Whilst digital platforms allow for great personalisation and highly targeted ads, our attention spans are constantly decreasing. How likely is it that you’ll remember a marketing post longer than it takes to press the share button? This is why a marketing leaflet, if done properly, is still highly relevant in 2019.
- Use Bold Colours and Striking Designs
- Write Emotive Copy
- Delight Readers by Getting to the Point
- Be Memorable With Your Marketing Materials
- Stand out From Competitors
- Experiment With Stock and Paper Options
- Embrace The Fact You’re Designing a Leaflet
- Combine a Strong Message and Compelling Imagery
- Get Creative With Printing Techniques
- Invite a Simple Action to Market to Them Further
1. Use Bold Colours and Striking Designs
Be loud and be bold. Your leaflet needs to be striking and clear, offering something different. It should pique your target reader’s interest in some way.
How you do this is up to you. But it can be done through humour, shock tactics, intrigue or just a striking visual appearance.
The vital first step to making your marketing leaflet relevant is to smack the reader in the face and get their attention. Take this example from PETA:
2. Write Emotive Copy
Taking inspiration from the PETA leaflet above, the image is super-powerful in its own right but the headline is also strong and direct. The sentence demands you to read on and the devastating imagery commands your attention throughout.
The cohesive way image and copy work together is what makes the leaflet so powerful.
It’s pretty hard to not have an emotive reaction to this leaflet and the method can be adapted for your own needs too. The key takeaways are:
- The image and text work together to promote unified messaging.
- The copy text is direct and lacks any polite adverbs like “please” because this could weaken the overall message.
- The copy text puts the reader in a corner. If they go to bullfights, it alludes that they condone an animal ending up that way.
A completely different take on this, but just as brilliant, is the This Girl Can campaign. This initiative is aimed at encouraging more females to take part in sport. The campaign shows women actively involved in activities that aren’t traditionally feminine, with striking captions.
3. Delight Readers by Getting to the Point
The next time you’re at a motorway service station or in a hotel reception lobby, take a look at the plethora of leaflets advertising local attractions. See how many of them don’t follow the first two points about getting the reader’s attention and making an impact with copy.
You’ll probably notice the vast majority of these leaflets will be text-heavy but ultimately require very little. Consumers appreciate when the right information is delivered quickly, so It might be ideal to utilise a contents page.
4. Be Memorable With Your Marketing Materials
You can picture that leaflet display stand now, can’t you? There are lots of museums, trains, countryside parks, theme parks, businesses and attractions.
They’re all just too repetitive, familiar and definitely not memorable to somebody flicking through. What makes them unique might just be the way they’re folded, the colour scheme or printing technique used.
Leaflets that are well made and visually demanding stand out a lot more than any of the traditional information-overload leaflets which most marketers choose to print. Remember to draw some sort of reaction.
If you can make someone feel a certain way, it means they have invested an emotional response into your leaflet so will be more receptive to your wider message.
5. Stand out From Competitors
Whatever your competitors are doing - do something different. If they’re using plenty of words and little design work, be adventurous and use graphic illustrations with minimal copy.
Standing out is the key to getting noticed. There should be something about your leaflet which makes somebody think beyond the piece of advertisement.
Here are just a few things that would make a reader hang on to your leaflet:
- Use compelling case studies and testimonials where possible, these are great for showcasing your services or goods.
- Don’t be afraid to use interesting fonts to emphasise your most important points.
- Try out different folds for your leaflet to see which works best for your copy and purpose.
6.Experiment With Stock and Paper Options
When a leaflet is held in your hand, it’s not just seen in the middle of a Facebook newsfeed. Your reader will touch and feel your leaflet, the quality materials and craftsmanship that’s gone into this visual piece. So, this is a great opportunity to stand out from the competition once again.
Experiment with different stock types and weights to show you’re a cut above the rest. Even choosing something different from the standard lightweight, tri-fold design will help make your leaflet feel different from the rest.
It can be a subtle difference or something prolific. When handed a range of leaflets at an open event or charity day, if yours is made from recycled card rather than standard paper, you’re already doing something different.
7. Embrace The Fact You’re Designing a Leaflet
Don’t try and squeeze all the information about your service, product or business into one tiny leaflet. Nobody is going to read it all and it’ll end up going straight out with the recycling.
There’s only so much a leaflet can do, but it can work alongside your digital marketing efforts.
Be clear that you only require a small amount of somebody’s valuable time. Invite them to find out more elsewhere, maybe your website or email address.
8. Combine a Strong Message and Compelling Imagery
Drawing a reaction means you’re more likely to be mentioned by the leaflet reader.
Somebody enjoying what you’ve created enough to say, “Ha, that’s good, have you seen this?” and then pass it to the next person means that two people have consumed your message. Then they’re likely to talk about it further.
Creating just another leaflet is not enough to be worth mentioning. You need strong design, a powerful message or a noteworthy goal - or, ideally, all three.
9. Get Creative With Printing Techniques
Another way to make marketing leaflets significant is to utilise innovative printing techniques. An innovative print finish can be just as important as everything else on your leaflet.
Print marketing is still relevant because of its easily customisable canvas. You can utilise LED UV printing techniques to create spectacular leaflets, brochures and more.
Using a glossy or laminated finish for your leaflet can help create a great first impression and showcase the quality of your product or service.
Consider something like metallic foiling and embossing too. These techniques when used in moderation, can create a sophisticated leaflet with that extra something special.
10. Invite a Simple Action to Market to Them Further
Lastly, it’s important to not expect too much from a leaflet. If you’re a charity or company, it’s unlikely that people will convert into being a donor or customer off just one piece of paper they’re handed.
Set a smaller goal for yourself and plan for the leaflet to be a stepping stone onto the next step of the reader’s journey. Invite them to follow you on social media or take part in a free competition.
When they’ve done this, then you can market to them further.
Learn More About Printing’s Relevancy in 2019
Leaflets can come in many variations and they can play a major part in a wider marketing strategy. This print campaign can work hand in hand with your digital efforts and has many options when it comes to materials and formats.
Find out more about how print is still an option in 2019 by learning more about all the different print techniques:
