Using advertising flyers to promote your business is a cost-effective way to get your message to the masses. Flyers are basically full page ads that you distribute straight to your potential customers. Flyer printing is a good option for new businesses getting off the ground with a small advertising budget, and it's a good option for established businesses that want to directly communicate with potential customers. Full color flyers are especially effective because they catch people's eyes and can draw people in to your message.



You can make black-and-white or full color flyers yourself or use a flyer printing company, depending on your budget and how much time you have to design them.

Keep the following points in mind when creating your advertising flyer:

1. Your goal is to get people's attention. Don't just use white paper with black lettering if you can afford it. Some copy shops charge just a few cents more to use colored paper and others don't charge at all for colored paper. This small change can get your flyer noticed where it otherwise wouldn't. It is best to use white paper, however, if you're producing a full color flyer or if you're going to include a photo on your flyer.

2. The purpose of a flyer is to sell. Remember that your message needs to have a purpose and that's not just to announce your name to the public. You need to make sure you communicate the benefits of your product or service to the public, not just facts about your company. People want to know what you or your product can do for them. What's your benefit? Why should they choose you over your competition?

3. Include a discount or incentive. People like to save money and if you include a discount that's only available for a limited time, you create urgency. Urgency gets people out of their houses and into your store.

4. Include a call to action. A call to action is what you want the reader to do after they've read your flyer. You can tell them to visit your Web site for more information or to “Call now.” Combining a call to action with a discount works well. For instance, “Call us before Memorial Day to receive 10% off your purchase!”

5. Add testimonials. Use comments from past satisfied customers. Be sure to use comments that are specific to the product, not just “I love this product!” Include a full name, location and a photo if the customer allows. A lot of ads include false testimonials from “Joe S” or other common names that anyone could make up. Testimonials don't work if they look or sound fake.

6. Hang them or distribute them in areas where your target audience is likely to be. For instance, if you offer a weight loss product, hang your flyer on the community board at the local gym. A seamstress or tailor could hang a flyer at a dry cleaning business that doesn't have its own seamstress or tailor. Make sure where you hang your flyers makes logical sense. A dry cleaner that has an in-house tailor is not going to welcome your flyer.