How To Make An Effective Poster 2015

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!