In a largely digital world, it’s easy to feel like paper products are unnecessary for your business. However, there is still a lot of merit to having written, tangible material with information on your services, business culture, and examples of your work to showcase the quality of services your client can expect when working with you. Additionally, having brochures adds a personal element to your client outreach rather than just directing them to your website. 

But how can you make your brochure as effective as possible in securing clients for your business? Here are four things you may not know about creating a brochure.

1. Brochures should follow the reader’s train of thought.

If you’re trying to learn more about a company, it’s likely you have a list of questions that you’re looking to answer. This is the ideal mindset to have while creating your brochure; your potential client is also looking for the answers to their questions about what your business can do for them. 

By laying out your brochure in a way that follows the questions your client would be asking, they will have a more comprehensive understanding of the services you can offer. Star off the brochure with a brief overview of your business’s services, then give more specific information throughout. This helps your client pinpoint the specific ways they’d like to employ your services and start to form a business relationship.

2. Brochures should discuss practical situations the reader can relate to.

It’s great to explain your process to your clients. However, it’s best to avoid making your brochure a step-by-step tutorial on how you do your business. After all, you’re trying to do the work for your client, not give them the instructions to do it themselves! 

Instead, highlight situations in which your client may need your services. If you own a catering company, talk about how food brings people together; for a paint shop, offer suggestions on color schemes that your client may enjoy for their home; if you own a skincare line, highlight some of your products that can help with certain skin issues. 

Be brief, but by making your services relatable to your potential clients, they will be more likely to remember your company when a situation arises in which they could utilize what you’ve offered them. 

3. Brochures should be informative, but easy-to-read.

Of course you want your client to know everything about what makes your business so great. But with limited space, there’s no way to include everything about your business. Instead, focus on a few highlights of what you do, then save the rest for either your website or the first meeting with your new client.

4. Brochures should follow the AIDA model.

AIDA is a business strategy model, and it stands for Awareness, Interest, Desire, and Action. Your brochure should make the reader aware of your business, spark an interest in what you do, create a desire for the client to work with your brand, and include a call to action – get your client to contact your business and create a partnership. For some marketers, an “R” is added to this model, which emphasizes retention of your client and the start of a lasting relationship so they’ll utilize your services over a period of time.

Brand awareness starts with your logo and overview of your services. Both will help your potential client associate your business with the information they’ve read. Interest and desire both stem from the situations you highlight in which the client would be able to work with you. By showing the personality of your business (basically, how wonderful you are to work with), they will be more likely to come to you when they’re looking for help. Lastly, the call to action is the final chance to convince your potential client to work with you. That means it’s super important to emphasize how easy it is to contact your business. List all your social media handles as well as email addresses and phone numbers; your customers will thank you.

With these 4 guidelines in mind, feel free to reach out to us here at Zipp. Let’s work on your business’s brochure together!