WHAT TO SAY IN YOUR BROCHURE

What Is the Purpose of Your Brochure?

Is your brochure an advertisement? Is it a detailed product description-marketing piece? Or to put it another way, what kind of customers will be getting your brochure?

The first type of brochure design is created to attract a new customer's attention. Just like an advertisement, it screams for attention, and plays on the emotions of the customer. It has a big headline, strong visuals, and a distinct call to action.

This brochure design works to build interest, and to create desire for your products or services. It instructs customers to follow through by returning a coupon, or calling, or coming in.

The second type of brochure design is created to follow through with customers who want more detailed information. These customers have contacted you with questions. Often they want to know everything about a product or service. The second brochure design is created to give them what they want.

What are you trying to accomplish? Do you want new customers to come into your store? Then create interest and excitement with an advertisement type brochure designed to bring them in.

Or are your customers looking for information? Then you want to create a brochure packed with information specifically for them.

Brochure Copywriting Tips

Grab the reader on the front cover.

Does the brochure design on the front cover get the readers attention with an emotional appeal, a provocative question, or a benefit statement?

Approximately 80% of people will not open a brochure that doesn’t give a prime benefit or a compelling reason on the front cover. That means your company’s name probably belongs down at the bottom of the front cover, not on top. And your logo may need to go on the back cover, not the front.

Focus on the benefits of your product/service, not the features.

You want to introduce your company and your products, but you definitely want to grab the reader with benefits. Know your reader's needs and prove how you will satisfy them. Benefits trigger emotions, and emotions will win out over logical persuasion every time. Feature key benefits in headlines, subheads, and captions. You must entice the reader simply to get them to read your brochure. And then you must motivate them to take action.
Feature or Benefit? Your service saves the client an hour is a FEATURE. An extra hour to spend with your kids is a BENEFIT. List all of the features, and ask yourself, “what does the client get?” Now you have the benefits.

Skip the technical mumbo jumbo.

Technical writing is hard to read, even for technical people. Think about it. What would you rather read – a technical document, or a lighter, but comprehensive document? Always write like your talking to a good customer or a friend.

Promote some of your other marketing materials.

Interconnect your marketing materials. Offer your newsletter or web page information in your brochure, and vice-versa. Reference your other published materials or any recognition you have received.

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