Last updated on July 7th, 2021 at 04:36 pm
Print brochures are one of the most effective and versatile marketing tools for companies of all sizes. Brochure marketing provides a cost-effective, durable medium for informing prospects and customers about who you are, what you do, why you do it, and why they should use your product or service.
Brochures are also very flexible in terms of the message. They can range from lengthy corporate brochures that tell people all about you to short brochures that focus on a single product to everything in between.
Other advantages of print brochures include:
- Easy to distribute
- Excellent for communicating and building your brand
- Good for direct mail campaigns
- Allows for personalizing your business
- Gives your business credibility and authority
Digital marketing may get more attention these days, but many customers prefer printed materials. They like the look and feel of a well-designed custom brochure. They prefer holding something in their hand to reading it on a screen. And brochures give them a tangible product they can carry with them instead of looking at it on their smartphones. The following pointers will help you get the most of your brochure marketing efforts.
Determine your audience
The effectiveness of brochure marketing depends on how accurately you target your intended audience. This can be tricky because brochures can be directed toward a broad general audience, or they can be targeted to specific groups or subgroups of people who might have an interest in your business.
To get a clear idea of who your brochure should address, start by thinking about what you want the brochure to do. Is it an overview of your business, or do you want to focus on a specific product or promotion? Are you looking to generate leads and sales, or is it more of an educational piece to make people aware of your brand? Is it somewhere in the middle where you want to educate people but also motivate them to take the next step in the sales cycle?
Next, identify two different groups; those that are typically interested in information about your business, and those you would like to generate more interest from. Such groups might include:
- Prospects
- Current customers
- Potential strategic partners or investors
- Prospective employees
- Potential community partners and supporters
Each group will require a different brochure that addresses their specific interests in your business. However, every brochure should have one common factor – a strong call to action. Even if the brochure is primarily educational, you still want people to take action after reading it. Engage with them and tell them what action to take: “Visit our website”, “Call to speak with one of our service representatives”, etc. – and always provide your contact info.
Brochure marketing content
When it comes to printed marketing materials, design captures the reader’s attention, but content motivates them to take action. However, the content must align with the purpose of the brochure.
If it’s a corporate brochure, you’ll want to include high-level information like your mission statement, unique selling proposition (USP), how long you’ve been in business, and what sets you apart from the competition. If it’s a product brochure, you’ll want to go into more detail about the features and benefits of the product.
Basic tips for creating effective brochure marketing content include:
- Be short and specific. You have a limited amount of space to present information, so don’t try to cover everything in one brochure. The one exception is a corporate brochure, which typically covers many different topics. With product/service brochures, limit the information to three topics at the most.
- Write to your target audience. Try to visualize what one of your typical customers or potential customers look like and write to that person. Who are your customers? Where do they reside? What type of lifestyle do they live? Why would they be interested in doing business with your company?
- Think like a customer. Don’t get caught up in describing the features of your product in every detail. Instead, focus on the benefits – how your product will solve a problem for the customer or make their life better. Address the one question every customer is thinking: what’s in it for me?
Don’t forget your call to action. Keep in mind that people won’t act on it unless they understand how it will benefit them.
Effective brochure marketing design
One important goal is to make your brochure so interesting and useful that people want to keep it. This is where creative design plays a key role, and that starts with your use of color. Bold colors are good – if they work with your brand image. Different colors evoke different feelings. Make sure your color combinations align with how you want customers to feel about your brand.
Interactive features make the brochure more interesting. Consider using flaps, foldouts, and other features that actively involve the reader. Include a QR (quick response) code so that readers can use their smartphones to quickly access more detail if they want. Use of texture is another good way to engage readers with the brochure.
Always follow these basic brochure marketing design principles:
- Have a strong, compelling headline. Make people want to keep reading.
- Use high-quality paper. A brochure represents your business to everyone who sees it. Using low-quality paper sends the wrong message.
- Be consistent with your fonts. One for the headline, one for subheads, and one for the body copy. Incorporating too many fonts makes it look like you couldn’t decide which one to use.
- Use appropriate images. Use photos and graphic images that relate directly to the main theme of your brochure. Avoid using generic images if possible.
- Make it easy for readers to respond. Make sure your phone, email, and website are easily visible in the brochure. If you have social media accounts, include them as well.
Most of all, don’t imitate your competition. The idea with a brochure is to separate your business from everyone else in the market. If a competitor has a great brochure, don’t try to copy it. Instead, look at the design elements and find a way to use them to present your brand in a unique and creative manner.When you’re ready to wow your target audience with a custom marketing brochure, contact the experts at Printivity. We offer a variety of paper options, design templates to choose from, and UV coating to give your brochure a classy, professional look.
