What are the key things....

angeldiva

.......A flyer or leaflet should have one them?

I have someone to design but I have to give them the wording and I know everyone here has such fantastic advice and opinions...(she smiles)

Savvy_Sue

Who you are.

What you do.

How to get in touch with you.

Anything else is optional, but might include what you charge (examples or 'typical' prices would be fine if it varies), and what areas you cover if that's a consideration. Also introductory discounts, reasons for choosing you over your rivals etc.

FWIW, I always used to go for black ink on flourescent paper, because coloured inks on white paper doesn't stand out as much in the mish-mash of paper that comes my way, but I suppose it depends what you're offering: I was promoting an out of school club and 'loud' was appropriate ...

angeldiva

I dont know where the thank you button has gone....

but thank you!! Savvy Sue

Savvy_Sue

angels960 wrote:

I dont know where the thank you button has gone....

but thank you!! Savvy Sue

You're very welcome. I seem to have the Thanks button back at present, but who knows where it goes - a life of its own!

I guess the key to what I said was KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid). Not suggesting that either you or your potential 'audience' are stupid, but it's easy to get so carried away with the 'design' that you lose sight of what you want to communicate.

For the same reason, on a wordier brochure, it's always worth getting someone who doesn't like reading to read it and tell you which bits 'work' and which don't.

I tend to use too many words ... which leads me to a final point: proof-read, proof-read, proof-read. Double check phone numbers, email addresses, dates if it's a time-limited flyer. Check grammar and spelling: 99% of the general public might not care about (or even notice!) the greengrocer's apostrophe, but it puts the rest of us right off your service (whatever it is!)

gingerdad

Just my thoughts. Key things from my point of view.

Where is it going to be used?
Don't put to much text on it.
Keep it simple.
get it done professionally
Try to look at it from either your customers point of view or a laymans point of view.

I work distributing tourist leaflets and it's amazes me how many aren't clear about what the are or who they are and it's important to make sure people pick them up. the design is important but its got to sell what you do and not just who you are.

I hope that helps

GD

gingerdad

Savvy_Sue wrote:

I tend to use too many words ... which leads me to a final point: proof-read, proof-read, proof-read. Double check phone numbers, email addresses, dates if it's a time-limited flyer. Check grammar and spelling: 99% of the general public might not care about (or even notice!) the greengrocer's apostrophe, but it puts the rest of us right off your service (whatever it is!)

Make sure you get plenty of other people to proof read it as well as you don't always see your own mistakes.

and then proof read it again.

helenstuff

Instead of trying to tell people what you do/offer try to think about how to tell them what what you do means to them.

Where you might usually think:

"You can buy this from me"

Add:

"Which means that......"

eg,

"I can sell you a pencil.... which means that you'll always have something to write with!"

I came across this at my local business support centre - it was demonstrated as a way of working up your 'spiel' for when you're networking, but I find it helps to start me off when I need to write something too.

Savvy_Sue

gingerdad wrote:

Make sure you get plenty of other people to proof read it as well as you don't always see your own mistakes.

and then proof read it again.

Very true. Also don't proof-read on-screen, you miss more mistakes on-screen than you do when it's printed out!