If you’ve opened a social media timeline in the last couple of months, you’ve likely been bombarded with events promoted by AI-generated flyers. You know the ones…they follow a couple of basic templates with really, really busy graphics.
Scary combination of screenshots courtesy of Gwen Howerton
Small businesses are always balancing affordability and effectiveness. When strapped for time and money, it can be tempting to run all of your graphic design needs through a tool like ChatGPT – and it’s not that there’s no use for AI, but there is a better way. We’re here to share why you may want to think twice about using the same ol’ AI-generated flyers for your small business or local event.
Here are five reasons why you should pause before you publish that purely AI-generated flyer.
- Generic = Forgettable. Branding is about more than making your business or event look good. It’s a piece of developing your unique brand personality. When you consistently use specific color palettes, typefaces, and graphics, you are sending quick, subtle visual cues to your audience that, “Hey, this is that one business that does x, y, z.” In a world of constant digital stimulation, seconds count. Using the same flyer and style as everyone else is a surefire way to be forgotten and scrolled past.
ChatGPT made our brand look generic and bland – that’s not us!
- You’ve got waaaay too much text. According to the U.S. Department of Education, approximately 1 of 5 U.S. adults has difficulty “completing tasks that require comparing and contrasting information, paraphrasing, or making low-level inferences.” Additionally, the spread of short-form videos makes it less likely that folks will stick around to read something long. Good promotional content works with, not against, the idea that folks just don’t read heavy content. Make your content skimmable with bullet points, formatting, and conciseness.
- You’re overwhelming them with information. Hierarchy is the art of guiding your viewer’s eyes by making intentional design decisions. Maybe you make certain headings larger or bring emphasis to one zone of your flyer through color. Coupled with negative space (the “blank” spaces in your design), your graphic communication is now purposefully giving your viewers’ eyes a break while letting them know what information is important at a glance. Are you really doing your viewer a favor by “including everything they need to know” in one flyer, or are you just info-dumping on them? If you’re using an AI-generated flyer, chances are it’s the latter.
- People can only hold 5-7 things in short-term memory. Many studies support the old marketing adage that you should include “three or four, no more” main points in your reading materials. Your viewer needs your who, what, where, when, how (that’s five!) in 10 seconds or less. If you make folks hunt through dense information and graphics, you’re misusing valuable time that could be spent selling your business or event.
See? Our brand gets to be fun and memorable for our clients. Your brand should get the same treatment.
- Lastly, they look bad. What do folks say about the use of these rampant AI flyers? They’re “soulless, homogeneous, and hollow.” They’re filled with typos and weird AI hallucinations, and they’re also just plain ugly. As a bonus, they give the impression that you don’t value the arts or creativity. Sorry, we don’t make the rules.
Okay, I get it. AI flyers are overrated. So what should I use instead? If you’re promoting a local event on a budget, use a free tool like Canva or even Adobe Express. These tools balance AI with designer-made templates and tend to include plenty of free assets, so you can make personalized design solutions without sacrificing ease and efficiency. Or go old-school and go hand-made like these small businesses. Need more than a quick flyer? Consider hiring a graphic designer, or contact our talented team at Twin Raven Marketing. There’s a reason our mission is to help small businesses STAND OUT!
