Friday, August 23, 2013

Creating A Brochure: Design Importance

Substance might be more important than style in many things but every good marketer knows that brochure design is just as critical as the brochure’s content, if not more so. Many a novice advertiser has made the mistake of scrimping on a brochure design, opting to stuff the brochure with information instead. With the kind of money that you spend on advertising materials, that’s one mistake you literally can’t afford to make.

Getting a Sneak Peak with your Brochure Design

First impressions last; so says a well-known adage. Customers often get their first look and their very first impression of your company from the printed material that you provide, which is why it is so important for you to invest in your brochure. Design elements from the smallest change in colors to the biggest product images could even make or break your company’s advertising campaign.

Visual and tactile quality should be one of your highest priorities when it comes to planning and designing your brochure. The final product should look and feel well-made and polished. Your brochure is practically your company’s calling card; it should represent what your company is all about and send a positive message to the customer.

Getting it Right with Brochure Design

Your target market is usually a good thing to consider when planning your brochure design. That, however, isn’t enough. You also have to consider where your brochures will be distributed and the kind of visual stimuli that can be found there.

For example, if you intend to place your brochures in a typical brightly colored fast food restaurant, using similarly loud colors will be a losing battle for you. People passing by can easily mistake your brochures as part of the décor, and the brochures won’t attract the attention they were supposed to. Opt instead for paper colors and brochure designs that are a stark contrast and will really stand out against the given background.

Sell It!

Brochures are your opportunity to introduce your company and your product to a likely customer, but it shouldn’t stop there. Your company’s brochure should also sell your product to the reader. Don’t just let the reader know about your product; make him or her want to buy it.

Although specifications and technical data are definitely helpful, photos and product comparisons are more powerful when it comes to persuading customers to buy. Give them an idea of how the item will look when they’ve purchased it. Give them an idea of how it looks like when used. Give them an idea of the advantages of your product over others. Emphasize those points in your brochure design and be as explicit about them as possible.
You can improve the selling power of your brochure design by adding images. If pictures are indeed worth a thousand words, they have the value of a thousand sales pitches when used in a brochure. Provide prominent, detailed and attractive photographs of whatever you’re selling. Dazzle the customer with all the colors and variants available. Make your product look like something that the customer would and should buy.

Never, ever forget to give the customer a way to contact you or buy the product – a phone number or email address would suffice. Relying on the customer to seek out your store – especially if you’re a yet unknown brand – will defeat the purpose of using brochures in the first place. Remember, the point of brochures is to make customers buy. You may as well make it easier for your customers to do so.

Source:  Print Marketing Inc.