Door knocking and digital advertising can both reach people in a local area, but they work in fundamentally different ways. Many effective campaigns use them together. Note that our door knocking service is available in Australia only.
What door knocking does well
- Conversation: people can ask questions and receive immediate answers.
- Trust for complex offers: face-to-face contact helps when an offer needs explanation.
- Hyper-local coverage: every home in a defined area can be contacted.
- Qualitative feedback: you learn directly what residents think.
What digital advertising does well
- Scale and speed: reach thousands of people quickly.
- Precise targeting: by location, interests, search intent and time.
- Measurability: clicks, enquiries and costs are tracked in detail.
- Flexibility: budgets and messages can change daily.
Cost considerations
Door knocking costs are driven by staff time, training, supervision and materials, so the cost per contact is higher. Digital costs vary by platform and competition. The useful comparison is cost per genuine enquiry or outcome, not cost per contact.
Compliance and courtesy
In Australia, door-to-door sales are regulated under the Australian Consumer Law unsolicited consumer agreement provisions, which include permitted visiting hours, identification requirements and leaving when asked. "Do Not Knock" signs should always be respected. Digital advertising has its own rules, including platform policies, privacy laws and anti-spam requirements for email and SMS.
When to choose door knocking
- Community information campaigns where understanding matters
- New local services that benefit from personal introduction
- Areas where digital reach is limited or audiences are less active online
When to choose digital advertising
- When you need measurable results quickly
- Services with clear search demand
- Campaigns across wide areas or multiple regions
Combining both
A coordinated approach might include local social ads introducing the campaign, door knocking a week later, a leave-behind flyer with a QR code, and retargeting ads for people who visited the landing page.
Learn more about our door knocking service and digital marketing, or talk to our team.
