Even in a world dominated by digital marketing, online campaigns and TV advertising, making and distributing leaflets is still a great way for you and your business to connect with your current and potential new customers. Whether you’re getting a new project going, promoting events or special offers or just looking to target a specific demographic in a more personal way, there is a place for a well made, well designed leaflet. Whether you place your leaflet directly into the hands of your potential customers or have them distributed via relevant magazines or publications, they remain a potent tool to reach your target audience and boost your business. You want your leaflet to stand out, so here are some tips for creating one that will shine out.
Your message
What do you want to say? Before you get into the look and design of your leaflet it’s best to decide firmly on what message you want to get across. Are you aiming to widen or increase your client base? Or do you want to establish stronger ties with existing customers through special promotions or offers? Once you’ve decided on the idea for your leaflet you should get to work on the copy – this should be clear and concise, informative and snappy. Remember, you want your message to leap out, and be the first thing in the mind of the reader. Be wary of too much text – often you can say a lot about your company or brand with the design and feel of the leaflet, which we’ll come on to next.
Size and cost
Leaflets come in all shapes (well, usually rectangular) and sizes – from A3 right down to A7, depending on how you will distribute it and how much you have to say. You could fit your message on to one side of A5, or you may want to have a multi sided, folded or stapled leaflet. Leaflets are great for advertising because of their versatility and low cost. Whatever you want to say you can say it with a leaflet and the range of sizes and types.
Design
With advances in software, photo processing, layout and text manipulation has never been easier. That said, if you aren’t confident in your abilities to create a great looking leaflet you may want to consult or use a professional designer to help you out. Remember – design shouldn’t detract or interfere with the message your leaflet is conveying, if anything it should enhance and amplify it. If you’re using pictures make sure they are high resolution – and make sure you choose the right type of paper to print them on.
Call to action
OK, you’ve got your leaflet looking great, your message is clear and concise, the paper feels good and looks professional. Now what? You want a response from your target audience – not just the admiration of your snazzy leaflet. A call to action can be all kinds of things, from free gifts and product samples, offers and competitions to the promotion of events. You want your target customers to interact with your business – and remember, that means having clear contact details on your leaflet. Just as with business cards, contact info should be highly visible, intelligible and simple to process.
The right feel
We’ve mentioned the right kind of paper. There is nothing worse than a flimsy, badly printed leaflet. In the same way your attire at a meeting or the appearance of your business card can represent your entire brand, so does your leaflet. Tastefully thick paper, clear, crisp printing, neat folds are all things potential customers will be attracted to. Make sure the paper is sturdy enough to withstand multiple readings or thumbing through. Plasticky feeling, limp leaflets feel cheap and nasty, and can give off a very negative impression of your brand, if they ever get looked at in the first place.
Call in the professionals
Don’t be afraid to spend a little budget on getting some professional advice. From designers to copywriters you may need a helping hand at some stage of the creation process, but it will pay dividends once you have a snappy, professional leaflet to promote your brand, products or services.
Whether you are giving out leaflets at a trade fair, presentation or outside promotional event you’ll want to rest assured that your leaflet presents your company in the right light. If you’re putting them in publications and circulars you’ll want them to stand out from the rest of the bunch. So follow some of the tips above and give a boost to your business!
