8 Tips to Create Your Own Budget Friendly, Sales-Savvy Print Brochures!

Good Morning!

While working for one of my clients, a local web design company, Gortek Consulting, I was asked to produce web copy for one of its clients. As I began drafting the copy, I began to do the exact thing I tell my clients never to do - I just started writing.

You see...I was writing and reviewing when it became clear to me that not only did I have no idea about the client for whom I was writing the copy, but I had no idea of the design or any real concept of the business I was supposed to be selling. This is a violation of Marketing 101 - knowing the objectives of the marketing.

So, I stopped writing and scrapped my initial version. I thought it sounded great, but its true value was my ability to use that sample to customize copy for any client, in any industry. This is not what my clients, or yours, pay for. Web copy or ad copy should be tailored to each client. So, I begin now with my:

Top 8 Tips for Budget Friendly, yet Sales-Savvy Print Brochure:

1. Get to Know The Client - Ask your client about business goals, personal goals, find out their personality, determine their favorite brands and how they perceive their business.

2. Know your audience- Hello! Ask yourself who will be reading this? If you are marketing to teens, use more images, simpler language and more conversational language. If your audience are professionals, adopt a more professional approach, but be sure to appeal to that particular group.

3. Research The Industry - Spend an hour or two checking out similar companies in the same industry who have adopted a marketing approach or content that you like or you believe will also appeal to your target audience.

4. Pursue Your Brochure Strategy! A tri-fold panel, made out of a regular sheet of paper is the simplest and fits most marketing budgets! Other things to consider:

• Audience - If your audience tends to be upscale or tech-savvy, consider brochures that would be most appealing to these groups. Consider quality of paper, size and page count.
• Product/Service - If you are selling an expensive item, you may need more than a tri-fold panel brochure. Consider a brochure with multiple pages and remember to use the back and front of each page. If your product is complicated or requires additional training, a three-page brochure may not do the trick. Be flexible here.

5. Brainstorm, Brainstom, Branstorm! - This step is the most important before you begin any writing - ever! I learned this in high school, but it was beat into me in law school. Get everything out BEFORE you start writing. Then, create a complete list of all the possible things you want to include. Don't forget to include the basics - logo, contact information, list of products and services and anything else you can imagine that will:

• Adds credibility or presents the company in a positive light
• Informs the prospect about the company's services
• Makes the prospect want to buy now - via email, website or phone!

6. Prioritize the information - Organize each page based on how the ideal prospect would likely read it. This is subjective. My recommendation - start with the logo, contact information, image and a eye-catching statement or tagline on the first page. The rest is up to you...but litter the doc with testimonials, if you have them. If not, add you own personal reflections or corporate philosophy

7. Begin Writing - After you've chosen each section, begin with a headline and subhead line for every page. This makes it easy to direct prospects through to the pages they should pay attention to. Then be sure to add short paragraphs and bullet points to highlight each point. Use conversational language that sells. Include a web address or blog page on every page and include direct calls-to action as much as possible. Use facts and testimonials to bolster your content. Once you have created content for each section, always review, revise and polish your writing.

8. Revisit Your Marketing Budget - Here is where you begin to really save your business money. Brochures can be expensive based images, paper quality, printing costs, mailing costs and professional marketing fees. However, the better choices you make about each, the better.

So, when it's complete, review your budget and ask yourself:

• Can I find high-quality, low-cost images?
• Do I really need the best paper? Is there a less expensive option, with some impact?
• Is there any way to minimize printing costs? (I typically advise my own small business clients to visit Vistaprint, an online. low-cost option for printing and marketing identity solutions. For additional discounts, send me your info or email jules@julesmgmt.com. ) 
• Should I order the brochures in bulk or print only a few at a time? (This decision is based on your company's budget and needs. Remember, the rule here is the bigger the order, the deeper the discount.)

Based on your answers to the questions above, you should be able to print and order your budget-friendly, sales-savvy brochures! If you get to this step and you feel completely overwhelmed and stressed out...feel free to send an email to me, Jules. I will help get you back on track. Don't worry the advice is completely free of charge!

Did I forget anything? Want to comment? Post it here or visit me on Twitter! I leave lots of helpful small biz tips, tools and inspirational quotes. You can do this!

Ciao!

Jules