Leaflets are a simple, direct and cost effective way to get information about your company or brand out to a targeted demographic, giving new information to existing customers or trying to broaden your clientele. But while it is quick, easy and cheap to get a leaflet ready to distribute, it’s worth remembering that every contact you have with potential customers says something about your business. Therefore, every aspect of your leaflet must work, from the design to the printing to the paper to the copy. Creating a successful leaflet and using it to market your business effectively and strategically can be a crucial component of a wider marketing campaign.
What is a leaflet?
A leaflet is simply a printed piece of paper with a clear, concise message on it that can be handed out in person, delivered through the mail or attached to another piece of company literature. Leaflets differ from flyers because they usually contain more information – flyers are a single sheet printed on one or both sides, whereas a leaflet is folded, with more copy and more detailed information. Which option you choose depends on your marketing strategy – a flyer is better used to advertise a single event or product, while a leaflet means you can promote your brand more widely. But there are some things you should take into account with the design and content, so let’s take a look at creating the perfect leaflet for your business.
Colours and logo
It’s important for a recipient of your leaflet to be able to associate it immediately with your brand. If you have a company logo it should be prominent enough, and in the same colour as everywhere else. Leaflets are a great way to reach out to your local community, which is why it is an effective marketing channel for small businesses who may have higher brand visibility in their locale. Keep the colours complementary and recognisably yours.
Purpose
This is important. The leaflet needs to be concise but detailed enough to convey the message you wish to send. Remember that a leaflet is not a brochure, there is no space to go into every aspect of your business in any sort of detail. Determine the purpose of your leaflet – are you advertising a new product or service? The tighter the focus of your leaflet, the more effective it will be. If need be, here are some great tips on leaflet distribution that you can read up on to get more information to improve your strategy to distribute them.
Spacing and design
It’s easy to design a fairly intricate leaflet without being a professional, but it’s also easy to get it wrong. A leaflet should look great, with strong fonts and bold colours, but if the message is unreadable due to it being badly spaced or sized it is pointless. The use of white or empty space can make a leaflet stand out and increase the clarity of the message – but it’s probably worth talking to a professional designer about that.
Images and quality
If you’re using images make sure they look good when printed, and don’t infringe on the meaning of the leaflet. Think about how many leaflets and flyers you see where a photo has been stretched to fit on and looks terrible. Remember how your leaflet looks is a reflection of your business to a customer. Another point on this – make sure the paper the leaflet is printed on is of high quality – too many leaflets feel cheap and nasty, and you don’t want a customer to get that impression about your company. To ensure that these sorts of errors don’t happen, it may be wise to hire a leaflet printing service that is used to providing top quality products. It would save you the time and effort of learning the whole process and reduces the risk of failure and redoing the whole thing to a negligible margin.
Copy is king
So your leaflet looks great, the paper feels great and your logo is there for all to see. All of that is for nothing if your copy isn’t up to scratch. Great copy is punchy, clear, engaging and concise. Rambling, roundabout sentences are going to condemn your leaflet to the trash before your message gets across. Lay out bullet points of your main objectives and then construct your copy around that. And take the design into account – too many words may leave the leaflet cluttered and unprofessional looking.
Call to action
What is your leaflet for? Engaging the audience, and that means you need a call to action. Whether it’s a voucher for 10% off in your store or a gift incentive to subscribe to your email newsletter, you want your audience to reach out and turn into paying customers.
Leaflets are a valuable part of any campaign, alongside other printed materials, and add another layer to your marketing strategy.
