Why Tradies Should Letterbox Calendar Magnets Before Christmas
The weeks before Christmas are the best time for tradies to letterbox a fridge magnet because households are about to go into the period when things break - hot water systems in the heat, aircon units under load, blocked drains over the holidays - and whoever's number is stuck to the fridge at that moment gets the call. A calendar magnet survives on the fridge for the whole year; a plain business card magnet usually doesn't last past January. If you're planning a letterbox drop, timing it for late November or early December means your magnet is going up just as people are tidying the kitchen for visitors, which is exactly when old magnets get pulled off and new ones get a spot.
Why a calendar beats a plain business card magnet for this job
A plain magnet with just your logo and number is fine for handing out on the job, where the customer already knows who you are and wants to keep your details. A letterbox drop is different - you're reaching people who've never used you, and a magnet with no reason to keep it is easy to bin along with the junk mail. A calendar gives the household a reason to put it up straight away: it's useful on day one, not just in an emergency six months later.
That's the whole logic of a pre-Christmas drop. The calendar fridge magnets range is built for exactly this - a full year's calendar with your branding around the edge, sized to go through a letterbox or out with a Christmas card. The Standard DL at 210 mm by 97 mm is the size most businesses use for this kind of run, with the A5 at 196 mm by 140 mm giving a larger, easier-to-read grid if that matters more to you than unit cost. House-shaped versions are also available if you want the magnet to look less like standard advertising and more like a keepsake.
When a plain magnet still makes sense
Plain business card and DL magnets still have a place - on invoices, left with the customer after a job, or handed out at trade events, where the person already trusts you and just needs the number handy. For a cold letterbox drop aimed at households who don't know you yet, the calendar does more of the work because it earns its spot on the fridge before anything has even gone wrong.
What to put on the magnet
Whatever shape and size you choose, the details that matter for a trade business are simple and should be easy to read from across the kitchen:
- Your phone number, large enough to read without reaching for glasses
- The trade and the services you cover, so people know to call you for a blocked drain or a tripped switchboard, not just for jobs you don't do
- A short safety or emergency message where it's relevant - electricians in particular benefit from a line about what to do if the power goes out, because that's what turns a magnet into something worth keeping rather than tossing
- Your service area, if you only work certain suburbs, so people don't call you out of range
The fridge magnets for electricians range and the fridge magnets for handymen and builders range both work well with a short list of the jobs you actually take - blocked drains, hot water, switchboard upgrades, whatever it is - because a specific list gets remembered better than a generic "all your plumbing needs" line.
Targeting the streets you already work
A letterbox drop doesn't need to cover a whole suburb to be worth doing. The best return usually comes from streets and pockets where you've already done jobs - neighbours of existing customers are more likely to recognise your name, and word travels on a street faster than across a suburb. If you've just finished a job on a street, that's a good time to drop magnets to the houses either side and along the rest of the block while your work there is still fresh and visible.
Keep a simple list of streets and estates where you've worked over the past year and prioritise those for your pre-Christmas run, then expand outward into nearby streets if you've got magnets left over. It costs the same to print a magnet for a street you know as one you don't, but the one you know is far more likely to get used.
Getting it done before Christmas
Every order comes with free artwork, and you approve a proof before anything goes to production, so there's no payment until you're happy with the design. Once it's approved and manufactured, it's express couriered straight to your door. If you want to see the stock and finish before committing to a design, the free samples page is the easiest way to check it out.
Frequently asked questions
What size magnet is best for a letterbox drop?
The Standard DL at 210 mm by 97 mm is the most common choice for calendar magnets going through letterboxes, as it's compact enough to post or hand-deliver easily. The A5 at 196 mm by 140 mm suits businesses who want a larger, easier-to-read calendar grid.
Can I use a calendar magnet for more than one trade message?
Yes - many electricians and plumbers use the calendar space for the year-round branding and reserve a strip or footer for safety messages or a list of services, so the magnet does both jobs at once.
Do I need to design the artwork myself?
No. Artwork is free on every order, and you'll see a proof to approve before production starts. If you've got a logo and basic details, that's enough to begin - see the artwork page for what to send through.
How do I get a price for a letterbox run?
Instant prices are shown on each product page based on size and quantity. For a custom run or a mix of sizes, the request a quote page will get you a specific figure.
If you're ready to plan your pre-Christmas drop, start on the fridge magnets for plumbers page to see sizes and instant prices, or request a free quote for a custom calendar run.