Guest Post by Jillian Hailey
A recent client of mine employed me to create an alluring brochure that would drive an immense amount of traffic towards their business within a very short timeline. Before employing me, he asked me a question that really caught my attention:
“You do realize that brochure design is an art form, right?”
As an experienced designer, it had never occurred to me that creating a brochure had a specific skill set behind it. But as I begun to research, I quickly learned just what he was referring to.
Effective Brochure Design for 2013
Luckily, not only do I have a background in design but also have extensive experience with marketing techniques. Bound and determined to refine this area of print design, I began to gather what information I needed to impress my client. So what makes a strong brochure? There are a few strategies that will not only catch consumer attention, but keep it.
It all begins with good design.
This is the one factor that will encourage a person to really look at the piece of advertising they are handed. First impressions definitely count in this situation, so make sure the design you choose lives up to your business’ potential. Depending on your company culture and overall design aesthetic, this is the perfect area to step outside of the box and do something new while still staying in the confines of your branding. Examples of this might be situating text and photos in a unique way or hiring an illustrator to create interesting visual effects. Inspirations can be found in the latest fashion magazines or online blogs. A great source I’ve found for unique brochure design is SmashingHub.com. However you determine to present yourself, I highly recommend hiring a well-qualified graphic designer who is up-to-date on the latest trends and has a broad skill set.
Communicate with Typography
The next strategy to employ involves delving into the messaging presented by the brochure. Make text short and to the point as no one likes to be bombarded with a wide array of reading material when it comes to finding a business to utilize. Use the art of typography to highlight the most important information. A particular technique I like to execute incorporates pulling potential clients in with an eye-opening statistic. Many businesses place the logo solo on the front of the brochure, so why not stand out by taking it a step further and placing a stat that presents an issue you can solve? A reliable and easy place to discover stats is at Visual.ly. Visual.ly is an online directory of infographics. By typing in keywords that relate to your industry, you can find related infographics. The wide majority of these infographics contain statistics that were well researched before being generated. Pulling one of these statistics encourages your readers to move forward and beyond the front cover so that the inside of the brochure receives the attention it deserves.
Incorporate Compelling CTAs
The last, but certainly not least, technique is extremely important and cannot be forgotten– Calls to Action. I recommend placing these throughout the brochure. I like to feature a discount related teaser on the front to draw people in. Once inside, they are able to discover what the promo contains. If nothing else, make sure a call to action is featured on the back with contact information close by so that the brochure ends with a bang. Successful calls to action include promos and discounts that drive traffic towards your website. You can also include calls to action that lead people towards your social media profiles and blog to continue building customer loyalty through your content marketing campaigns. A great place to look at strong call to action techniques can be viewed at the end of HubSpot’s blog posts. If you’re having trouble, try to place yourself in the consumer’s shoes and see what call to action would encourage you to go with a service or buy a product.
Brochure Design Roundup
Implementing these simple techniques will ensure your well invested dollars go a long way generating leads and gaining brand advocates. You can easily see how important treating a brochure layout as an art form can make or break your marketing efforts. What other efforts have you stumbled upon that you feel help make a brochure successful? Share with us in the comments section below!
About the Author
Jillian is a professional Graphic Designer and Social Media Manager for the number one crowdfunding affiliated public relations firm, Leverage PR. In addition, she is also building her quickly growing freelancing business Jillian Hailey Designs. Her experience with high-tech startups, financial institutions and crowdfunding platforms has defined her skills in a unique and rare marriage of marketing and design. Jillian earned her Computer Graphics Design degree from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor with an emphasis in Film and Art. In her free time, Jillian plans the next steps for her business and relaxes with her husband, dachshund Melvin and kitten Mozart. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.