Know How to Grab Someone's Attention

By Kaye Marks

What good is any kind of marketing if no one actually sees it?

Marketing needs to be visual. Here's the thing to know about marketing: people aren't trying to see it.

I don't sort through my mail expecting to pick up a postcard and look at it. I don't go to a store expecting to run into a nice poster I can read through. I'm not trying to find the best flyer to fold up and take home with me, just like I rarely go out of my way to try reading through every brochure that happens upon my way.

Aside from rare occasions like TV commercials during the Super Bowl, people need to be caught by surprise. They're not going to help you out by trying to find your advertisements in order to see what they're all about. All of your color printing is only going to go to waste if you aren't getting anyone to look at anything you do.

Ask yourself what jumps out at you the most. What things have you seen that you just had to stop and look at a little closer? If you want advertising that work you need to be able to answer these question, or know what will work best for your customers.

Great marketing is a surprise to people. It makes them turn their head to see the poster or pause while sorting through their mail to read your postcard. It catches them off guard and makes them want to read more.

There are typically two good ways of achieving this. The first is strong visuals. The right kinds of images are always going to be eye-catching. They're usually colorful or unique in some way, something most people don't see everyday, or immediately interests them. Each person is going to be intrigued by different things, so know your audience before doing anything.

The second thing is a large proclamation. This single statement will likely need to only be a few words long. If you go any longer than that you'll risk having it be too complicated for someone to easily pick up. You need them to understand what it says in only a few seconds, because that's all the time you'll have.

Typically this message will be the primary purpose of your advertising. Save Money or Great Service are both basic, easy to understand messages that anyone can take in quickly. Having a good font or colorful print will always help with this as well.

Vibrant colors and words should always be the focus of any color printing you need to get done. Break through a person's attention and make them want to read what your marketing has to say. You have to give people something interesting if you want them to take the time to read what you have to say.

Kaye Z. Marks is an avid writer and follower of the developments in the color printing industry and its benefits for small to medium-scale businesses.