Can you believe that after all the effort and money that goes into brochure design and creation, so many companies are still making these 3 brochure mistakes and getting it all wrong!

Your company brochure is effectively your sales person in written format.  Your company brochure is meant to either generate leads or it could help to close deals for you when you are not around.  When brochures are done incorrectly, there is a very strong possibility that it could end up being a very pretty coaster on a desk somewhere or even worse, it ends up in the bin.

In the tough economy of today, you’ll find many companies spending a part of their marketing budget on brochure design and creation that does absolutely nothing for their company.  In the interest of saving your marketing budget and creating an effective sales tool that actually works for your business, we’ve shared some of the brochure mistakes and fixes that we’ve learnt along the way.

1. It’s all about you

Brochure mistake number 1.  It’s all about you, your company, its history, its great product or service, and where your company is heading over the short to long term period.  This is boring information to your brochure reader.  We know that you love your company, but unfortunately for you, your potential customer has probably closed your brochure before even getting to the end of page 1.

We’ve learnt that customers are mostly interested in themselves and want to know, immediately, whether you can solve their problem or need.   From the outset your brochure should show your customer that you understand them.  Your product or service should demonstrate how it solves their problem or need.  Listing the benefits (not the features) of your product or service will go a long way to keeping the potential customer engaged and reading your brochure.

2. Brochure copy

Brochure mistake number 2.  Your brochure copy is more informational presenting facts and figures than it is expressive and persuasive.  Furthermore it contains a lot of technical terminology or corporate speak.

Any expert copywriter will advise you that, whether you writing copy for a website or a brochure, it is essential to engage with your customer by using a conversational tone along with plain and simple language so that you’ll reach everyone.  If you do need to include technical terminology, limit it to graphs or charts within your brochure and not to the brochure copy.

3. Saying way too much

Brochure mistake number 3.  There is a place and time for long copy, but when it comes to brochure copy, keep it short. Unfortunately with a shortened attention span and the customers’ interest in solving their problem, you have to deliver your subtle brochure sales pitch along similar principles as that of the elevator pitch.

Keep it short, quick to read, easy to understand and customer focused.  Depending on your brochure goals (i.e. lead generation or closing a deal), your brochure copy should either leave the customer wanting to know more with strong call to actions such as encouraging them to contact you (lead generation), or convince the customer that they should buy your product or service as it solves their problem (close the deal).  If you fail to stick to these rules, you’ve lost a lead or failed to close a deal.

As we have demonstrated above, when it comes to marketing your business effectively, you have to start with your customer.  Understand who your customer is, understand their wants, problems, needs and goals and then tailor your marketing materials accordingly to demonstrate why they should be doing business with your company.

Have your say:

Place yourself in the shoes of a customer, what else could make for an effective brochure?

Janine Wood

Janine Wood is a digital marketing specialist and business owner-manager of Ignite Media. Her experience spans brand development and digital marketing roles including management and strategy. Janine helps clients create memorable brands, increase their online visibility and attract, engage and convert their ideal customers. Janine is passionate about entrepreneurship and empowering others.