Most of these case studies come from emails my readers send me. With their permission, I share them with the names changed. I do this so that others can learn from what worked and what didn't. Have a story of your own? Share it with me.
- 1 to 7inquiries a month
- 4 to 11regular students
- 3new flyer spots
Three kids at the Dothan public library argued about a fraction for ten minutes one Saturday.
The argument started on Agnes Teague’s flyer.
One of their mothers took a photo of the flyer and called Agnes that evening.
This math tutor flyer example follows Agnes, a retired middle school teacher who tutors in Dothan, Alabama.
Over about four months, she rewrote her flyer and moved it to new spots.
Inquiries went from about one a month to seven. Her roster grew from four regular students to eleven.
The problem
Agnes started tutoring after she retired. She printed a flyer at the office supply store, pinned it in a few places and waited.
Very little happened. The flyer looked fine, but it didn’t give anyone a reason to stop.
All subjects, all ages
The headline said “Tutoring, K to 12, All Subjects.”
Agnes could help with most of it, but math was what she loved and taught for 26 years.
Parents of a struggling seventh grader couldn’t tell she was a math specialist.
The flyer looked like it came from a general tutoring company.
A photo from her teaching badge
She used the photo from her old school ID. It was the only one she had, and it looked serious, almost stern.
A neighbor’s grandson saw it and said she looked like a vice principal. Agnes laughed, then realized he was probably right.
Posted where nobody waited
Her flyers hung on a grocery store board near the exit and a gas station counter. People walked past them in a hurry, carrying bags.
Nobody stood still long enough to read more than the headline.
The flyers also faded fast. The grocery board sat in direct afternoon sun, and within three weeks the phone number was hard to read.
The solution
Agnes made three changes. Each one was small, and together they made the flyer feel like it came from a real, friendly person.
A math tutor flyer example for grades 5 to 8
She narrowed the flyer to the grades she knew best. The new headline read “Fractions turning homework into tears?”
Below it, three short facts. Grades 5 to 8, math only, at the library or online. Then one calm line about going one step at a time.
A puzzle in the corner
She added a small puzzle in the top corner. “Which is bigger, half of a third or a third of a half?” A QR code below it led to the answer.
Kids stopped to think. Parents noticed their kids stopping. That small moment did more than any headline.
On the back, she added a short checklist of what most students can do by the end of 6th grade.
Parents kept the flyer to check their own child, and her number stayed with it.
Places where parents sit
She moved her flyers to places where parents wait.
The library’s children’s section, a swim school bench and a pediatric dentist’s waiting room.
She also replaced her school ID photo with one her daughter took, Agnes laughing at a whiteboard covered in fraction bars.
The process that worked
Agnes treated each new spot like a small experiment. She learned something different at each one.
The library board
The children’s librarian let her post one flyer and keep a small stack at the desk.
After a few weeks, the librarian started handing flyers to parents who asked about math help.
That personal recommendation brought more calls than the flyer alone.
Agnes thanked her with a handwritten note at the end of the term.
The swim school bench
Parents at the swim school sat for 45 minutes every week, watching lessons through a window.
Many read every flyer on the nearby board.
This spot brought her the most calls. Parents had time, and their kids were right there to try the puzzle.
The dentist’s waiting room
The dentist’s office let her leave a few flyers on a side table.
Fewer calls came from here, but the families who called were often ready to start right away.
She gave each spot its own code to mention, like SWIM10, so she knew exactly where each call came from.
She also read a few national education reports, like those from the National Center for Education Statistics.
They helped her understand why so many parents had grown worried about math.
It helped her write a calmer, more understanding promise.
What we learned from here
This math tutor flyer example shows how much a narrow message and the right placement can change for a solo tutor.
Inquiries rose from about one a month to seven.
Her student list grew from four to eleven, and most of them came from the swim school and the library.
The puzzle became her calling card.
Parents mentioned it on almost every first call, and several kids asked for a new puzzle each week.
Here’s what got a parent to call and what only got a glance.
| Got a parent to call | Got a glance |
|---|---|
| One grade band and one subject | K to 12, all subjects |
| A headline about tears at homework time | A headline that just said tutoring |
| A small puzzle with a QR code | No reason for kids to stop |
| A laughing photo at a whiteboard | A stern school ID photo |
| Spots where parents sit and wait | Busy exits and counters |
| A code for each spot | No idea what worked |
A few lessons go well beyond tutoring.
Say the one thing you’re best at. A narrow flyer feels like an expert, and a broad one feels like a franchise.
Put your flyer where people have time. A bench where parents wait for 45 minutes beats a busy exit every time.
Give people a reason to stop. A tiny puzzle turned a piece of paper into a conversation.
Agnes now changes the puzzle every month. She’s also planning a summer flyer about keeping math fresh over the break.
Tutors writing their own can follow the five steps in this guide to the math tutor flyer.
More case studies
Where to Hang a Flyer? Maternity Photographer Marguerite’s 4 Spots Booked 10 Sessions
- 0 to 20inquiries traced to flyers
- $74total printing cost
- 10maternity sessions booked
500 Flyers Out, 6 Tracked Ones In. Headshot Photographer Wes Books 17 Sessions
- 0 to 214flyer scans in 6 weeks
- 17sessions booked, incl. 2 team days
- 500 to 120flyers printed
Portrait Photographer Tobias Prints 180 Fewer Flyers and Books 8 Sessions
- 2 to 19calls and messages
- $96 to $58printing cost
- 8sessions booked
Personal Trainer Teodoro Moved His Flyer to Rehab Clinics and Got 9 Calls a Month
- 1 to 9calls a month
- 6new regular clients
- 21 to 8words in the headline
Brand Photographer Dominic Swapped a Busy Flyer for a Small Card and Booked 3 Shoots
- 160cards handed out in person
- 9owners called
- 3shoots booked
Real Estate Agent Silas Moved His Face Off the Postcard, Booked 2 Listings a Month
- 1 a quarter to 2 a monthlisting appointments
- 15texts per mailing
- 1,200homes mailed
Product Photographer Solveig Swapped 1,000 Flyers for Parcel Postcards and Won 14 Clients
- 14new clients from print
- 6from passed-on postcards
- $310print cost in 6 months
Plumber Dmitri Swapped 5,000 Postcards for Stickers and Got 14 Calls a Month
- 3 to 14calls a month from print
- $2,300 to $760yearly print cost
- 22repeat calls from stickers