The old adage, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression," applies to your business's promotional efforts more than ever before.

Each day, consumers are bombarded with hundreds of messages -- faxes, e-mails, junk mail, advertising. How do you make your promotional efforts memorable? How do you stand out in an overcrowded marketplace? In other words, how do you create a positive first impression? Following are three important elements of creating effective promotional pieces that will help you do just that:

1. Aesthetics.
It is human nature to form an opinion about a person or business based on one's first impression. And, the first impression most consumers will have about your business will be formed, most likely, by a promotional piece (brochure, flyer, advertisement, Web page, e-newsletter, etc.) you send them. That is why it is imperative that your promotional pieces are well-written and aesthetically pleasing. A poorly written and/or designed piece will evoke a negative first impression that may cause consumers to never give you an opportunity to make a second impression. Small mistakes, such as grammatical and typographical errors or poor design, will speak volumes -- negatively -- about your overall image, competence and attention to detail. Conversely, promotional pieces that form a positive impression can make consumers want to do business with you.

2. Message.
Many children have heard their parents say, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." With regard to promotional pieces, my advice is, "If you don't have anything important to say, don't say anything at all." Too often, businesses produce promotional pieces that have no clear message or, worse, no clear reason for existing. In addition to having one clear, important message that is consistently communicated throughout, your promotional piece should: inform, enlighten or entertain your audience; include a call to action; highlight what is unique about your business; and offer a solution to a common problem faced by your audience. If your promotional piece doesn't include at least some of these items, either revise the message or consider eliminating the piece.

3. Marketing strategy.
Every promotional piece -- brochure, flyer, advertisement, Web page, e-newsletter -- should be part of an overall marketing strategy. One-time, stand-alone promotional pieces that are not consistent in message and design can cause more harm than good for your business. Does the current piece fit in with your marketing strategy? Is it sending a consistent message? Is it in line with your sales strategy? Will you realize at least twice as much revenue from using the piece as it cost you to produce it? If you answer '"no" to any of these questions, revise the piece, several times, if necessary, until all your answers are "yes." Also, be sure that you are able to reach your audience at the proper time, and be sure to have a plan to follow up any leads your piece generates.

Creating an effective promotional piece takes time, talent and treasury, but the benefits of such an investment can be great. By incorporating the aforementioned elements into your promotional pieces, you will have plenty of opportunities to make multiple, positive impressions with your audience.