Solus vs shared distribution: which should you book?
This single choice explains most of the price gap between distribution quotes. It is worth understanding properly before you compare suppliers on rate alone.
What each term means
Solus: your leaflet is the only item delivered on that round. Shared: it travels with one or two other non-competing items, so the cost of walking the round is split between advertisers.
Cost against attention
Shared is cheaper per thousand because the walking cost is shared. Solus costs more per thousand but arrives without competition on the doormat. The right choice depends on whether you are optimising for reach or for attention.
- Solus - highest attention, best for testing a new offer
- Shared - lower rate, useful for extending reach on a fixed budget
When shared makes sense
When you already know the leaflet works, when the offer is strong and instantly recognisable, and when your priority is covering more households with the same budget.
Our default recommendation for a first campaign
Solus. If you are measuring a first drop, you want the result to reflect your leaflet rather than the two items it arrived with. Once you have a baseline, testing shared against it is a fair experiment.
Frequently asked
Do you charge extra for solus?
Solus is our standard for tracked campaigns rather than a premium add-on. We will always tell you which method a quote is based on.
Will a competitor's leaflet go with mine on shared?
No. Shared rounds exclude directly competing businesses.
Which gets a better response?
It depends on the offer and the area, which is why we recommend establishing a solus baseline first and testing from there.
Book the right distribution method
Tell us your goal and budget and we will recommend solus or shared honestly.