OFFLINE- What is legal with Flyers?

It's fine to distribute flyers around your city etc to actual people, you have to be careful of pinning up flyers on the sides of buildings etc as there are laws in most countries regarding the banning of this.

It largely depends upon your local city laws with this. Each city or town, even those side by side, could have different laws/guidelines for this. For the most part, though, not a big deal to go put flyers on somebody's front door, or even on their car windshield. But you should check with city hall where you want to do it.

Yes, its normally the local laws you need to be careful of. When I used to do this, I would direct everybody to domain set to private so I couldnt easily be tracked just in case somebody did look in whois to get my information. Of course they can eventually get your information, but its much harder and most probably wont bother unless you are doing something really annoying.

I wouldnt put your phone number or anything up.

In general, if you are just handing out flyers, somebody will tell you to leave and of course listen to them. Putting flyers on doors is normally not allowed but again, many times the local enforcers wont bother. Same with windshields, normally you will be doing it on private property so its not allowed but yet again, normally it wont be too huge of an issue.

just use your noggin when promoting

I'd have to disagree with you, Kenster, about putting flyers on doors. At least out in the Western states, it's a very common practice that's allowed. Now, actually knocking on doors and selling will be different wherever you are, but that's pretty common practice in the West, too. The thing is, the Supreme Court has ruled that the path leading to your front door is public property, and just putting a flyer on a door is no problem, for most places, I would say. At least all the Western cities I've lived in, there are whole companies who do this for other businesses, so I think it's reasonable to assume it's legal in those cities as people are selling the service. Maybe it's different out where you live?

But anyway, it doesn't remove the reality that WilliamL just needs to check the laws where he lives.

I think I would also use a service like bit.ly to obscure the url too. In the past this might have dissuaded people but as too weird but I think it is familiar enough to the younger crowd. I guess it depends on your target market.

Yeah, I mean I live in the East and in my surrounding area you can't flyer on peoples doors without a permit. To do legally in my area you have to go to a municipal office and get a permit. I dont know how widespread this practice is and to be honest I think most of these types of laws are in place just so authorities can crack down if flyering becomes a problem. I dont think they normally care too much

I ran an offline flyer business for years... made good money but got burnt out after awhile.
Just call and ask about the permits... they are cheap to get. They come in real handy when that one jerk having a bad day/life takes it out on you. Somehow you are now the cause of all his/her problmes because you put a flyer on their door. I used to get some real nasty phone calls, and so did my clients, but we did everythig above board, so we had the law on our side.
I think I am going to have another go at this flyer thing, esp since I know how to get those things
-noticed
-read
-acted on

also here's a tip... contact your local ACLU for free to discuss how the Consitituion backs you up in your area.

Always make sure to ask the network/advertiser is OK with this type of traffic, as the creatives will likely need to be approved by the advertiser.

Ooops... yet another thing I forgot. There is a legal difference between "selling" and "handbilling." Check your local laws.

This will vary city by city..

I do flyers for my business which has nothing to do with online marketing. Consumers like them more than hate them. Only trouble I have had was "on the mailbox" postal service will call you.

Go by the newspaper box or for better response on the door. Some people have called police or neighborhood security the usually just make sure you're being respectful and ask you to go to another area so the a-hole is happy. Just know you are following the rules (after you learn them )

8 years of passing out flyers door to door sometimes 2500 a day 12000 a week Nooo Major problems with authorities. Keep your blinders on and keep trucking... Tell the A-hole what he wants to hear and keep walking

You got me thinking!

How many households can be effectively reached door to door in a day?

I'm sure apartments would be a higher number per hour. But what do you think the average cost per piece is?

Are certain neighborhoods (gated or not) more responsive than others?

Is this more effective than a postcard campaign because it's delivered to the door?

5,000 (4x6) postcards with printing, labeling and first class postcard postage would be $1705 (<.35 ea.) + cost of data (name, address, etc)

Is it possible to hire someone to actually print and deliver 5,000 flyers cheaper than 35 cents each?

I can get 5,000 (4x11) full color door hangers, including shipping to me for $414. Only 8.3 cents each plus labor.

5,000 (4x11) full color flyers including shipping to me for $293. That's only 6 cents each plus labor.

So I guess it's all about how many can labor deliver in an hour on average. @ghostinthemachine said he did 2500 a day, (312 homes/hr or 5 homes a minute!) but he may have been really aggressive and hungry for sales. Dude, that doesn't include breaks.

At $10 an hour, that would be $160 for 2 days labor. Bringing my door hanger delivery to 5,000 homes down to $575 = 11.5c each.

I would likely need 10 buyers at $59 each to come close to breaking even.

That's one in 500. or 0.02% hmmm.. that seems reasonable! not for cpa or affiliate, but for something I owned. The post card campaign would require at least 29 new customers at $59 just to break even.

Interesting... anybody see anything wrong with my math or idea here?

Obviously I might try to include a monthly subscription in the offer, but you can't always count on that.

They post flyers and posters like crazy doing an election, so many so that it sometimes ought to be illegal for them.
A good rule though is to use common sense, who would be offended? Who owns the wall/place you post?

Ghostinthemachine,

Thanks for all the great information. I was considering starting a flyer delivery business and wonder if I could get some expert advice. If your willing to help please pm me since I don't have enough posts to pm you.

Thanks

Tom

There's a-lot of great information here, this is a little off-topic, but what are some examples of offers you warriors would promote & where would you promote them?
Thanks,
Divined.

Hey Warrriors, I contact my AM (MB) and ask about promoting offline with flyer and the answer from my AM was No, they do not allow offline marketing (flyer).

Anyone try mobile marketing promoting cpa? If so, any problem with MM? I'm thinking about it...

Local SEO is certainly more lucrative but a bit harder and requires more knowledge. Flyer marketing doesn't require any real technical knowledge at all. Maybe knowing how to do a redirect and simple things but nothing extensive.

Untitled Document

Article 1 Chapter 15 of the Utah Constitution:

There shall be no Law passed to abridge or restrain freedom of speech or the press.

Flyers are communication through media giving us constitutional rights of freedom of the press



U.S. Supreme Court

The claim and exercise of a Constitutional right cannot be converted into a crime.
Miller v. US, 230 F 486 at 489

An unconstitutional "law " is not a law; it confers no rights, imposes no duties, and affords no protection.
Norton v. Shelby County, 118 US 178 (1886)

All laws which are repugnant to the Constitution are null and void. Chief Justice John Marshall
Marbury v. Madison, 5 US (1Cranch) 137, 174, 176 (1803)

When any court violates the clean and unambiguous language of the Constitution, a fraud is perpetuated, and no one is bound to obey it.
State v. Sutton, 63 Min 147, 65 NW 262, 30 LRA630, AM ST 459

"Where rights secured by the Constitution are involved, there can be no rule making or legislation which would abrogate them."
Miranda vs Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 p. 491

It doesn't look like our constitutional right of freedom of the press is going away any time soon.



FREEDOM OF THE PRESS DEFINITION

The freedom of communication and expression through media and/or published material

Flyers are communication and expression through published media material.



TRASH DEFINITION

Unwanted or undesired waste material.

Flyers are not trash by legal definition and to mislead and claim they are holds no water to the law.



HANDBILL DEFINITION

A single page leaflet advertising events, services or other activities. Flyers are typically used by
individuals or business' to promote their product or services.
They are a form of mass marketing or small scale community communication.

Flyers are a legal form of community communication handbills by definition



LITTER DEFINITION

Litter consists of waste products

Flyer are not waste products or litter by legal definition and to claim or mislead holds no water to the law.



UTAH LITTER LAW REFERS TO HANDBILLS

Utah Code Title 76 Chapter 10 Section 2701 subsection (3)

A person distributing commercial handbills, leaflets, or other advertising shall take whatever measures
are reasonably necessary to keep the material from littering public or private property.

To keep the flyer material from littering flyers are stapled to a cardboard paper weight to keep them from

blowing in the wind and some flyers are hand delivered, taped securely to a structure and/or property.

To claim or willfully mislead about the flyers will not hold water to the law.



SOLICITATION DEFINITION

Urgently asking: It is the action or instance of petitioning; proposal.
Solicitation is done on a phone or in person, asking someone for their time trying to sell something.

With a "No Solicitation" sign on your door you will still receive LEGAL door hangers, flyers and handbills.

IT IS NOT SOLICITATION BY DEFINITION TO PASS OUT FLYERS.



SOLICITATION LEGAL TERMS

Request or appeal either oral or written to obtain, seek or plead for funds, property or any thing of value.

Flyers are not a request or appeal to plead for funds or property or any thing of value.

IT IS NOT SOLICITATION DEFINED BY LEGAL TERMS TO PASS OUT FLYERS



CANVASSING

Systematic initiation of direct contact with a target group of individuals commonly used during political campaigns.
A campaign team will knock on doors of private residences within a particular geographic location,
engaging in face-to-face interaction with voters, canvassing may also be preformed by telephone.

Canvassing is very close to solicitation asking someone for there time flyers are not canvassing.



ADVERTISING

A form of communication intended to persuade an audience to purchase or take some action upon
products, ideas or services.

Flyers are communication through media to take action upon products, ideas or services.

Flyers are not litter, waste, trash, and they are not solicitation of any kind.

Any other claim or willful misleading information will not hold water to the law or in court.

CASE CLOSED.
HARASSMENT

Utah Code Section 76-5-106. (1) A person is guilty of harassment if, with intent to frighten or harass another, he
communicates a written or recorded threat to commit any violent felony. (2) Harassment is a class B misdemeanor.