Over the years I’ve assembled a book of sample one sheets that I use to review with clients. With these 1-sheet samples I’ve been able to point out some of the “Do’s” and “Don’ts” of creating marketing one-pagers. The sample book has been a hit at the 1-sheet workshops that I help teach for ProVisors. Below are the one sheet do’s and don’ts:
Do be strategic. A one sheet or one pager isn’t just about copy, design and printing. What are you selling? How is it positioned against the competition? What is unique about it?
Do have a great headline. People buy based on emotions. Your one sheet headline can be an immediate emotional grabber to get their attention and get them to read more.
Do have some personality. Boring colors, conservative design, staid business copywriting, boring details about your product or service. SNORE! What’s your story? What makes me want to read this one sheet?
Do include testimonials. You can say whatever you want about your product or services. What really matters is what others say about it.
Do design with the Z in mind. (See my previous blog post about this, Do You Zee What I Zee?) People read ads and one sheets in a Z format, so have a great headline at the top, a scanable, easy-to-digest mid-section , and your call to action in the lower right corner.
Do use a professional designer. Look at samples from the designer. Talk to references. Make sure they are not churning out the same or similar designs every time – you want to stand out, not fade out along with everyone else.
Do include a call to action. If your one sheet just says what you do or simply describes a product with no call to action, ho-hum! What do you want the reader to do? Scan a QR code and view a custom landing page on their smart phone? Pick up the phone and call you? Go to your site to get the free whitepaper about a product or service? Ask them to do something and make it worth their while.
Don’t use up all the space on the one-page. A little white space is a good thing. Too much text, graphics, bullets, and other stuff will turn off the reader.
Don’t use clip art for your one sheet images. I didn’t think you would. But don’t!
Don’t be text-heavy. People don’t read much anymore. They are inundated with information. You have seconds to get their attention and engage them with your message.
Don’t pose artificially for your photo. A nice haircut, nice clothes, a confident smile are good. Posing with your chin on your hands or your head tilted in a weird angle is not good.
Don’t use ubiquitous business photos for your 1-pager. The photo of the handshake (with no people attached). The photo of the courtroom columns. The photo of the gavel. What else – hourglasses, ostrich with head in sand, eyeglasses or pen on top of financial report. Been there done that!
Don’t try to say it all. Don’t include your past, present and future including who you were, who you want to be, your product or company’s entire history, every product detail or specification, where you got your degrees, what awards you’ve received, what associations you belong to, where you were born, etc. Focus on three things: 1.) what message will get people’s attention, 2.) what will get them interested in you, and 3.) what will get them to act on your call to action. By the way, your call to action may be for them to go to your website to get all those details you wanted to include on the one sheet!
Don’t leave your marketing one sheet on the shelf. Insert the one sheet in mailers. Take it to trade shows, conferences, and presentations. Include it with proposals and invoices. Make it a downloadable PDF from your website.
For more information on one-sheets and to see some sample one sheets at the end of the post, go to my previous blog entry, 5 Secrets of Creating Successful One Sheets. For help on your one sheet or more information about New Incite’s One Sheet production services, please contact us via our website form or call us at 1-818-347-4248.
