Owning a business can be a challenge, especially when it comes to marketing and finding out your customer base. Whether a B2B business or a B2C organisation (like a fast food restaurant), you certainly need to get the correct information to successfully link with your marketing objectives. Direct marketing is still playing a huge role in meeting these objectives – in fact, it can help to keep your brand fresh, as well as getting your company name heard.
The term ‘direct mail’ has been a term for over 140 years, ever since the first ever mail-order catalogue was produced in 1872. Having a professional design can go a long way, as creating the best first impression from your leaflet is key. Follow our five steps to perfect leaflet design and creation.
- Space
Some may say that less is more when putting a leaflet together, and this is certainly correct. A leaflet full of text isn’t appealing to a reader and isn’t too pleasant to the eye. If a reader can skim over the document and get all the information they need within a short period of time, chances are it’s a good-looking document. You don’t want cluttered space, so keep this in mind through design.
- Imagery/Branding
Of course, while less is more, you should always make the leaflet look visually appealing. If using photography, make sure the photos are of high quality for print, and that they are appropriate for the format and style. Photography can be important for showing any products if necessary, dependant on what you are selling or the purpose of your leaflet. As well as this, don’t forget to get your branding across strongly. Use your brand colours and styling and make sure your logo is on the front so the reader sees it first.
- Quality
Quality is important for all aspects of the leaflet, from the content to the print. The message you are trying to get across needs to be short and to the point, but also in line with strong, unique and quality content. The quality of the print is equally important as the rest of the leaflet. The reader may not appreciate it or disregard it due to mediocre quality if you’re not careful. By using a more luxury paper, the audience will get a better impression of your company and brand.
Leaflets can range in thickness and finishes; giving you options of silk, matte and other luxury papers, so be sure to use wisely. Plus, don’t forget to save your digital file in CMYK format for print.
- Readability
Perhaps one of the most crucial factors is the readability of the leaflet. Your spelling, grammar and formatting need to be of high quality. This is the same with the colours used in the leaflet. Try and avoid too many light colours such as white and yellow, especially combined, as this can be difficult to read unless it has a dark background.
When it comes to wording, try using short, snappy sentences and get your brand personality across in the content. A simple and catchy title can grab the reader’s attention. Don’t forget about the size of the font either, anything less than 10point can become a struggle to read.
- Call to Action
Last, but not least, never forget a clear call to action. As a business owner, you want the leaflet to make conversions, and how will you do that if a CTA doesn’t include vital information? A clear CTA will help measure the success of the leaflet. When enquiries come through, try and ask customers how they found you; if they say the leaflet, you know it’s working. An example of a call to action is a website URL, social media details, a phone number, email address, or a QR code. If an offer is being promoted, don’t forget to make the price clear.
Leaflets can be a wonderful way to directly target your audience, locally or further afield; away from a more digital method of marketing. At The Private Postman, we care about your business being high-quality ready for a high-quality distribution service. If you now have a perfectly designed leaflet and need delivery, we can certainly help. We offer leaflet design and print services as well as leaflet distribution services to make the entire process as smooth as possible for you.
