In recent years, most marketing efforts have been put into the digital world. Some people think that print marketing is dwindling in relevance, however, that couldn’t be further from the truth. A well designed brochure can educate its readers and serves as a credible authority for your business. A great brochure will pique the interest of those who see it and compel them to take action. Printed brochures are still an important marketing strategy. Here are a few tips to help you design the perfect brochure.
5 Tips to Design the Perfect Brochure
#1 Know Your Audience
To capture your audience, you must first know your audience. Before you can begin the design process, you must understand those who you are designing for. Since your brochure will be communication between you and your audience, get a good feel for how you need to tell your information. For instance, if you are targeting a younger population, use interesting photos and fonts along with ironic headlines and whimsical writing. If you are writing for an academic audience, keep your colors neutral and your writing professional.
#2 Restrain Fonts
When designing any print marketing, using the appropriate font can be more important than the words you write. Limit the number of fonts to two or three at the most. If you want to use one for headings, another for subheadings, and a third for body text, that will be the max number of fonts you should use. Restrain yourself from using unique and flashy fonts just to be original. Keep to simple, easy to read fonts that make readers want to pick up your brochure and read it in its entirety.
#3 Use an Appealing Layout
To create a brochure worth keeping, avoid filling the page with words. Of course, you’ll want to educate your readers, but use simple statements and headlines that are easy to read and get right to the point. Don’t use jargon or wordy sentences to get your points across. Include graphics and images in addition to text. Make your layout interesting to bring readers in, but avoid being cluttered and confusing which would cause your reader to put the brochure down. Remember that you are creating an informative brochure, not writing a book.
#4 Include a Call-to-Action
As with any marketing tactic, always include a call to action. If what you have to sell is interesting enough that someone picked up your brochure and read it, give them a way to find out more or to follow-up on the information you’ve given them. When you include a call-to-action, you are making it easy for potential customers to take the next step toward buying what you’re selling — after all, isn’t that the reason you created a brochure to begin with? As a part of your call-to-action, you can include links to your digital marketing campaigns and direct contact information. A clever idea for the digital age is to include a QR code to scan, for those readers who don’t keep your brochure.
#5 Make Your Brochure Last
Make your brochure able to stand the test of time. Ideally, your brochure will be proudly displayed for pursuing in a brochure holder or on a table or counter, perhaps even sent in a direct mail marketing campaign. When someone gets our brochure in their hand, you want it to last through whatever it may endure — being read and reread, jammed into a purse or backpack, passed along to another reader — so the reader can answer your call-to-action. To make a printing product that can last, use quality paper and printing methods. In the print marketing industry, poor quality paper and ink that smears or fades, is the equivalent to a lousy handshake.
A brochure is a highly cost-effective way to market your business. Brochures provide clear, valuable information to its readers. They can be used as part of a direct mail marketing plan, as handouts during a trade show or convention, or offered as part of a stationary information center on a wall or desk. Use your brochure to let people know the highlights about your business and what sets you apart from your competitors. If you need help designing and printing the perfect brochure for your business, give us a call at House if Printing, Inc, Washington’s premier printing company.