As soon as the idea of a promotional leaflet pops in to your head, the first thing you should do is see it in colour.  The power of print allows you to deliver your personal message in glorious technicolour – be it funky, quirky, traditional or straight-talking.  The fantastic thing about leaflets is the carte blanche they give you to mix and match or stray entirely from your corporate image.  And no-one cares whether your leaflet matches your letterheads because what is important is the stand alone message and ensuring it is received, understood and memorised.

So, single or double sided, flat or folded?  This really depends upon how much you want to say, but consider sometimes that less is more.  A 4 page leaflet jammed full of text can run the risk of putting people off – no matter how colourful it is!  If you opt for a multi-page leaflet try to ensure consistency throughout in terms of colour, borders and images.

Talking of images, do try to keep them relevant.  The last thing you want is the reader spending more time wondering why you have used the picture of a sheep to advertise your beauty salon than taking in the message.  And the final word on images – always use high resolution pictures.  It is such a shame when a fantastically worded and well  thought out leaflet is spoilt by the glaringly low resolution image being used to promote your goods and services.  So don’t do it!

Follow the link to HMRC/Charities to find all the information you need.

Promote your business with special offers or a sale – increase your audience through poster power!  Publicising a gig, concert, festival or fair?  The poster is your route to the audience.

Posters from A Local Printer are printed exclusively on FSC certified papers – either 170gsm super smooth silk art or the eco favourite 150gsm uncoated 100% recycled.

Posing as a poster?
Let your imagination run riot – calendars, wall planners, instructive or informative notices, showcase or look-books, mini-brochure or price lists.  A poster can be all of these and more besides.

Top Tip – We register change.  Review and renew your poster advertising regularly to maximise the efficiency of your campaigns.

Does good marketing have to be costly?

We all do it.  Money off vouchers, two for one offers, loyalty cards, bonus schemes, free cups of coffee!  If we can get something for nothing we’re right up there at the front of the queue!

But effective marketing doesn’t need to be costly.  All of these marketing persuaders (with the exception of the free coffee!) can be rolled out to your audience for as little as £70 for 5000 A6 glossy leaflets ordered via our website.  That’s less than 1.5p per leaflet, per person! 

Top tip – to achieve and retain the edge on your competitors remember the MAP rule – Market Advertise Promote!

Beware of Hidden Costs

A potential problem when shopping around is what we call the ‘iceberg effect’ ie, what looks like a good deal on the surface has hidden costs lurking below! The most common hidden cost is delivery which is added to the price either in the shopping cart, or more annoyingly, at the point of checkout.

As an online shopper there is nothing more frustrating than finding your budget being blown on the hidden delivery cost – and in terms of printed matter, 10k flyers on 300gsm board can add a further £25.00 to the order!

So, the rule of thumb I always use is to go directly to the information pages and check the delivery information.

Free Delivery from A Local Printer

Happily, all of the published prices on the A Local Printer website include free delivery to one mainland UK address – so that is one less thing to worry about!

Our friends over at Fuzzydon.com specialise in Funny Cartoon Caricatures, such as this one they have done for me. Of course I am nowhere near as good looking in real life

We are going to be using these caricatures for some of our own marketing campaigns, including a Promotional Postcard Mailer and some Posters.

Meanwhile, Fuzzydon also provide items such as key rings, mugs, fridge magnets and mouse mats incorporating your caricature, so you can complete your promotional campaign in style!

Why not have a look at their website, or give them a call on 01822 615664 and ask for Suzi.

Defra Green Claims Code – ISO 14021 in Plain English

Yes, those industrious chaps at the International Organisation for Standards have even published an ISO standard for environmental claims. As with all ISO standards there is a cost involved to download the standard and then a degree course required to actually understand what it is the standard is saying. Luckily, DEFRA publish their own Green Claims Code which takes in to account this ISO standard and is explained in plain English! Whilst this may smack a little of “money for old rope” (which I am all for in terms of re-use and recycling) it does offer clarity on the use of, and types of, environmental claim – including the universally recognised and often misleading Mobius Loop.

The new section, aptly named “The Green Room” gives existing UKBF members with an interest in such matters a natural home to discuss the issues, and is bound to attract new members who were previously reliant on using niche Forums and websites to discuss these business issues and to find information.

Why is the UKBF Green Room so Important?

Quite simply, it brings environmental issues to the forefront of consideration for the UKBF audience, namely small business owners and start-ups.

Previously, this information would be considered secondary, niche or marginal to many owner operators. Bringing the discussion to the fore can only be a good thing, especially when you consider that over 50% of business GDP and employment is provided by the small business community in the UK.

In a word, it takes the subject “mainstream”.

UKBF should be applauded for this development