A quick guide to leaflet design
Getting your company message in front of the right people can be a constant challenge when aligning it with your marketing objectives. Digital marketing is often the first point of action, with social media posts and email campaigns being at the forefront. However, the more traditional direct mail marketing should not be overlooked.
One effective way to use direct mail marketing is in the form of leaflets and flyers. These humble printed documents can be a wealth of information about your business or the products and services you offer. There are endless benefits to using leaflets as an effective marketing tool. The main one being the fact you can target different audiences that may not follow or engage with you in a digital fashion. Leaflets and be distributed straight into people’s homes, inserted into magazines or sent out with orders.
Creating a leaflet that stands out is not always the easiest of tasks. You tread on the idea tightrope, balancing between an engaging design and providing all of the relevant information to generate enquires. Your aim is to create a lasting impression with prospective clients.
When you set out designing a leaflet, it’s important to plan. Having excitement and enthusiasm is great, but rushing into your design can lead to it appearing messy and unfinished. Adhering to a handful of basic steps will lead to a professionally designed piece of marketing.
Layout – Grab a scrap piece of paper and draw out the basic arrangement you want your leaflet to have. Plot where you will place images and text. You will then have a clearer idea of how much space you have to work with and the amount of information you can realistically include.
Images – Pictures are important and can help to communicate the message you are trying to convey. It is important that the images your select are high quality and suitable for print. There is nothing worse than spending your time designing a show stopper leaflet that is then let down by blurry, low resolution images.
Font – Your key messages need to be clear and easy to read. Ensure the colours of the text and background contrast and stand out. Don’t overload the design with a page full of text. Keep sentences short; bullet points work great to relay your message in a quick way. Another factor to remember is to keep the font size about 8pt in order for it to be readable.
Stock – The print quality of your leaflet is equally as important as the written content. The paper stock should complement the design. Try to remember that your leaflet is a physical piece of marketing that your prospective clients will touch and interact with. Most leaflets will vary in thickness, but if you need some help selecting the right stock just let us know. As with most print, the paper and finishing choices are endless. Our videos will give you an idea of just some of the finishes and folds available.
Don’t forget these – Someone has picked up your leaflet, engaged with it and now wants to get in touch. But wait, you have missed off key call to actions! The call to actions can come in a variety of formats and are actions for people to take to get in touch with you and find out more about your services. You should include a contact number, social profiles, website and email.
If you are now inspired to create that professional leaflet, remember to make sure you are setting the artwork up correctly. Our blog ‘how to set up artwork for print’ should help. Now get creating!