Fact Sheets

What are Fact Sheets?

A fact sheet is a document, which covers information about a company, product, service or organization. It is usually a single page long and it is made in order to have a clear overview of what a certain company (or product) does. This comes in handy in a range of situations, e.g. PR, sales, internal reporting, while pitching to new investors, onboarding new employees, etc. It enables the reader to understand the key points of your business quickly and effectively.

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This document usually contains figures, lists and facts about a certain topic. They are made in a rather clear and concise way, with the help of charts, infographics, images, etc. in order to make the information easily accessible. Additionally, they can also contain company stats, technical data, FAQs, product information, etc. Most importantly, they are (or should be) visually compelling, in order to highlight the most important information easily.

Picture 1. Fact sheet example

How to Create a Fact Sheet?

Format

A fact sheet is usually a single page long. The info presented should be clear and concise and since it is usually rather difficult to understand, it should be visually attractive (bullet points, images and colors should do the trick). If it is comprised in order to pitch a new product or service to potential clients, it should also include contact information at the end (phone number, email, etc.)

Elements of Fact Sheets

When creating a fact sheet have in mind which information is relevant for your topic and select what you want to highlight.

The basic components are a headline, a summary of the most important information in paragraphs, supporting facts, a list of sources.  If it is a sales-oriented document than don’t forget to add a call-to-action.

In order to make sure the readers get the most important message, they are usually written according to the journalism’s inverted pyramid principle. Meaning – put the most important info at the beginning, so if the readers don’t get to the end of the text, they will at least see the key information.

What to Avoid?

Since fact sheets are usually presented on a single page, it is advisable not to stuff it with too much information. This might overwhelm your readers.

Secondly, the visual part is almost as important as the textual because it will contribute to whether the fact sheet will be read or not. Adjusting the font and choosing the right visually appealing images and graphs will do the trick.

Last but not least – fact sheets have to be based on relevant sources and data. Putting outdated information or citing irrelevant sources can diminish the effect and value of your presentation. Also, if you are using an older fact sheet, don’t forget to update the data and check the relevancy of your sources since it can change over time.