Three Elements All Brochures Should Have

Do your brochures bring the kind of return on investment that makes marketers' mouths water? Or are they simply informational pieces, another medium in the mix reinforcing what you do? If your brochures are under-producing, or if you just feel as though you're printing brochures because you're expected to, then it's time to reevaluate your brochure printing strategy. First and foremost, you should have a specific goal in mind when you set out to develop your brochures. You might want to brand your company or convey a message, but you should also think in terms of what action you want your customers to take.

For successful brochures, that action is usually taking the next step in the purchasing process by calling a phone number, visiting a location or logging on to a website. If your brochures aren't bringing qualified leads in, try including the following three profit-producing elements all brochures should have.

1. Charts and graphs

Often, complex data or even relatively simple data that takes a lot of words to explain can be quickly and easily summed up in a chart or graph. Customers typically respond well to aesthetically appealing, clean, and simple charts and graphs that compare your different tiers of products and services, your company's benefits to those of your competitors, and that convey other important information. Charts and graphs can show customers, at a glance, which product is best-suited to them; why you're better than your competitors; or, such as is often the case with finance-related companies, why they should consider investing now to ensure a secure future, for example.

2. Customer benefits

Far too many brochures use the vast majority of space to tell customers about their respective companies: when they were founded, who their founder was, what they do, how they do it, awards they've won, etc. Two words: boring and ineffective. While some of these things can be sales helpers, none of them will close sales for you. Customers don't care about what you can do, what you've done, or what you've won – they care about what you will do for them. Include a targeted list of customer benefits, focusing on between one and three major benefits for any given brochure (others can be listed, but not as emphasized). Concentrate on telling customers how you will solve their problems or otherwise make life easier and better. When you can do that, you can realize excellent return on investment from your brochure printing campaigns.

3. A special, time-limited offer

It's sometimes astounding to look over the many millions of brochures circulating and then realize how many do not include any kind of any offer – or, at least, an offer that's attractive to customers. Calling a number for a free consultation is not an offer, it's an expectation. In order to truly maximize your return on investment, you must include a special, time-limited and target offer your customers will want to take advantage of. Let's say you own a small business, and you're considering the purchase of a new website. You do your research and gather a few brochures.

Most of the companies average in the neighborhood of $3,000 for website design. One of the companies indicates in their brochure that they will create a custom website for only $2,250, provided you respond and sign an agreement within six weeks. Everything else being equal, which company are you going to choose? Chances are, the company that will save you $750; what's more, you'll probably buy right away to get those savings. A great time-limited offer not only gives customers value, it can get them off the fence – and that's why you should always include such an offer in your brochures.