Ten things to remember when producing marketing literature

Despite the growing use of the internet, most organisations probably find that they need a printed brochure as part of the marketing toolkit.
Here are ten of the issues that you might want to consider if you are planning a new brochure for your organisation:

1. What do you want to achieve?

It's important to be clear about how the brochure will be used and what you want to achieve. For example, a brochure that's to be sent 'cold' as part of a direct mail campaign might need different content than one that's sent in response to enquires.

2. Know your audience

If you serve two or more distinct segments, consider breaking the brochure into clear sections. Alternatively, multiple brochures might give you an even greater opportunity to focus on the needs of each respective customer type.

3. Take time with the content

Whether you write it in-house or commission professional copywriting, expect to take the text through several edits to make sure it’s as good as possible. Consider also asking a few customers or potential customers to read the draft text in order to test its likely effectiveness.

4. Make it an easy read

Written content that is clear and simple will help to ensure that people read your brochure. If your brochure will be eight pages or more, think about whether a contents page might also help readers to find the information they need.

5. Leave room for white space

Another way to improve readability is to leave white space around the text. So make sure that the graphic design of the brochure is well done and is not cluttered.

6. Include client testimonials

Try not to be the only one championing your cause. Even short testimonials from satisfied clients can add great credibility, especially if the client is a well-known name in the sector that your serve.

7. Invest in good photography

Research shows that when opening a printed brochure, most people look at the pictures before the text. (The opposite is true with websites.) So although the written content is crucial, it is also important that the pictures are of the right quality. Whether you choose stock images or commissioned photographs, pictures shouldn’t be an after-thought.

8. Build-in a shelf life

Consider how long you want the brochure to last. If it’s for a year or more then you might need to bear that in mind when creating the content. For example, if you name individuals in your organisation what will happen if they leave in six months’ time? Can you afford a re-print?

9. Choose the right paper stock

The same design can appear very different when printed on alternative paper stocks. So work with your designer and printer to find a suitable weight and paper type.

10. Do you even need a new brochure?

It is always worth taking a reality check before commissioning a new brochure. Make sure that there aren’t better ways to spend the budget. For example, would a series of smaller but cheaper leaflets achieve better results than a one-off brochure?

A brochure should never be produced just because it’s ‘nice’ to have one. Following these tips, and others like them, will hopefully ensure that your next brochure will make a valuable contribution to your marketing objectives.

© Titman Firth 2005