Flyers are one of the most ubiquitous marketing tools available. They’re inexpensive and easy to create and can be completed quickly. They’re easy to distribute, too. If you want to make your flyers stand out, you have to be willing to put in the time and effort to make it worthwhile. Here are ten stages to follow that will help you achieve a flyer you can have confidence in.
Divide and Conquer:
Think about your assignment as having two components: the concept (the way you combine words and images to communicate a message) and the construction (budget, size, number of colors, quantity, coating, and other physical specifications that define the project).
Your Message: What do you want to say? Start with a plain simple statement. Then rewrite it to make it a bit more exciting. Then revise it again to make it provocative. And again to make it as powerful and memorable and motivating as you can make it.
Add Eye Candy: Humans are visually oriented creatures. Grab them by the eyes. Catch their attention with a photograph or an illustration that can’t be ignored. The ideal situation is when the words say something, your artwork communicates another thing, and together, they form an amalgamation that says something a lot more than the sum of the parts.
Details, details: Now you must add in the details that help bring home the bacon. What are you selling? Provide the name, function, benefits to the user, price, and other useful information. Finally, include where to get it – name of store, address, phone number, hours, a map – make it easy for customers to buy from you.
Refine and revise:
Usually, the first draft is just the beginning. You can make it shorter, more powerful, more memorable and more motivating every time you revise it. The phrase, “Less is More” is true. People are not seeking out opportunities to read more – give it to them short and sweet.
Keep it clean:
Your flyer will look more professional when you keep it simple and uncluttered. Avoid using more than two type fonts. Use fonts that are readable, consider the size of the type, too. Space the letters and words and sentences in a way that promotes reading. Try not to cram too many logos onto your flyer.
The nitty-gritty: A flyer is a page that has two sides, will you use one or both? Full color or B&W? Glossy or matte finish. Paper or cardstock? Who will create the press-ready files? How much is in your budget? How many can you afford to print? This stage is the time when you just have to bear down and “Git ‘er done!”
Plan Ahead:
Accomplishing all of these stages will require time. Allow about a month ahead of the deadline to begin work. Time flies – putting off the various tasks will only make the end result less than desirable. Take your time to create something that you’ll be proud of and that will deliver the results you are shooting for.
Double Check: Proofread every word, sentence and paragraph. More than once. And have another person check it too. Call the phone number. Confirm the price. Inspect every square inch of artwork.
Verify specifications. The time to catch any mistakes is now – not after it comes off the press.
Probe Your Printer:
After you’ve completed all of the above, you have to turn it over to a printer to produce. Ask plenty of questions. Ask for samples. Compare prices and turnaround times. Explore delivery options. Find out what kind of quality control measures they utilize. You want to feel confident in the printer you choose—the success of your project depends on it.
Flyers are the workhorses of many marketing campaigns. Hopefully, you have learned a bit from these tips and will be able to develop a thoroughbred that will put you in first place!
