Companies and professionals print brochures all the time, but not all of them have the same impact. Many are ignored or discarded but a few are pocketed and read. What makes the difference? The successful marketer knows how to design a brochure and avoids the 5 most common mistakes that novices make on their layouts.
If you want your brochure to be one of the successful ones, here’s a list of Do’s and Don’ts:
1. DON’T make it hard for people to figure out what your brochure is advertising.
DO use clear photo images and headlines that catch the attention of the prospective client. Give the reader a reason to say "That’s something I need to learn more about!"
When you have a mock up of your cover design, hold it up to friends and co-workers for just 2 seconds and see what kind of immediate impact it has. See what they remember from that brief glance. If they cannot determine what you are advertising or cannot remember the headline and image, then go back to the drawing board. Printing a brochure takes up front work to get the most our of your investment.
2. DON’T try to fit all your products and services into one brochure.
DO focus on 1 main topic and showcase the one part of your business that most people are interested in. Discuss the five most important benefits and give the reader three things that differentiate this product from your competitors. If you have any feature which makes you different from everybody else, mention that one prominently in your printed brochure.
3. DON’T sell the process
DO sell the benefit!
Keep in mind that most people don’t care how you make your anti-virus software, what they do care about is how it will help them protect their personal computers. Tell them how successful your software has been in foiling viruses. Tell them how many times ethical hackers have tried to hack it and failed. Tell them how long people go without having any problems as compared to the results from competitor’s software. Point out what your product can do to benefit the customer and be careful to stay away from industry jargon.
4. DON’T forget that a printed brochure is just a conversation starter.
DO remember your goal: to move the customer to take action!
Write the copy on your printed brochure so that the potential customer has to start making decisions. At every point where the customer determines that your product might work, offer a reason to respond now. You don’t have to place all of your contact information on the very last panel. You can place it strategically throughout the brochure. Get the customer thinking that they need to call now to find out more.
5. DON’T be shy about using references or testimonials.
DO remember one of the most important rules of salesmanship: People buy upon the approval of others.
That’s what celebrity endorsements are all about. Testimonials and reviews sell. Only 14% of people beleive what you say about your business, but 82% of people beleive reviews!
If you avoid the 5 most common mistakes and designed an eye-catching layout with clearly written copy, then the next step is to find a quality printer to finish the job. Contact online printing company Conquest Graphics today to find out how to get your quality brochure printed cheaply, quickly and professionally. After all the work you have done on the design, make sure that you work with a printer that can produce a great looking piece that potential customers will want to pick up and read.