When you hear the word brochure, what do you think of? You might think “collateral” or “sales.” But if you’re like most people, you think “boring.”
The truth is, no matter how fantastic your product or service is, if your marketing collateral stinks, no one is going to give you the time of day.
Here are 7 tips on how you can turn your average brochure into an awesome brochure, one that converts!
- Less is More
There are two classic mistakes many marketers make with their brochures:
- They load it with so much text, the reader feels like they are taking the SATs all over again.
- The brochure is unimaginative and dull to look at.
A good rule of thumb is to keep text to an absolute minimum. Your brochure should lead the reader further down the sales funnel where they can call and be closed by someone on your sales team.
Also, make sure to not overwhelm your brochure with too many images. What images you do use should really help you tell the story of your product or service.
Look at your brochure. Is it loaded with too much text? Are your stock photos and imagery outdated and lackluster? If an image is worth 1000 words, make sure yours are quality.
- Get Creative
We’re in the 21st century, who says we still need to market with flat, pamphlet like collateral? To really get prospects’ attention, think three-dimensional and interactive. Modern brochure designs engage readers and leave a positive and lasting impression, so get creative.
Having said that…
- Functionality Should Work for You
Don’t get so creative your overall messaging gets lost.
How does your brochure fold and unfold? Does it make sense to the overall messaging? Or does some of your messaging get lost? While it can be nice for your prospects to unfold your brochure and come upon a surprising element, just be sure that element makes sense.
- Size Matters
Bigger isn’t always better. If your marketing copy can be boiled down to the bare essentials, then why not shrink your entire brochure? The great thing about smaller brochures is they are easy to hold and can fit in a purse or back pocket.
- Be Thoughtful with Materials
What will the brochure be used for? What is your business about? How can you relay your offer in a tactile way? No one says you must use the standard glossy paper for a brochure. Recyclable materials are gaining popularity and show a company’s environmentally-friendly side. Ask your printer to show you ALL of the materials available to you and select something in your budget, but that will also make an impact.
- Inspire Interest with Die Cuts
Die cuts create little cut out windows on the cover of your brochure, showing just enough of an image underneath. This creates interest in your reader who is inspired to open the brochure and find out more.
- Have a Purpose
Beyond providing information about your company (yawn), brochures can and should be functional. We have seen brochures that unfold and become a city map. We’ve seen brochures that show gorgeous images of reginal birds on the back. We’ve also seen brochures that help a person order sushi and sashimi correctly.
Don’t just talk about your company and products, think of how you can add more value by allowing your brochure to become something entirely useful.
These are just some of the ways you can get your brochures to work harder for you. But we have plenty of other ideas up our sleeve, so give us a call and let’s work together to get you more conversions.
