[mdvaden]

Always done decent with flyers - so far B & Ws.

Decided to try color flyers for the first time. And since most people who hire me have internet, I purposely omitted the phone number so they have to go to the website.

This will extend the flyer / brochure life too, when we move to Portland.

Did 5000 on #80 gloss paper. And they came out marvelous.

Almost exactly like the attachment / link. They re-made a file on their software because they can't use MS Word.

Color Flyer

Price was about $630 for 5000. As good as I could find online, and no shipping either due to the local work.

I also did all of my business cards without a phone too - this time with gold foil instead of white foil.

[mrusk]

You will get less phone calls by not listing a phone #. However, i bet you will get better qualified calls.

[GLAN]

I like the idea of no phone #

[Dot Pecson]

mdvaden,

Very nice - cards as well as flyer. I really love your image [on the card] and photos [on the flyer]. Cardwise, usually it doesn't work as well to have light-colored lettering on a dark background, but you seem to carry it off fine here.

Somehow the flyer gives me a slight feeling of clutter. Part of the reason is the way you have your website URL printed sideways, forcing the reader to "work" to find the URL. Aside from your heading, you really need that URL to be the second thing your reader spots.

I like your use of colors. Dark blue and med/light green has always been my personal favorite combination.

You have a few redundancies. For example, ou show the ISA logo [with justified pride] then add the text about being certified and the number. In a flyer, IMO, you just need one or the other - and your ISA logo says it all much faster than reading the text. For your Licensed, again, your license number is overkill.

It would be just as effective, if not more so, to just say you are Certified, Licensed, Bonded and Insured. That makes quite an impressive list documenting your professionalism.

This also clears a tad of room for you to put a phrase or slogan about your company. Here's where you tell your prospects exactly why your company's services are unique, better than anyone else. Make it quick and memorable.

I like how you took the corner to talk about your website. It might make your message more compelling if you would take one phrase from the first sentence of each paragraph [example: for the 2nd paragraph, "Many free advice pages"] and bold it so the reader says to self, Hey! Free advice. Let's check this out more."

Hope this helps.
Dot

[mdvaden]

Originally posted by Dot Pecson
mdvaden,

Very nice - cards as well as flyer. I really love your image [on the card] and photos [on the flyer]. Cardwise, usually it doesn't work as well to have light-colored lettering on a dark background, but you seem to carry it off fine here.

Somehow the flyer gives me a slight feeling of clutter. Part of the reason is the way you have your website URL printed sideways, forcing the reader to "work" to find the URL. Aside from your heading, you really need that URL to be the second thing your reader spots.

I like your use of colors. Dark blue and med/light green has always been my personal favorite combination.

You have a few redundancies. For example, ou show the ISA logo [with justified pride] then add the text about being certified and the number. In a flyer, IMO, you just need one or the other - and your ISA logo says it all much faster than reading the text. For your Licensed, again, your license number is overkill.

It would be just as effective, if not more so, to just say you are Certified, Licensed, Bonded and Insured. That makes quite an impressive list documenting your professionalism.

This also clears a tad of room for you to put a phrase or slogan about your company. Here's where you tell your prospects exactly why your company's services are unique, better than anyone else. Make it quick and memorable.

I like how you took the corner to talk about your website. It might make your message more compelling if you would take one phrase from the first sentence of each paragraph [example: for the 2nd paragraph, "Many free advice pages"] and bold it so the reader says to self, Hey! Free advice. Let's check this out more."

Hope this helps.
Dot

I thought that the URL on the 5th horizontal line was not too hard to spot.

As far as the logo, I prefer the logo over the ISA number. To conserve space, I rarely spell out "International Society of Arboriculture, and a lot of people don't know what "ISA" means abbreviated.

When the ISA logo is used, or someone calls themselves an ISA Certified Arborist, the ISA requires that the ISA number has to be on the document. So the choices are not one or the other. The choices would be either the ISA number only, or, the ISA logo plus the ISA number.

Seems it shouldn't matter if you really are a Certified Arborist for real.

Wasn't sure if I should omit the "licensed" part. In Oregon, my only other option is to list just the LCB #7114 and hope people know it refers to "Landscape Contractors Board" and in reference to the license. Or, to spell out the whole phrase "Oregon Landscape Contractors Board License #7114"

And again, the landscape board requires the use of the license number in all advertising. So it may be another matter of one, or both.

Bolding the "Free Advice" part came to mind, and I might try that on the next go-around. I put out about 15,000 flyers each year, and these should cover the next 3 to 4 months.

In the meantime, I can edit the next-generation based on results and feedback.

Thanks for the ideas, and reading.

It sure feels different ordering flyers for over $600 than it did for Black and Whites. I could order 1000 Black and Whites for $20 at Staples. With the color, its pointless to order less than 5000 because that's when the cost per flyer becomes reasonable.

[Dot Pecson]

Sure, no problem. My comments were put out as something to consider. Your flyer most certainly needs to reflect you and your company. And to be legal.

I always expect folks to take what comments resonate with them and leave the others. [Hey, that's what I do!]

And yes, ordering so many is rather scary. But this is going to be a valuable marketing tool for you. You should get the cost back fairly quickly.

Also, your cards and flyer show you have a good artistic sense [okay, you're a landscaper. You are an artist].

Dot

[PSUscaper]

I would like to see a company logo of some sort that connects all the media together.

Besides your name itself, there is nothing else branding your company.

I'm not a fan of generic graphics being posted on business cards. The trees do nothing for me. It would be so much nicer to see some sort of logo that defines your company. The business card is ok, but is very generic. Again, nothing about it stands out these days.

Colors are also changing often. Decide on a few colors and STICK to them. Dark Green and white, ok, make everything dark green and white. Why switch to gold lettering? Make things consitant. Gold lettering doesn't create a image. It may draw attention, but to what? The lettering? I thought we were trying to get people to pay attention to the company. The card is great advertising for the staple print department, but is it great advertising for MD vaden the arborist???

There is just no connection between the advertising and the company. If your name wasn't on it, it could be confused for about 95% of the other contractor companies out there who go to staples also.

I kind of figure this. My main goal is to seperate myself from the other contractors out there. If I'm going to advertise in the same way as they do, what would make a client choose me over anyone else?

We can all get 'fancy' colors and fonts at staples. Just as a client can get 'fancy' hardsapes and plants from any contractor. What they can't get is the knowledge, care, and detail that I offer that other contractors cannot. I want my advertising to reflect what my work does. I want it to differentiate myself from others. Stock symbols and text don't do that. With the amount of experience you have, you should to, as I'm sure you are offering services that few others in your area can. Make your advertising reflect that.

[mdvaden]

Originally posted by PSUscaper
I would like to see a company logo of some sort that connects all the media together.

That sounds like a good goal for next year - or soon thereafter.

That's about when I plan to get new embroidered shirts.

In the past, the two conifer shapes plus the M. D. Vaden have been the logo on the shirts and cards.

But never on the flyers.

"M. D. Vaden" is the actual registered assumed business name, and I'd like to keep it within the logo.

But I'd prefer to have a consolidated logo where the name and image are integrated.

Although I've looked at lots of logos, I've never studied logos. It might be useful to actually pay close attention to some. I'm fairly certain that I'll hire someone to design the logo.

I wonder if someone knows how to do a logo that clearly conveys a reflection in water

[mrusk]

When it comes time for the logo, use designoutpost.com I am trilled my logo, letterhead, business cards, envlopes.

[papercutter]

mrusk- that looks like a spec work site, is that right?

Dave