Good business marketing means building brand awareness as efficiently as possible, but sometimes, there’s not enough room to get across what you do on a simple business card. A brochure can give your clients a detailed overview of the goods, products, and services you offer in a digestible format. However, if you want to create a brochure that clients will remember and actually want to read through, there are some design dos and don’ts you should follow.
Do: Include Imagery
Whether it be stock photos, clip art, or your brand’s logo, imagery is a must-have in any brochure. Images break up text and draw the eye. Any pictures or headlines will be the first things that clients look at when they open your brochure, as these features offer the fastest way to gather the most information. You need to use your imagery strategically. For example, if you want to highlight your best-selling product, consider putting a picture of it above its description. This way, you’re much more likely to get a client to read about that product or, at the very least, make them aware that you offer it.
Don’t: Overcrowd With Text
As mentioned, a brochure should be a detailed overview of what your business offers, so this suggestion may seem counterintuitive. However, you need to make sure that you only include the information you need to and not much more than that. Also, don’t forget that blank space is also an important aspect of design. A brochure that’s jam-packed with edge-to-edge text is visually unappealing. If a client opens a brochure and sees a wall of text, reading it will feel like an intimidating chore.
Do: Design an Eye-Catching Cover
Do you remember learning how to write an essay for the first time and how that first paragraph needed an interesting hook to capture the audience? The front cover of your brochure acts as a hook as well. The cover needs to be the most eye-catching and visually appealing portion of your brochure—it’s what will get people to pick up and open it in the first place. It should establish your business and the kind of services you offer at a glance.
Don’t: Forget To Proofread
We know that everyone makes mistakes, and there’s just no avoiding them, but the mistakes you make in your marketing media have an impact. If a client sees a slew of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors in your text, your work will come across as sloppy, so don’t forget to proofread. Nobody wants to work with a company that doesn’t pay mind to the details. However, you should avoid proofreading the text yourself because you know what you want to say, and your brain will fill in the blanks and gloss over errors. Always have someone else proofread your work.
Do: Consider the End Product
The work doesn’t stop after you design the brochure. You want to show off your business using high-quality printing, and that means making sure the final printed product looks clean and professional. Any text should be crisp, images should be clear and vibrant, and most importantly, your brochure should be on quality paper. Regular printer paper will fall apart and won’t last in a purse or pocket. Thick, glossy paper will look good and withstand handling.
Now that you know the dos and don’ts of designing a brochure, how will you show off your business?