There are a lot of options for marketing materials. Which ones you will use depends on your target market, your budget, and the goal of your marketing. The marketing materials that you produce to advertise your business tell your customers a lot about your business – how you run it, how seriously you take it, and how they are going to be treated. So, take a few things into consideration when creating marketing items for your business that will help put a good face forward for you and your business.
- Be sure to spell check everything! Misspelled words really stand out on a page and on a website. Although everyone makes spelling mistakes, with spell-checking capabilities available in every word processing program, there is no excuse for having errors on your marketing pieces. Don’t forget that the spell-checking software may misinterpret what your sentence is saying, so have a few friends or family members proofread your text for grammatical and contextual errors too.
- Make sure that your business information is correct. Check your phone number, address, website address, and any other pertinent business information. You want to make it easy for people to find you! If you have information that changes frequently, like seasonal prices, think about ways you can refer to that information without explicitly stating it on printed material. This will increase the lifespan of your printed pieces. Information that changes rapidly will put your printed material out of date quickly. There is nothing worse to a potential customer to appear at your business expecting to pay one amount only to find that the price has changed. It’s not a good way to start what should be a great customer experience.
- Print in color. It adds a sense of professionalism to your materials and shows a commitment to your business. These days, printing in two colors isn’t that much more expensive than printing in black and white. Printing in four colors is even attainable for smaller budgets; however, the quantity of materials that you print really makes a difference in price. Talk to your favorite printer to get some estimates before making your decision on quantity and format.
- Don’t include all of the information about your business and don’t have too many photos on a printed piece. Print material only allows you a certain amount of space, so include the most important points — the information that tells the customer who you are, why you are unique, and why they should come visit your business or do business with you. Focus on the benefits to your customer that your business offers, then be sure to include contact your information and website where that customer can find more information. If the marketing piece was created well, you will have the customer’s interest, they will go online, e-mail you, or give you call to find out more. Printed material should pique the interest and point potential customers to other avenues for more information. Cluttering up small spaces only loses the interest of potential customers. If it is hard to read or if the message isn’t clear, you have wasted your advertising money.
- Always keep an eye out for other companies marketing materials that really strikes you. If something grabs your attention, take a good look at it. What is it that makes the impact? Learn from what’s around you and take in advice with regard to your own materials. Before spending a lot of money on printing brochures or fliers, get as much input as you can from family, friends, customers, and other business owners. However, know when to draw the line as too much feedback can be confusing. Design is a personal thing and everyone has their own taste. Be sure to ask for an explanation on their opinion when seeking feedback. Comments such as “I don’t like the color,” really aren’t helpful without a justification. Does the color evoke a negative emotion? Do the chosen colors not complement one another? And remember, the final decision should always be yours.