Top 10 Design Tips for an Effective Leaflet

"On average, 5 times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent 80p out of your pound." - David Ogilvy

With the digital world pervading our lives more than ever, it's not uncommon to think that leaflet distribution is a thing of the past. However, knowing the ins and outs of this industry - leaflets are very much proving still to be a viable approach to gaining customers and brand awareness.

You may have had a failed door drop campaign yourself, or feel irritated by flyers altogether. This would likely put you off the idea of using a door drop service, and who can blame you if it's cost you time and money. What people fail to consider though is that it may not be the method that is failing you, but rather the message.

As with any form of marketing, prior research is necessary for your campaign to be successful. Design is not just making something look nice, it's researching and problem solving in order to communicate your message as best you can. With our industry knowledge here at Bristol Leaflet Delivery we can help guide you through the factors you need to consider in order to drive results.

To help start you off, we have put together 10 things to consider about the message your leaflet design is giving.

1. Title/headline - this is one of the most important aspects of your leaflet and it should stand out above the rest of your text. Your audience will be initially drawn to read your title and they will decide within seconds whether they want to read the rest of the leaflet. Make it eye catching, attention grabbing and leave them wanting more info.

2. Include an offer - People are far more likely to keep your flyer if you can include an offer/discount of some sort.

3. Benefit - what problem are you solving / how are you different / what service/product are you offering. Make it clear in short and snappy sentences what you are about.

4. Keep content brief - Don't include too much information, people don't read it. It they know what you're offering and they want to know more they will act on it.

5. Usability - Think about what action you want people to take from reading your leaflet i.e. to call you, to visit your website, keep it on their fridge etc. Design with this in mind and be creative.

6. Call to Action - Following from no.4, make it clear on your design how you can be contacted by clearly providing your number, website or other contact info.

7. Visuals - Make it visually appealing. Get a graphic designer who can help you with finding clear fonts, good layout, allignment, striking imagery etc.

8. Use Exciting words - As you are keeping your text to a minimum, use power words which excite people/ something you do differently to competitors.

9. Double sided - Something commonly overlooked is that people think they are saving money by printing on just one side of the paper. The reality is that its a difference of a few pounds to print thousands of leaflets double sided. Upon doing a leaflet drop you can't always predict which way it will land so you need to be sure your message is seen.

10. Paper quality - if your leaflet is wafer thin it could be crumpled simply upon delivery. A thicker flyer not only feels more professional but looks it, and delivers well. This can help your audience to trust your business more.