Eleven Ways to Make a Better Brochure

Your personal brochure is an important part of your marketing plan since it serves as an introduction to prospective clients. Your brochure should clearly state your business’s name, the services you supply, and contact information. It also works as a reminder to past clients that you are still there when they need you.

You want your brochure to be visually attractive and up-to-date. If it is outdated, simply ugly or shoddy looking, the customer will have a negative impression of your business. If you want your clients to see you in a professional light, then you need to present a professional appearance.

Here are some simple rules to follow when creating a brochure:

1) Determine what you want your brochure to achieve. The look, feel and content of your brochure should be determined by the job it must do. Your brochure can be a company overview, a door opener for sales calls, or a reminder to past clients.

2) Keep it simple. Copy should be to the point. It should also be written at a difficulty level appropriate to the audience, erring on the side of simplicity. For general purposes, a 5th grade level is sufficient. When speaking to a group that utilizes jargon, such as lawyers or engineers, the vocabulary of the profession is appropriate.

3) Sell the benefits. Assume the reader is saying, “So what?”Always focus on what you have that benefits the user. Benefits sell; features don’t.

4) Promote service promises. Do you make a unique promise to your clients, such as "we'll sell it in 40 days or but it ourselves"? Promote that promise, relating it to reliability.

5) Include a brief personal history. Establish credentials and credibility.

6) Include testimonials. Good references work wonders. A good testimonial gives your company instant credibility, shows you have an established clientele, creates a common bond with the user, promotes you in a voice not your own, and overall raises you to a higher level of expertise.

7) Promote your unique and special expertise. What do you do that no one else does? In what ways do you lead your industry? What makes you special or different?

8) Avoid clichés and trendy buzz words. All corporations today are “committed to excellence.” Speak plain English and stick to information that means something. People will tune out the business buzz words, so don’t waste the space in your brochure on them.

9) Avoid showing pictures of your staff. A staff picture may look nice, but it does little to show why someone should do business with your company. It also becomes outdated once someone makes a career change, you bring on new staff, or when hair and clothing styles change.

10) Be politically correct. Unless you want to field constant complaints, be sure your brochure is politically correct. There are many people out there just looking for a chance to complain about a real or imagined slight. Do not attract their attention. Remember that your brochure is a tool for generating business, not for expressing political, social or religious views.

11) Keep your brochure focused on your main points. What exactly do you want your prospect to know about your company? Tell them that. Let your sales people fill in the details.

Check out samples of brochures and other personal branding pieces created by Mail Print.

-Gina