Tips for Effective Brochures

There is still a place for printed marketing materials, even in the Web 2.0 world. Creating an effective brochure is more than listing all your products and services in a tri-fold format.

The first step in any marketing communications is to know the objective of your communication and who you are targeting. More than just demographics, consider the psychographics as well. Know what motivates your audience. Then you can craft the tone and style of your writing to convey the right message.

The message itself needs to do more than inform. An effective brochure will use sales and marketing techniques to persuade the reader to take the desired action. Always answer “What’s in it For Me (WIFM)?”

Writing Formula

Once you’ve defined who your audience is and what motivates them, you can write the content. Start with raising a concern or highlighting a need. If you can relate it to something that affects the person individually, all the better. Then present a credible solution that addresses the problem. Outline the benefits of taking the action or the negative consequences of not taking action. End with a strong call to action. Don’t assume that readers will know to call or email. Ask them to.

Your content should be short and simple. Use the active voice and as few words as possible to get your point across. Microsoft Word will tell you what percent of your content is passive. Follow Orwell’s rules for language. Use catchy titles for headings and subheads.

Design

The design needs to attract your target audience. Use plenty of white space. Don’t overwhelm your audience with large blocks of text. Use real photographs whenever possible. These are stronger than cartoons or drawings. Pictures of people are always good. Include diverse groups of people so that your audience can see themselves in the picture.

Don’t forget to test your brochure. Test it with people that would fit your market, those not working with your organization. Fix whatever isn’t working.

If you have a brochure that you’d like my thoughts on, please email it to terra(at)fletcherfreelance(dot)com or snail mail it to:



518 S. Union St.

Shawano, WI 54166