A great marketing brochure delivers a clear, focused message in a visually
compelling way. Finding that focus requires forethought about who will read
the brochure and how you can convey a unique benefit to them. Below, you'll
learn tactics for targeting the audience for your brochure and receive tips
for crafting your message.
Start with
the audience |
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Knowing whom you want to read your brochure will help you craft the message.
Begin by narrowing your audience to the customers who will best help you
increase business. Your individual business situation will dictate who that
is.
Sometimes it's best to target customers who already know and trust your
business -- especially if you're introducing a new service. But often you'll
have more success marketing to new prospects. A small business consultant
who specializes in your industry can help you research potential customers
and tailor a message for them.
Pinpoint
what makes you unique |
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Glean insights by listening to your customers, employees, and salespeople.
You might be surprised by what draws people to your business and distinguishes
you from the competition. Maybe it's that they can always find a parking
spot near your store. Or maybe it's that they trust your real estate advice
because you live in the same neighborhood where you sell homes.
Ask your customers for their opinions in an offhand, personal way -- they'll
be more likely to tell you the first thing they think of, which is often
the most honest answer. Write these thoughts down so you don't lose or forget
them. They don't have to be complete sentences -- short fragments that express
the point will work perfectly when you need to write headlines and captions
for your brochure.
Prioritize these thoughts and ideas based on the business objectives the
brochure is helping you meet. But keep your message focused; you'll want
to emphasize just one or two of your objectives.
Understand
what the reader sees |
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It's a good idea to mock up a brochure on a piece of paper and decide in
advance where the photos and text will go. Years of testing has found that
readers see elements on your page in a certain order almost every time:
- Pictures or illustrations
- Headlines
- Charts or graphs
- Captions
- Body copy
Many readers, even if they have a vested interest in the brochure, will
only skim the body copy. Knowing that, spend your time and energy appropriately.
Make sure your headlines, illustrations, and photos tell most of your story.
Body copy is important, but don't bury your most important points there.
Plan your
message |
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Now it's time to gather your notes and get down to the business of writing.
Write clearly and plainly, avoiding jargon and buzzwords, and always aim
to explain your point in a unique and interesting way. Remember to make
your headlines tell your story so that even if someone simply skims your
brochure, they will still receive the main points.
You also may want to hire a writer or business consultant to help you hone
your message.
Present
a call to action |
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An often-overlooked step in planning and writing brochures is the "call
to action." It's important to call out the next step for the reader. For
example, if you want the reader to come into your store, find a way to make
that action more compelling. Perhaps a coupon, in-store discount, or special
event would spur them into motion.
Say it with
pictures |
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Pictures and illustrations are almost always the first thing readers look
at in brochures. Think about it: No amount of text description, however
well written, is going to convey the beauty of a real estate property to
a potential buyer.
It doesn't take a professional photographer to capture the products, quality,
and spirit of your business. Digital cameras make it easy for anyone to
capture professional-quality pictures that can be downloaded for use in
a brochure.
Artwork
that works |
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Bearing in mind what your main message is, find artwork that complements
it. Be very discriminating; remove any artwork that doesn't fit with the
message. If you don't have many pictures or illustrations on hand, you might
consider free clip art. HP offers free
art you can download, or you can look through the free Microsoft Clip
Art Library. You can explore it by opening Microsoft Word, then selecting
Insert > Picture > Clip Art.
Experts also suggest staying with one style, so choose either photos or
illustrations.
Choose the
right equipment |
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To create a professional-quality full-color brochure, you need the right
combination of products. Here's a look at three of the most important components:
- Printer -- HP
Color LaserJets give you high-speed color laser printing at an affordable
price (perfect for printing brochures in large quantities). They print
up to 600 x 600 dpi quality with HP
ImageRET 2400 for crisp text, bold graphics, and vivid .
- Scanner -- Get all your photos organized and enjoy great scanning
at your fingertips. HP's
Scanjets are the best way to quickly and easily convert stacks of
traditional standard-size photos into digital files for printing, e-mailing,
and storing.
- Digital Camera -- Use the HP
Photosmart R717 digital camera to add impact to your marketing materials.
With 6.2 MP resolution, 24x total zoom, and in-camera tools that help
you capture professional easily, it delivers beautiful photos
and enlargements. One-touch, fully automatic technology delivers great
shots with manual overrides for adding creative touches.
Choose a
brochure template |
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While you could hire a freelance designer to create the brochure, HP offers
several free professional-looking brochure
templates that you can easily manipulate in Microsoft Word, then print
yourself. The next section will give you tips and step-by-step instructions
for using these templates.
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Create marketing brochures |
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Related links |
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