Getting the word out about your business is critical to your success. While it always helps to have a big advertising budget to work with, the simple flyer is an often-overlooked and inexpensive powerhouse for your business ventures when it is done well.

Unlike brochures or sales letters, the standard business flyer is a one-sided piece of paper usually measuring only 8 1/2 x 11 inches. There can be some variance to the weight of the paper depending on the primary placement plan for your advertising flyer. A handout flyer or interior window placement flyer will do well on the basic 20# sheet whereas a flyer posted outside or on bulletin boards should use the heavier 67# weight paper.

As for the information on the flyer, there is an art to making your message sizzle. A boring flyer is no better than street litter. If it is boring and not well constructed it will never grab a potential customer’s attention and get them to act upon the information presented. There are a few things you can do to help make sure your message speaks loudly. Designing an effective flyer for your business can even be fun.

We live in a very visual world so take full advantage of the technology. Use a single photo or image as the primary focus. One large, captivating picture will work on your business flyer much better than a blocky series of small pictures. While you may well use several smaller pictures to help emphasis your points, remember that the large photo must maintain the primary focus around which the smaller pictures balance. If you only have several small pictures you can get a similar eye-catching effect by grouping several pictures together into a single large photo block. Using a picture for contrast will also help draw the eye to the information.

Once you have drawn a potential customer’s attention with an appealing graphic display, it is time for the words of your business flyer to take over and inform them of your business, product, or service. Start your message off with a commanding phrase. Whether you take the comedic route of the hard sell, that first headline must interest your reader enough to keep reading your information. Make sure you speak to the reader. Make use of such involvement words as “you” and “your” as they will be less interested in a corporate “I” or “we” phrase. Involve them in the dialogue.

Do not just assume they will know what to do with the information. While avoiding a patronizing tone, you do need to make a statement about the effectiveness of your product or service and what they should be doing now that they have been provided your message. In advertising this is known as a “call to action”. Tell them what to do whether it is to call a number, visit a store or mail in the order form now! Work and rework your message until it has become persuasive enough that they don’t set it down until they are already a customer.

Your business flyer really is a billboard for you to use to interest people in your offers. That it is a small, personal message they can hold in their hands and take with them only makes it more important to make sure it speaks directly to their needs.