Aug
24
Written by:
Project Complete
8/24/2009 11:10 AM
You don't get a second chance to make a good first impression. Have you heard that one before? It's true! When you're meeting someone for the first time, you want to look your best. The same holds true for your marketing materials. The first impression of your company may be your business card, your newsletter or a brochure, and you want to make sure that whatever you produce that represents your company makes a good first impression.
Here are some tips to keep in mind for the production of your marketing materials:
- Get a logo and stationery package designed professionally. Your stationery materials reflect your corporate personality (or branding), while maintaining a clean and professional look. They should look good in color or in black and white, they'll reproduce well in all sizes, and they'll simply be more attractive than what you can expect to do yourself.
- All your printed materials should follow basic design principles:
- Keep the look clean and simple. Don't overload the reader visually, and align the different elements in an orderly way. Allow the eye to "rest" with sufficient white space.
- Avoid too much type. A brochure is a visual document, and pages filled with endless writing are not appealing, so break up the copy and boost visual interest with photos, illustrations, cartoons, charts or other graphics as appropriate.
- We all want to know what we are looking at, and a caption gives you the chance not just to identify your product but to remind the reader of the benefit. So put a caption with each photo.
- The use of headings and subheadings provide scanning points to direct the reader, also making it more readable.
- Stick to the basics: We've grown accustomed to the standard 8-1/2" x 11" format for print materials, so if you go with an unusual size, your pieces may not lend themselves to being filed easily for reference, and be cumbersome for the recipient.
- Be sure your materials have a "family look." Every piece of literature doesn't have to look identical, but they should all look planned as a compatible unit, like it belongs to the same company. Colors and design elements should be consistent.
- Invest in good photography. Small companies sometimes scrimp on getting good photos of their equipment, their job sites, their equipment in use or their accessories and supplies. Strong, professionally done photography will set you apart from other small companies. Your customers want to be reassured of the quality of your product, and amateur snapshots give a very damaging impression of your professionalism.
Just like selecting the right clothes to wear to an event, taking care to select the right look for your marketing materials can determine your company's first impression. You may never get a second chance!