Advertising 101 - Pt 1 . . . Creating that Flyer!

Have you ever wondered what makes flyers get noticed?  Professional printing can be costly, but you can create simple, professional looking flyers for your event on a budget by using a computer, a printer, and the services of your local copy and print center.

The purpose of a flyer is to gain the attention of the viewer (target audience), and engage them in your product (event) and hopefully garner enough interest to attend your event. Sounds easy enough, right? You have probably seen flyers that either didn't give enough information or were poorly done, probably because the person who made the flyer missed some basic points. Here are some tips on creating your own flyers:

• Make sure your flyer contains the 5 W's of advertising:  What is your event; Who is hosting your event; When will your event take place; Where will your event take place and Why are you having the event? Make sure all information is accurate and include contact information if people have questions.
• Be sure to use a font that can be easily read. Fancy fonts are often difficult for some people to read, so stick with simple, clean fonts in at least a 12 - pitch size.
• For ideas, search online for examples of how a simple flyer should look.
• Limit your graphics to no more than 3 images of clip art or photographs. Don't crowd your flyer with a lot of pictures.
• Borders are a nice addition to a flyer, and are part of Microsoft Office (TM)* that most people have on their computer.
• Use your spellcheck feature to proofread before printing. If you know that spelling and grammar is not your strong point, ask someone with excellent proofreading skills to be your second pair of eyes. There's nothing worse than a flyer that contains typos!
• Print a copy of your flyer on your computer and take it to a copy/print center to make multiple copies. It's less expensive than using up the ink on your home printer.
• Get your flyer printed on brightly colored paper that is eye-catching. People look longer at bright colors than they do at plain white paper.
• Center your flyer or set the print to be justified to the left, depending on the type of flyer you are making. You can also use a combination of both.

These are just a few tips on creating your own flyers on a budget for events. In our next blog, we will talk about distributing flyers to your target group. Now...get started on that flyer!

* Microsoft Office (TM) is a registered trademark. Use of the Microsoft  trade name in this blog is not an endorsement of Microsoft Office or of any Microsoft product.

In-Vest!

     We are living in a time when everything is expensive! Basics like food, water, shelter, clothing and transportation are causing many of us to struggle just to make ends meet. For those of us who are part of the Worship Arts Minstries, it can become even more challenging to get garments, music, worship instruments, and other things that we need...so it seems. There are already many suggestions that have been offered on how to save money, raise funds, and do things to be well-equipped for ministry without "breaking the bank".

     Anytime we make a committment to do something, there is always a cost involved, and if we are really commissioned of God to a ministry, He will provide us with everything we need to do His work, even if it comes to us in ways that we didn't expect:

"Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn't first sit down and figure the cost so you'll know if you can complete it? If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you're going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you: 'He started something he couldn't finish.' "(Luke 14:28 - The Message)

     I recently attended a Dance Conference where it was reported that garments were stolen--yes stolen from a vendor's rack, and someone even took a garment that someone else had saved up money to purchase. I can't imagine which God they are going to praise while wearing some stolen garments, and I hope and pray that they won't dance in them. I also hope that the ones who were stolen from will receive double from what was taken away, especially the one who saved up for their special praise wear. I also know of people who will join a dance ministry and say: "If I have to buy garments, I'm not dancing" or complain about how much the items cost...expecting the ministry to pay for their garments. While it is true that some churches have the budgets to purchase garments for their dance ministries, most of the time we have to purchase our own. Remember if God called you, He will make provision for what you need. You don't ever have to steal, feel entitled, or demand that someone else pay for what you need.

    When I was in college, we had an Acting instructor who had three words for us when we were preparing our stage work for class: "Invest! Invest! Invest!". By this, he meant, (1) Spend time honing your craft; (2) Spend time researching your work and (3) Spend money on your costumes, props and anything else you need to have an excellent performance. The secular arena is aware of this, so how dare do we who know God try to get away with anything less? Time out for not investing our resources into what God has given us to do....time out for not knowing why we do what we do... and time out for not honing our skills to be our best. It's time to In-Vest!