Brochures may seem old-fashioned with all the technological choices you have out there: social media, email campaigns, blogging and more. However, even with the Internet, direct marketing and brochures still give business owners a fantastic ROI - often better returns on investment than "new-fangled" technology. That is, if you do it right.
Creating a brochure that gets great returns isn't easy; many business owners focus on the wrong things. Instead of just jumping in and throwing something together, take a look at these top brochure design tips!
1. Location, location, location!
You probably thought "location" was only something you'd hear from a real estate agent, but it also works for design. The location, otherwise known as layout, of your graphics, text, headers and everything else is an important part of brochure design. If you put everything too close together, consumers may become overwhelmed. If it's too far apart, you get too much white space, which can be overwhelming in its own way.
The placement of any graphic designs, pictures, paragraphs and headers should always be considered - and then reconsidered. Try out several placements before deciding on one.
2. What's the purpose?
Why are you sending out the brochure? What are you trying to get across? If you're introducing your company to new consumers, write down what they need to know. If you're introducing a new product to loyal customers, you won't need as much company information. Write down several ideas on paper and get a firm idea of the brochure's purpose.
3. Don't talk too long.
If you've ever looked at a brochure other than your own, think back to how you read it. Did you actually read every sentence or did you scan first? Most individuals browse instead of read. To take advantage of that, write in short sentences. Use bullet points to set benefits and features apart from the rest of the text whenever possible.
4. Use your headings wisely.
If you have an especially important piece of information you want your target market to see, headings are the perfect tool. They draw the reader's eye to where you want it to be, rather than leaving the possibility that they'll miss the information because they're just scanning.
5. Don't let spelling errors get away.
Poor grammar and bad spelling makes a brochure look bad and unprofessional. Once you know what you're going to put in the brochure, read it over and then read it over again. For that matter, have others read it. Having errors like these are a big no-no for a professional brochure.
6. Check your colors.
Unfortunately, you can't choose colors just because you like them. There is a whole psychology to color choices. For instance, red is a warning color. If you're trying to make consumers feel all warm and fuzzy, red may not be a color you want to use. Do a little research on which colors do well for advertisement. Pick colors that are proven to compliment each other. In this case, you can't go on personal judgment alone.
7. Use quality paper.
Quality paper makes a big impression on potential clients, however, if the cost of higher quality paper is an issue (along with the brochure itself), you could look into advertising with fliers instead. The quality of your brochure paper represents the quality of your business. It also represents how you feel about your target market, and how important they are to you. No matter how good a brochure design is, poor paper quality will lower the beauty of the brochure, leaving consumers holding a bunch of birdcage linings.
Creating a brochure is not something you just decide you're going to do and then do it. If you decide to create your own rather than hiring a company, do your research. Take the time to try out different layouts, different text, headers and colors. Choose carefully. What you choose as a brochure design can make all the difference in your ROI!
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