In our previous article, "The First 5 Steps to Creating an Effective Brochure," we talked about the importance of identifying the purpose and intended use of your brochure before developing its content. We are now ready to discuss Five Important Concepts to keep in mind as you create the Brochure's Content.
Your Readers will want to know: "What's in it for me?"
1) Focus on the Reader - Always focus your content on the benefits it brings your customer or audience. Create the brochure from the perspective of who will be reading it. That said, bear in mind that few people will actually read a brochure from cover to cover. Most will likely skim through the brochure to extract the information most useful to them. Knowing that in advance can help you create a simpler layout that is easy to navigate.
For example, a lot of information can be relayed in quick fashion through images or diagrams. Charts and graphs are helpful for simplifying technical information or showing comparisons. Also, try to use the words your audience would use and avoid industry jargon.
Anticipate and address questions with a Common Questions or FAQ section. Testimonials are also good to include in your content because they almost always get read. Bottom line: your audience wants to know the benefits of dealing with you-so tell them.
2) Plan Out Your Text, Photos & Artwork - The wording and other design components of your brochure are the vehicles that transport your message, so you want to use them wisely. When laying out a brochure, less is often better than more-so try not to pack your brochure with too much information or the important points will get lost in the clutter.
Also, to maintain a consistent and clean look, avoid mixing too many font styles and choose fonts that are easy to read. Similarly, don't make the common mistake of overusing the bold or underline feature within blocks of text. Consider bullet points and numbered lists as simple ways to make verbiage more user friendly.
If possible, use one or two large photos instead of many small photos on a page or spread. Your readers will be drawn to larger photos because they offer more visual stimulation and clarity. Photos showing people or activity grab more interest than a static image of an object or building. In addition, captions on photos have high readership so try to include descriptive captions.
Also, the colors and design of the pages should be consistent throughout the brochure and should complement the subject matter. Full color is a must for photographs and is highly recommended for any brochure that wants to draw and keep attention.
Your Brochure's Content Should Gain and Maintain Attention
3) Use An Attention Getting Cover - The cover sets the tone for the entire brochure, so it must be designed well. And depending how the brochure is distributed, the cover may be the first impression someone has of your organization.
The temptation is often to proclaim the name of the organization or product on the cover. However, this practice may not serve you as well as if you stated a strong benefit to the reader-or asked a question to draw them into the brochure.
Remember, you want the content of the brochure to be from the perspective of the reader. So a cover headline such as "Are You Overpaying for Life Insurance?" or "The Eight Ways Your Home Leaks Energy" are generally preferred over headlines such as"Springfield Insurance Company" or "Home Insulation".
If your organization has a recognizable logo, by all means place it on the cover but still give it less prominence than your headline. In addition, a single colorful image that helps capture the subject of the brochure is ideal and practically a requirement for stimulating interest.
4) Include A Simple Call to Action - The call to action is what you want the customer or reader to do after they have looked through your brochure. Keep it simple and make the action easy to perform. If the brochure is strictly informational in nature, your call to action may be as simple as Keep This Brochure Handy for Future Reference.
If you want a customer to call for an appointment, your call to action could be Call Today to Schedule a Free Consultation. If you want them to view your website, your call to action might be Visit WidgetsAndMore.net for our Monthly Special. If you want them to stop by your physical location, your call to action could be New Shipments arrive Weekly-Hurry in for Best Selection.
5) Provide Clear Contact Information - For your call to action to succeed, you need to have your complete contact information easy to find on the brochure. The best place to put it is right near your call to action. Also, the back cover is usually where most people look when they want to contact you.
I recommend you include as much contact information as possible so that the customer can choose their preferred method of contact - local and toll-free phone, email, website, physical address, etc. Include daily hours, directions, maps or anything else that helps the customer find or get in touch with you.
A brochure should be designed to cast the best possible light on your organization. Of all your printed pieces, your brochures should be created from the best artwork and paper quality you can afford. There are an overwhelming number of options when designing and printing a brochure, so get your printer involved early in the process to help you make the proper choices. This will save you time, money and regrets in the long run.
If you have any further questions about the design, printing or distribution of your brochure, give us a call. We can offer you some great advice.
Take care! Rick
