7 Tips for Designing a Memorable Bookmark

Printing on bookmarks is an ideal way to promote your business. Not only are they fun and useful (after all, just about everyone reads books), but they’re also something that’s going to be used almost every day. This means your brand is going to be right there, in front of your customers, on an ongoing basis.

But first you’ve got to get the customer to actually use your bookmark. And successfully doing that comes down entirely to the design.

1. Understand how it will be used

The body of the bookmark will be held inside the book, and the top will be poking out of the top. That is, after all, how people remember where they’re up to in their book.

Given that, make sure that you design the bookmark so that whatever’s on the top – the piece sticking out from the book – is the most important thing you want the reader to see. For most brands, that would mean the logo. There’s not going to be enough space up there to launch into a description of your company and products, but making sure that the logo is easily visible at all times is a good way to get marketing oomph out of your bookmark.

2. Use plenty of white space

People are only going to want to use a bookmark that’s aesthetically pleasing. Something that uses a lot of words (and therefore requires reading of its own), is going to be a distraction when the person just wants to use it to mark where they’re up to in their book. With bookmarks, ‘less is more’ most certainly applies.

The benefit for a brand in providing a bookmark to its customers is in the ongoing brand recognition – and in being able to get a customer to associate a pleasurable hobby, such as reading, with your brand. Don’t try and use the bookmark as a sales pitch, as customers won’t be particularly interested in using that.

3. Have fun with the design

A bookmark doesn’t need to be a rectangular bit of cardboard. A fun shape at the top of the bookmark can help make sure that it’s used – imagine, for example, the image of a giant, Godzilla-like monster standing at the top of the book. Or imagine bookmarks that are ‘bent’ so that they can stretch out of the side of the book. The more creative you get with the bookmark, the more likely it is that it’ll be used.

4. Decide on the size and shape of the book mark first

Unlike many other types of printed material, there are no hard-and-fast rules about how big a bookmark should be, or the dimensions that it should occupy. So you’ve got a lot of choice to work with there. If the bookmark is too small, it won’t work for a larger book, while an overlarge bookmark won’t be appropriate for a smaller book.

Experiment with a couple of different sizes yourself until you find one that gives you enough space to convey the information that you need to, while also being a usable size to a reader.

5. If you must have text, stick it in on the back

If you do wish to share some text with the audience, consider putting it on the back. That way it will be there if the customer needs it, but the front side of the bookmark can be left free for more creative and visual purposes.

6. Make sure you have contact information on the bookmark

At the very least, your bookmark should have your business phone number and email address on it. For these critical bits of information, you can break the ‘no text on the front’ rule. Your customers will be able to find your information easily if they need you.

7. Make sure your bookmark stands out with colour

Finally, most people accumulate a huge pile of bookmarks over time. The ones they use and keep will be the ones that use bold colours to be visually dynamic and stand out. Use nice art and graphic design to give your bookmark character, too, whether it be fun cartoon designs, unique fonts for the text, gorgeous photographs, or works of art.

Making the most of bookmarks for your business

Remember: Bookmarks are a chance to have fun with your brand, and give customers a look at a creative side of your company. They’re a major advertising opportunity, because they’re something that’s long term (i.e. the customer will continue to use it over months, if not years), and they’re something that will be seen and used on a daily basis. It just all comes down to the design you use.

Printing your beautiful bookmarks can be done easily through the Australian owned and operated MVP Print. If you want to quickly print your bookmark designs for personal use or for a business contact MVP today.