Have you ever been given a brochure? If so, where it happened and why.
How to write a brochure for your business
Despite
the prominence of digital marketing, print collateral still has an important
role to play in a balanced marketing strategy. A professionally produced
brochure suggests a high budget and an established reputation.
Not
only that, but brochures are versatile marketing tools. You can distribute them
at trade shows, put them in brochure racks, send them via direct mail, and even
publish them on your company website.
Most
brochures are just a few hundred words in length, so you don't have a lot of
space to get your message across. It's important to make every word count. Here
are eight tips for writing a brochure that signals professionalism and
competence — and spurs your readers to action.
1.- Create an outline or
plan of attack
2.- Write a compelling
headline
3.- Be concise and use plain
language
4.- Limit the copy to 1-2
typefaces
5.- Give readers a reason to
keep your brochure
6.- Include next steps or a
call-to-action
7.- Proofread your brochure
8.- Double-check for
important details
1. - Create an outline or plan of attack
Brochures
vary in content and length, but most follow a standard format.
- The front panel
displays the company logo and headline.
- The inner panels
make a case for the product/service using supporting facts
and details.
- The final panel
contains contact info and a call-to-action.
Before
you start writing, identify your target reader for the brochure including age,
gender, location, role, income, interests and challenges.
This
information will guide the tone, language and content of your brochure. It'll
also help you choose a call-to-action that appeals to your readers. For
instance, an offer for a free white paper would likely be of interest to an
executive, whereas a mobile app download would be more fitting for a college
student.
Make
note of where your target audience is in the buying cycle. Don't waste space
going on about the history of your organization if your readers have done
business with you before.
Also
consider the level of understanding your prospects already have about the
topic. Are they experts, novices or somewhere in between? Keeping this in mind
will help you avoid alienating readers by talking down to them or confusing
them.
2.- Write a compelling headline
Your
headline will determine whether a prospect picks up and reads your brochure or
tosses it aside.
Avoid
using headlines that don't tell the reader anything about the contents of the
brochure — for example, "Make a Good Impression." What does this
mean, who are you making a good impression on? And for what purpose?
You
can provoke a reader's curiosity without being vague. These example headlines
spark interest while also telling readers exactly what they'll get from reading
the brochure:
- Scared of the
Dentist? Learn How Sedation Dentistry Can Help
- The Ultimate
College Prep Checklist: A Four-Year Plan for High School Freshmen
- 4 Reasons to Think
Again Before Buying a Foreclosed Home
Don't
be afraid to use power words like free,
quick, easy, results, exclusive, proven, etc. What they
lack in originality, they make up for ineffectiveness.
3.- Be concise and use plain language
Your
brochure should focus on one product or service. A trifold brochure only has
space for about 350-450 words, so keep words, sentences and paragraphs short.
Edit ruthlessly and include only the most relevant information, leaving room
for white space and images.
Big
walls of unbroken text look intimidating to readers, so use subheads liberally.
Try not to put more than a couple of paragraphs in a row without introducing
something else to break up the monotony, such as a subhead, bullet-point list
or image.
4.- Limit the copy to 1-2 typefaces
The
typefaces you choose should be easy to read and consistent with your branding.
Often,
if the subhead copy is in a serif face, the body copy will use a sans-serif
face, and vice versa. There are some great free tools available to help you
select a complementary font pairing.
Select
font size, spacing and color with readability in mind so your prospects don't
have to work to read the brochure.
5.- Give readers a reason to keep your brochure
If
you can, include a handy reference of some kind in your brochure to dissuade
readers from throwing it away—for example:
- a map of a town
marked with top attractions
- a "normal
body weight" chart based on the reader's height
- a list of
program-specific student scholarships
- a cheat sheet for
first-time homebuyers in a specific city
Also,
consider printing the brochure on a high-quality glossy paper to boost its
perceived value.
6.- Include next steps or a call-to-action
The
goal of your sales brochure should be to persuade your readers to take a
specific action.
This
call-to-action is usually placed on the last panel of the brochure, along with
the contact info. To boost response rates, offer an incentive, such as a promo
code or free product.
The
following are some example actions you might want your readers to take:
- Sign up to your
email list for a free white paper
- Visit your website
to make a purchase or sign up for a program
- Call to book a
free consultation
- Scan a QR code to
download an app
- Enter for a chance
to win
- Visit your store
for an upcoming sale
7.- Proofread your brochure
No
matter how much effort you put into your messaging and design, errors and
inconsistencies in your printed literature can kill your credibility.
Verify
that the tone of your brochure matches the rest of your brand messaging. Unlike
informational brochures (which may take the third-person point-of-view), sales
brochures usually use the second-person to build rapport with the reader.
Finally,
look everything over for correct spelling, punctuation and grammar.
8.- Double-check for important details
Before
the brochure goes to print, check that your logo and contact information are
present and error-free. Also look for details you may have forgotten to
include, such as:
- Purchasing info—how to place an
order, accepted payment types, guarantees, warranties, refunds, shipping,
etc.
- Visitor info—accessibility for
people with disabilities, hours of operation, seasonal times, admission
rates, group sizes, pets, directions, etc.
- Legal info—copyrights,
trademarks, registration marks, disclaimers, etc.
Bonus: What should I put in my brochure?
For
inspiration, here's a cheat sheet of content types often found in sales
brochures:
- Descriptions of
products, services, exhibits or attractions
- Features
and benefits
- Product specs
- Pricing charts
- Pros and cons
- Itinerary (e.g.
winery tours)
- Narrative (e.g.
history of a winery)
- How a product
works
- How a service is
delivered
- How to do
something
- Checklists
and questionnaires
- Images,
illustrations, charts, graphs and maps
- Frequently asked
questions
- Company blurb
- Social proof: case
studies, testimonials or media quotes, client list, executive bios, etc.
Experiment
with a few of these items and see where it takes you. You might be surprised at
how quickly you run out of space!
What
are you waiting for? Try your hand at design with any of our design templates.
https://www.marq.com/blog/how-to-write-brochure-business
Assessment rubric
|
Item |
Points |
Comments |
|
Oral Presentation |
2 points |
|
|
Design |
2 points |
|
|
Language accuracy |
3 points |
|
|
Content |
3 points |
|
|
Grade: |
Last Update by Dark Prince in 2024
