You’ll generate more sales with a brochure if you first determine its specific purpose and goals.
Develop a use strategy for a brochure, product presentation kit, sales flyer or any number of other print media pieces first, before you concern yourself with creating and printing it. A use strategy simple means that you determine exactly how you will “use” the brochure, so your investment in it will generate a pre-set sales goal.
1. Establish a purpose for your brochure
Begin by writing one sentence that describes the purpose of your brochure.
For example, you’re attending a trade association conference and you want a brochure to give to everyone you meet there.
2. Research and describe your audience
If you know your target audience (and you’ve proved it with the results of other marketing), then you’d first want to determine what percentage of those attending the trade show could be considered members of your target audience. Obviously, giving brochures to a large number of people who will never be your customers would waste the money you spent to have the brochure created and printed.
3. Set a specific sales goal
Let’s say that through your research you’ve determined that many attendees at the trade association conference are likely to be qualified prospects for your products or services. For every hundred brochures you think you can distribute, set percentage goals of how many prospects will contact you, how many will purchase your products and services and how much each could spend during a year.
4. Determine the number of brochures needed
Your sales goal has a direct effect on how many brochures you need. During your research, you should have asked the trade association how many attendees they expect and how many attended last year. Even if it’s thousands, you must also calculate how many you could reasonably expect to distribute during the conference. You may only want to give them to attendees you meet individually, or you could place a few brochures throughout the conference area if allowed.
5. The size and shape of your brochure
Only now are you ready to decide the size and shape of your brochure. For example, in a trade show setting, you may not want to distribute a large package of individually printed collateral sheets. A small brochure is easier to carry. Communicate a marketing message that focuses on a maximum of three benefit points that are meant to generate calls and not totally educate prospects about your products.
6. Create an effective brochure
Now, you can have a more effective brochure designed and written because you know exactly what you need to fulfill specific goals. Copy writing and design costs should be less because there is a use strategy that directs the creative process.
7. Print only what you need
As a full-service printer, we have the capabilities to print the exact quantity you need, whether it’s just a few dozen for a small event, or many thousands for a larger campaign. This means you can optimize the per-piece printing cost and eliminate waste from inventory you may never use.
