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| Sample Flyer |
Seeing loose papers on the ground are no new phenomena, most of us are used to such occurrences. On this day and on this occasion however, I was struck by the sight and like Moses and the burning bush, in the book of Genesis 3:3, took a second look. The result of that innocent act emerged the above title: '3 compelling reasons to advertise your business with flyers.'
Unlike Moses who however, heard
a mysterious voice causing him to quake, fumble and tremble, with further instruction
to remove his shoes, I heard no such enigmatic expression that necessitated
shaking or quaking. Neither was I instructed to do anything strange, stooping
plus observing was my only task, and on that single colorless piece of paper, was
written the one word ‘advertising'. A couple of days later came the article you're now reading.
Flyers come in
different sizes and shapes ranging from A4, you can print sizes A5, A6 and even
DL depending on your business requirement. Whatever size you may choose, flyers are known to be one of the cheapest, direct and brand building methods of advertising for small businesses and start-ups.
Time to examine the three reasons for employing flyers as a promotional tool.
Target
Audience
Flyers give you the
ability to focus on a target audience as compared to mass media that appeals to the masses, removing
that sense of generalization and unsegregated appeal that accompanies mediums
like television adverts.
Unless you are McDonald's or any of such companies that
can generate national and international interest making customers salivate with each
advert, small businesses can follow targeted approach by narrowing and limiting
distribution to selected group of people or area that are likely to yield
results through the use of flyers.
Having once been
tempted to advertise through radio, I quickly discovered that unless proper
research is undertaken to determine a target group that too, could yield
disappointing results for a small business needy of cash, and perhaps
operating on a shoe string budget, making the next point even more crucial.
Flyers
are Cost Effective
You may not be the
great prophet Moses, but one certain way of avoiding the quaking and trembling
effect of financial pressure associated with mass media advertising such as
radio, is by promoting your business with flyers because it presents a cheaper option.
This technique is not only economical in terms of production but in the
method of distribution.
Though not the only teacher, experience they say is
the best teacher so after discovering a
few distribution avenues which yielded no immediate results, I went on a search and
here are a few suggestions that could work for you: seek ways of inserting
leaflets into magazines, place flyers in public places where target audience
or existing customers are likely to visit, and the third on my list is to
distribute flyers at events or festivals.
Reaching customers this way has some added benefits: the opportunity of meeting potential customers face to face, with the
possibility of reaping immediate results, and 'brand enforcement'.
Enforcing
your Brand
Branding has been
associated with concept and image; it's what sums up a business
personality. Advertising your business therefore with flyers provides the
opportunity to define your organisation in a way that carries your
image; it becomes the vehicle through which your business personality is etched
on the minds of customers.
You get to choose the words that carry your image and you get to choose the colors associated with your organisation. Colors have
personalities, they have emotions, they speak and they can change atmosphere.
It has been noted that emotions are the cause for people's decisions, that is why persuasive words matter.
A legend once expressed
that one is more likely to have impact on a people if they speak their
language. Having a designer who share your culture, speak your 'language',
who can articulate your thoughts, capture and express your vision with the
appropriate tone provides a better chance of making a lasting impression
on your existing or potential customers with flyers and without any antics.
And oh,
you needn't take off your ‘shoes’, like Moses in the book of Genesis 3:3-4, because
while standing face to face with your potential client, you also stand on the same platform of equality: customer relations.
So if you desire direct,
effective and economical way of reaching customers, consider not only using
flyers in your promotion but examine also the channel of distribution.
