I wrote a piece about putting together an effective flyer for your business, which covered the content, the written words on the page. Lots of considerations, and I hope of some help. If all of that hasn’t given you a headache – next comes the design. Where to start?

flyers

It might be best to get some quotes for the design, if you aren’t skilled with that side of things. Just like asking for help from an accountant for your books – Use the skills they are trained in. Graphic designers have a portfolio of work on their websites, and some will be working with business people you know, so ask around.  Look for recommendations, or web search in your area to find a local provider who will work to a one-price quote.

ast-flyers

However, should you wish to dabble yourself, here are some pro tips for getting a good looking design:

  • Who the flyer is for, what is the purpose of the flyer. Is it to inspire an action – perhaps a booking, a phone call? Every other point on the flyer must be checked against this point, so be clear about your intentions. Write it down as your benchmark.

  • How big? Well again, going back to its purpose – this sheds light on the best size for use. Do you need something that would quickly fit into a pocket? Will you be handing them out to people personally? A6 is probably best, or A7. Will you be displaying the flyer somewhere, perhaps at point-of-sale? Will it be hand delivered to residential addresses? Go for A5 to grab more attention. Will you be posting the flyer? Does it need to fit inside an envelope?

  • Two-sided designs – whilst this would cost more in design fees and take more time initially, it only costs a small margin more to print on the reverse of the flyer. So use it! Or pal up with another business, complimentary to your own, who would be willing to use that space. Half the printing costs? Yes please!

  • Start with your logo – or if you don’t have a logo, what visual cues does your business have? Do you wear uniform, do you have a shop sign, what about your website or facebook page? To brand your flyer, use the colours and fonts (or very similar) to your logo. Stick to a few hues throughout the design for the smartest effect

  • Fonts – again, stick to only a few. Legible fonts like Arial, Helvetica, Tahoma  work well for body text, whilst more decorative fonts might be better suited for headlines. Remember you can use bold, italics and capitals for added emphasis too

  • well-placed images can transform any design. Take inspiration from your chosen colour scheme, again consider your original intention for the flyer, and choose a picture that sits well.

  • Finally, keep the original files, and also create a more universal file of your design. This will mean that if you email your flyer, you wont have to specify the application to open the file in. Stick to JPEG, PNG or PDF for file formats – the added advantage is the smaller file size too.