During the run-up to the American Revolution, pamphleteer Thomas Paine, author of “Common Sense“, published literature that galvanized a nation.

Yes, brochures can be good reads

Today, the pamphlet has de-evolved into the rather sad and lowly brochure.

I wish there were another word for “brochure.” I can’t tell whether the word itself is boring…or the product it represents. Many brochures, from a design and content perspective, are, well, boring, predictable and, as a result, disposable.

Too often, one of two things happens with a brochure. Either the salesperson is embarrassed because of its poor quality…and doesn’t even hand any out. Or the prospect immediately throws it away…because of poor quality.

Either way, most companies should have one, whether virtual or in print. Why? Because they’re cost-effective, that’s why! For less than one ad in a major publication, you can have a nice-looking piece of marketing that will last an entire year or more. It’s also an effective way to ensure everyone is communicating the same message.

However, it’s time to re-think what a brochure actually is…and what it is not.

• It is not a replacement for personalized marketing and sales efforts.
• It is not a place to communicate everything you do ad nauseum. If you do that, your copywriter won’t even want to read it.

A brochure, a good one at least, is only a supplement–an in-depth ad you can touch. It serves as a catalyst to spark interest. Or, more than likely, a visual reminder of your company’s services a week or two after your sales call…a reminder to the prospect how your company can solve his or her company’s problems.

Despite the brochure’s bad rap, it does not need to be sad, lowly, boring or disposable. In fact, a brochure can be a downright good read.

Here are 10 tips on creating brochures that pop:

1. Involve your designer and copywriter from the get-go. They should not be brought on at the last minute.
   
2. Make sure the brochure is visually appealing. That means eye-catching. Normal is not eye-catching. If it looks like every other brochure, it will be treated like every other brochure: Promptly thrown in the trash…even if the content is wonderful. That makes content creators like me sad.
3. Tell stories! Traditional brochures are boring. Stories are fun. Instead of communicating everything you do, include your pithy, top-level message but break your brochure into mini case studies. These short stories explain what you’ve really done for real clients. That, I ensure you, is more compelling than just explaining what you do. I’m working on two such brochures right now. They’re fun to write. And I’m completely confident they’ll be far more fun to read–and informative–than what my clients had previously.
4. Provide tips. Yet another way to get your message out is to focus on helping the client, with the strategy that he or she will see your company as a thought leader.
   
5. If you do go the traditional route, and that is fact sheets and such, make sure you aren’t just communicating what you do…but what you can do for the client. The difference? “I sell widgets that do x, y and z” Vs. “My widgets will increase your operational efficiency because of x, y and z.”
6. Consider calling it something different. Lately, I’ve been calling brochures “guides”. A guide to me sounds a little better.
   
7. Treat your brochure, or guide, as an extension of your branding campaign. If you don’t have a branding campaign, your company guide is a good place to start.
8. Divide and conquer. If your company is diverse, why not create different guides for each segment? Potential customers of your services could probably care less about your widgets. And vice-versa.
   
9. Hire a professional designer and writer. Your intern and printer are not professional designers or writers. True professional designers and writers know how to create collateral that gets noticed.
10. Get key people involved in the process. If the writer and designer only talk with the head of marketing, they’ll miss out on the perspectives of your sales manager, CEO and others.

You should also ensure messaging fluidity. Not just with the brochure, but with all of your messaging. If your brochure  says one thing, and your website says another, it’s time to re-address your messaging.

In today’s information-saturated world, it’s a lot tougher for marketers to get the attention of people than it was just 10 years ago. But a well-done brochure will make your company look more sophisticated, further differentiate you from your competitors, and hopefully convert some fence-sitters. At the very least, if you are going to pay for some form of collateral, wouldn’t it be nice if your salespeople weren’t embarrassed to hand it out?

-Justin Rubner