It’s true we live in a digital, online, 24/7 age. But that fact hasn’t stopped the flow of printed marketing material from flooding mailboxes, desks, and coffee tables. So as the sea of brochures and business cards continues to stream through peoples’ lives, how do you ensure your audience reads your print collateral rather than tossing it in the recycling bin without a second glance?

Consider these tips for creating stand-out print collateral.

Do –

  1. Keep it simple and succinct. Each piece—business card, brochure, flier—should have a distinct purpose, and that purpose should dictate the engaging included content.
  2. Embrace white space. Not only does a wall of text look intimidating (and often boring) to readers, the eye doesn’t know where to focus if there’s no blank space. So plan accordingly to take advantage of the “white space” appeal.
  3. Go for graphics and Charts, graphs, and, even better, infographics to grab attention and communicate large amounts of information in an eye-catching way. Photos create a remember-able consumer experience. Spring for professional photography or, at the very least, take and use your photos rather than stock photos that will weaken the authenticity of your print collateral and lend nothing toward your brand.
  4. Choose the paper carefully. Whenever possible, go for the “feel factor” by using textured, recycled, or glossy paper, vellum, or even fabric. Also, colored paper with contrasting print will grab attention in a stack of plain white mail.
  5. Coordinate your online presence with all printed materials. In addition to coordinating the logo, font, and color scheme, include social media handles and QR codes to encourage readers to seek out your online presence. Consistent branding across all marketing ventures is one of the best ways to garner the “repeat exposure” needed to be remembered in the sea of information screaming for the consumers’ attention.

Don’t –

  1. Try to cram every tidbit of information into every piece of marketing material. Remember, more is less. Crowded, text-heavy details are more likely to be chucked than read. Even a business card overloaded with info is often set aside without a second thought.
  2. Go overboard with gimmicks. Crazy and wacky may be memorable, but no one wants to be remembered because the result was so gimmicky that it overshadowed the message or left the readers confused.
  3. Forget that all print collateral needs to be legible to be effective. It may seem like a no-brainer, yet we’ve all experienced a piece of print advertising that was difficult, if not impossible, to read. Font choice, text size, and placement all factor into readability.