Ten Fantastic Ways to Add Fun to Your Flyers

By Karen Saunders

What fits on one sheet and costs pennies to make?  You see them all the time.  Flyers are hugely effective, because you can make so many and distribute them all over the marketplace without having to spend a fortune.  But just so your flyers don’t get lost in the shuffle, I’m going to show you ten techniques that professional designers use to make flyers “fly”:

1. It’s all about the headline.  What’s in a headline?  It’s the first thing your prospects will see, and this will decide if they keep reading or not.  So pick something that will stand out, stick in their mind, and make them want more!  Here’s a few magic words to start with:  Easy, The Secrets To, Unlock, Finally, Insider, Time Sensitive, How To, Free Bonuses, Now You Can, Discover, Proven.  Just sprinkle these on your next headline and see how many heads you turn.

2. The eyes have it.  Colorful, striking graphics always make their point.  And one large image will pack more punch than several smaller images.  A good graphic creates the mood and sets the scene for your message.  Getting the perfect “focal point” is easier than ever now with stock photos you can buy on the internet.  Get one or a hundred for whatever you might need.

3. What’s in it for me?  That’s what your prospects want to know.  Stay away from words like:  we, us, I, and our.  Take their perspective with words like “you” and “your”.  They’ll like it when you focus on how your product or service will benefit them.  Show them with words like:  free, save, love, new, results, and guarantee.  Make the benefits easy for them to pick out with bullet points and text boxes.

4. Go tell it on the mountain.  A ringing endorsement speaks volumes.  When people read how you have positively affected another customer, they are more likely to give you a try.  Make sure you get a first and last name, company name, and location.  Then add that stamp of approval to your flyer.

5. Less is more.  You don’t need to fill every space on your flyer.  Break it up with text boxes, add borders to your key points, and use contrasting colors to add emphasis.  It will make the best parts stand out and be easier to read.

6. STAY AWAY FROM ALL CAPS.  They’re hard to read!  Instead, use bold type for your titles and subtitles.

7. Keep it simple.  Your page layout, that is.  Your graphics program should have a “snap to guidelines” function so that you can easily align items to the grid.  And watch those print margins – stick to ½” margins on all sides, or add 1/8” for bleeds on items that print off the edge of the page.

8. Proofread, proofread, and proofread.  Oh, and did I mention to proofread?  Have someone else do it for you – a pair of fresh eyes might uncover something that yours have grown used to.  And did you check that contact information?  Dial all the numbers, and type in web addresses to make sure they’re correct.

9. On a tight budget?  Try this.  Use brightly colored or unique paper and black ink.  Use shades of gray for tone and contrast to background areas.

10. Who doesn’t like a deal?  Design a coupon on the bottom quarter of your flyer.  Put a special offer on it – and don’t forget to include any deadlines or limitations.  For mail in offers, make it easy for them to pay you with areas for credit card information, mailing address, etc.

Try these techniques on you next flyer.  I predict fantastic results!

Karen Saunders is the author of the award winning e-book, “Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal:  How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools!” available at www.BuyAppealMarketing.com. Since founding MacGraphics Services in 1990, Karen has produced thousands of successful marketing projects and has designed the covers of 21 books that have become best-sellers or won awards, including a “Writer’s Digest” Grand Prize winner for the best self-published book in America.  Contact her at 888-796-7300, or Karen@macgraphics.net.

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