7 Secrets of the Wow Factor Brochure:
Tips Small Business Owners Can Use to Lower Costs and Maximize Visibility
By: Les Kollegian, Creative Director
If you are a small-to medium-sized business, you're probably hoping to
get your business on everyone's radar with traditional marketing
techniques. But what if you lack the funds of a Fortune 500 marketing
budget? You're already marketing your company on the Web and through
print collateral like business cards and direct mail postcards. Now, how
do you create a brochure with the "wow factor" of your larger
competitors? A brochure that makes your customers sit up and take
notice? Here are seven secrets you can leverage to your company's
advantage:
1. People don't read. Get your point across...FAST!
Okay. So I know you
are reading this now, but that's because I got your attention with a
catchy headline. If I give too much information in the text, I will lose
your interest. You will stop reading long before my "call to action,"
requesting you learn more about me online. Now I've lost the opportunity
to convert you to a new customer. People are low on time. Deliver your
point with minimal text. And keeping it minimal also saves you the money
of having to print more pages.
2. Effective design is important.
Remember that old saying, "Kids, don't
try this at home!"? Well, it also applies to you. If your business is
not a graphic design firm, do NOT try to design your own brochure.
Graphic design professionals are aware of how specific markets react to
certain layouts, based on psychographic and demographic research.
Effective design is what gets reader attention, keeps it, and most
importantly keeps your brochure out of the trash.
3. Odd-sized pieces grab attention.
The 8.5"x11" tri-fold is
essentially worthless. Yes, it's inexpensive to make and print. But is
it an effective way to get your prospective clients attention? No. We
all get way too many brochures in the mail and they get lost in the
shuffle. An odd-sized brochure differentiates your business from the
rest at first glance. If you are not going to mail them, I have had much
success with square brochures, usually 6"x 6". If considering a direct
mail campaign with a brochure, make sure you keep postal regulations in
mind. It should be wider than it is tall. 4.5"x11.5" is a great size to
stand out from the pack.
4. Sometimes, 4-color is actually cheaper.
Before digital printing was
available and offset was a must, we used to design with minimum ink
colors to save money running through the press. The more ink, the more
the cost. Today there are plenty of printing companies that do 4-color
work by "gang" running them with other projects. This means that your
brochure is being run on the same large sheet as other brochures,
folders, etc. Bottom line...who cares? At the end of the day, you save
money by sharing the paper. A company I have successfully used to print
inexpensive brochures and other collateral is
http://www.zooprinting.com.
5. Thicker IS better.
Ever get a flimsy business card and just think how
cheap it feels? How does it make you feel about the company distributing
it? The same goes for your brochure. When you receive something with
substance, it feels more important. You're more likely to keep it or
take it more seriously.
6. Don't waste paper...Low runs can still be cost effective.
Many of my
customers want to print large runs because they save money on a
per-piece price. While this is true, it doesn't matter if you end up
throwing away unused brochures. Usually it is best to create a low run
and get feedback from your prospective clients. Once you feel the
brochure is effective and will stand the test of time, now it's time to
do a larger run.
7. Use stock photography...There's no need for that expensive photo shoot.
Okay...some people may say that stock photos are over-used and that they
are not as effective as a photo shoot. This may be true. However, photo
shoots can be extremely expensive and unnecessary unless you need to
show a specific product. There are now stock photo sites where new
images are being uploaded by semi-professional and professional
photographers daily. High-res images can be purchased for under $10 on
sites like http://www.istockphoto.com and
http://www.dreamstime.com.
If you follow all of my seven rules for WOW Factor "low cost and maximum
visibility" brochures and you would like for me to review your layout,
feel free to email me at les@jacobtyler.com. We are always interested in
seeing the creative ways ideas are developed from concept to final
piece. After more than 15 years in the visual communications world and
dealing with varied print collateral budgets, I know that the Seven
Secrets work, and I know that that they will work for you.
To interview Les Kollegian, contact: Denise@JacobTyler.com
Phone: (630) 845-4694
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