For many small business owners, it is important to keep costs to a minimum during the first few years of trading. This means that burgeoning entrepreneurs often take on a lot of work outside their skillset to reduce costs.
When the economy is in uncertain territory as well, reducing outsourcing costs is a good way for small business owners to safeguard their cash pool.
It can be very daunting to take on tasks like designing marketing materials. Especially when it is not your area of expertise.
If you are a small business owner or are just setting up on your own, here is our “how to” guide to designing marketing materials.
Don´t overcrowd your designs
Overly complicated designs will confuse your potential customers and can be very off-putting. Keep your designs simple and messaging clear.
Strip everything down to the essential information. If you need to tell the customer more, use your marketing materials to guide them to your social media or website.
Stick to only two fonts
When you started your business, you probably thought a lot about its identity. Beyond your logo, font choice plays a big part in your brand image.
Choose no more than two fonts for your marketing materials. You can choose harmonious or different fonts, but ensure you stay consistent. One font type for headings, the other for body text.
Look for inspiration
Avoid falling into a Pinterest rabbit hole of inspiration as you will likely confuse your options with too many gorgeous images of branding and marketing materials.
You could use a design template to inspire your layout and concept. This will help you place everything in an appealing way, while still giving you creative licence over your image.
Pay attention to colour
Again, this will tie in to your brand identity and you will probably have a great idea about the colours that represent your business.
It is important to remember that colours will look different online than they do in print. You can find a printing company that supports you with artwork help on this.
Ensure consistency
Growing your brand and business reputation is all about consistency. Your marketing materials should be no different.
Make sure that all your designs follow the same look, feel and identity, and always remember to check your artwork before you send it to print.
