Door-to-Door Leaflet Distribution vs Direct Mail: What’s the Difference, and Which Should You Choose?

Marketing teams today have more channels than ever to get their message into customers’ hands. But when it comes to physical, print-based reach, two methods consistently stand out: Door-to-Door (D2D) and Direct Mail. Both are powerful – but they serve different purposes. One offers broad reach, the other targeted precision. Understanding the strengths of each helps brands choose smarter, spend better, and even combine both for maximum impact and measurable results.

• Door-to-Door = broad, affordable reach - ideal for awareness and geographic coverage, covering full postcode sectors.

• Direct Mail = a more targeted, personalised and measurable approach, delivering strong ROI. Reaching individual households (or businesses) based on bespoke geographic or demographic requests.

A blended approach can often work best – broad reach from leaflet distribution with precision follow-up via Direct Mail.

At Flow, we’re experts in all things D2D and Direct Mail. In our latest blog we explore the key differences between D2D and Direct Mail to help you when planning your future campaigns.

Door-to-Door vs Direct Mail: What’s the Difference and When Should Brands Use Each?

When planning print-led campaigns, brands often compare door-to-door (leaflet) distribution with Direct Mail. Both get physical marketing into homes – but each plays a very different role.

Door-to-Door: Broad Coverage at Low Cost

Door-to-Door distribution delivers unaddressed leaflets to every household within a chosen area. It’s cost-effective, and ideal for brand awareness, local promotions, store openings, and catchment-specific campaigns. If the goal is scale and visibility, D2D is a strong choice.

Direct Mail: Targeted, Personalised and Measurable

Direct Mail uses customer data to send addressed, personalised printed materials. Because it reaches specific individuals with tailored messaging, it achieves higher engagement and stronger ROI. DM is perfect for customer acquisition, loyalty activity, and any campaign where measurability and precision matter.