Seven tips for designing flyers

As early as the late Middle Ages, flyers were considered an important mass medium, even before the daily newspaper. Even then, merchants used the practical handbills to advertise their offers. Thanks to modern printing processes and digital possibilities, it is nowadays much easier to use flyers as an advertising medium. But in order to get the full attention of their target group and remain in the memory of potential customers, companies need to keep a few things in mind.1. choose the right formatBefore companies can think about the content and structure of a flyer, they need to determine what format the handout should have. As a rule, small to medium-sized formats are suitable for flyer printing. Common sizes include DIN A5, which is also common for notepads, and DIN A6, which is the common postcard size. Different paper thicknesses can also help companies get attention. In addition to paper and format, companies can decide whether to have only the front or additionally the back printed. When it comes to color design, it is important to consider whether colors should be used and if so, how many. Basically, however, not too many different colors should be used so as not to overwhelm the viewer.2. think about the sense of touchOne point that should not be underestimated in the design of printed matter is the recipient's sense of touch. The more unusual the feel of a flyer, the longer it will remain in the viewer's memory due to the memorable experience. Companies can achieve special tactile experiences, for example, by using natural, affiche or recycled paper, as well as finishing with varnishes or cellophaning. The more important the flyer, the more refined it should feel.3. pay attention to a clear structureViewers usually have a short attention span: a flyer must be convincing within a few moments, otherwise it will be put away and forgotten. That's why it's important to design its content clearly and to direct the reader's eye to the most important statements right away. It is also relevant that a "red thread" is recognizable. To achieve this, companies should avoid long passages of text and use images to support the message. The general rule is: less is more. This also applies to fonts - too many different fonts can confuse readers.4. convince with good textThe text is the heart of every flyer - because it must convince the reader. For this purpose, a meaningful title line must make it clear to viewers at first glance what the advertising material is about. In addition, companies should make sure to answer all W-questions (Who, What, When, How, Why, Where, What for) briefly but sufficiently and thus inform the reader. It is also important to present to potential customers the added value that the company offers them and to provide them with contact information for further information. Finally, companies should make sure to include a call-to-action - a request for action. This call to action, e.g. to request further information or to make an appointment for a consultation, additionally engages customers beyond the mere reading of the advertising material.5. know customersTo reach a specific target group with the flyer, companies must know their customers. This is because the target group affects the approach chosen in the advertising material. For example, customers in B2B and B2C environments are addressed differently, and the age of the target group also has an influence on the linguistic means. Before companies have a flyer printed, it is worthwhile to read the text again through the eyes of the target group and possibly get feedback from existing customers.6. pictures say more than a thousand wordsImages lighten up flyers and help structure them. In addition, suitable images can underline the statements of the text and convey content quickly, since readers can process visual elements faster than pure text. To make the flyer look professional, the images used should be of high quality and should not look blurry or pixelated. Only in this way do they act as a tool to draw readers in at first glance.7. trust is good, control is betterBefore companies have their flyers printed, they should check them once again: Is the spelling correct, are all key messages presented, is the text set correctly, is the image placed appropriately and is a legible font size selected? Some online print shops offer a data check that verifies whether the submitted print PDFs are printable and deliver an optimal print result.