Brochures and flyers are amongst the most useful and versatile of all marketing media. They can be left on doorknobs, placed under windshields, displayed at store countertops, and left wherever you go. In order to make your business stand out in a sea of other companies, you have to get inventive. With extreme use of color and design, your brochures can be an oasis in the desert of stale businesses. Instead of drying up and blowing away, your business has the ability to thrive and flower, when you use ingenuity and imagination.

Use your logo to create a dazzling color experience.

While the design and colors have to go with the logo you have, you can do so many novel things with your brochures and flyers. Depending on your business, you can make your brochures look unlike anything else out there. Try color schemes that are not in the mainstream. Anything that might catch someone’s eye, and cause him or her to look twice can be tried. Don’t be afraid to do things that no one has done before.

Use squiggly lines, use hexagons, triangles, pears, moons, or a big toe.

Just get your business noticed. The bigger the brochure, the more noticed they get. Customers find a giant, color splashed big toe somewhat hard to ignore. Make it something to remember. Make it great. Give your customers the impression that you are hip, fun, and the place to do business with. Grab them with your brochures and flyers, and make it impossible for them to resist reading them.

After you have mastered your creative design, make sure that the content on your flyers and brochures is professional and informative. Tell your customers how you can meet their needs, and why your company is the finest one for the job. Fancy colors and designs are not enough to get your business on top. If you are not good at writing, hire a professional to flesh out your brochures and flyers. This may cost more, but can be the difference between a brochure that flops, and one that pops. Words have the ability to change minds and start wars. All you need is to make customers see you as where it’s at. Not so hard when you get the hang of it. Soon, you will have more customers than you could ever have dreamed.

The use of brochures to advertise your business can be a terrific way to attract more customers. They are easy to have printed, and compared to other forms of advertisement, like radio, or television advertisement, using brochures is much less expensive. The only requirements to having a brochure printed are a company that prints brochures, and maybe a layout artist. You can save money further by doing all of the designing yourself. It is easier than it sounds.

Brochures are great customer magnets because they are tangible forms of advertising. the customer is actually holding the vital information about your business in their hands. A well made and interesting brochure can make for one excellent way to market your business.

Brochures also have other uses for your business. They can be used as mini posters, awareness campaigns, and used as a form for application purposes. They can also be distributed as a way to educate the masses about anything. With the vast options, and flexibility of the brochure, if you are not utilizing its power to attract customers, you are missing out.

Another plus about brochures is that because of their small dimensions, they can be handed out , put into mailboxes, and left in places like waiting rooms and businesses. people can just grab one and read while they are waiting to be tortured, I mean, examined. They can be a great distraction when you have a root canal looming.

With the use of the Internet, you can find places that specialize in brochure printing that will not cost you a year’s salary. If you are feeling artistic, you can have them designed and printed on your own computer. Be sure to make use of all of the technology at your disposal. Brochures can be made with designs and colors that really stand out. There is also a way to make your brochures appear three dimensional. the opportunities to make your brochures really unique are out there. you just have to use your imagination, and have fun at the same time.

Anyone who knows anything about sales letters will understand the effectiveness of the letter comes from being both persuasive and informative. Sales letters are meant to be short, snappy, statements that grab attention. The result should be a response to the offer. But while a one page sales letter is effective at getting the customer to stop and think about your product, you are often missing out when customers are looking for more in depth information about both the product and the company to make informed decisions. This is where a brochure can help double effectiveness of sales letters.

Brochures are a perfect way to support the claims and benefits stated in the sales letter. Brochure’s do this by building further rapport with the customer. If a customer is shown the benefits of your product in the sales letter, use the brochure to show how the benefits work or what your customer can expect from each benefit. Consider the sales letter the math equation to a student; with the brochure showing how the solution will help the student and why it is important to them. Another way to look at the use of brochures and their aid to sales letters is that the sales letter answers the customer’s question of “why do I need your product?” while the brochure shows them what they get with the product. But how do they do this?

Sales letters have a main goal of presenting your product in a way that solves the customer’s problem. Using short paragraphs, the sales letter is set up to prove why your product is the best solution to their problem among the many solutions they might find. A brochure will help further educate and inform your customer as to the specific benefits of your products. Brochures are great when you have multiple products or types of the same product. Brochures also help by boldly bringing out the product guarantee, company policies, and giving one final strong call to action. You can also use the brochure to tell your customer about the reputable company they are dealing with. While the sales letter sells the product, the brochure sells the company behind the product.

While it is important to have a strong sales letter, one which provides a solution to your customers problem by providing the benefits of your product. Having a matching brochure to highlight specifics of the benefits, as well as your company’s reputation and policies can only help to double the effectiveness of any sales letter.

Postcards

Who hasn’t received a postcard in the mail, on your door, or at a tradeshow? No one – because they work! Adding postcard marketing to your media arsenal is a must for those needing to reach a mass audience with limited means. For those with huge mailing lists, consider hiring your printer to mail them for you.

Pros

• Extremely cost effective
• Well suited for mass market mailings, door to door promotions, and tradeshows
• Excellent choice for enticing new clients with limited time offers, new products, and events
• Many sizes available from small to oversize
• Cheaper to mail than a standard letter

Flat Brochure

Flat brochures take many forms – flyers, trade show hand outs, brochure inserts, stand alone flyers, and more. Offered in a variety of sizes, their format makes them applicable to unlimited types of promotions. Perfect choice for those on a limited print media budget!

Pros

• Extremely cost effective
• Well suited as a stand alone piece for mass promotions and tradeshows
• Instantly update your brochure as an insert with a new client or returning client coupon
• Many sizes available from small to oversize
• Perfect format for pricing structures whether hourly or project based! Salons, pet groomers, dry cleaners, interior decorators, car washes, disc jockeys, catering, etc.

thelogofactory.com

Classic Trifold Brochure

Who can go wrong with the classic, timeless design of a trifold brochure? An instant credibility builder for companies small and large, it is an essential sales tool for qualified prospects.

Pros

• Builds instant credibility and image branding for your business
• Ample room to promote your top sales points and eye-catching graphics
• Mailbox friendly – whether sealed and mailed on its own or in a standard sized envelope with a cover letter
• Easy to read columns
• Exceptional format for service or product based businesses including financial consultants, engineers, wedding planners, bakers, web developers, nonprofit organizations, churches, retail shops, restaurants, and more!

getmorecases.com

Magnets

This pocket-sized media option reminds your clients to call you daily – usually via a prominent place on the refrigerator. Your clients can’t call if your contact information isn’t handy!

Pros

• Perfect for any business that requires appointments – doctors, pet groomers, pet kennels, salons, personal trainers, insurance agents, natural health practitioners, tax offices, custom clothiers, realtors, tailors, plumbers, etc.
• Excellent choice for delivery or take out restaurants
• Keeps basic contact information readily accessible
• Durable construction lasts years

Doorhangers

Need a quick way to canvas the neighborhood for pennies per piece? Doorhangers are a quick, cheap way to blanket the residents in close proximity to your business. Be sure to offer a limited time savings or perforated coupon for the highest response possible.

Pros

• Extremely inexpensive
• Ideal for residential focused businesses
• Maximum response when paired with the addition of perforated coupons and business cards at the bottom
• Labor delivery is free – if you deliver them yourself!

actionadventuresquad.com

Do you have a favorite go-to type of print media? Feel free to post below and help out our other readers…

Is there a one-size-fits-all brochure? Absolutely not! To get the best mileage from your printed brochures, you must consider the event, audience, and cost per item. Here are the most common types of brochures used for promotion:

Flat Brochure:  Just as the description states, this format lies flat with no folds. Predominantly printed as either a half page or a full page, these are cost effective marketing tools for mass promotions.

Pros

• Highly cost effective
• Best for tradeshows and events where substantial numbers of promotional media are needed
• Ability to control the amount of information with several size options
• Easy to read format

Cons

• Not the best for mailings, consider full color postcards instead

downeastermfg.com

Half Fold: Usually created as a page-sized brochure with a fold down the middle, the half fold brochure is a great option for professional, cost effective brochures or “mini-catalogs”.

Pros

• Combines the cost effectiveness of the flat brochure with the easy reading style of the trifold brochure
• Plenty of room for promotional information and graphics
• Ideal for promotion of new products or featured services as its own mini-catalog
• Fits into standard sized envelopes
• Can be formatted to mail on its own when sealed at the edges

Cons

• More expensive than the flat brochure

niu.edu

Trifold: The classic brochure, this is the standard for business. Often “THE” choice format for brochures, it embodies quality and credibility!

Pros

• Classic design favored by both service and product oriented businesses alike
• Plenty of room for promotional text and dynamic graphics
• Mailbox friendly – fits into standard size envelopes or can be formatted to mail on its own when sealed at the edges

Cons

• Not as cost effective as flat or half fold option brochures so it is better suited for qualified prospects and direct person-to-person sales calls

elbeydesign.com

Specialty Oversize (Double Gate, Accordion, French Fold, etc.): With extra panels and specialty folds, these brochures are exquisite options for fine artists and businesses focused on large scale development projects.

Pros

• Provides additional panels to highlight portfolio work
• Brochures become works of art that showcase the creativity of a company or the stages of a major development
• Incredible tools for high dollar sales projects in architecture, municipal engineering, city planning, and commercial development
• Are the most impressive tool to differential your business from the pack

Cons

• Relatively expensive compared to other brochure options
• Better suited for qualified prospect

beggsdesign.com

Which brochure options work best for you? Comment below and let us know…

“Where do I start?” You may wonder that when it’s time to write marketing copy, especially for something like a brochure. Whether you’re working on a simple tri-fold or a multi-panel design, this article will help you answer that question. We’ll review four basic steps that will take you from the front panel to the last sentence.

Step 1: Choose Selling Points

To get started, list selling points that appeal to your target audience. For example, you’re affordable. Then, rewrite them to focus more on the reader’s needs. For instance, you might rewrite “affordable” to “save money by switching to us.” Do you see the difference? It’s the same thought but now it’s not just an offer, it’s personal.

Step 2: Write the Headline

Choose one selling point for the headline, which belongs on the brochure’s front panel. The headline lures potential customers and eliminates those not in the target audience. Some questions that may help you decide on the point to use include: Which selling point separates me from my competition? Which one would appeal to my target audience? Which one is the most unique?

Now rewrite that selling point to get some attention with a question or statement. Questions get responses almost automatically. For example, the selling point “saves the customer time” could be “Ready to save time doing your taxes?” Statements usually get attention in a more direct way. For example, that same selling point could also be “Spend less time on taxes, more time on what you love.”

Step 3: Write the Body Copy

Logically arrange the remaining selling points, expound on those ideas, and write transitions between thoughts. It may take some time but ideas will flow once you start. End with a call to action like “Call for a free consultation today!” Tell readers what to do after they’ve put down the brochure. When you’re done, add subheads between topics.

Here are a few things to keep in mind while writing:

• Use active verbs and dynamic nouns.
• Use questions to break things up.
• Use the same narrative voice throughout (“I” or “we”).
• Use parallelism in lists (like this one).
• Be consistent in how you refer to products or services.
• Spell out acronyms on the first use.
• Use lists or bullets for variety.

Step 4: Proofread, Proofread, Proofread!

Proofread the copy and ask someone else to as well. Typos are especially visible in headlines and subheads so check them carefully.

Easy as What You Do Best

In a few basic steps, you can have your entire brochure written and ready for the printer. It may take a little time but knowing where to start (and end) can make all the difference.

Remember:

1. Choose selling points then rewrite them to focus on the audience.

2. Choose the main selling point and write the headline.

3. Expound on the remaining selling points for the body copy.

4. Proofread to catch any errors or typos.

Your professional brochure copy is only four steps away!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/star-dust/

When writing up your company’s brochure, you typically have six panels (front and back sides of a typical three-fold brochure) to get your message across. A striking design and clean layout will be essential in making the most of those six panels.

But what type of info is must-read material for your readers? We’ve narrowed it down to five major categories of information that you’ll definitely want to include.

Contact Info

Without contact information, you could have a stunning brochure and a great business opportunity-but nobody is going to take that next step to get in touch with you, because you’ve made it impossible for them. Make sure to include your website address prominently throughout the brochure. Also include a general contact e-mail address, a phone/fax number and your business address (and mailing address, if it is different).

Who We Are

A good strategy is to use one of the inside panels to describe who you are as an organization. This may include your company’s history, how long you’ve been in business and/or staff photos. But it will most definitely include your mission, goal or objectives as a company. Make sure people can read the brochure and know in an instant who you are and what you stand for.

What We Do

If you’ve allotted one inside panel to describe who you are as an organization, you may want to take another panel to describe what it is that you do. Use language here that will make the reader feel confident in your quality work. You may choose to list some of your current clients, provide quotes and recommendations from those people and offer your customer’s further assurance that they can count on you to get the job done.

Art (logo and photos)

A text-heave brochure will only find its way in the hands of a few people. That’s because people are drawn to beautiful, high-quality images. They pick up magazines based on what’s on the cover, and your brochure is no exception. Display your company logo prominently on the brochure and include relevant photos. Make sure they all look professional-no snapshots from the company Christmas party here. Hire a good photographer if you don’t already have suitable images, or choose from relevant royalty-free stock photos online.

Call to Action

An effective brochure provides readers with a call to action. That is, some practical way to respond. You may choose to use the last brochure panel to include a tear-off form for clients to put in their information and mail it in for a free quote. Or you might include a coupon for a percentage off food at your new coffee shop. Another way to get clients to interact with your brochure is to include a checklist on the back (i.e., “Are you getting the best rates on your home mortgage?”) with a number to call your company after the quick survey. Whatever the method, find some way to incorporate a call to action in your brochure, and you’ll be more likely to see new business sprouting from your efforts.