Steps to Create an Awesome Company Brochure

PLUS ADDED BONUS – HOW TO CRAFT YOUR 7 MISTAKES BOOKLET

Written by Jules Blundell

Join me on LinkedIn – Jules Blundell

Guide to creating an

Awesome Brochure

IntroductionAs a business owner, it is imperative that you build company assets like a company brochure that communicates, what you do and why. It should be part of every sales conversation and be found both online and offline. I believe that printed collateral is not dead, but alive and well. Your clients are growing weary of being poked, prodded, tweeted, emailed, spammed and jammed with a continual flow of electronic communication. So it is refreshing to have a beautifully presented company brochure that your prospects can touch and feel, read and share amongst their networks.

A poorly designed or conceived brochure can hinder you.

So we have prepared this guide to help you avoid the most common mistakes when it comes to creating a company brochure.

What is a brochure?In a nutshell, a company brochure is a clear, concise summary of what your business offers.

Its job is to persuasively pitch your business to prospects and convince them that they need your product and services above all others.

Like an elevator pitch, the reader needs to find out enough about your company within around 30 seconds to stay engaged. So your brochure has to make a serious impact, in a word, it has to be awesome.

An awesome brochure is about recognising and solving a PROSPECTS PROBLEM and has 3 simple attributes:

Easy To Digest

Clear Layout & Great Design

Clear Call To Action

This e-book has been put together to guide you through the steps required to optimise your brochure.

Step 1 – Planning

Step 2 – Define your audience

Step 3 – Write your content

Step 4 – Design

Step 5 – Print

* ADDED EXTRA’S: How to Write a 7 Mistakes Booklet in just 2 Hours *So… where do you start? Before we get into building the content for the brochure, it is important to plan and to understand what you are trying to achieve.

© Jules Blundell 2014 – 3 –

Step 1 – Planning Essentially, there are two ways to approach creating a brochure:1. Start with the design idea e.g. shape like a light bulb

2. Start with the content and design around the content.

Starting with a design idea that is creative, with a usual shape and size is a great way to get impact, however this is more involved and ultimately more costly. With that is mind; this guide takes a more straight forward encouraging you to think about design, but ultimately starting with content.

Planning 1: Think about Database & Distribution 1. Decide how you’re going to distribute the brochure? You may want to do one or more of the following:

direct mail them to targeted people (mailing lists, people who call your office requesting information, etc.)

attach them to proposals or reports

leave them behind when visiting clients

leave them at easily accessible locations

insert them into press kits and presentation folders

distribute them in classes and workshops

give them to prospective employees and volunteers

pass them out at meetings, fairs, conferences, seminars

2. Decide how many you will have to print. Small runs can be done using a digital print press at a slightly higher cost whereas large volumes can be cheaper and better quality when printed using an offset process.

3. Make sure your database/distribution list is up-to-date and ready to go.

Planning 2: Think about Layout, Design & Printing Thinking about the size and shape of the brochure up front is very important because it will help you to construct a visual image about how the content will be laid out in the brochure.

Think about the following questions:

Do I stick to regular paper sizes (See below)

What sorts of paper will be used? Generally the cover is of a thicker GSM paper, usually 300 GSM plus and the inside pages 150-170GSM.

Will the brochure be a book or will it fold out? See samples below

How many pages do I think I need?

– 4 – © Jules Blundell 2014

Think About Standard SizesRemember: when creating a booklet style brochure using standard sizes, the pages have to fall into multiples of 4.

E.g. An A4 brochure is an A3 paper folder in half and can be printed on both sides.

Please note sizes change according to each country.

Think about other Brochure shapes

6 page 8 page 6 page 8 Page 10 page 8 page 6 page 16 Page (Gate fold) (Double gate fold) (Concertina fold) (Concertina fold) (Concertina fold) (French fold) (Parallel with roll) (Concertina fold)

Think about Paper Quality

Paper Weight Usage

90 - 100 gsm �used�for�stationery,�text�for�magazines�and�booklets,�flyers�and�brochures.�

120 - 170 gsm �used�for�text�for�booklets,�flyers�and�brochures.�The�heavier�the�weight,�the�more�“upmarket”�the�feel

200 - 250 gsm used�for�magazine�and�booklet�covers.�Robust�enough�to�give�some�body�and�stiffness�when�used�in�a�publication,�but�not�quite�heavy�enough�to�be�used�on�its�own�for�cards�etc.

280 - 300 gsm �used�for�cards�of�all�sorts�and�book�and�booklet�covers.�

Recommendation:�If�going�for�a�booklet�style,�for�example�an�A6,�A5�or�A4,�then�I�would�recommend�170gsm�inside�and�300+GSM�for�the�covers

Standard paper stocks have three possible finishes Uncoated: which has a finish feeling very slightly smoother than standard photocopy paper

Matte: (also called Satin) coated, which is smoother but with a dull, or barely shiny finish

Gloss: which is smooth and with a glossy finish, not unlike the text of a glossy magazine

Silk matt: Like matt finished coated paper the surface is smooth but without reflections, which means that it combines high readability with high image quality

For other paper variations contact your chosen printer directly and arrange a time to view their samples.


A1841 x 594 mm

A3420 x 297 mm

A2420 x 597 mm

A5210 x 148 mm

A7105 x 74

A6148 x 105 mm

A4210 x 297 mm

Step 2 – Define your Audience(s)It is really important to have complete clarity around your targeted audience and know what appeals to them.

Who is my target audience?

Get inside your customers head and heart?

What problems is this audience experiencing? Am I able to solve their problems?

Find your brochures voice and tone – What do they like and don’t like? Are they highly profession or cool and edgy?

What sorts of language do they use?

What design style do you think resonates the most with your audience? Modern? retro? Edgy?

One of the most common mistakes with brochures is trying to make a one-size-fits-all brochure. It simply does not work.One audience = One message = One Brochure

Confusion around the audience or trying to address multiple audiences will not only make the brochure construction process unnecessarily difficult but it could also mean a waste of time, money and effort as the brochure doesn’t resonate with anyone


Let me illustrate!

I recently worked with a dental company that wanted one brochure that would talk to patients who were visiting Cardiology, Endocrinology and Obstetrics facilities. They wanted to illustrate the importance of dental health if you were diabetic, pregnant or suffering from heart complications.

For nearly 3 months we went round and round in circles until I was finally able to convince them that we needed 3 separate brochures for each department. By having 3 brochures for 3 different target audiences we were able to build 3 very strong messages that resonated with the individual patients. Moreover, it made it easier to distribute them and get the buy-in from the facilities because they weren’t general brochures they were relevant to their patients health.

When you create a brochure, talk directly with reader, empathise with their problems, show them you understand and demonstrate how you are the answers to their problems.


Step 3 – Build the Content Build Content 1: The Importance Of The Cover PageThe cover page determines if your targeted audience will choose to turn the page to find out more, or throw it in the bin?

It is really important that you work closely with your designer to create a “stop-them-in-their-tracks”, eye catching cover page that gets noticed.

To do this, you will need:

1. A strong powerful heading/title, one short succinct sentence.

2. A strong powerful image or design. There are 3 options;

a. An image that relates to the problem;

b. An image that shows how they will feel after they have worked with you.

c. An image that is industry specific

The image could be a photograph, a vector image or animation, depending on what style you are trying to portray. Would a call out bubble in a bright colour with a special offer work?

Your designer will have created hundreds of brochures, have a chat to them about some of the best brochure ideas they have seen and created.

Build Content 2: Writing Brochure Content Writing a brochure is a great way for you to gain clarity around what you do and why. Because the language you use has to be powerful, meaningful but minimal, it really makes you stop and think about what product and service you’re really delivering and how you articulate the problems and solutions associated with it.

Once you have written your brochure text. Stop, give it a day and then go back and cut the word count by HALF

Remember the content of the brochure is determined by what you want the outcome to be. Do you want your prospects to be informed, sign the dotted line or call for more information.

There are 7 common mistakes when it comes to brochure content. 1. No logical, sequential structure or flow 5. Too many words not enough graphics 2. Too long 6. No call to action 3. No signposts 7. Spelling and grammatical mistakes 4. Overuse of jargon

There are no defining rules about how your construct the content of your brochure, so here are 3 approaches that will help you in your pursuit of creating an awesome brochure:

Approach 1.1. Who are you?

2. What do you do?

3. Why they need you

4. How to work with you

5. Call to action

Approach 2.1. Introduction – One Sentence

overview of what you do!

2. We understand your problems

3. We provide these solutions

4. What we do is “remarkable”

5. How we work (credibility)

6. Call to action

7. About Us

Approach 3.1. Introduction – One Sentence overview

of what you do!

2. 3 problems your prospects experience

3. 3 remarkable ways we operate

4. 3 services/products we offer

5. 3 ways to work with us

6. 3 reasons why you should choose us

7. 3 ways in to get in touch with us.

8. Call to action


More Tips & Tricks The language used should not exceed high school

reading age.

For each section nominate a standout quote, that can be either separated from the main text or highlighted within text to standout to the reader.

Where possible, use proof to reinforce your message. Proof can be given in the form of statistics, casestudies, testimonials,

Don’t forget the call to action because not only does it actively engage the reader, it is also used as a key measurement tool to gauge the effectiveness of the campaign.

Include a FAQ at the end of the brochure if you have space

Provide a Product /Service Summary in a graph or diagram.

Draw on everything you know about your prospects

Think about the current trends that might be threatening the way they have always done business

Demonstrate you understand your clients clearly, you know their fears and desires and the true problems that keep them up at night.

Clearly present your passion statement somewhere

Let them know what your all about (usually in the about us section) and include your big hairy audacious goals and your WHY!

Your readers are more interested to hear about how you can help them and the value they receive. Focus on talking directly to the reader by using “you” and move away from the self-centred “we”.

Ensure you About Us statement is specific, unique and memorable and STAND OUT IN THE CROWD.

Avoid using buzzwords and fancy words. Stick to expressing yourself with simple with simple words and short sentences.

Avoid long product descriptions by summarising your produce/service offering in a simple, table that summarises the most important features. The trick is to include enough information for the reader to take the next step.

Be generous – give lots of great stuff away and make the brochure valuable and worth keeping. Because you’re giving something of value away that’s related to your product/service, people will keep it and refer back to it for advice.

Build Content 3: How To Start Writing Your BrochureThree things to remember when writing your brochure:

1. The first draft is not print worthy! There should always be multiple drafts as you review, refine, review, refine.

2. Always proofread your content. Nothing destroys your credibility more than having a spelling or grammar mistake in your brochure.

3. ALWAYS GET A SECOND OPINION – After you have drafted the content for your brochure several times, you’ll be too close to it, finding it difficult to see mistakes and errors and to accurately assess if the brochure has impact. A second opinion will not only fix up any final spelling or grammatical mistakes, they will also be able to let you know if you have missed anything out.


Step 4 – Design Design is as important as the wording, they compliment each other. A beautifully designed brochure begs to be touched and read.

Yet, like the content, there are 7 common design mistakes that are made with company brochures:1. The cover does not go KAPOW!

2. Photographs are too small, too large, washed out, or dark and blotchy.

3. The overall design is boring or dated.

4. Too many colours used and not balanced

5. Does not use illustrations, charts or other graphic elements necessary to clarify and reinforce descriptive text or to illustrate to a complex concept.

6. Crowded layout

7. Poor font choice and the typefaces used are too small, too big, too bold, too cute, to complex, too difficult to read, or there is simply a lack of variation in typeface to be engaging.

How to avoid these mistakes1. Collect Examples: As a business owner, you become an avid collector of brochures, postcards, flyers, eBooks’ etc. This

collection of examples helps you to keep abreast of the latest design trends and will help you to understand what you like and don’t like about design and most importantly, what will engage your target audience.

2. Shop around and then nominate a designer that is in keeping with your design needs. Find a designer that understands what you are trying to achieve. Review their previous work, send them samples and spend time-sharing your likes and dislikes.

3. Either Or! You can be really specific with your designer and explain exactly how you want your brochure to look and feel OR alternatively, you can trust in your designer and simply hand over the wording and leave all the creative stuff to them. I find the later tends to work better because when you “over-instruct a designer” their individual design style becomes cramped, creating a mediocre design.

4. Have a keen eye for detail when it comes to reviewing the design and layout. Mistakes happen and it is your job to pick them up. Most designers will usually give you 2 rounds of amendments so use them wisely because you don’t want to have to pay extra.

Top tips

Obtain a quote for the COMPLETED JOB. This is a great strategy to ensure you avoid paying by the hour and /or have the design costs escalate out of control.

Design quotes do not usually include the cost of images if they need to be purchased and expect to pay more if they need to design tables, business models or addition items in the brochure.

Where possible try to stay with the same designer. You have invested time, money and effort into them understanding your brand and the more they work with you the faster they become, which leads to cost savings!

Images – spend some time choosing images that fit your brand. Some designers will take your favourite image(s) and then work design around the image(s).


How much does it usually cost to have a brochure designed?In Australia expect to employ a reasonable designer for approximately $50 per hour (as at 2013). You can pay anything up to $200 per hour depending on the designers experience and credibility.

A basic brochure will take approximately 2-4 hours to design. The more complicated the layout or the more pages, than expect it to take longer to construct. For a truly stunning brochure it may take a designer as many as 12-20 hours.

One of the most cost effective ways to have your brochure designed is by using one of the many freelancer sites that are now available. E.g. Elance, 99Designs, Freelancer.

Whilst this, on the surface is highly appealing, it comes with lots of pitfalls and could end up costing you more in the long run. Essentially it is cheap but highly risky.

Some of the risks include: The designer not using ADOBE INDESIGN. Many freelancers tend to use Adobe Photoshop and this is not

ideal for printing purposes, as it affects the quality of print, particularly the font.

The designer doesn’t set the document up to meet Australian printing standards, such as the inclusion of a 3-5 mm bleed around the edge.

Questions get raised as to who owns the IP. Legal advice recently informed us they do – Eeek!

Plus many more, so think carefully if you choose this route.

Instructing a designerLike communicating with the printer, you need to be very specific with your design brief. Make sure you have the following items ready to send to your chosen designer:

Timescale

Target Audience

Function/Purpose of the Brochure

Size, Weight Durability e.g. A4 DOUBLE sided or A6 multipage booklet or Tri-Fold Consertina Fold

Aesthetics/Style

Who is your Target Audience?

What is your Brand personality

Attach:

Brochure wording

Company colours

Company Fonts

Company Logos

Full Contact Details: Phone, Address, Email, Website

Social Media Icons

Selected Images (if Any)

Samples that you like


Great Idea!

Final words of wisdom! Creating a brochure can be hard work, but an awesome brochure is an asset worth the effort.

Focus on Persuasion, not information!

Build rapport first, then sell!

Don’t get boring, keep the intrigue going throughout the brochure and gracefully weave a compelling story that will resonate with your readers.

Step 5 – Printing Printers charges vary significantly so it is important to obtain 2-3 quotes initially. Expect to have a response back within 24 hours and if not, don’t use them!

To obtain a quote for printing, here are some guidelines for you to ensure you give them the right information to provide an accurate quote.

Working Example:Name of the project: “Company” Brochure

Number of pages: 20pp+4pp A6 (20 pages internal, 4 pages cover in an A6 Size)

Size Flat: 148 x 210 mm

Size Folded: 148 x 105 mm

Printed Cover: CMYK 2 sides

Printed Text: CMYK throughout

Paper Stock: Cover 300 gsm Silk

Paper Stock: Text 170 gsm Silk

Finishing: Matt cello outer cover, fold, collate, stitch, trim & pack

Delivery point: Deliver 1 point, Melbourne

Quantities: 100, 250, 500

Or a simplified versionPlease quote on the following:

24 Page, A6 Booklet with thicker cover (300+GSM) and minimum of 150GSM inside pages, Matte finish. Can I please receive quotes for 100, 250 and 500 please.

Get your brochure onto Slideshare quickly. Once your brochure is at the printers, ask your designer how much it would cost to transfer your brochure into a SLIDESHARE file. As all the hard work has been done, they should be able to process this in under an hour (around $50) and it will get your presence on SlideShare quickly and can be used as a link for when emailing.


How to write Seven Mistakes BookletCreating a 7 Mistake Booklet helps you to overcome your prospective customer objections in a nice concise way. Here is a template for you to use so you can write your booklet in just 2 hours.

Using the information contained in this brochure as well as the recommended template below, you will be able to write your 7 mistakes booklet in no time at all. Easy peasy!

Simply fill in the spaces below using these guidelines.1. Common Mistake – this is one sentence summary of the mistake – it must be powerful

2. Overview – 2-4 sentences that describe the mistake and the “pain” felt by the business in greater detail

3. Possible Solutions – 6 bullet points of possible ideas how the business can avoid the mistake or overcome the mistake

4. How your company can help solve the problem.

Once you have written the 7 mistakes, write an INTRODUCTION (what you hope the reader will get out of reading the booklet) and an ABOUT US page for the back of the booklet and KAPOW, you have a mistakes booklet too! Print it and hand it out like a business card! Turn it into an eBook that can be emailed and downloaded from your website.

7 MISTAKES TEMPLATE – EXAMPLE

COMMON MISTAKE WORKING HARDER, NOT SMARTER

Overview – The Pain For many business owners, understanding the difference between working hard and working smart can be a major challenge. Putting in long hours into areas that are not your strengths may not always be the best solution and can take valuable time and energy away from the core functions of your business

Possible Solutions • Planning is one of the most effective ways for you to work smarter. There is nothing better than knowing where you are heading, how you are going to get there and how much it is going to cost.

• Delegate your workload where possible and if you can’t, outsource that skill.

• Concentrate on activities that provide the highest returns.

• Chasing low paying, high maintenance clients whilst your high paying clients are neglected… it is an easy mistake to make!

• Review your systems and procedures constantly.

• Source IT solutions that are right for your business, some systems are more time consuming!

How we can help Delegating some or all of your marketing processes to a professional firm can save your company time and money by ensuring that your advertising budget is well spent in the competitive small business marketplace. Marketing Hands can provide you with the most cost effective ways to enhance your company’s visibility and increase sales, allowing you to concentrate on the core elements of your company’s operations
