Top 10 Brochure Tips

What is it that makes one brochure more effective than another? How do you make sure your investment of time and money isn't unceremoniously dumped in the waste paper bin before it's even read? There's no single guaranteed formula, but if you stick to some of the tips below, you'll be heading in the right direction...

1. Keep it simple

   Don ‘t try to cram everything in that you possibly can — too much copy just puts readers off. Better to leave something for them to call you about than to have so much copy they don’t read anything at all. For a standard A4 double-sided brochure, expect to use the equivalent of a little over half an A4 page of text set in 12 pt size.

2. Write and design with your target market in mind

   Know who your target market is and make sure the design and copy feature the things that are important to them. Avoid too much technical jargon where possible - technical information can always be included on your website, brochures are valuable real estate that should outline the main features and lead the reader to call or visit your site.

3. Be consistent

   Reinforce existing branding from other brochures, packaging, website or identity. The more you use it, the more memorable it becomes in people’s minds and the more they associate it with your product.

   If you have a range of brochures, try to make them look like they belong together but are still different, a "family" of brochures.

4. Make sure the font is legible and appropriate

   Try to keep font sizes at a minimum of 10 pt, preferably 12 pt if you are expecting your audience to be in an older age bracket. Additional spacing between the lines (leading) helps in ease of reading as well and remember to add spaces between paragraphs or indent the first line.

   Avoid script type fonts for large areas of copy — for print purposes, serif fonts (fonts with small "tails" on the ends of the letters, such as Times New Roman and Garamond) work best as they help to lead the eye along the copy.

5. Break up the page

   Vary the font weight and size to break up the page and make it more attractive and inviting to read. Use a larger font for the introduction paragraph to give the reader a clear indication of where to start. Where possible use graphics and images to break the text up.

6. Use good quality images and graphics

   Nothing says "backyard job" like pixellated, grainy photos from cheap digital cameras or bad clipart (or too much of it). It’s worth investing in a professional photographer to create a series of images that can be reused as part of your branding in all your marketing material. If not, go and buy a series of royalty-free stock images on CD that are appropriate to your industry. Industry bodies themselves often sell this sort of thing so check with them as a first port of call.

7. Don’t overdo the colours

   Yes, colourful pieces attract the eye, but get it wrong and it looks like a brochure for a kindergarten (which is fine if you are a kindergarten!). Select a palette of two or three complimentary colours with one or two contrasting colours — to be used sparingly. Stick to one or two colours for text and headings.

   If in doubt, less is better than more.

8. Include a call to action

   Your brochure should inform your reader then invite them to take action. "Call us now for our special offer", "Visit our website to place an order", etc.

9. Include contact information

   Sounds basic, but it’s amazing how many people forget this one. And always include a phone number as well as website details. People have their personal preferences as to how they like to work and find information so give them some options.

10. Proofread

    It’s very easy when you are looking at a piece over and over to read what you think is there rather than what is really on the page. Always use a spellchecking tool and where possible get someone else to read through it. If not, read the copy out loud, very slowly, two or three times, pointing at each word as you go.

Remember - it's when you start effectively organizing, packaging and presenting your content that you can take your marketing and business to whole new levels, dramatically increasing both your attention value and your net income.

 

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