Exploring AIDA
Attention: The primary objective of any leaflet is to grab the attention of the target audience, and create some curiosity or interest in them to go through the textual and visual messages it contains. Attention depends on multiple design and content factors such as attractive headline, appealing visuals, compelling colour combinations and more.
Interest is the next element. How to maintain the reader’s interest in the leaflet is the crucial question. The content that follows the headline must be easy to read, relevant, and should have a great visual appeal. There must be something unique about the leaflet in terms of content and design. It must answer the customers’ questions about a specific product or service.
Now we move on to Desire: Interest is one thing, but desire is another. After your leaflet creates some interest in the audience, it is imperative that they actually desire your products/services. Persuasive copy and aesthetically outstanding graphics are the key to achieve this objective.
The next element is Action, or CTA (call to action). If the desire is not translated into action—or actual buying, or any desired activity (such as visit your website, or call or email your business), the leaflet has failed in its objective.
Let’s turn our attention to what the leaflet is supposed to achieve. Once you have a clear answer, you need to convey this goal to the design agency. This is followed by locking your target audience. The entire design and message of your leaflet must be relevant and attractive to your audience.
What type of message, colour scheme, typography, graphics and other visual elements need to be used in the design depends on the target audience.
Now what about the message itself? Is it relevant, is it optimized? The message or textual content should have the most appropriate, interest generating words, and the design should support this message. Too many words, or too few words are both inappropriate. The message must be sublime, but not abstract. The words must not be too complex to understand nor too common to be ignored. Simple, truthful and clear messages always connect with the audience.
The size and format
Your leaflet must have the most appropriate format and size for it to be effective. Users need to hold the leaflet in their hands and read effortlessly. Too large or too small sizes won’t do any good. Also, it should not have too many folds, which can put the reader in difficulty in folding it back once it is opened. The quantity and nature of the information you want to convey decides the format and size of the leaflet.
For any leaflet to be noticeable, it should have a bold and attractive headline, and in most cases, sub-headings as well. There is a limit to the extent of message a headline can carry. Use of sub-headings allows you to convey your message in a little bit detailed manner. Together, they should persuade the reader to explore further the full content in the leaflet.
Generally leaflets use clean, bold, large text with a color scheme that perfectly contrasts with the background design. Leaflets rely a lot on its visual appeal. Ensure that only high-quality images are used in leaflets. Now let us focus on the fonts. Attractive and easily-readable font is the key. exceptionally important when it comes to leaflets. It’s advisable to avoid flamboyant fonts that make it difficult for people to read it. But headlines can be a bit more experimental in terms of fonts.
Obviously, colour has a strong visual appeal, and the combination of colours used in a leaflet assumes great significance. In fact, by employing a strategic color combination, your leaflet can stand out from other leaflets from your competitors.
While bright, assertive and vibrant colours attract more attention, such colors need to be used very carefully. An overdose of flashy colors may spoil the aesthetic quality of the leaflet.
The important point to note is that along with graphics, patterns and text, the extent and placement of white space is crucial in deciding the visual appeal of leaflets.
Stuffing the leaflet with too many graphics, and colors with little or no white space can have a negative impact. White space enhances the readability of your leaflet, and also helps to highlight all the other visual elements of the leaflet
