Leaflet Design. How to design a killer marketing flyer or leaflet

Get your HEADLINE right

80% of people only browse headlines....so if yours is no good, say adios to your budget

"When I sat down at the piano, my friends all began to laugh. But when I began to play....."


This is one of the most famous and successful headlines from an advertisement of all time.
It's not hard to see why.
It intrigues the reader...it makes you want to know more....it draws you in.

Getting a killer headline is your most important single task when designing this type of advertising.

If you dont feel comfortable coming up with your own eye catching headline, dont worry, there are plenty of resources to help.

'100 Hypnotic headlines' is a great place to start....other useful links can be found further down the page.

20 'must have' elements for a successful leaflet or flyer.

Now we know how important it is to create a great headline.....we need to consider the individual parts of the advert itself. Here is a list.

1. Use of Fonts, Typefaces

The fonts and type styles you use in your leaflet or flyer should be crisp, clear and above all, readable. Avoid fancy or overly ornate fonts. The font should be in keeping with the image you are aiming to portray in your advert.

Some cardinal rules to observe are...

- Don't use more than two typefaces in any one advert. (Keeping to one isn't a bad thing)

- Tried and trusted fonts such as Arial, Verdana & Times New Roman usually work best.

(TIP) For print advertising, we use a lot of Frutiger Ultra Black, which is superb for headlines, backed up by Frutiger Bold for sub headers and body copy.

- Don't over use BOLD.

- Don't over use ITALIC

- Don't ruin the hard work done by creating a great headline by using lots of CAPS or upper case headings, or even worse, sentences.

2. Sub Headings

3. Explain what your advert is about

May sound obvious, but you'd be amazed how many adverts fail to actually explain, in clear and concise language, what their product or service is offering.
Ask yourself this simple question....could a 10 year old reasonably be expected to understand the ads sales message?
If the answer is no, or your not sure...go back and edit your copy until you ARE sure.

(TIP) If you have a complicated product or service....your aim is to create copy that simplifies it so it becomes less daunting to your prospect.
If you have a simplistic product or service...your aim is to create an impression of technicality or sophistication...to 'add value'.

4. List, or even better, highlight the key features of your product or service

5. Establish your technical or professional credibility

6. Price. (are you trying to compete on price?)

It is very difficult to sell on price alone. Thats not to say it cant be done, but it isnt easy.

If we think of 3 of the basic selling triggers...PRICE - QUALITY - SPEED OF SERVICE, the same can be said for any of the three.
If your quality is very high, it can still be hard to sell if your competition offer similar quality a lower price...

And so on...you can see how the selling triggers work best when harnessed in tandem.
Two together is good...three or more and you have a winning formula.

7. Speed (are you trying to compete by responding to a prospects problem faster than your competition?)

The next two elements are opposite sides of the same coin.

Many purchases fall into 2 categories.

1. Stress purchase
2. Considered purchase

If your computer has just blown up and you cant do some important work, your first instinct will be "How do I get this problem fixed as quickly as possible"
You probably will not be too concerned about cost....just how quickly can someone come out and get you back up and running.
This is a 'stress purchase'
A stress purchase is often one forced upon the buyer by circumstances.

Tell your prospect how quickly you can respond.
Back this up with a few other selling triggers.

8. Quality (is your proposition based on quality, and disregards worries about price comparisons?)

If you are trying to sell on quality....make absolutely sure your advert design lives up to your product.

You may want to consider using an experienced and skilled designer for your artwork.

Use only one of the classic typefaces.

Use understated and subtle headlines and sub headlines.

Your advert should give the impression that you 'expect' the prospects business....not that you are pitching for it.

10. Objections. it's critical to anticipate your prospects potential objections and bring them up...then neutralise them.

"A man convinced against his will....is of the same opinion still"

11. Be Gender aware...it is a fact that the woman in many households is the buying authority

Feminising the content and appearance of your advert is well worth considering.

(Of course, if youre advertising male jockstraps then we need have a rethink......but you get the thrust of what we are saying.)

Using a female image in the advert softens it.....and will make it create a little more empathy with the female audience.

12. Use simple, clear sentences and text

13. Avoid jokey language. Be opinionated about your product or service, but nothing else.

This is a more complex apect and deserves some explanation.

If you recall, we discussed the all important element of the adverts headline, and how critical it is to come up with a good headline.

When creating your headline, there is nothing wrong with using humour. So..I can hear you say.."isnt that using jokey language?"
Well...yes and no.
If you use what is known as a 'bent' headline (which means it is a play on words, a quip, or maybe a satirical or sarcastic comment) you need then to be careful to follow this up with 'straight' copy. If you use a bent headline AND bent copy the whole thing normally wont work.

(the advert shown here is a good example of using a bent headline to stimulate interest, but following it up with good, factual and informative copy about the business)

The main thing to take on board here is not use excessive puns or gags in your copy. Your prospect just wont appreciate it.
Dont try to be too familiar too. Expert copywriters can get away with this...but is a very special skill and if its not done expertly it may well kill your advert stone dead.

14. Avoid cliches

15. Special Offers.

If you have a special offer, be sure to include it.

Have'nt got one? Give some thought to coming up with one.

A good offer can improve your response rate by 200%.

Often special offers revolve around money discounts or some other price led offer....but need not necessarily always do so.
Offering added value can actually be even more successful if your offer is imaginative and stimulative enough.

16. Guarantees. These reassure your prospect. Make sure you include them.

17. Website address.

If you have a good website, make sure you include its address.

We have qualified this by saying a 'good' website. ( Incidentally, if you need a great website..we can help http://www.thisworks.co.uk/website-web-design.php )

Its still amazing to us how many businesses still have awful websites.

if your's is a credit to your business, it's an asset you should certainly be utilising.
As good as your flyer or leaflet is...it has a finite amount of space in which to tell your story. Your website should be a comprehensive overview of your business, so don't waste its potential.

18. Balance. your advert needs to be balanced.....from the all important headline down the footer.

19. Easy to deal with. You need to appear approachable and responsive.

Make it as simple and easy as possible for a prospect to contact you.

Offer them free advice.
Maybe no call out charges.

Use a free-phone, toll-free number if you can.

Can you offer a 24hr service?

Make sure your telephone number is nice and large.

20. Call to action. Ensure you encourage your prospect to go ahead and contact you!

Don't be afraid to ask the prospect to contact you.

Amazingly...lots of advertising fails to do it.

If youve put together a good story to tell your prospect, it should be a natural progession.