Frequently asked questions.

We published our first three directories in March 2008. We grew steadily over the following 14 years, reaching 34 directories in 2022.

Our readers span all demographics, with a greater share of older residents who may be less comfortable searching online.

Reliable, consistent delivery is central to effective letterbox advertising. We primarily use our own employees and small local contractors to deliver our directories.

Each directory covers a two-month period, and our delivery staff and contractors work throughout the month. Most copies are delivered by the end of the first month, with the remainder delivered in the first week or two of the second month. We don’t deliver during periods of heavy rain.

Our average distribution is between 10,000 and 11,000 copies per edition, with individual editions ranging from 9,000 to 13,000 copies. Distribution numbers change each month as new homes are built and the number of letterboxes displaying No Junk Mail stickers changes.

Our policy is not to deliver to these letterboxes. Please let us know if you believe one of our employees or contractors hasn’t followed this policy.

Yes. Some businesses advertise in just one directory, while others advertise in more than half of our directories. A typical advertiser chooses three or four directories close to their centre of operations.

We accept only one business per category in each directory. However, businesses in different categories may offer overlapping services. For example, a builder, a handyman and a painter may appear in the same directory and all undertake painting work. The nature and scale of their jobs generally differ, which helps keep competition to a minimum.

Our directories work well for home services and home improvement businesses, which are our most popular categories. We’ve also achieved results for hair salons, real estate agents, mechanics, retailers and other businesses. For some of these categories, a generous special offer can be an important part of a successful ad.

Yes. We have clients who’ve advertised with us continuously for more than 15 years. These are small businesses that monitor where their work comes from and manage their advertising budgets carefully. Some successful, long-term clients use our directories as their sole source of new business.

Results vary considerably between businesses. You may start to see enquiries in the first month, with call volumes generally building over the following six to 12 months. Households often keep and use older directories rather than replacing them each time a new edition arrives. Advertising in consecutive editions increases the number of copies of your ad in people’s homes.

We recommend that businesses new to advertising with us try at least three editions, or six months, before judging the results.

We publish new directories every two months, but residents may keep using them for much longer. Advertisers have told us about visiting homes where residents were using directories more than 10 years old. Your ad can continue generating enquiries beyond the initial two-month period.

This depends on your business category and how effectively you convert calls into customers. Our research found that 70% of residents calling through our directories didn’t seek a second quote. This describes callers’ quoting behaviour; the proportion of calls that become jobs will vary.

Ask each new customer how they found your business. Making this a routine part of your enquiry process is the best way to understand where your work is coming from.

We can also use a unique phone number in your ad to track calls and messages and forward them to your main number. This gives you useful information, but won’t capture every enquiry. For example, someone may see your ad, visit your website and then call the number shown there.

No. You’re welcome to supply your own ad, but most advertisers let us design it for them, free of charge. This lets you benefit from our experience of what works well in our directories.

Genuine, generous special offers can improve responses. An offer could be a price discount, such as 10% off a quote, or a free or discounted additional service, such as a half-price BBQ clean with every oven clean.

We don’t recommend using offer redemptions to measure your results, as many residents respond to ads without mentioning the offer.

A good photo can improve results by helping residents see who they’ll be dealing with. Focus on looking friendly and professional.

No. We have clients who’ve used the same ad for more than 10 years and continued to get good results. You’re welcome to update your ad when your business details or services change, but a well-performing ad generally doesn’t need regular redesigns.

Full-page ads are A5 portrait: 210 mm high × 148 mm wide, with a 5 mm bleed on each edge.

Half-page ads are 140 mm wide × 100 mm high, with no bleed required.

Please supply your artwork in PDF format.

Artwork specifications for your designer →