5 Tips for Designing a More Effective Custom Promotional Sticker

Distributing promotional stickers is a creative, cost-effective way to reach customers and prospects today. With the right design, stickers can be powerful sales tools.

Here are 5 tips for designing a more effective promotional sticker for your business:

Plan ahead
Just like any other marketing strategy you’d put forth for your business, sticker distribution requires proper planning. Design suffers and money is wasted when a business waits until the last minute to purchase stickers. Sticker production generally takes 3-10 working days but you also need to factor in the time it takes to develop an idea, consider manufacturer recommendations, and properly prepare the artwork. A sticker is a reflection of the business/brand it represents. Rushing through the process means that you’ll typically get subpar results (stickers).

Consider where the sticker will ideally be applied
Where do you ideally see your promotional stickers being applied? The answer to this question will help determine the shape and size of the sticker. For example, a sticker that’s meant to be displayed on a vehicle will look different than a sticker that’s meant to be displayed on a person’s clothing (or their helmet, bike, computer, water bottle, etc.). Remember, no matter the size or color of the sticker, it needs to convey the messaging quickly and clearly. A sticker is essentially a small billboard.

Determine how sticky it should be
You don’t want to purchase a sticker only to realize that it doesn’t properly stick to the item that it was intended to stick to. There are various adhesives to choose from. For example, stickers can come with ultra-removable adhesive or super aggressive adhesive. Static decals have no adhesive. When working with a sticker manufacturer, be as specific as possible regarding the intended use of the sticker so that the proper adhesive is used during production.

Incorporate color
A sticker is usually printed on white vinyl but that doesn’t mean that the background of the sticker should be white. Using a background color and white or colored copy/graphics on the sticker can result in a much more appealing image since it “pops”. Full color digital printing is also now readily available, but don’t overdo it. Remember we’re trying to convey the message quickly and clearly.

Take advantage of the whole space
The front of the sticker (to be displayed) is always the top priority, but don’t forget that the back of the sticker can be used too. Sticker back printing (back copy) can be used for advertising, coupons, news, postcard copy, etc. Remember, the design of the front of the sticker should be as simple as possible which is why the back of the sticker is a great place to include more detailed information.