How to design effective leaflets that work in the business world

How to create great leaflets - Colprint’s 5 top design tips

Conjuring up new ideas for new leaflets is never easy, even without the task of actually designing them and creating them. Have you always used the same methods and are reluctant to change the way you do things? Change can be difficult, yes, especially in the business world, but choosing to not change the way you do things could be a dangerous attitude for you to have. It doesn’t matter how big or small your company is, or the service you offer for that matter. In every business, leaflets are a valuable type of marketing, allowing you to reach your target audience in a tangible fashion. As a business owner or marketing director, you should never underestimate the importance of fresh, engaging content, in the form of a creative leaflet.

Our advice to help you create great printed leaflets

1) Consider the use of folds

Most of you will consider a standard fold when it comes to producing a business leaflet, but there are so many options out there for you and your brand to choose from. Consider using a variety of folds to make your leaflet unique and stand out in new ways. The half fold, roll fold, accordion fold and gate fold are all common folding techniques which offer ease of use and readability.

2) Engaging content with triple checks

People pick up your leaflets to read them. Therefore, your content needs to be engaging, simple and straight to the point. Don’t fill your leaflet with useless information or information your customers may deem to be unnecessary. Less is more in terms of what you have to offer in your leaflet. Use images, headers and cutting edge text do the talking for you. With that being said, it’s important to proof-read your content. Once, twice, three times. Get other eyes to read it, or hire a professional if you need to. This will make you look more professional. Make your content clear to read and check that all dates and/or prices are correct if you are informing people of special offers that include expiry dates.

3) Clear target audience

Ask yourself straight away, who your target audience is. This will help you in the design process. and ensure you start off on the right foot. If you believe everyone is your target audience, you are sadly mistaken. As a business, you need to define your customers by age, location, social/geographical status and potentially even gender. For example, a valuable product needs to reach the right person as there is no sense in offering it to everyone. You should ensure a specific customer reach, where the same will apply to cheaper, lower end products too.

4) images and informative graphics

Images have a massive impact on all marketing materials, regardless of what the material is. If you are promoting products or a service, images are invaluable. The visual quality is as important as the image itself, as they will have a direct association with your products or services. Remember that your images must be high quality and don’t risk using average quality images as this will affect your reputation and the image your brand currently possesses.

5) understanding your audiences needs

As you have already established your target audience it’s time to get to know them and understand them a bit better. Using the right fonts and understanding the importance of layout and format is crucial. You should always consider the obvious fact that most people read from left to right and top to bottom, and make a conscious effort to understand the psychology of reading, and this way, your leaflet will be well perceived in the eyes of your customers.

Producing an engaging, successful leaflet isn’t an easy thing to do and you should never tackle a project without the right tools and knowledge to do so. If you are having thoughts about your next marketing campaign and think leaflets may be the way to go, please be sure to contact Colprint today. Our team of professional, time-served experts will be able to discuss your requirements with you and make sure you get it right first time. Print in quality and the sales will take care of themselves.

Thanks for reading, we hope you enjoyed the latest edition of our blog! Please be sure to keep your eyes peeled for more helpful tips and expert advice from our printing team here at Colprint!

How to design a business card that will leave a lasting impression

Considering business cards are so small, how is it even possible to make a good first impression and convey the overall image of your business? With only 2 inches by 3.5 inches worth of space, what can you do to get the message across?

Well, there are certain things to take into account. For instance, you are right, the cards are limited to space, and you can’t exactly make them bigger when they are designed to fit snuggly in your wallet or purse. But, you can still lay your card out in a way that projects professionalism and in a way that will make people remember you next time they need a plumber, an electrician or even a printing agency such as ourselves.

In order to success and produce a perfect business card which sells yours and your businesses products or services, you need to take into consideration colour, text and the feel of the card. These three things contribute massively to the overall appearance of your business and the way it will work when slung into the business networking world.

Designing anything in the world requires common sense. This will help you massively!

If your business markets children's toys and children's games, you would benefit by incorporating bright, vibrant colour's, and words written in a children's font. At the other end of the scale, if your business offers high-end, project management services then you would want your card to project an image of professionalism and reliability. Traditional colour's like black, white and beige are a great way to do this, with sharp, clean fonts that are easy to read.

As a printing company who designs business cards on a daily basis we would disagree with any designers who say, “leave it to us”. This is because they don’t want to help you or teach you, and simply want to charge more for the design process.

Colprint firmly believe if you follow these few tips, we can help you design a business card that works effectively, using your own imagination. If you are working to a budget, designing your own business card could be just the thing for you, to help you cut costs and save money.

Try to think of business cards you have received and you know you like. If you work in a creative business like children's events or party planning for example, you will have a bit more scope with what you can do, but generally, these tips will do the trick!

- Make sure your logo is the largest part of your card.
- Think of the space. You are limited to what you can do so use the important bits and don’t try to over do it!
- Include the essentials only: name; title; company name; address; phone number; email address; website address.
- Make sure the fonts are easy to read and as a rule of thumb, use the same fonts throughout, with an exception to the logo in some cases.
- Maintain the same one or two colour's throughout.

Once you've got your business cards you are ready to go! So what do you do with them next?

- Hand out more than one! This gives the option for referral where those you know can give one to people they know.
- Include your card in all correspondence.
- Use a card case to carry cards with you at all times. This will ensure they stay clean and undamaged!

Break the rules! Everyone uses the same cards, but if you are lucky enough to work in an industry which allows you to bend the trends and mix it up a bit, here’s a few things you could try:

- Try double the size! 4 inch by 7 inch cards that fold over like a mini brochure - this allows for more information and the option to add photo’s!
- Non-conventional shapes like a mouse for a web design company or a phone for a company who fixes mobiles.
- Textured paper gives the readers something to admire, as does coloured paper. Try to stick to lighter shades though so the text is enhanced and easier to read.
- Use thermography. This is a process which creates raised, shiny print and adds interest to the card. Embossing and Spot UV finishing are similar too, offering a creative edge that will help you stand out from the crowd.