You would think that in this digital age, where paper is conscientiously kept to a minimum, that there is no longer place for brochure printing in marketing a business. But don’t be too quick to write off these powerful information providers when formulating your marketing plan. Evidence suggests there are still many enterprises reliant on brochures to communicate directly with their customers. And they continue to succeed in this role.

But what makes brochures so useful when promoting your products and services and how can you create your own professional looking, eye catching information booklet? In short, why are brochures important for your business? We find out below…

Why are brochures important for your business? In order to answer this question we need to look at what a brochure is, how you can use them and why they are so effective…

What is a brochure?

In general terms a brochure is a printed paper document for advertising and informing customers about a business, product or service. It can be folded in several novel ways or just bound in the centre like a booklet. In this country brochures are slightly different to leaflets and flyers in that they contain several pages of slightly heavier duty paper or card cover and are printed on higher quality glossy paper.

There are other terms used to describe the same type of promotional literature such as pamphlet, booklet, prospectus and catalogue.

When can you use brochures?

They can be used for three basic purposes in business.

To introduce a business, new product or service using concise information
To build awareness and credibility for a product or service, by eliminating objections or misconceptions through the use of persuasive content
To connect personally with the customer through direct mail distribution to rouse interest and motivate to trial

Brochures can be offered to customers when they visit your premises, included in marketing packs, handed out at trade fairs and sent directly to interested parties.

Why are brochures so effective?

Brochures are one of the most effective and versatile marketing tools available in that they can be used in a variety of ways, are very easy to put together and inexpensive to print. The main advantages of using brochures in your marketing campaign are:

They are cost effective and for relatively little effort and cost generate widespread interest and motivation to purchase.
They are easy to read for the recipient and simple to understand
They contain a lot of information in a small area
They are visually appealing
They appeal to customers who are not technologically minded
They allow potential clients to weigh up the information without web-based distractions
They make it easy to target a specific group or type of customer
They can be retained by the recipient

What should you include in a brochure?

Images – should be good quality, eye catching and compelling
Text – should be kept to a minimum but make every word count
Fonts – should be easy to read, a maximum of two different fonts can be used, one for headings and one for the text body. Ensure it’s readable on the chosen background
Information – should be relevant to your objective, to the point and move the reader to action
Contact details – give the reader a way to connect with you online or in person
Colours – choose two or three complimentary shades to draw attention and appeal to the eyes

How do you design a brochure?

Before you begin, ask some important questions:

What is your aim in distributing brochures? To make a certain type of customer aware of a new product or service you are offering? To highlight your business to a local market. Consider the following:

Who will you target with the brochure?
What size will you opt for? Standard letter size? A4? Or A5?
What strapline or heading will you choose? Sub-headings to separate the text?
How many images or charts will you use?
How will you encourage the reader to engage with the product through trial or to purchase?
How would you like your potential customer to contact you?
What key points will you include in the text?
Will you use one of the free design templates or recruit a graphic designer to undertake the work?

Who designs brochures?

If you’re looking for a professional designer to help with your brief, advise you through the project and to digitally print the number of copies you require Eazy Print are the experts to contact. For over ten years they have offered a consistently high-quality design and print service and products to their customers at reasonable prices. The graphics team are only too happy to take your call and start the ball rolling in producing your customised brochures for your business.

What is the future for the lowly brochure?

It seems the internet and current digital marketing tools have not succeeded in replacing the long established and well tested paper booklet. Whilst the former offers convenience and largescale information gathering and references, the humble brochure maintains its use as an enduring yet powerful and tangible source of informative content.

As long as paper sources endure, it appears, so will the brochure. After all, every effective marketing campaign relies on customer interaction and every brochure in the hand provides that opportunity.