6 top tips for creating an effective flyer

While businesses are increasingly taking their advertising spending online, there is a reason stores like WalMart and Target still pop a circular in your mailbox or a sales insert into your local paper each week. To put it simply, it still works.

As a Wall Street Journal article recently explained, “the problem is digital alternatives have failed to lure as many customers into stores as the weekly deluge of paper coupons.”

So flyers can still play a valuable role in your marketing mix.

Whether you take the newspaper or mailbox route, the advertising strategy behind flyers is the same: to grab the reader’s attention, stimulate their interest, and get them to spend money with your business.

Here’s how to make sure your flyer is as effective as possible:

Use a professional designer

Remember the old expression “first impressions matter?” When a potential customer picks up your flyer, they are making quick and subconscious judgments about your business. They’re deciding whether you look professional or like some cowboy outfit and whether you present as the kind of company they’d like to do business with. Usually you will have only seconds to get your first impression right—probably about as long as it takes to walk from the mailbox to the trash can. So it is vital to get the look of your flyer correct. It needs to communicate your message quickly and clearly.

A professional designer will know how to do this. They understand good design and how people see and read words, pictures, fonts and design elements. They will know how to order and structure the information for maximum impact and legibility. Designing a flyer seems like a simple task but so does changing a tire until you actually have to do it for the first time. Hire a professional—they’re worth the investment.

Use more pictures, less text

There’s another old expression, “a picture paints a thousand words.” It’s also far less cluttered than a thousand words. A good, crisp, clear image is the best way to grab a potential customer’s attention. Try to keep the words on the flyer to a minimum. Create a short, punchy headline to pique the reader’s interest and limit other words to bullet points if you can. Only include relevant information that will be of interest or importance to the reader.

Carefully consider whom you are targeting with both your words and images. If you are hoping to get more moms and dads coming in for passenger tires, that photo of a muscle car with the full aftermarket kit probably won’t work.

Use your company colors and logo. While most of your flyers will ultimately be thrown out, the real value is in the consumer recalling your company when they need to buy new tires.

Remember to put your contact information on the flyer, including phone number, address, opening hours and online details like your email, website and Facebook page.

Use a proper printer, not your photocopier

Think about the kind of flyer you would respond well to. Chances are it is probably in full color and printed on gloss paper. The quality of paper you use and whether you use full color or spot color (usually black and one other color) will obviously depend on your budget, but these decisions will have a direct impact on how professional you look. You want to present your business in the best possible light. It might be cheaper to photocopy your own flyers and cut them out by hand, but what does it say about your company and your commitment to doing a job well? Don’t underestimate the value of using a proper printing firm.

Use a proofreader

People are real sticklers for correct spelling, punctuation and grammar. I used to work with a lady who would get out a red pen and correct the spelling on restaurant menus. On one level it’s funny but on another it’s mortifying. Bad spelling and grammar reflects badly on your dealership and—strange as it might seem—it can lose you business. It reflects poorly on your attention to detail and level of care. So get a proofreader to look over your flyer before it is printed. (Don’t just use the team in your shop or your family—even if your eldest child did really well on their English exam. Hire a professional.)

Distribution is absolutely key

Unless people see your flyer, it is wasted money and effort. There are several common distribution channels. The first, as mentioned above, is to run your flyer as an insert in your local newspaper. According to Wanderland Media, quoted in the Wall Street Journal article, about 80 percent of people who read a print newspaper look at the flyers inside.

The second option is to hire a professional distribution service to either send flyers through the mail or to hand-deliver them in your target areas. These services are relatively inexpensive but it is still worthwhile shopping around for the best deal.

The most important thing is to keep it legal. While leaving flyers on windshields in the parking lot during a big game might seem like a quick and easy way to hit thousands of people with your marketing message, you can wind up in a whole lot of trouble. The rule is: if it is private property, get permission first.

Track your results

Like with any marketing activity you want your flyers to provide a return on your investment. A great way to do this is to include a coupon or special offer. That way you can see how many customers are coming in to take direct advantage of it.

For some examples of well-designed flyers, check out this site.

Tagged: Flyers

6 top tips for creating an effective flyer