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10
Ways To Make An Effective Poster
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Print advertising comes in a variety of different
forms when promotiing your product whether it be business cards,
brochures, flyers, stationary ect. There are many experts that will
tell you however that finding success with posters can be the trickiest
of all due to the various obstacles that can occur.
An effective poster needs to be an instant attention
grabber and cut through the clutter quickly to be effective. Whether
you put your poster up at the grocery store, community centre, coffee
shop or just a random bus stop a poster that doesn’t follow
the right steps can get lost in the shuffle fast.
With that being said here are ten top tips
to creating an effective poster that will get you the results you
want...
1. Know Your Audience: The first
priority with any poster is understanding who your target audience
and making sure it speaks to them directly. Identify the type of
people you want to see your poster the most and create your design
strategy with them in mind. For instance a yoga class will need
to appeal to younger adult females while a lawn bowling tournament
will likely target seniors. Think about what aspects of your poster
will attract your particular demographic and will make them want
to take action.
2. Include A Proper Call To Action:
Once you have somebody interested how do you plan to convert them
into an actual customer. A good call to action will tell your poster
reader what they should do next in order to get in contact with
you quickly. Do you want them to "give you a call now"
or "visit your website to register" make sure you are
not vague with the details. Your call to action will not only help
you get more responses but will also create a better sense of urgency
from whoever is reading it. Also make sure your key contact info
such as phone number, email address, and social media pages are
all clearly visible on the page.
3. Keep the Details Simple & Specific:
There is no need to be subtle with any poster, make sure you cover
the key details quickly (and dare I say loudly) for your readers.
Make sure the who, what, where, when and why are found as simply
as possible wherever they are applicable.. People reading your poster
should never have to scan the page for important details it's your
job to provide this for them with little hassle. The more work you
make people do the more likely they are to ignore it.
4. Don’t Overdo the Wording:
It can be tempting to every last detail onto one 8" by 11"
inch poster but remember its not a brochure or essay. The purpose
of a poster is to pique someone's interest enough that they will
take the next step and contact you for more information. Keep points
direct and simple and there is nothing wrong with using bullett
points if it covers more ground quicker. Pretend the person looking
at your poster only has 30 seconds to read it and write your text
accordingly.
5. Keep The Titles, Headers & Fonts
Big: One of the most mistakes with posters is using text
that is too small for people to read easily. Keep in mind your readers
vision may vary and they make be reading it while they are walking
or are even in their vehicle. Whatever you fee is standard text
size in regular size document make it a point or two bigger just
to be safe. It also might be a good idea to print out a preview
version of your poster and see how many steps you can take back
and still see the important details clearly.
6. Use Size & Scale To Emphasize Important
Details: Whether it’s text or images make sure the
most valuable content of your poster is also the largest in terms
of size. Your eyes should subconsiouslessly be drawn to the larger
portions of your page and less drawn to the more minor aspects.
If you have a lot of information to present try breaking your poster
up into various sections assigning the most space to the most important
details. Very similiar to a newspaper you want to showcase your
key selling features first and let the rest filter in around it.
7. Use Background Elements to Enhance Content:
While you your poster to be eye catching make sure any graphics
or imagery used in the background doesn't drown out the actual information
itself. Properly used poster backgrounds will shine tthe spotlight
on your most important features making it stand out even more to
your readers. That means any background should have a sharp contrast
to any main images, headers or text. If they start to blend at all
it's a sign your background is too strong.
8. Evoke An Emotion: Think about
a recent newspaper article you read and the emotional response you
had towards it. For example a man who makes millions starting his
own business will likely be very inspirational. A puppy who is abandoned
however is more likely to evoke a strong sympathetic response instead.
Try and come up with a logical way to tap into how your audience
may not only think but feel about certain subject matter. If you
can strike an emotional chord with your reader they will respond
to it much more passionately.
9. Choose The Right Font(s): It
is the simplest but most ignored poster detail of all time. While
you want your font to standl don't make it fancy to the point where
it is barely legible. Sticking with simple serif fonts are usually
preferable as opposed to a san serif fonts such as Georgia or Helvetica.
Posters are all about readability first and there is no quicker
way to annoy your poster reader than trying to make out certain
parts of a sentance or paragraph.
10. Choose The Right Location:
As much time, effort and research you may put into making a great
poster if the right people don't see it your efforts will be in
vain. You've heard the saying "location, location, location"
as it applies to real estate and it also certainly applies to your
poster as well. Make a checklist of 5 to 10 place where you think
your target audience would see your poster most and try to post
them in those places. If it is an indoor location or place of business
this may mean doing a little networking and speaking with an owner
or higher up in person. This is a great excuse to network however
and make some new contact which can only help in getting the word
out about your product, service or event.
Most people who put up posters start with a lot
of enthusiasm which will quickly evaporate the minute they don't
get instant results. Keep in mind consistency is still key with
any form of print advertising and not acheiving instant success
the first time around is no reason to know reason to quit. It you
mazimize your chances of success with the tips above your hard work
will pay off and you'll have a great (and cheap) source of new leads!
Advance Creative
is your one stop shop for your graphic design & internet marketing
needs. We specialize in logo design, business cards, flyers, posters,
brochures, web development, powerpoint presentations, business
proposals and more. Call 403-547-5443
for more information.