Wednesday, April 8, 2015

AMiable Solution #137: Beating the Blahs—3 Basic Tricks for Boring Layouts

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, your promotion looks, well, boring.  Maybe it’s undeniably and unavoidably text-heavy.  Maybe it’s just a small space.  Maybe it’s the limitations of black-and-white.

No matter what kind of marketing you need to spruce up--print ad, postcard, email, renewal form, etc.--you can make your “blah” an “ahhh” with just three easy tips.

Use an initial cap.  It’s just a larger letter to start off your text, but it’s enough of a graphical change to create contrast with your text and to give your piece a little visual pop.  Just be sure to choose a size and style that suits your format.  For example, a noticeably bigger (than the message text), ornate initial letter works on a half-page or full-page ad, but only a modestly bigger and simpler initial letter should be used on smaller ads.

Remember your white space.  Nothing suffocates a promotion like a promotion, especially if you’re trying to cram a large amount of information in a small space.  Remember that space is your friend.  Space is inviting.  Space makes text easier to read and more inviting to do so.

Box it up.  If your format or your volume of information simply doesn’t allow for graphics, color, or anything else that helps make a layout more visually appealing, don’t forget about the power of a simple box.  If you hope your readers pick up on just one piece of information, whether that be a deadline, a phone number, or the crux of your offer, highlight it by setting that text in a box.  Even in a “boring” layout, it says to your audience, “read this.” 


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