Promoting your business to potential clients requires several avenues of marketing to insure a wide exposure. From brochures to postcards, business cards to presentation folders, and greeting cards to newsletters, the print design for marketing tools should follow certain rules for professional presentation. Although tips might vary for individual types of commercial advertisements, the seven general tips below can be applied across the board.
1. Color is one of the most important aspects to design because of its ability to capture attention. Choose contrasting colors for the most eye-catching results. Never use more than three to four colors to avoid over-stimulation; and smaller marketing tools such as business cards should stick to a maximum of two colors. Use a full color, also known as four color, printer to produce colors that blend well and appear professional.
2. The text of any print design should be short and simple to avoid boring readers. Using headers and subheaders will not only organize your information but also give clients an easy way to skim, necessary for the pace of today.
3. Proper layout makes your information more readable and interesting. First of all, organize information in groups. Then align coinciding images with the text using columns for symmetry.
4. Style your design based on the image of your company. Use your company logo and message for a guideline. For instance, to appear family-oriented, use photographs of families and provide events or incentives for the entire family.
5. Audience is another aspect that should determine design. If your clients are mostly businesses, use corporate-styled fonts. For younger audiences, use edgy color contrasts and fonts.
6. Always include contact information so that clients can easily get ahold of your company. Along with office phone, cell phone, fax number, and address, list your website and email address to give every possible avenue of contact.
7. Include a call to action that cannot be ignored. Giving clients a reason to contact you or come to the office will make your marketing literature more successful.
Often the design step of marketing prints can be the most time-consuming and frustrating part of print design. Hopefully the above guidelines will help your creative process go more smoothly and enhance the success of your advertising campaign.
