Be Relevant, Be Meaningful

We touched on this briefly; to be interesting you need to be relevant and give meaningful information. Readers will follow what you have to say, but to be sure you are not simply sending tomorrow’s trash complement the promotional, sales orientated aspects of the newsletter with practical tips and advice or Q&A’s.

Use Templates

You don’t have to re-invent the wheel and there is no need to have journalistic or editorial experience. There are plenty of newsletter templates already designed and freely available for you to use – save time and energy, not to mention money, and select a template for you to populate with your content.

Write for Your Audience

Address the reader directly – we know you can’t call them by their name, but you can refer to them as “You” or “Your”, avoid using “Their’s” or “Them” because you are talking about someone else and be ruthless with using “I” or “Us” because you are now just talking about yourself. You can also include items which the audience can use such as calendars of trade events or deadlines, coupons and special pricing promotions as well as including your contact information in a handy format.

Use Your Customers

Everyone likes to see their names and faces in print, and your newsletter is no exception. Use your existing customers as case studies in your newsletter so they see how you solved their problems – this is a great testimonial for your business.

You can help to make the process go faster and without excess hassle by considering these two “fast” tips:

Don’t Submit Print Design Files as PDFs

Adobe Acrobat PDFs should not be used to submit your design files – they are great for making sure the content within is not changed but Adobe will automatically set the control defaults for web presentation and not for printing to paper. This will require your print partner to work around the default settings so true reproduction is achieved when the design files are used to print out the content.

There are a large number of design applications – PhotoShop, Quark, CorelDraw and so on – which are far better for creating and storing your design files. If in doubt, speak with yoru print partner for what is the fastest and best method for your particular print project.

Avoid Taking the Design Close to the Edge of the Paper

If your content runs close to the edge of the paper being used to print it out with, then there is a risk that the ink will not completely covering the full sheet of paper and parts of the content either being poorly printed or missed altogether.

The “bleed” is the space around the edge of the sheet of paper which is used to bound the content you are printing out. Bleeding is the process by which the ink is deliberately run off the edge of the sheet of paper to ensure full coverage of the content. Typically, the bleed is trimmed off the sheets of printed paper so they then conform to the actual paper size required – this means printing with paper which is larger than the finished product.

Digital printing does not require this heavy labor-input or the cost of creating the plates upfront – everything is software driven, so the first printed piece can be created without incurring great set-up costs.  The catch with digital printing is that offset printing provides greater quality of reproduction and when large print runs are involved, the overall cost drops dramatically because the high set-up costs are spread over a large number of pieces.

The question arises as to when a client should opt for offset printing as opposed to digital printing, so here are a few guiding hints and tips to consider.

Quality

If you are seeking to create a great impression with a glossy marketing brochure, you are going to want the enhanced quality provided by offset printing methods.  Digital printing does deliver high quality reproduction levels and which is catching up with traditional offset methods, but it still lags some way behind them.

Print Run Sizes

The size of print run will determine the economics of the case – print runs of less than a 1,000 will favor using digital printing methods as the high set-up costs are not present, however the variable cost of digital printing is relatively higher than for offset printing.  Larger print runs will cause a financial argument to move towards using offset printing.

The number of repeat print runs you are likely to need will also form part of the financial case.  If you are going to need extra print runs, you should ensure the printer is aware of this so they keep the plates – this will avoid the need for incurring the set-up costs all over again when you place a re-order.

Turnaround Times

If you have a rush job that needs to be done overnight, it is unlikely you will be able to source an offset printer who can manage the job for you.  Digital printing on the other hand, involves setting up the print run using a computer and software – changes can be made on the fly and there is a dramatically reduced turnaround time.  Offset printing is more suitable when you have enough time to provide adequate notice to your printer so proofs can be created and properly checked before the print run takes place.

Summary

There are obviously more issues than these few factors in determining whether you should use an offset printer or opt for digital solutions – quality, time and cost are amongst the most important ones however, and you should discuss your immediate and long-term job requirements with your print partner to assess which is the best method of delivering the material effectively for you.

Here we continue with Booklet Design 101.

A guiding principle is to add value to your reader and their investment of time in reading what you wrote.  Provide information which is practical and usable by the reader.  A good example is a home improvement company – give advice on how to fix a shelf; a garage – car care; a doctor – healthy living or how to give up smoking.

Maintain the “uniformity of message” and this means being consistent throughout the booklet – a simple way of doing this is to ensure you use the same images throughout the booklet or if you are using different ones, that you ensure they are all to the same consistent quality, subject and format.  If you use diverse images and formats, you will detract from the impact and allow the booklet to deteriorate into a patchwork of ideas which will become easily lost, not least because you will easily lose the attention of the reader.

It’s a good idea to allow for some space for your reader to make some notes – a “jotting pad” at the end of each section or page,   By doing this you are personalizing the booklet to your reader and this is especially effective if they make use of the invitation – people rarely dispose of a document upon which they have written some notes!

As with any business literature, make it easy for a reader to find your contact information.  It may not be possible for you to have your telephone, email address or mailing address on every page but it is certainly practical to try or to have contact information repeated throughout the booklet.  Do not ignore this because when a reader encounters a piece of information in your booklet, they are likely to experience a “Eureka” moment – that is, they understand how your information can provide a solution to an issue they have – when that happens, they will want to contact you quickly.

Though a booklet may not be a purebred sales document (although it can be), this does not mean that you abandon marketing principles – as a reader goes through the booklet, there should be calls to action provided.  Examples are: an electrician – make sure you perform an annual electrical equipment safety inspection; medical – contact your doctor for a cholesterol test on a regular basis; garage – make sure you rotate your tires every 7,000 miles.

There are many other issues to cover but just because the document is a booklet and not a full-blown book does not mean you should skimp on the creativity or thought behind developing it.

We will continue with Booklet 101 in Part 3 with more hints and practical tips for you to improve the effectiveness of your efforts.

Form and content are crucial to getting your message across, and while form may not improve the content, failing to pay attention to form may simply result in your message never being heard.  Form is crucial to getting your message and information read, understood and acted upon.  Remember AIDA from sales courses – Attention, Interest, Decision, Action – form is involved in all four stages while content acts as the driver for each of these buying stages.

The humble booklet is a miniature book, usually of a smaller size, far fewer pages and using materials which are of lesser quality or longevity than we normally associate with a bound and printed book.  Nevertheless, a booklet conveys the same authority as many publications and has some distinct advantages over a brochure which is more closely associated with sales, marketing and selling generally – a book conveys information and is authoritative – a booklet capitalizes to a lesser extent on that credibility.

Booklets can also be smaller than a regular book and certainly a brochure – this is highly attractive to prospective readers who may come across the booklet precisely because it is of a size which makes it easily stashed in a pocket or purse and lends itself to being read on the train or during a lull in an otherwise busy day.  Bear in mind when you are designing your booklet to use a size of paper that complies with your prospective reader’s requirements – small but not too small so it can be read easily enough and there are no barriers to simply pocketing the booklet.

Booklets can be used as a simple selling tool, but they carry with them the credibility of a book, so you can use the booklet to enhance your own credibility.  Look to mix your sales message with educational and practical advice so the booklet becomes more rounded and informative to readers. This makes the possibility of the booklet being referred back to by the reader, or being passed on to other readers more likely and even better, motivating the reader to contact you for more information and help.

When putting a booklet together, you are not creating a work similar to “War and Peace” or “North and South” – you are summarizing information and encapsulating it into the booklet.  This necessitates a thorough understanding of the use and importance of headlines and sub-headers.  A headline is there to get the reader to read the first line, the first line to read the first paragraph, etc, etc, but making sure that the booklet is broken up into bite-sized portions of information within its body is vital and for this you need to make good use of headers.

This article will continue in Part 2

If you have money to burn, here is a great way of getting rid of your greenbacks almost as fast as Brewster did with his millions

Use Non-Standard Folding

A sure fire way to get the printing bill through the roof!

Many publications need folding – a simple one page flyer can be conveniently folded once or twice to create a takeaway menu or neat mini-brochure.  The printer will have machines who do this and machine folding is cheap and fast so with that there is little issue.  try asking for a quote for a four-fold document and you’ll see the cost quoted ramp up enormously!

Why?

The folding for non-standard folds is done by hand and the labor cost is exhorbitant for performing this task as is the wastage rate during production.

Changing Design and Layout After Proofing

Changing the design and layout is costly because once you have gotten to the proofing stage you are on the final leg of the race before the printing and finishing processes can swing into action and manufactre the finished article.  You change the design or layout after this stage and you will have to cover not only the cost of re-design but the printing costs for those pieces which have been produced by the printer.

Make sure all your changes are done before the proofing stage; sticking to established design principles and working closely with your print partner will save you a great deal of cost and wasted time.

Use Complicated, Multi-Step Binding

The more production phases which are required in producing the finished article then the greater the cost to you.  Binding is essential for certain types of document whether it is simple stapling to form a booklet/brochure or sturdybinding for a permanent document such as a book.  Expect binding to significantly add to the cost of finishing the project if you are using complicated binding and especially if you are using a binding method which requires human labor to produce.

Make a Splash with an Expensive Cover

A great looking cover can attract readers but there is a reason why glossy magazines cost so much – they are hellishly expensive!  If you design your business communications so they need great looking covers then you are sure to find a very big bill for the photographer and design landing in your in-tray faster than you can say, “Vogue” or “Time”.

Don’t Follow the Established Rules – Be a Maverick!

Being a maverick is fine if you have the budget and the time to experiment with what works and what doesn’t.  Providing you have a bottomless bank account you can experiment away to your heart’s content with off-the-wall and amateurish efforts.  Someone has to invent the wheel at some point in time so it may as well be you!

Obviously this is all tongue-in-cheek – the object is not to blow tight budgets to deliver effective printed projects, on-time and on- or below-budget!  There are numerous ways you can save money and time and enhance your effectiveness and the very best advice is to find a print and design partner who is experienced and will work with you to get the job done.

Remember your letterhead will end up in all kinds of places and situations and will be seen by a good number of people who it was not initially sent to – every time someone sees your letterhead, or for that matter any piece of yoru stationery, it is an important opportunity to promote yourself and yoru business as well as convey your business communication.

Basic Components

As a minimum your letterhead should contain the following:

• Logo
• Business name
• Contact information including telephone number and website address along with your mailing address and email

Footers and Headers

It is typical to break a letterhead down into the header (at the top) and the footer (at the bottom) with the main body free to present your text.  By organizing the letterhead in this way you instantly  create a space to maximize what you wish to say but at the same time have designated space to include your basic and optional components you wish to include.

Break the header up into three distinct sections – far left, center and far right – and make sure you leave space between them so that they do not merge into each other which will create a cluttered look.  Typically a header will be between half to 3 inches and a good hint is not to use fonts less than 8 pts as less than this becomes difficult to read or allow the information contained to be easily located on the letterhead.

Similar guidelines apply to the footer but with the additional caveat that this is where you are more likely to put the “small print” such as corporate and legal notices.  Again use no less than 8pts font size because it still has to be readable but a good touch is to separate the footer with a color band or “hairline” from the body of the letterhead sitting above it and this can neatly tie into the brand identity you are trying to create.

Backgrounds

Using a background is an excellent means of differentiating your letterhead from the rest of the pack but it should be understated to ensure it does not take over the appearance of the body of the letter.  A watermark using your logo or business name is an excellent means of achieving this and is especially effective when you are using full-color printing – ask your print and design partner for samples so you can see the effect.

Be careful with the colors you use in the background as you must remember that dark (black or less often, blue) text will be running across the body area of the letterhead – if you have black background and black text is printed across it then it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to read.

Moving home?  Simply tell everyone with a customised postcard of your new home with your new address and add the very personal touch to letting everyone know where your new crib is.

Have an announcement to make?

Using a postcard which is personalized for your special event or anniversary is a great way of applying your own individual style as well as showing everybody just who or what is behind the occasion with photographs or yoru own artwork.

How about an addition to the family?

What better way to announce the new arrival than a photographic postcard so everyone can get to see the new baby (or puppy or kitten!) and have all the important details included such as weight, color of eyes and whose nose and ears they have inherited!

Postcards are great for businesses too!

Customers like postcards because they can quickly see what it is that is being communicated and they don’t have to mess around with opening envelopes and dealing with more trash.  Using a postcard you also get to communicate your message to everyone who sees it and not just the recipient of the card.

Make your postcards LARGE if you want to maximize the response – there is a direct correlation between positive customer response and the size of the postcard although there are obvious limits!

Postcards are also cheap to design and produce and especially if you are mounting continuing campiagns they can be reproduced very cheaply so make sure you check with your supplier what the cost will be when you re-order.  Just be careful when you see a great offer for postcard production that this is not a teaser offer – many times the initial price you are charged is simply offered to suck you in with higher priced repeat orders and you then cannot move your order elsewhere without incurring all the set up charges all over again!

Tip #1 – Choose a Partner Where the Quality is in Control

This may mean abandoning printers who focus on price at the expense of quality; achieving the quality you are looking for time after time requires a state-of-mind to deliver consistently.  You cannot expect either yourself or your partners to deliver the standards you are looking for on the cheap or by cutting corners while if you are thinking quality, that is much more what you are likely to get with the end result time after time.

Tip #2 – Get Organized

Being organized will help you both to maintain clear communication which in turn avoids silly mistakes between initial enquiry and final product.  If you are not organized it also means more work for your print partner which in turn means more cost to you or a loss of interest in your account – neither is good for you!

Tip #3 – Punctuality

Your printing partner needs you to be timely with submitting and approving drafts – they have to do their share when you have done yours and they have other clients to cater to as well as you.  Being late, or leaving things to the last moment is not good for you either as you may be putting your print partner under undue pressure to get the job delivered on time when in fact you are the one holding everyone up.  Rush jobs usually mean more mistakes and poorer quality – be on time!

Tip #4 – Be Clear what You Want and What You Expect

Don’t let your print partner second guess your requirements – if you want cheap and cheerful, you’ll get that but if you want top of the range quality, you must make it clear to the print partner this is what you will be demanding when the final product is delivered.

Don’t hold back – be very clear what you expect and what you will accept.

Tip #5 – You Decide What Your Quality Standard Is!

You are the one who sets the bar when it comes to quality so never let anyone tell you what constitutes quality  - you set the standards and everyone will judge you by the standards produced!

A sound principle is to place content first  and design second – assuming you are following this, let’s now concentrate on some design issues.

Inversion Impact

When you read a headline of a newspaper, you will frequently find it has been inverted, that is the headline is in white against a solid, black background.  This leads to a greater visual impact than simply printing teh headline in, say, larger typeface.

This can also be used for grapic imagery and photographs may be particularly effective but you need the help of a skilled designer to garner the most out of such complex imagery.

Less is More

Buy no means are we advocating the minimalist approach but if yiou are trying to pack as much content into one page or one document, you are going to overload your readers.  Marketing and company brochures in particular are prone to this common error and it pays for you to take a huge step back and look at what truly is vitally crucial for your readers to understand and cut out the extraneous pieces of content you are stuffing in.

Work with the Grid

The grid is a design technique for arranging layout and especially for simpler pieces it is best to “Stick with the Grid!”

You don’t need to strictly follow the grid and settle for the staid 3 column layout; try experimenting with different combinations and personally I find the 7-column setup expands the possibilities enormously with sidebars, 2-column overlaps and so on.