From @tarekshalaby on Twitter
Steps to follow in order to put together an effective flyer that gets your message across, even on a tight budget. The following are what to keep in mind when designing and printing your flyers to be given out on the streets:
Less is more. More is ‘where’s the nearest trash can?’
You should focus on a couple of points and not get carried away printing out an entire detailed manifesto. People literally give a few seconds’ worth of attention, and then will look elsewhere. Think of a flyer as part of a campaign, not a comprehensive movement. If you’re struggling to fit in everything you wanted to say on a piece of paper, chances are you’re trying to convey way too much.
Fewer paragraphs, more bullet points
No one wants to go through endless paragraphs. Bullet points are easy to digest, and allow people to choose whether or not they want to read a particular point, or skip to the following one. You’d be overly ambitious if you thought many are willing to go through entire paragraphs in order to reach important points lost in the middle. Ideally, a flyer would have about five main points, with a couple of lines going into a bit more detail with each one.
Use colors, if possible, but no rainbows
Black and white printing is obviously the cheapest option, but if your budget allows you add another color or two, than that would be more attractive. Don’t go overboard with colors from fantasy motion pictures, that would probably be repelling, not to mention costly.
Consider A5 over A4
There’s no real need for an A4-sized flyer. The amount of content required to fill it up already deems it ineffective. Besides, folding it up or trying to keep hold of it is a bit of a tough task. A5 (which is half the A4) is small enough to fit in a pocket after just a single fold, yet spacey enough to carry your message comfortably. You can always print on both sides, dedicating one side to the main points, and the other to more detail, as well as where to go for more information.
Include any basic illustration, or a diagram
Don’t try to print images. They’re not exactly cheap, and their quality rarely does your message any justice. However, a simple cartoon, or caricature could grab your audience’s attention long enough to generate interest in going through your message. Sometimes a basic diagram can go a long way in illustrating a point.
Always have a call for action, what are we supposed to do?
Never is the objective behind a flyer to read it and toss it. There’s always an action that is required. Focus on that aspect. Make it loud and clear, and at the end of your message (because you want to persuade people first). The shorter it is, the more effective. ‘VOTE NO’ yields results that a call for action two sentences long wouldn’t dream of.
Where do I go for more information?
Remember a flyer carries a specific message. Those who are interested need to be directed to websites where they can learn more about the subject. Ideally, you would provide a website of the movement/organization, a Facebook page, a twitter handler (in some cases there’s a hash tag to follow without an actual account), and most importantly, a phone number.
An Example
This was a flyer that was handed out in the days leading to the constitutional referendum. I would personally rate it 8/10:
Advantages:
- Ideal size
- Some color, but not too much
- Strong call for action
- Table organizing points
- No paragraph text
Disadvantages:
- No website, Facebook, nor twitter
- The back side could use an illustration, or a bit more color to distinguish
Learn from your mistakes
The success of your flyer is directly related to the feedback you get from recipients on the ground. When a piece of paper sparks conversations with fellow citizens on the streets, then you must be doing something right. There might not be a precise winning formula to putting together an effective flyer, but I think if you stick to the points above, you should be in good shape.
via tarekshalaby.com
Monday, 2 May 2011
How to create an effective political flyer | Tarek Shalaby - lissping
