They're in the pages of our newspapers. They come through the door. They get given to us as we walk through the local high street. They even get left on our car windscreens outside our houses. It sounds like the build up to a bad 1950's B-movie, but I'm not talking about anything as sinister as Body-snatchers. I'm simply talking about leaflets.
Leaflet distribution is everywhere. It is one of the most cost effective, immediate and versatile ways a company can market its products or services. Unlike other methods of advertising and marketing like TV, billboard posters and glossy magazine adverts, leaflet distribution is relatively cheap and easy to do. Having said that, the best leaflet distribution campaigns are the ones that are well planned and executed. Accessibility and ease of use is not necessarily a short cut to success. There are still considerations when creating and distributing the leaflets.
There are many different ways to produce a leaflet. Millions of different designs have been created all with the intention of getting you to part with your money. But how many of them have been successful? We have all, at some point, bought something because we saw it advertised on a leaflet that was either put through our door or inserted into a newspaper, but for every time we took notice of one of these leaflets how many did we just ignore or throw away? Why did one catch our attention and not another?
There is no hard and fast answer, if there was everybody would be doing it. There are however reasons why some have more of a chance of being successful than others, primarily it is down to design. Leaflet distribution is most successful when it is part of a fully formed and well thought out plan. Somewhere along the line this plan will have had to take into account the best way to catch the attention of its target audience. This is done using good design.
Getting noticed through good design doesn't necessarily mean using the boldest, brightest colours and having text displayed as large as possible (although this is sometimes appropriate) but it is about knowing your audience and using that knowledge to appeal to them in a subtle yet effective way. Sometimes all you need is a simple understated picture and a few words. Other times you need exciting pictures or lots of text.
There are two areas that, if given enough thought, can make the difference between your leaflet bringing in a customer or ending up in the recycling bin.
Colour - The colours you use are going to be the first thing that a potential customer ever sees in a leaflet distribution campaign. They will also be the thing that they remember most vividly. Getting the colour of your leaflet right immediately gives you a profile. Sometimes you'll be restricted to you company's colours; there might be a certain pantone colour that your logo is printed in or the company name may always be printed in a specific shade.
If this is the case then use a complimentary colour as well. The idea is to be eye-catching. There are also a few things to remember about the emotional response people have to colour; green is comforting, red is dangerous and blue is calming. The product or service you are advertising will, to a large degree, determine the colours you should consider.
Type - There are thousands of different type faces on the market. Some convey humour, others convey reassurance. The best advice is to keep it simple. Go for something that can be read easily and at the same time looks good. Don't mix different fonts. Two is good, three can work but any more will look busy or messy. Remember that a good leaflet distribution campaign is all about presenting the right image.
Author Resource:-
Dominic Donaldson is an expert in the leaflet distribution industry.
Find out more about leaflet distribution and leaflet design.