Sometimes “one” is better than “many.” One really great friend is better than many so-so friends. One bill is better than many bills. One bad habit is better than many bad habits.
And in marketing, sometimes a one-page sell sheet or flyer is better than a many-paged one.
One-pagers are meant to be read quickly, and because they’re short, they’re more likely to be read. They can be printed and distributed, emailed, or included on your website. They provide brief but compelling information—enough to persuade a reader to want to learn more, make a purchase, provide a donation, request a service, subscribe to a membership, etc.
One-pagers are excellent handouts at conferences, sales meetings, and trade shows. They make great inserts in goody bags, mailed invoices and statements, and shipped orders. And a carefully defined collection of one-pagers can be used to establish your authority in social media or on your website.
To make the most of your prime, but limited, space, keep the following tips in mind when creating your one-pager:
· Create a fantastic headline. It should be compelling and hint at a benefit the user can expect to receive.
· Focus on the visual. Copy sells, but graphics get attention. Create a clean but attractive page with one strong photo or image that supports your headline.
· Keep your content focused, concise, and easy-to-read. Text-heavy sheets most likely won’t be read. You don’t need to give your readers all of the fine details, just enough highlights to persuade them to act.
· Keep the layout open. Nothing shuts a reader down quicker than a crowded or confusing layout. Make your headline stand out. Use bullets or short paragraphs to draw your readers’ eyes and emphasize important information. Leave plenty of white space and organize your information, creating logical visual flows from one point of text to the next.
· Make it trackable. You’ll never know how effective your one-pager is unless you provide a promotion code or direct readers to a dedicated email, URL, phone number, etc.
· Include a call-to-action. This should tie directly to your goal for the piece. If your desire is to attract new customers, prompt readers to contact your company with a phone number, an email address, or a website. If your goal is to make a sale, direct readers to the featured service’s or product’s web page or sales team.
· Provide basic contact information: phone number, address, and website.
· Include testimonials. Space on one-pagers is limited, but a carefully selected review or testimonial can often do more to convince prospects than anything you write.
· Include identifying brand colors, logos, sayings, etc. Consistently using company colors and styles will help build your identity in your readers’ minds and make your materials more recognizable in the future.
Sometimes it does take a multi-page letter or catalog to make an impact. Other times, it just takes one really great page.