Seth Godin’s blog post of “What do you think of my brochure?” isn’t very uplifting, but it’s true. He tells it like it is. He says that the most important thing to remember about a brochure is that “people won’t read it.”
Depressing, yes. Should it make you want to stop making brochures? No.
It should make you want to make better brochures. To make your better brochures, use the following tips:
Use an awesome photo or graphic on the front. Use something interesting that will catch people’s attention. Choose a photo or graphic related to your industry or your brochure’s content that is visually interesting. Whether that means the graphic has bright, bold colors or a weird photo of something like a dog’s head on an elephant’s body (I’m just making weird stuff up here and my dog is looking at me right now), try to pick something that will make people look twice. Your cover is the first thing that people see and is often your only ticket to getting people to pick up your brochure.
Use “you” language. Once people pick up your brochure, you need to entice them to read your brochure. Generally, some text is a good way to get them to keep reading. Some interesting text that is. People are most interested in themselves, so by using the word “you” a lot, you’ll get their attention.
Pull readers into your brochure by asking them a question or tell them one way you can solve their problems. They’ll be inclined to read more of your brochure to find out other ways you can solve their problems or if you can solve other problems. People like problem-solvers and everyone’s got a problem!
Use an appealing color scheme. Don’t use colors that hurt people’s eyes. Use colors that complement each other (Google “color wheel” if you don’t know which colors go well together – the ones opposite each other on the color wheel are complementary).
If the brochure’s purpose and content lends itself to using the colors in your logo, all the better. A color coordinated brochure screams a coordinated business. Really, it does.
If nothing else, use color that evokes an emotion in the reader. Use a blue for a calming effect. Use red if you want the reader to feel aggressive or angry about something (or if you just want them to “Stop” – just kidding!).
Don’t get long-winded. Don’t say something in 8 words that you can say in 4. A brochure cluttered with words doesn’t look more important; it just looks cluttered.
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