How to write better marketing material for children
They don’t read in the same way - or as easily - as grown-ups. Nor are their interests the same. Age is an important differentiator. So is sex. You must vary your messages accordingly. If not they won’t be read - or acted on
There are many reasons why you need to communicate with children today – and you see some every time you open your paper or watch the news.
The period between 7 and 11 is utterly critical for them. Behaviour and attitudes are being shaped. They are making choices – good or bad - that will determine the course of their entire lives.
How many of these things concern you and your colleagues?
- Tackling obesity - and promoting healthy living
- Involving children in community projects
- Promoting anti smoking
- Promoting recycling and green projects
- Stopping bullying
- Drug awareness campaigns
- Knife crime and anti social behaviour.
Your success or failure in all these areas depends on better marketing messages.
And how you write to this complex, varied audience is absolutely vital.
First, and most important: you can’t treat or write to all children in the same way, because they vary widely.
Take their reading styles. Boys read very differently from girls and want different things from a page of text. Also because children are developing very quickly their reading capability and interests vary dramatically by age.
You simply must take these things into account if you want to influence them.
Children also differ from adults in their use of online communication, so you should remember this when linking your print communications with on line methods.
These are some of the reasons why we have put together an entirely new one day course which focuses on the 7 to 11 age range.
We cover all the things I mentioned plus;
- What the key stages are of child development and how they should affect your printed communications
- How the reading styles and preferences of children vary
- How to identify your audience
- How to pinpoint your key messages and rank them in order of importance
- How to create copy children want to read
- How to choose layouts and fonts that work well with this age range
- Tips and techniques to ensure reader involvement
- How to make your leaflets and posters child friendly
- How to choose the right medium
- How to link your print and online communication
- How to get children involved and doing things
- How to measure the success of your communications
Your trainer
Your speaker is perfect for this course. Helen Stables has worked in books and magazines for 19 years and is currently a Senior Publisher for Egmont UK, Britain’s largest specialist publisher of books and magazines for children.
Before joining Egmont UK, Helen has worked on some of the UK’s biggest magazines including Ideal Home, Woman’s Own, Woman and Now, besides working as a researcher and in local government.
What delegates say about this course and trainer
"This course has really made me think differently on how I will write and present, then communicate the messages to the audiences. Each topic we went through had very good significance and will be very useful. Very good course. Very informative and interesting lecturer who had excellent knowledge, enthusiasm and bought every visitor into discussion so everybody shared ideas. Would highly recommend this course and the lecturer!"
Heather Collyer, Waste Education Officer, Northampton Borough Council
"Greater understanding of the type and length of information that children can take at any one time. Invaluable information. Good course, venue and speaker. Nice pace for the day and good topics covered for a day's course."
Natalie Wood, Communications Officer, Hertfordshire County Council
"Like location of venue and very well organised."
Helen Simkins, Health Improvement Practitioner Specialist, Surrey Primary Care Trust
"I feel I know more about my target audience."
Ginny Osborn, Public Relations and Sponsorship Officer, Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council