We’ve all heard of viral videos, but did you know that printed marketing material can go viral? That happens when all of your customers are picking up your brochure, posting it on bulletin boards, and sharing it with their friends. You’re getting referrals from demographics you didn’t even know you could target!
If you’re in the process of designing a product brochure, this article is for you. We’ll walk you through the best ideas for brochure design and help you get started with some pro tips.
Are Printed Marketing Materials Still Relevant?
Although newspaper readership has declined in the last decade, about 70% of us still read the newspaper regularly. Even if we’re reading online, we’re still reading. So why go through the trouble of making a product brochure when the internet is so popular?
The great thing about brochures is that they connect customers with your product. A full-color, glossy brochure is still an attractive piece of advertising. Retail salespeople are trained to put the product into the customer’s hand. It’s a visual, tactile way of generating a positive response – and making the sale.
Generate a Winning Design
Take your time when you’re making the first draft of your brochure. You’re looking for a brochure design that inspires customers to read your blog or check out your website, so make sure to include a scannable QR code. In general, try to pick a color scheme that isn’t too intense or hard to read.
Another good rule of thumb is to take all of the text you’ve written for your brochure and remove two-thirds of it. Your brochure shouldn’t be overly wordy if you want to catch customers’ attention. Stick to one or two fonts and make sure they project a professional image.
Also, make sure you know which way your brochure is going to be folded. It seems like a silly thing to keep track of, but it’ll save you a lot of heartache at the printer.
If you’re going to be mailing out these brochures, make sure that you leave ample space for the postage and address. If you’re struggling to find a good sample brochure, you should know that most word processing programs offer free templates.
Refine Your Logo
Having a good logo is part of any successful branding strategy. Your logo should be memorable and easy to read. Developing your logo can be an extended process, but it can also attract customers to your social media pages and website.
If you’re not too sure about your logo, go ahead and show it to a few graphic artists. Get a few alternates and ask around the office. It’s always better to do some preliminary testing before you commit to a printed brochure.
If your logo is a bright color, like orange or yellow, consider putting in some black lines to make it easier to read. Have a look at some of your competitors’ websites: what are their logos like? If they’re all red, for example, wouldn’t having a black logo make you stand out?
Building a brand and designing a brochure both require patience. Don’t print your brochure until you’ve finalized a logo. It’s harder — and more expensive — to undo printed errors.
Take a Photoshop Tutorial
One of the best aspects of the internet is the abundance of free design tips. You can get professional advice about how to make a good brochure, how to streamline your e-commerce site, or how to attract more customers to your social media accounts.
You can also get pro tips on Photoshop, which is a program that allows you to crop and change your pictures. Whether you’re using stock art or personal photos, using photo editing programs is necessary when you’re designing a professional brochure.
Try to have at least one picture that relates closely to your business. If the brochure is about a new product line, for example, you can put in a few pictures as accents. Just avoid putting in too many pictures, because that can “clutter” your visual space.
Any good brochure design is going to need a few good photos. If editing photos really isn’t your thing, you can outsource the editing duties. But give it a try: you might be surprised at how easy it is!
Get a Second Opinion
Once you’ve finished your first draft of the product brochure, put it down for a day or two. Send it to a few of your trusted colleagues and ask for their honest opinion. Ask a professional writer to review it for spelling and grammar errors.
In general, minimalist brochure designs are trending now. They give the customer all relevant information and don’t overwhelm the reader. If you think that your brochure is too cluttered, try looking at a few websites you admire. What kind of design do they have? How are they working to attract customers?
Once you’ve finalized the brochure design, send it along to the printer. Ask them to re-read it for errors, and only agree to printing once you’re sure that it’s perfect. For example, you don’t want to have to throw out hundreds of brochures because your business telephone is wrong.
Why Brochure Design is Important for Small Businesses
There are millions of small businesses competing for more than $450 billion retail dollars each year. With the internet so readily available, why rely on printed material at all?
The answer is that a good brochure design can motivate your customers to connect with your brand online. A solid brochure is also a shareable piece of marketing material that can reach customers who don’t access the internet. A great brochure can stay on a bulletin board for months, and it’s hard to buy that kind of exposure. It can also encourage word-of-mouth referrals.
If you’ve got a good idea for a brochure, take a few minutes and mock it up, either online or by hand. Get a few opinions on how you should display the information and make sure you’re designing a simple and easy-to-read brochure. We offer a wide range of pro tips for brochure and website design. Come check us out!
