The new year is almost here, so you know what that means—new calendars!

New 2017 calendar designs are here.

Every year talented graphic designers work their you-know-whats off designing creative new calendar designs for the upcoming year. Creating a theme for a set of 12 months is one of the most challenging but fulfilling creative exercises. The best part is seeing how creative designers get with their solutions for displaying the month, days and other important elements of the calendar, while still keeping it functional.

To celebrate the coming of the holidays and the end of the year, I have compiled some of the most stunning 2017 calendar designs from around the web. Check out these awesome designs below for some inspiration and feel free to link to any cool 2017 calendar designs you have created for the new year.

Creative 2017 Calendar Designs

Seasonal Eats by Bobby Evans

Food and seasons are intrinsically linked and thus a great way to illustrate each month. Bobby chose to illustrate his 2017 calendar design with each season’s produce.

Illustrated Calendar 2017 by Camille Romano

This simple calendar from Camille reminds me of the art of Henri Matisse. Simple but effective.

Flat Calendar 2017 by Dariia Romanova

Most of the calendars I’ve seen have complex and elaborate designs but Dariia chose a flat and modern design using mountains and changing seasons.

Animals Calendar by Shunsuke Satake

Shunsuke’s animal illustrations fit well with the calendar’s color and layout. Whimsical.

2017 by CARGONEBLINA

This minimalist calendar features handwritten month names. But the choice of font coupled with the script works for anyone who wants simple and elegant.

Illustrated Desk Calendar by Aishwarya Agrawal

Aishwarya’s calendar features trivia from her beautiful country of India, perfect for travel plans all year round.

The Building by G Sze Mean

G Sze Mean cites life in the big city in her calendar. Using colorful buildings partnered with script calendar design, she wants to remind people of the beauty of cities.

Birth Stones 2017 by songhee cho

Another stunning use of calligraphic font on calendars. This time, Songhee Cho used the birthstones of each month as the theme for her calendar.

The Story of Hand n Coffee by zen makino

I seldom see pastel illustrations in calendar design. Zen’s coffee theme reminds me to measure the year in coffee cups and spoons.

Garden Family Calendar by Hédi Kocsis

Hedi’s gorgeous calendar includes more than 30 hand-painted illustrations of vegetables, fruits, animals and garden tools and is nothing short of beautiful.

I hope you are inspired to create your own designs and maybe even print your own calendars. Here’s to the coming New Year!

Which calendar design did you like most? Tell us in the comment section below.

The post 10 Creative 2017 Calendar Designs for Your Inspiration appeared first on NextDayFlyers.

You might think that envelopes, letterhead, folders, and notepads can not do much beyond their usual functions. Envelopes and return address labels carry letters to their intended recipients. Letterhead gives a professional medium for corporate communication. Notepads let you write notes on the go. Presentation folders keep your documents tucked neatly in one place.

And that’s it.

This is precisely the reason why most companies do not pay particular attention to the design and application of corporate stationery. Those that do pay attention to detail, utilizing even the smallest aspects of their brand, are the ones that stand out from the rest.

True, generic business stationery can do the job, but a fully customized set of corporate stationery can do that and more. Here are some ways custom corporate stationery can boost your business and build your brand identity.

Maintains Brand Consistency

Visual identity is the most important factor to consider when building your own brand. It usually consists of your brand name, your logo, even the font you use, and other design elements. Creating a consistent brand identity is a key aspect to marketing your business. But it’s not an easy process.

“Multiple people creating many branded elements can make it difficult to keep things aligned,” says Raubi Marie Perilli in her article for Entrepreneur. “For both big corporations and small business, it can be easy to veer off course, sometimes without even realizing it.” To have a consistent brand identity, you have to invest in maintaining key visuals across all facets of your business.

Printing your visual identity on your corporate stationery is one of the cost-effective ways you can reinforce it. If used often enough in your business transactions and correspondence, customers and business partners will associate these symbols with your company. They will recognize your logo and key visuals at first glance.

MORE: 18 Corporate Identity Graphic Design Samples

Advertises Your Business in a Unique Way

There are a lot of ways to advertise conventionally, but sometimes the best ways are those that come unexpectedly. Thinking beyond the usual is the hallmark of being a good marketer. Using corporate stationery, even as a giveaway, can advertise your business in a unique way.

Everyone loves freebies, and more so if it’s functional and people can reuse it. Customized folders and notepads, for instance, can be used as giveaways when you have a marketing promotion. Folders are nifty when it comes to keeping documents. Notepads are used to pass notes on the go. If you customize your business stationery with your brand identity, this creates a bonus and unconventional advertising for you.

MORE: 10 of the Baddest Guerrilla Marketing Campaigns by Advertising Ninjas!

Establishes Trust Through Professionalism

Gaining trust from customers and potential business partners is the goal of building your brand.

“For most brands, first-time exposure is a critical moment for building initial brand trust,” according to Jayson Demers, CEO of AudienceBloom on his article for Entrepreneur. “Trust is a pivotal feature of successful brands; when a user trusts your brand, they’ll be more willing to buy from you.”

If you are trustworthy, then people will listen to the message you want to convey. They are also more willing to support your business by availing of your services or buying the products that you provide. Nothing makes you more trustworthy than by being professional in every interaction. And to be professional, you also have to look the part.

Printing your corporate stationery on good quality paper, coupled with a consistent brand design, exhibits professionalism. This shows that you are attentive to even the smallest details. First impressions do last a long time and appearance hugely affects this initial interaction. If you have given this level of attention with this matching letterhead and envelope, then your customer would expect that you would give a greater level of attention when it comes to the products and services you offer.

Aside from that, it also establishes authority and accountability. For instance, everything written on a customized letterhead is done under the company’s good name. It makes things look official. And with this authority comes the responsibility that you will indeed deliver what the letter states.

MORE: Create Stunning Envelope Designs with our Free PSD and AI Envelope Templates

What else are the benefits of custom corporate stationery? Tell us in the comments below. 

The post 3 Ways Corporate Stationery Can Boost Your Brand appeared first on NextDayFlyers.

The question is: do you know what will help market your flyers effectively?

Studies show that 90% of the information that comes to the brain is visual. If a person regards something as beautiful, there is a higher chance that he or she will pay attention to it. Flyers are no different.

Most of the time we see flyers posted on walls, distributed by salespeople, in our mail, on the counters of stores, and sometimes, in the trash. If yours ends up in the latter, I’m sure you ask yourself what you did that was so wrong. Why did your flyers end up in a recycling bin?

There are so many facets that make up great design. Did you use the right font? How about the colors and spacing of your design elements? Did you overdo it? Does it convey the right information to your customers? Did it serve its purpose?

Your flyer design is an important factor that may affect the outcome of your marketing campaign. So, if you don’t want your flyers to be thrown away by your potential customers, pay close attention to your designs. The key is to design it in such a way that makes it stand out, catch attention, and get your customers to take action. For some people, this can be easier said than done.

We asked several flyer designers to share some of their tips to inspire you to create your own. We also included flyers that they personally created so you can see what great flyer designs look like:

1. Jomar Arceo

For me, designing a flyer is like making a coffee in the morning, you need to have your resources and the sense of taste that blends with the needs of your clients or where the flyer will be used . Just go with your passion and spread the good graphics.

2. Piotr Szmiłyk

Information is most important, and should be straightforward – but in a clever way. Sometimes we want to design the best thing ever, and we forget why we do it. If there are tons of effects, your design might overpower the information that you want to convey.

3. Rachelle Tung

Set a clear and attractive headline. Proper size and placement of your flyer’s headline is important. The headline should be large and should be one of the first things viewers notice when looking at the flyer. Placing the headline at the top or middle is a common area that people expect to look. The font style for the headline should be one that contrasts with the body text (for example: a serif header font with sans serif body text). Placing ornamental elements around the headline can also help draw attention and create a luxurious appearance.

4. Grace Ho

As I am designing, I am sending out signals to the audience. I try to think of what would catch the target audience’s attention (color, shape, icons, typography, etc.).

I have a 1-second rule for the first moment of contact and a 3-second rule for gathering all of the information on the design. My designs will have 1 second or less to impress the audience. This is when I focus on the main graphic of the design.

If they take a second look, then all of the information should only take 3 seconds for the audience to read. This is when I focus on the copywriting, the typography, and the organization of the information.

5. Designer Eshad

Must follow company branding (like brand color, logo concept). Flyer must be clean & eye catching. Must follow flyer category. If you want to design CORPORATE FLYER then you have to know how corporate flyer looks. So google it and search for corporate flyer.

6. Manuel Corsi

I am an illustrator, so I always tend to create well colored illustrations, the colors are very important (eye catching) and text that blends well to it. Very important to create something unique that shows your style.

7. Brandon Waite

Make it bold – along the same lines as above, you have to make sure your flyer stands out. If it’s simple it’s much easier to make it bold. Bold statements, bold images, and bold colors. People are busy. They don’t have time to search you out. Make it effortless to notice your flyer.

8. Brett Johnson

Know who you’re designing for – this will affect font, color, and image selection. And, never forget your end goal. This will help establish and keep the overall hierarchy of the flyers.

9. Wasim Elgohary

Design to a grid. How to have too much information in a relatively small space? Use a grid. A grid helps you efficiently utilize the space and making sure that everything is aligned and in place. You may find it hard or constraining but the more you design to a grid, the more you’ll find out how much it’s useful and time-saving.

10. Rich Scott

Sourcing a relevant/appropriate image or images for the subject. Then cropping, using various Photoshop methods if necessary to make visually appealing and interesting. The essential type like headings and dates must be readable, short and enticing. The message must be clear and call the viewer/reader to action, act and directly want to follow the contact information.

I always start the design process by sketching out various versions until I have the basic layout. I create most of the essential elements in illustartor; such as the typography as I feel it (Adobe Illustrator) offers more control, then switch between Photoshop and illustrator to achieve the final result.

11. Joe Krow

Having a plan, sketch or rough idea of how you want your flyer to look ahead of time will save you lots of time and make your flyer project workflow more efficient. It can sometimes take a while to find that perfect image or graphic, especially if you don’t know what you are looking for. Once you’ve gathered all your project assets keep them in a folder or at least in close proximity of one another for quick access.

Don’t be afraid to take advantage of all the design resources the web offers. Maybe you feel you are lacking in artistic skills, having trouble coming up with a concept or don’t have time to design a flyer from scratch. There is a variety of solutions at your fingertips. For example, searching “flyer” on Pinterest is an incredible source of inspiration. Graphic River and Creative Market are chock full of flyer templates and design resources from novice to advanced designers.

12. Alfian Saputra

Make something different. Try something new!

Every time I made a flyer, I made it with my heart until I was really satisfied with the arrangement of text, layouts, and images used.

13. Alex Tass

Listening to the artist’s music while creating the artwork sets my mood and also the feel of the final artwork. The flyer becomes a combination of the visual line created for the venue and the visual imagery inspired by the artist’s music. Another special situation is when the artist has a recent release, (that he may or may not promote within the event) if possible I take my inspiration or I try to include bits of the graphics in the final artwork.

14. Multia

I would say while designing a flyer it is important to pay attention to details like alignments, spacing, colours and typography.

15. Henry Hu

In my point of view, flyers are technically a visual tool to communicate information. So essentially, an effective flyer is one that manages to convey its intention to the target audience. And I truly believe that people are easily attracted to what they see than what they read by nature.

To design an effective flyer, it’s really helpful to have a very strong and mind-blowing graphic element as the core of your flyer. By mind-blowing, I mean something that’s unexpected, unique, surprising, and makes people curious. Though having a well-put-together headline and copy is important, it’s after you get people’s attention then they start to read what’s written on the flyer.

16. Matteo Morelli

Never, and I say NEVER, use images in the design downloaded from the internet, especially for free. People can feel when there is not much effort in the design process and copyright issues are serious stuff. I also think that a flyer that uses pictures or illustration made by the designer just for the flyer always give to it a special aura.

Less is more: try to reduce the text to the minimum… Mysterious stuff always awake the explorer spirit that hides inside us, so try to find a good hay to hook the potential clients to drag them on your website or social network pages, where they can have all the information they need.

Probably is just a matter of taste, but I feel to suggest designers to avoid the black external outline of the font, except if you want to advertise a trashy 90’s dance music party.

And the most important in my opinion: leave the design work to a professional. Graphic design is a real job, people spend years of study to become a graphic designer, just being able to use the softwares is not enough to do a good work.

17. Hilen Godoy

I think in this case the tip would be to keep it simple, when you have only a few elements in your canvas you let some good space for your imagination to grow, and make something creative from those things. The key is to be playful with the basic elements: colors, types and photos; and be able to take full advantage of their particularities.

18. Christian Cisneros

When I am designing flyers, posters or any type of print material I find out what my customer’s focus or purpose is going to be. Then I design a major focal point that conveys the message without even saying any words at first glance. If its a car show i design around an eye catching car or truck, if its a music event I design around an instrument that coveys the type of music (like a guitar for country music), or if its a benefit I design around an iconic symbol. (like the pink ribbon for cancer). A major eye catching focal point will draw viewer in and then allow them to read the content of your flyer or poster.

19. Julián Smith

The construction of most of my pieces starts with a tangled process of looking for a concept, from which all the stuff come. Also I enjoy so much the exploration of new techniques and languages, being as free as I can.

20. Matt Pealing

Don’t forget to take hierarchy into consideration. So if you’re designing a flyer for an event the main focus of the flyer should be what the event is, presented in an eye-catching way so that it will grab peoples’ attention. Then, after that would be the finer details presented less prominently, such as the date and location.

21. Partho P. Folia

A designer is a day dreamer. You gotta let your imagination fly. Be Clever with your colors. Colors create visual harmony. By choosing a warm or monochromatic color combination you will create a tonal foundation for your design.

22. Gil Huybrecht

When designing a flyer one of the important things is to have a good hierarchy in text ( title big & black, copy in a grey color for example). Another one is to mainly use 2 different accent colors. That way, you keep the flyer clean & colorful.

23. Bjorn Anka

Always look for inspiration, if you are making a design on a rock concert, look for what type of designs that are usually made on a rock concert, trends, etc. And if you regularly download templates, try to change something more than the text or the image, try new colors or perhaps add some new elements, so it won’t be obvious that you used a template.

24. Sarah Vogl

The first thing that’s super important to me when I design flyers is how it reads, and what kinds of emphasis are on different parts of the information. This depends on content and the theme of what’s being advertised, but when arranging text on the page you should consider how the information will be processed by your reader. Experiment with different orders, sizes, colors, fonts and weights until you find what feels just right.

The second most important thing to me is not being afraid to borrow from others. This happens in two parts for me: research and free-to-use graphics/pictures. A lot of what I work on ends up being time-sensitive one way or another. I do research and collect images that have been created for similar kinds of events, so I have styles, arrangements, colors, and ideas to borrow from. I then troll the internet for freebies that I can incorporate into the design somehow and make my own. This saves time because I almost never start from scratch. The trick I’ve learned is to use only 1 (or 2) resources in a single project and to modify or work around them in a way that makes it look original and professional, not borrowed and patched. Just be careful not to break copyright, of course. There are virtually unlimited places to find free tools online.

Summary:

Most of these designers seem to agree that an effective flyer design must be eye-catching to grab people’s attention without compromising your design. Go bold but don’t overdo it.

Start with a simple concept and build your own design. Make sure that you know the real purpose of each flyer. Typography, scaling, colors and copy are the most important elements of a flyer.

Focus on what your target audience needs and let your creativity flow. If you take all of these into consideration, you can create a flyer that not only is visually appealing, but also receives the response from recipients that you are looking for.

Don’t forget to leave us a comment if you have something to add to these tips and designs.

The post Top Flyer Designs and Tips From Graphic Designers appeared first on NextDayFlyers.

NextDayFlyers has a special treat for all you designers and bar owners who need to market yourselves for the big day! 3 of the highest quality PSD and AI templates completely FREE to use in whatever way you wish. Layered and fully editable, these full-size flyer templates were designed exclusively (by me) for your use.

Add your own text, logos and images to these layered files and make a super flyer for the super-duperest of sports events! Showcase your events to entice your hardcore football fans. Include your food and drink specials, and even raffles.

Please enjoy our football flyer templates below!

Note: This PSD file includes editable text layers and different colored team helmets that you can add team logos too.

                         << DOWNLOAD THIS PSD TEMPLATE HERE>>

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Note: This AI file includes editable text layers and different colored team helmets that you can add team logos to.

                           << DOWNLOAD THIS AI TEMPLATE HERE>>

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                   << DOWNLOAD THIS PSD TEMPLATE HERE>>

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Be sure to comment below if you used our flyer designs. We’d like to see how you customized our templates to fit your business. If you have other comments or suggestions, feel free to put your feedback too.

Now, if you would like to print the designs above or you have your own poster or flyer design that you’d like to print, we would be more than glad to help you out. Check out our poster printing and flyer printing page for more information.

Would you like to see more FREE template designs? Tell us what you want to see next.

The post FREE! Photoshop and Illustrator Flyer Templates for the BIG Football Game! appeared first on NextDayFlyers.

If you’re going to host a Halloween party, or planning to promote Halloween events for your organization or business, then you’ll need promotional materials to attract trick-or-treaters (and customers). But you’re probably going to be busy with your Halloween costume. Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place.

Created by our ultra-talented in-house design crew, these Halloween templates are perfect for downloading and adapting to all those last minute events, sales promotions, parties, and more. All of our templates have editable text so you can easily input the details of your event. Use your photo editing software such as Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator to edit the ready-made text boxes and fill out the date, time, venue, and treats that your party goers can expect.

Go through the list below and download to your heart’s content – and please have a safe and happy Halloween!

Halloween Templates for Flyers With the Grim Reaper and Zombie Designs

Download This FREE Illustrator (AI) Vector Flyer

Download This FREE Illustrator (AI) Vector Flyer

Halloween Banner Template With Black and White “Trick or Treat” Design

Download This FREE Illustrator (AI) Vector Banner

Halloween Vinyl Banner Template With Spooky Pumpkin Design

Download This FREE Illustrator (AI) Vector Banner

Clean and Uncluttered Vector Halloween Poster Design

Download This FREE Illustrator (AI) Vector Poster

Vector Halloween Poster Design With Creepy Zombie Hand Reaching Out From the Grave

Download This FREE Illustrator (AI) Vector Poster

Halloween Door Hanger Template to Add Your Own Copy and Promotional Message

Download This FREE Illustrator (AI) Vector Doorhanger

Door Hanger Halloween Template With a Skull Design

Download This FREE Illustrator (AI) Vector Doorhanger

Halloween Invitation Template With a Cartoon Grim Reaper

Download This FREE Illustrator (AI) Vector Invitation

Creepy House and Cemetery Halloween Party Invitation Template

Download This FREE Illustrator (AI) Vector Invitation

Scary Pumpkin-Themed Halloween Event Ticket Template

Download This FREE Illustrator (AI) Vector Ticket

Halloween Ticket Template With Zombie Design

Download This FREE Illustrator (AI) Vector Ticket

I hope you enjoyed these free Halloween templates. Please feel free to give us a nod and share these with your friends and colleagues. If you’re looking for more free Halloween downloads, check out all our other FREE Halloween-themed downloads below:

Halloween Skull Vector Pack (& Infographic)

Halloween Vector Objects

Halloween Window Clings

Halloween Invitations

What kind of freebie would you like us to feature next? Tell us in the comments below.

The post Halloween Templates Galore! Free Vector (AI) Door Hangers, Flyers, Banners & More! appeared first on NextDayFlyers.

What is Pokemon Go?

Pokemon Go is a smartphone application, location-based augmented reality game developed by Niantic in partnership with GameFreak and Nintendo. In the game, players use their smartphone’s GPS capabilities to locate, capture, and train Pokemon.

Ever since its launch in 1995 for the popular handheld GameBoy, Pokemon has since seeped from the gaming world to popular culture. From the initial 151 Pokemon, it has spawned seven generations of games and various spin-offs for a total of 721 cute monsters. One such spin-off is Pokemon Go which currently includes the original 151 Pokemon.

That’s basically the reason why Pokemon Go marketing is boosting small business sales—nostalgia.

Being a Pokemon fan myself, I grew up wishing that Pokemon were real. Every eleven year old in my circle of friends wished we’d get a call from Professor Oak to give us a starter Pokemon, a Pokedex, and leave to explore the world. I wanted to travel the world raising my own Pokemon friends.

Today, the advanced technology has provided us the means to go out of our own homes and explore places that we probably would not go normally. Pokemon Go encourages users to travel across town and visit landmarks like signs, murals, local stores, and restaurants. It would be a mistake to not capitalize on this opportunity with a creative marketing campaign centered around this app.

To start, here are a few tips that you can do to start leveraging Pokemon Go marketing to boost your business.

1. Play the Pokemon Go game and catch ’em all!

I think the best way of using the Pokemon Go app to market your business is to actually play it. First of all, it’s free with optional in-app purchases so it won’t cost money. Second, it would familiarize you with all the features the game has to offer. These features are crucial if you want to form a marketing campaign using the application. Finally, it’s just plain fun to play the game and interact with patrons who do. Oh, and by the way, choose #TeamInstinct.

2. Advertise your PokeStops.

In the game, players search for stations called PokeStops where they could find various resources to play the game, such as Pokeballs to catch Pokemon or potions to heal them after battle. If you’re lucky, your physical store might be chosen as a PokeStop. If not, don’t worry, there is a certain radius where players can still use the PokeStop and you’re lucky if you’re close by one.

But if that doesn’t work for you, well, tough luck. Niantic, the company that developed Pokemon Go, accepted requests for PokeStops before, but they’ve temporarily halted the submissions. They might bring this back in the future so watch out. Meanwhile, you can do other useful promotions such as…

3. Promote your store as a WiFi and charging station.

If you have WiFi and some extra electrical outlets in your cafe or restaurant, then you’re in luck. You basically have the bread and butter of Pokemon Go marketing. The game takes a lot of battery since it uses GPS and mobile data, so much so that dedicated Pokemon Trainers actually buy high capacity power banks to support their hobby.

Let your patrons know that you offer both by putting a window cling or banner outside your physical store and advertising it on your social media. Make sure that you place them where a lot of Pokemon Go players pass by for maximum visibility.

4. Schedule a weekly lure party.

In the game, a Pokemon Lure is a device that attracts Pokemon to a PokeStop. Pokemon will appear more frequently than usual at that PokeStop. By frequently, I mean a lot. Pokemon are scarce and they only appear more often in populated areas. Lures remain the best way to catch Pokemon.

Advertise your lure party in social media and invite people to stay and catch Pokemon while comfortably enjoying the food or services on your premises. You can even create a special Pokemon themed menu during your lure party to please the fans.

5. Extend your Pokemon Go marketing to social media.

Pokemon Go is generating a lot of buzz on social media. If Niantic’s rumored plans are true, then we could expect more social features from the game including battling trainers or catching legendary Pokemon. Social media would be the best channel to capitalize on. Boost your engagement with your local community by encouraging people to tag you in social media. For instance, they could take a picture of the Pokemon they found within the store premises. You could even ask them to share lure parties if you are hosting one. A simple check in on Facebook would go a long way.

Pokemon Go marketing might just be the first of many opportunities to boost local businesses. It only takes an accommodating experience from small businesses to create a great gameplay experience for fans of the franchise. It’s a simple marketing principle really. Create a great customer experience and they’ll keep coming back for more.

Now, let’s go catch that Pikachu!

Which Pokemon Go Team did you choose for your business? Tell us why #TeamInstinct is the best in the comments below!

The post How Pokemon Go Marketing Can Boost Your Business appeared first on NextDayFlyers.

Ranging from the 5-minute costume to some that will take a little more, these adult Halloween costumes are bound to get a few laughs at the party. Also, it’s so much more rewarding and exciting to make your own costume than simply picking one off the shelf (that’s half the fun!) So get inspired by the following easy Halloween costume ideas and don’t settle for a disappointing and unoriginal costume.

1. Celebrity Babies

Techaw

Angeline Jolie and baby costume. You just need a Baby Bjorn, and a plastic doll (sans head), Angelina Jolie cut-out and the legs to pull off a Jolie impersonation.

Techaw

Another fake head costume. This time it’s a Kanye West and North West combo!

2. Cereal Killer

Flickr

A few mini-cereal boxes hot-glued or sewn to a sweater is all it takes to pull this costume off.

Pinterest

Add a bit of fake blood and a milk mustache for extra giggles!

Papers You Love

Add a ghost face killer (scream) mask if you have one from a previous year’s costume.

3. 50 Shades of Grey

Popsugar

Grab a load of swatches from a hardware store and make a sexy, funny, and easy-to-make 50 Shades of Grey costume.

Clothesmonaut

This couples version is brilliantly done with skirt and tie in swatch form.

Costume Works

This is the weirdo version ( Mr Grey is after all)

4. One Night Stand

Total Frat Move

This pun-inspired costume is exceptionally easy to make if you’ve got an old night stand hanging around.

 Margie’s World

Love the painted drawers in this version of the costume.

5. Ceiling Fan

Mashable

Another puntastic costume that couldn’t be simpler or funnier.

Cafe Mom

If you are running out of easy Halloween costume ideas, this is a perfect last-minute pun you can pull off.

To Life And To Love

Team ceiling fans!

6. Social Networking Costumes

Pinterest

Social media idea for Pinterest that requires little more than a cork board and some ribbon.

Reface.me

A Facebook costume that requires a bit of cardboard and little artistic skill.

BlogTo

#Ilovethis.

Techaw

If you want to increase your chances of success on Halloween this year, this YouTube costume is a pretty good bet.

Reddit

And if you have some extra time, you can make a fully functional Instagram camera like this guy.

7. The Dude

Cosplayidol

If you’re sporting long hair and a cool beard, get out that sweater from Grandma and some sunglasses and you become the Dude.

Reddit

Works with a bathrobe too.

8. An Avocado

Reddit

For expectant moms who aren’t into that zombie thing, why not an avocado?

9. Avengers

Crushable

If you don’t know which Avenger to choose – go as them all.

Crushable

Super-funny and camp version of the Avengers costumes.

Crushable

Be sure to clean that trash can lid thoroughly though.

10. Caught in a Storm Costume

Imgur

An umbrella turned inside out, a bit of hair gel, and a newspaper and leaf taped to the knees – easy-peasy hilarity.

Imgur

This guy added a “flyaway tie” for effect.

Pinterest

This lady added a mic, name tag, and other debri to make the costume into a reporter caught in a storm.

11. Cactus Costume

Creating Really Awesome Free Things

Pipe cleaners, a glue gun (or some sewing skills), and green clothes are all you need for this easy and brilliant costume.

Pinterest

This guy added green facepaint to the look.

Pinterest

This lady added a flower to her hair for a more feminine cactus costume.

12. Balloon Costumes

Her Campus

Love this simple but fantastic idea of a jelly bean costume that is simply a big polythene bag and multi-colored balloons.

ExploremCallem

How cute is this family of grapes!

Her Campus

Remove a few balloons to make a sexy grape costume.

13. Taco Bell Packet Costumes

Her Campus

Such an easy and fun DIY costume; different colored dresses and a bit of sewing.

CollegeHumor

Here’s the male version.

CoolestHomemadeCostumes

…and the couples version (with taco)

 14. Saved by the Bell

MyPrettyPennies

Saved by the Bell characters is a great DIY halloween costume for a group of friends…super retro fun!

TheNest

Couples version, Zack and Kelly costumes.

TheNest

Couples version, Slater and Jessie costumes.

15. Awesome-O (and friends)

WTFCostumes

If you’re a fan of South Park, then this super simple costume is good for a ton of laughs!

Pinterest

Here’s a South Park inspired homemade costume with both Awesome-O and Towelie

Pinterest

…and here’s some kids as Awesome-O and Captain Chaos!

16. Fantasy Football

BlueWaterBrand

The  worlds of fantasy and football collide in this gloriously funny and punny costume.

ChristopherArthurRichards

This guys a real wiz at Halloween costuming.

WeddingBee

A wizard hat, beard, and football shirt is all you really need for this easy DIY costume!

 17. French kiss

Tumblr

This is our favorite of all the pun costumes – so funny and such little effort to nail!

Imgur

A striped shirt, beret, face-paint, and french bread is all that’s required for a French Kiss costume.

Imgur

The perfect costume for a small group of friends.

18. Dwight Shrute (and other Office cast)

Original source: TwistedSifter

A Dwight Shrute costume with the famous “stapler in the jello.”

TheOfficeisms

Dwight with his beets!

TheOfficeisms

A fantastic group Office costume – a big chunk of the cast mimicked perfectly.

19. Kevin Bacon

ConsciousCommerce

If your name’s “Kevin” then this is too perfect.

CoolestHomemadeCostumes

An amazing homemade Kevin Bacon costume.

20. Piñata

Pinterest

Two Piñatas are better than one!

MyDisguises

There’s a bit of work in gluing all the paper to a costume but this is bound to be a hit.

21. Big Bang Theory

Decorating-by-day

Get kooky all night with this Sheldon and Amy (Shamy) costume.

CoolestHomemadeCostumes

Original cast costumes – Howard, Raj, Penny, Leonard, and Sheldon.

22. Jet Pack Costume

CoolestHomemadeCostumes

This looks complicated but it really isn’t. If you’ve got the skill to DIY some fake legs and a pretend jetpack (using a backpack and some tubes) then you’ve got a winning costume.

Pinterest

Up, up, n’ away!

Mentalfloss

This jetpack costume was given a cool Boba Fett cosplay flair!

I hope these easy Halloween costume ideas help you with yours. If you are hosting a party, you might want to check out some of our Halloween templates that you can download for free!

What are you gonna wear for this year’s Halloween? Tell us in the comments below.

The post 22 Funny and Easy Halloween Costume Ideas appeared first on NextDayFlyers.

For years, we are slowly moving away from traditional marketing forms into the convenience of the digital world. The rise of e-commerce businesses moved retail from physical shops to a virtual space. “Add to Cart” has a different meaning now and filling it up is as simple as clicking a product shown on the screen.

The advancement did come with an initial cost from the printing industry, especially on the use of catalogs and circulars. According to the Direct Marketing Association, catalogs mailed by businesses to consumers peaked during the 2007. Because of the recession, the number decreased by almost 40%.

However, recent years have shown an increase in the usage that might signal a rebirth.

The catalog as a marketing tool

Retail businesses have used catalog marketing since time immemorial. Using direct mail, they reach out to potential customers and show them a detailed list of products that they offer. This type of format has greatly benefited clothing and apparel companies, even going as far as releasing catalogs for each season.

Companies like Ikea, Victoria’s Secret, and Bloomingdales regularly sent out catalogs to showcase new creations. The global recession hit and these businesses were forced to decrease their investment for catalogs or abandon it altogether.

Rebirth of catalog marketing

The year 2013 saw a slight increase in the use of catalogs. Since then, there seems to be an upward trend in catalogs mailed by businesses. The resurgence of catalog marketing might signal a better understanding of how catalogs work and how it can be integrated back to the new status quo.

For instance, retail giant J.C. Penney has revived their catalog which they have discontinued for almost half a decade. They revived their home goods catalog that will focus on reaching existing customers.

J.C. Penney’s marketing strategy makes sense as more than 90 million Americans make purchase decisions with a catalog. Research from the American Catalog Mailers Association found out that these consumers purchase an average of $850. This only shows that indeed, catalogs are one of the most effective drivers of retail purchases. The question now is how catalogs, circulars, and print in general fit in the altered retail environment.

Adapting to the times

Retail marketers are now seeking to integrate their print and digital marketing efforts, and for a good reason. Tapping customers across channels can reach out to more people in a more effective way. Through experience, we’ve learned how print and digital can end up actually strengthening each other.

For instance, using a more targeted approach to sending direct mail catalogs to consumers can be more efficient than a shotgun approach and hoping for the best. With demographic and psychographic data formed into a buyer persona, businesses can pick which individuals have a higher chance of purchasing their products.

Thus, catalog marketing is delegated to a new role—leading customers online.

Retail marketers have started to invest in creating the catalog as an experiential tool. Modern incarnations of the catalogs such as that of J.C. Penney’s focus on telling a story that their recipient could relate to. Some even bank on its nostalgia factor. Ikea’s 2015 catalog poked fun at themselves and created an advertisement for their catalog, saying it’s not a digital book or an e-book but a “bookbook” that is fully charged forever.

While there are different approaches, the end goal is the same: lead recipients to e-commerce sites to purchase. With its tactile nature and ability to catch recipients in their homes with a relaxed mindset, looking through products they might be interested in, catalogs may just be one of the most powerful lead generation tools today.

One thing is certain. The catalog is here to stay.

How do you use your catalogs? Tell us in the comments section below.

The post The Rebirth of Catalog Marketing in Today’s Retail Environment appeared first on NextDayFlyers.

A one-star negative review.

But before you start typing a response, consider the repercussions of what you are about to do. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to deal with negative reviews.

1. Calm yourself.

I know the feeling of getting that one star. Denial is probably the first thing that you feel. You know the quality of the products that you offer. You know the kind of service you and your employees provide. It cannot be true, right?

Then, you get angry. Why would your customer leave such a hostile business review? You start typing choice emotional words in your keypad. Should you confront your customer? Your pulse is rising, and your hands are trembling with anger.

But take a step back. It’s easy to answer back to a customer that is badmouthing your business but after pressing that “enter” button, you will have put yourself in a difficult position. One, your anger will just fuel more anger, both on your part and your customer’s. And two, everyone will see that you handled the situation poorly. Some might even think that you do not take criticism well. This would reflect not only on you but on your business as well.

2. Determine the actual cause of the bad review.

Everyone experiences a bad day. It may be your employee’s personal life that affected their actions at work. The customer may have had a bad mood that changed their experience for the worse. It may even be you who unconsciously gave a sub-par service to your customer.

Accept that your business and personnel are not infallible. Ask your customer about the order of events that happened. Let them give the details of what really affected their experience with your business negatively. If applicable, ask your employee(s) their side of the story.

3. Steer the conversation into a private one.

If a customer experienced something negative, their usual course of action is to shame the business publicly due to the nature of business review sites and online reputation management. Your response to this will be judged both by former and potential customers. You wouldn’t want to be perceived unprofessionally by this audience, else it will be damaging and even fatal to your brand.

You can remove this limitation by steering the conversation away from the public space. After writing a calm, professional public response to the negative review, send the customer a private message so you can have a one-on-one conversation. This levels the playing field while also facilitating a better process in resolving the problem.

4. Ask what needs to be improved upon.

After hearing your customer’s grievances, ask them how they would approach the problem. If they are genuinely concerned about the level of service or the quality of the product, they should be able to give you ideas for improvement. For your part, compiling customer feedback is important for insight on how your target consumer thinks and behaves.

5. Compensate your customer.

If the experience was indeed negative, then you need to give your customer an apology gift to win them back. This can be in the form of product discounts or giveaways. Even if you think it’s really the customer’s fault, give a freebie anyway. You may not win back that customer but at least, you’ve shown your willingness to resolve the conflict. Hopefully, other potential customers see that.

However, know when a customer is truly affected and when a customer is abusive. Some people abuse the review system in order to get free stuff, like holding some stars for ransom. Every case is different so you have to adjust accordingly.

6. Consider asking them to revise their negative review.

Like it or not, your customer has already given you a low rating on one of those review sites. That will reflect on your overall rating, and will be seen by people who are looking for reviews on your business.

Hence, it is imperative that you at least ask them to revise their rating after resolving the problem. You do not necessarily need them to delete everything in their review. You might even benefit if others see how you interact with your customers during conflict resolution. Hopefully, this will start a better relationship with this particular customer.

7. Thank them for their feedback and be sincere about it.

I’ve noticed that people frequently put their reviews online only when they experienced something negative. But that doesn’t mean you should discount the feedback that they give altogether. These negative experiences can give you pointers on what aspects of your business you need to improve.

Thus, always end your conversation with an aggrieved customer, in gratitude. And more importantly, you have to be sincere about it. Use it as a learning experience and genuinely try to avoid any similar thing from happening again.

Have you ever had negative reviews? Tell us your experience and how you dealt with it in the comments below.

The post A Step-By-Step Guide to Responding to Negative Reviews appeared first on NextDayFlyers.

I know we’re probably not as obsessive about business cards as Christian Bale’s character Patrick Bateman from American Psycho. I mean, I couldn’t even tell bone color from eggshell. But perhaps, we would benefit more if we were as keen about the subtleties and little details of our business card design.

Business cards have been around for as long as I can remember, functioning as a marketing tool to get people to remember business information. However, advancement in technology as well as a shift in aesthetics, prompted an evolution in the way we design our cards. All too often, people take for granted this factor, and thus, miss an opportunity to give a good impression. A poorly designed card can be damaging, and might even be fatal to businesses, especially if they are just starting up.

Are you committing some of these business card design blunders? Here are ten of the most common business card design mistakes you need to avoid.

Small font size.

Most of us, myself included, don’t really have perfect 20/20 vision. We rely on glasses or contacts to correct our vision. Be sure that your font size is readable enough within the business card’s 3.5″ x 2″ size. It’s good practice that you first print out a sample with the actual size of your font. Ask your friends and colleagues if they can read your text legibly. Adjust if necessary.

Poor choice of font.

Comic Sans will probably come to mind for most people when thinking of examples of poor font choices. However, font is actually dependent on the context. For instance, a hospital using Comic Sans would probably raise confused eyebrows, but a day care center using the same font is pretty much okay. Here’s some useful advice. Use only a maximum of two typefaces and run with it. As much as possible, avoid fancy fonts and those that resemble handwriting because they are hard to read in a small area.

Paper shape.

This one is pretty controversial because most people are advocating the use of unique business cards to stand out. In fact, a lot of compilations on the internet that go viral are based around business cards that defy standards and conventions.

For instance, this once-viral video of speaker trainer Joel Bauer talks about how cheap business cards “suck.” According to him, his business card, which is a customized die-cut card, “does not fit in a rolodex because it doesn’t belong in a rolodex.”

In practice though, business cards, which are oversized and oddly-shaped, will be hard to put in wallets, purses, and yes, rolodexes. Sure, your recipients may want to show other people your gimmicky card but eventually, they would have to keep it somewhere safe until they need to contact you. In this case, the traditional 3.5″ x 2″ card works. If you want to have a bigger card, consider using a folded one. And finally, if you still want to have a uniquely shaped card, consider using shapes that can fit in your recipient’s wallet.

Paper type.

Your business card is essentially your first impression. You know what they say about first impressions. If your business card is printed on poor quality paper, it will reflect on your business as a whole. We don’t want that.

When printing a set of business cards, ask your printing service provider what your paper choices are. Thicker and higher quality cardstock for business cards usually cost more, but it is definitely a beneficial investment for you.

Color contrast.

Here’s another legibility issue, this time with color. If you use a font color that is too close to the color of your background, it might be hard to see for some people. Even more so for people with color blindness. Thus, contrast should be a consideration. As a general rule, try to use a small color palette to base your business card on—something that complements your business colors. Try to use dark colored text on a light background to make it easy to read.

Not giving enough information.

Minimalism seems like the rage these days and for a good reason. You can see in Patrick Bateman’s business card in the video above that serif text on a subtle off-white coloring actually looks elegant and classy. But similar to the previous point, make sure that you still include your essential information in your card. It’s a useless business card if it doesn’t contain any means to contact you, regardless of how good your minimalist design is.

Giving too much information.

It is important to include as much information about your company in your business card. However, your business card is small so your space is limited. If you cram too much in there, you might have to reduce your font size, and thus legibility, or clutter your card, and risk getting a bad layout design.

Consider which information is essential relative to the kind of business you have. Name and position, phone numbers, and email addresses are almost always necessary. Depending on your business, your websites and social media profiles might need to be included. For instance, if you are a graphic designer, you might want to put your Behance profile URL on your card to let your recipient see your portfolio.

Inconsistent branding.

Your business card is an extension of your brand. In business, brand image is important. If your business card’s design, from typefaces to graphics, does not resemble your logo’s aesthetics, it will create confusion on the part of your recipient. As much as possible, try to use the same fonts and color palette as your website and other marketing materials. This way, you will instantly be recognizable.

Lack of white space.

White space is the blank space around your text or graphics. It is also an important element in laying out your business card. Ideally, there should be a balance between your text or graphics (positive space) and the space around it (white space) in order to give focus and emphasis on what you’ve written. It’s okay that you have empty space on your card. Don’t feel pressured to fill your card with other elements or information. After all, one of the business card’s main purposes is ease of access to your contact information. Effective use of white space helps do just that.

No unique selling proposition.

You don’t want your recipient to look at your card after a few days and ask himself “Who is this again?” Sure, you can use a wacky shape or a bright and bold design for your card in order to stand out. But the thing is, you exchanged cards with your potential business partner because of business. What you actually do is what makes you relevant to your recipient, not gimmicky designs. You should put your brand promise—that one unique reason why your recipient should do business with you.

Which business card design mistake are you guilty of? Tell me in the comments section below. Don’t worry. I won’t judge.

The post 10 Common Business Card Design Mistakes You Need to Avoid appeared first on NextDayFlyers.