Putting Brochure Back on the Marketing Map

10/22/2011

At one time, businesses used brochures as one of their main marketing techniques. When social networking and social media marketing came into the picture, printing brochures started to be considered an extra expense that just wasn’t necessary. After all, there isn’t a printing expense when you market online? Right? Small businesses continue to wonder if brochures are even worth printing anymore. Have we really become a paperless society?

Not completely. Small businesses usually have a small budget, and a fairly inexpensive way to market your business to new customers is by creating a brochure that can be strategically placed, handed out at conferences or at meetings. Brochures provide valuable and quick information about your company, the product or service you provide and how to go about getting it. People sometimes forget to check online or can't remember the website. Brochures are kept in your pocket or wherever you placed it.

Small businesses can use brochures is so many ways. For instance, if you print out a brochure, a person may take it home or back to their business, and set it on their counter. Just like a billboard, the brochure immediately grabs the attention of anyone who can see it. Having something in print still conveys credibility and trust.

There are steps that you need to follow in creating a successful brochure.

Make it easy to read. Use bullet points, numbering, and short paragraphs rather than long paragraphs. While you want to get your message across, most people scan text, rather than actually read it. Get to the point about what your message is.
The brochure should be attractive. Your brochure should be eye catching. Black and white is cheaper than color, but color is going to get you more attention. Unless you are severely under budget, go for the color.
Don’t forget the important information like phone, email and website. Tell them about your business but make sure they know who to contact and how do it. Brochures also are a great way to promote your website and your social media profiles on sites like Facebook.

People still like to hold paper in their hands that provide information. We are a technically-oriented society but still trust traditional ways of getting information. Also, our population consists of older Americans who rely on print for information. Brochures can still attract new customers – old and young -- on a reasonable budget. Plus, you can always upload the brochure onto your website.

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Who Should Write Your Brochure?

9/1/2011

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When it comes to traditional marketing collateral like brochures, flyers, and other print materials, who should you let write them? You have several options.

You can try to write it yourself
You can hire a ghostwriter
You can hire a marketing firm and let them pick your writer

Let's talk about that first option. Should you write your own marketing material?

A lot of people try that, but let me tell you why it could be a big mistake. You know your business. Maybe too much. How difficult is it to take a step back and view it from the outside? For most business owners, it's difficult. Writing your own brochure could mean that you tell too much, don't tell enough, or miss opportunities to highlight the benefits of your product or service rather than the features. Let the professionals do what they do best.

A better alternative to doing it yourself is to hire a ghostwriter. Many ghostwriters are very good at writing copy. That's why they're ghostwriters. But not all of them are graphic artists so while they may write a great brochure, who's going to design it? You'll still have to hire a graphic designer to design the brochure.

A marketing firm will handle the process of creating your marketing collateral from the start. A good marketing company already has relationships with graphic designers and ghostwriters and can oversee the process from beginning to end, picking the right person for each piece of your collateral. And it can often be done less expensively than managing the process yourself.

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Print Design Is Still Good Marketing

8/25/2011

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For all that we hear about online marketing - and I agree that it is becoming more and more essential every day - there is still a place for traditional marketing and high class print design.

Print design - what is it?

If you've ever used or have seen brochures, flyers, business cards, billboards, newsprint ads, etc., then you've seen print design in action. Someone had to design those marketing materials. Logos, which you use for your print marketing collateral as well as your online marketing materials, are usually created by a graphic design expert. Most graphic designers built their skills on print design projects and then later applied them to online marketing strategies.

The best marketing today is an effective integrated strategy involving online marketing tactics alongside print design and traditional marketing methods. That includes, but is not limited to, having a website, a set of business cards, brochures, letterhead and envelopes, online display ads and pay-per-click advertising, a newsletter (maybe a print edition as well as an e-mail edition), and more. When you incorporate print design into your overall marketing strategy, you are saying to the world, "I still operate in the real world; I'm as brick and mortar as you are."

When planning your next marketing strategy, don't leave out print design.

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Putting Brochure Back on the Marketing Map

Who Should Write Your Brochure?

Print Design Is Still Good Marketing

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