Save Money On Printing & Advertising - Series 1

My forte is print media so I will leave radio and TV advertising talk to someone else. The "Save Money On Printing and Advertising" series is for the person who has the dubious job of telling the world the who, what, where, when and how of their business or organization. It is very important and someone has to do it. You have to spread the word; make contact with potential customers; ADVERTISE!

The old adage of "You have to spend money to make money" is unfortunately true. BUT it doesn't have to break the bank - that's where I come in!

In these series, I will give you hints, tips, advice and information on how to promote your business or organization. We will discuss specific projects such as business cards, forms, brochures and much more. Whether you do it yourself or pay an advertising company, graphic designer or printing company, these articles will show you how to SAVE MONEY on printing and advertising.

Series 1 - Writing and Copy Preparation

There are very few absolute rules for good writing. Three primary ones are: know the subject, be interesting and be grammatical. Fancy graphics, brilliant photographs, first-class paper and printing cannot salvage poor copy.

Here are a few other points to keep in mind when writing print material.

As a general rule, use short, concise sentences. In the same way, use a short word instead of a longer one if the two are synonymous.

In order to keep your copy fresh and alive, use ordinary English rather than jargon or language that is inflated and pompous. The sentence labeled (a) below is far easier on the reader than the one labeled (b).

(a)    Parents must often discipline their children.
(b)    Children must receive parental input that often places restrictions and limitations on behavioral patterns that seem acceptable to the child but are clearly intolerable to the parent.

Be specific. Use concrete examples. Sometimes this can be challenging. How can a writer introduce lively, concrete images into the summary of an auditor's statement in an annual report? That's difficult but most subjects are less abstract and will allow for the use of concrete details if the writer will only try.

Don't hesitate to rewrite your material. A beginner is apt to think of the first draft as something sacred, and resist any attempt to improve it. Don't let your ego get in the way. No matter what the item is, you should re-work it several times. Don't rush the project. It helps to set it aside for a few hours and then look at it again to get a fresh perspective.

When you have finished your final draft, have someone else look at it. Someone with a different view will often point out weaknesses, spots needing changes in emphasis, and actual errors of fact.

Proofread - Proofread - Proofread. No matter what the project, proofreading will eliminate spelling errors, grammatical errors, clear up passages that are unclear and check for consistency of style. At any rate, careful proofreading should be done before proceeding. This is the first place where you will save money. Changes after this point could be very expensive.

Next article: Series 2 - Design
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CHT has worked in the printing business since she was 16 years old. She has hands-on experience in every aspect of the industry from running presses, typesetting/graphic design, sales, customer service, management and ownership.