Bookmarks are great marketing tools for a variety of businesses. Small but useful, they allow you to expand on the information you normally put on your business card. Add a list of services, a checklist, or a collection of useful tips related to your business.
Target your ideal customer by asking your librarian or local bookstore owner to let you place your custom bookmarks inside books that your customers are likely to read.
A pet store owner might put bookmarks in all the titles dealing with animals and pet care. A craft store owner would target the books in the craft section of the library or bookstore.
I might slip my sample bookmark for Prime Personnel Consulting (see image) into books on job hunting and resume preparation. I took the basic layout for the front side of Chuck Green's bookmark and simply changed the text and used different clip art. On the reverse side I added a marketing message in addition to the business name, address, and phone number.
These bookmarks measure 2 inches wide by 8.5 inches tall. Take a master copy to a commercial printer or, if your printer can handle heavy card stock you might be able to print small quantities right from your desktop. If the design doesn't bleed off the edge of your bookmark you can get five bookmarks on letter size card stock. Use a papercutter to ensure straight, even edges.
You don't have to be a professional designer or graphic artist to create fun, useful, and attractive bookmarks, business cards, brochures, newsletters, Web pages, and other desktop publishing projects. See some of the tutorials, below, for ideas and tips.
