Connections

You’ve seen them. You know what they are. You’ve probably received some. And you may have even hung them on your neighbors’ doorknobs.

But how well do “door hangers” work?

If done well in certain situations, door hangers are a fantastic way to get the word out about your ministry, service or event. They have the potential to keep your name in front the public, and to remind them of your product or your event. Because door hangers are such a powerful tool, more organizations than ever are including them as part of their marketing strategy. Unlike direct mail, which sits passively in mailboxes, waiting to be picked up and brought into the house, door hangers wait on doorknobs, where they’re much more likely to receive special attention. They’re especially effective if they’re “personalized” with a handwritten note or your contact information.

In Teen Challenge door hangers could be used to advertise a service that your center provides. Use them to remind mothers about the after school program, or other ministry opportunities. They can promote your thrift store, your car donation program, or your lawn-care social enterprise. The community needs to be reminded of the opportunities and services that your ministry provides. Someone may not have a car to donate this month, but when they do want to donate a their car down the road, you want them to remember your ministry. When they clean out closets, you want them to remember your thrift store. If you’re having a ministry event, especially one in their neighborhood, it’s a great way to spread the word.

Be sure to use both sides of the door hanger. One side should grab their attention and the other side explain the details, whether a ministry opportunity, or an event, or a social enterprise.  Teen Challenge staff and students can effectively canvas a city or an area to distribute the door hangers and save this labor cost.

Five keys to a great door hanger:

1. Keep your design simple. Bright colors attract attention, but keep the colors coordinated. Fonts are a great way to breath life into your words, but more than three kinds of fonts can make your door hanger feel cluttered and unprofessional. Your door hanger should be attractive enough that people don’t toss it in the trash as soon as they walk through the door.
2. Keep your message simple. Convey your main point in a few words; try to use pictures to help get the message across quickly. Use a short headline, but tell the benefit.
3. Have your door hangers professionally produced. Good 4-color printing and die-cutting is essential.
4. Include the Teen Challenge logo and a picture of one or two students. Don’t let it appear generic; no matter what you are promoting, make the door hanger belong to Teen Challenge. If you have time, include a personally written note or invitation on each door hanger; make sure the writing is legible.
5. Don’t forget to include a call to action and your contact information, including phone, email, facebook or however you want people to contact you.

Keep the front simple, colorful, concise, intriguing. If you need more room to explain, just use the back, but the front side has to grab their attention to make them flip it over for more information. This is a great opportunity: They have your advertisement in their hands, it’s not lost on a page with other ads, or in a stack of mail. Give them a great first impression of your ministry.

Of course, if someone has a “no solicitation” sign on their front door, you’ll want to honor their request by not leaving them a door hanger.

If you’re looking for a quality printer for door hangers, we recommend going with Next Day Flyers. We’ve found their quality and service to be consistently high. They offer 10,000 door hangers (4.25 x11, 4-color, 2 sides) for $700.00 plus shipping. Considering the potential impact of door hangers, that’s a bargain.

Once you’ve completed a door hanger campaign, please share how it went, and what could have done better.