bathroom door knob. Do you run a home cleaning service? Leave your customers with a bottle of branded hand sanitizer.

This might seem like an obvious step, but make sure your leave behinds (whether a brochure or tote bag) clearly communicate your brand. While some materials have more space to add your message, even the smallest leave behinds - like pens! - should display your logo and business name. Make sure your leave behind's design reflects your brand identity in the colors, fonts and template you choose.

After that, the next most important thing to include on your marketing leave behinds is a method of contact. It's important to give potential customers everything they need to get in touch with you, whether it's a phone number, email address or website URL.

Leave behinds can help build long-lasting relationships with customers...so make sure your marketing materials don't come across as generic or impersonal. There are a few easy solutions for small business owners when it comes to adding a personal touch.

One way is to create leave behinds that touch on various stages of the customer journey. If you're visiting a client's home for a consultation or introduction, leave them with a comprehensive kit of information. You may consider a business card with a special offer, or even a promotional tote bag filled with reading materials about your business.

If you're using a leave behind as a follow-up tool, include a handwritten note - maybe a short message on the back of a door hanger, or a promotional reminder to encourage new customers to take the next step.

Making a routine visit to a regular customer? They clearly have your contact info by now, so there's no need to laden them with brochures, door hangers or business cards. Instead, leave behind something more 'fun,' like a magnet or stack of logo stickers.

Leave behinds are traditionally, well, left behind after an in-home service. But now that you have these ready-to-distribute marketing materials, start thinking outside the box.

When customers sign a receipt or an invoice for your service, give them a branded pen and let them keep it. Whether they use it to scrawl a grocery list or do a crossword puzzle, it's sure to stay within reach of your customer - keeping your small business top of mind.

Do you need to announce a new service or offering? Let existing customers know with a leave behind...even if you're not performing a service. Whether a door hanger on their front door or an updated brochure in their mailbox, promote what's new at your business with a physical reminder.