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Effective Brochure Design Tips For Those New In Business

By Betty Wong

Have you ever thought that a brochure can be one of the most powerful of all your marketing materials?

It is a simple piece of paper but the original impact that your booklet produces is profound. If it's shabby and off-putting your candidate is left with the same opinion. This will slow your business development.

Having a pamphlet professionally designed and printed is a key to winning in a crowded marketplace. Taking the time to make sure that your booklet delivers all the key information in a way that is easily figured is something that only a professional can do.

If you are just starting out in business you may be tempted to do your pamphlet yourself. When I first started in business I did everything myself - not a excellent choice. That is why it took me 12 years before I was even comparatively prosperous. Heed my warning - go professional from day one on your marketing materials. They are an investment and not an expense. Professionally created materials will deliver you customers and the cash flow to follow - the reason why you are in business.

A pamphlet has to use eye-catching design. It has to be succinct in terms of the content and last but not the least, it must be successful in tempting people to make that call of action.

Here are three key design principles to follow when making a pamphlet. Use them and you will see your results flow.

1. The cover:

The cover is your salesperson. Brochures are quite passive creatures and you are not often able to 'walk' individuals through your booklet. So you need to energise people to read further. The cover is the beginning point so must be tantalizing and sharing the KEY values of WHY someone should read further. It should answer the WIFM question - What's in it for me.

A good design company will show you at least three to four cover designs for your booklet. Dissect these designs to examine which energizes you the most. Ask your protagonists their impression. Does the cover answer the question WIFM? If it doesn't energise and answer the WIFM question, then skip to another design that works or get it redesigned. Taking the time here to get it right will pay bounties later.

2. The Content:

Once they are past the front page then the content has to become the sales representative. So once again, the pressure is on to be great. Do not opt for cheap incompetent content writers or ask the designer to write the content or worst still do it yourself. Instead make sure that a professional copywriter is doing the work. If your design company does not have a copywriter then hire one yourself.

Ensure that all the main questions that a likely client will have about your product are answered in a way that gets them to call you for more information. Do not go into 'overkill mode' and swamp them with too much information at this point in time. Remember the brochure's job is to excite and get people to call you.

3. The call for action:

If your likely client has read the booklet then you have done a great job. All you need to do now is give them a compelling reason to contact you NOW.

Having things like a free call 0800 or'00 number distinctly presented (in big letters) can make a important difference. Having an email address is a clear bonus. Make sure these two are clearly placed in large clear type.

Even give your customers a special coupon on the pamphlet or reference code can help. But above all, make sure that you add a clear call to action. One way to do this is to readdress the KEY value of your service to your prospect in a way that will get them to take action. Remember value is everything. Individuals only buy something that is of value to THEM.

4. The bit that got missed:

I did this on purpose and only said there were three points. Well the final point is the one that can get overlooked. It is the 'dummy' one. Have you checked that you have these on your booklet:

Phone number | Fax number | Email address | Web address | Country of operation | City / area of operation | Company name | And have you proof read for typo and grammar errors?

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