We’re big fans of using printed marketing to complement the digital marketing that you’re already doing. Print can build on digital and online marketing and aid your real life – in the field – marketing activities like exhibiting and networking.
Connecting online is great. Add Raj on LinkedIn; he’s a big fan of it. But when all is said and done, the online retention value is dropping. With our 7 second attention span and overwhelm, businesses are up against it when we want to be remembered… which is a core part of any marketing.
A leaflet might sound slightly old hat and not something you’ve considered for a while, but it’ll last longer that your swanky Facebook ad and the impact goes deeper than the online message.
Leaflets linger…
Think about this for just a second. When you get given a leaflet, what do you do with it?
Do you sling it over your shoulder right away? No.
Even if you’re not interested in the business at all you’ll most likely be polite and pop it in your expo bag, pocket, or laptop bag/handbag.
If one comes through your door you’ll skim read it, leave it for other member of the house to see it, and even if you then recycle it, you’ll see it more than once.
If you’re into the idea, the product, or the service then you can pin it to your notice board or stick it to your fridge.
You can’t do that with an Instagram post!
Why not consider creating a leaflet for your business? Let’s give you our top tips and design knowledge to help you design a great leaflet…
Be consistent
Before you do anything, think about your brand and your message:
- What do you stand for?
- What are your values?
- How do you speak, look and sound?
This should follow through with everything that you do in marketing and a leaflet is no different.
Please don’t create a leaflet from a template that creates a whole new ‘you’ and doesn’t fit with your brand or message. Stay on brand and work from your brand guidelines at all times.
Think of the end result
Next up, think about who this leaflet is for.
(Hint: it’s not for you!)
Any marketing should do this, and you really should get into the habit of lining up your end goal for your print marketing before you put pen to paper.
Here are some key questions to ask before you begin:
- Who’s your audience?
- What’s the problem you’re solving for that audience?
- What do you want to achieve?
- How can this leaflet help you to be known, liked, and trusted?
Now you have a real end goal for this marketing you’ll be able to create a better message and theme it around the right words, ideas, pain points, and focus.
Write and design with the end game in mind
Create your content based on your answers to the above questions.
Pain points are a good starting point:
- What’s the pain your ideal audience are in?
- How do you fit in to help with that?
- What words are they (not you) associating with that pain?
Use these words and build a short story with pain and solutions (that you provide) into them.
A good starting point is to start with a bold statement or known issue for your prospect, and then offer the solution that will remove that pain. Then tell them how to get what you offer.
Don’t over-do it!
Hang on! Don’t waffle, keep things simple, and be selective with what you include.
A good leaflet has just the right balance of design, wording, and images. Too much and you overwhelm the reader and confuse the message that you’re trying to convey.
The correct balance of text and images is essential in a leaflet so that you get your message across well. Too much of one or the other might be off-putting and you’ll fail to get the message across. When this happens, the leaflet is useless.
Avoid stock images if you can
Some stock images are OK, and there are so many options now that help you to avoid the terrible, fake, and soulless stock photos you saw in the 90s. Where you can, try to incorporate ‘real’ images of you and your business.
Putting yourself and your actual business on your leaflets has far more impact than stock images.
They’re unique and they build on the connection you already have. This is especially important after an expo or networking event where you’ve most likely handed the leaflet to them yourself.
Take a break!
Give the reader a rest. Too much text, too much content, and too many images will look like a lot of work to read it.
Like it or not, the reader’s mind will look for shortcuts, so show them that this leaflet is a short read, and appeal to that goldfish attention span.
Consider breaking up your leaflet into sections. This works very well if you use folded sections, as you can walk them through your messages and give them just enough on the front cover to get them to open it.
Size it up and let it take shape
Try different sizes and shapes to differentiate your leaflet(s). Use different font sizes (not lots of typefaces please!) and mix up the design so that the HEADLINE stands out and the Call ToAction is clear and concise. Only ask them to do one thing.
Changing the size of text can give the reader some shortcuts to the information if you make the sections simple and short and start with bigger headings.
If they’re interested and they realise you can help with their problem then they’ll read the rest!
Tell them to take action!
Have a clear Call To Action with clear contact details at the end.
This is the reason you’ve created the leaflet, right? Don’t put too much there; you’ll create ‘choice paralysis’ and that will generally lead to no choice which isn’t great for you.
Put your contact details in a simple and well-placed areas and make sure you don’t bury it in too much design or place it over a busy area of the leaflet that makes it hard to read.
The CTA is important. Make it count.
