Marketing

Small Business Brochures: An Inexpensive Marketing Option

Small Business Brochures: An Inexpensive Marketing Option

Well designed and quality business brochures can project a great overview of your products and services, and they can really grab the attention of your prospects. All for a very cost effective budget.

Face it, brochures are one of the least inexpensive ways to market your idea and to help you get your foot in the door.

Most high quality business brochures are full colour and DL folded from A4. However the wide range of colours that can be achieved, and stock they can be printed on vary, and with the assorted sizes and folds can always make your brochure appear customised. Brochures can be designed to fit your exact needs, setting you apart from all of your competition.

Consider your brochure purpose

With a brochure you want to introduce a prospective client to your company, however you also want to add a little more information than you would in a flyer. If you are wanting to advertise your services, you would want to include an introduction to your company. Also a list of what your company can do for someone else, and images of completed products or testimonials about your services.

If there are certain products that the brochure design will be targeting, then you would want the brochure to include images of the product. Also a brief description of what your product does. You need to include something that makes the person reading your brochure think that it is a product that they need and they just didn’t realise it. Just make sure that the product you are selling can back up the claims that you are making about it.

Designing business brochures

I have seen some of the cheapest throw away gadgets in stores that had beautiful packaging and professional looking brochures that came with them. The package and brochure was probably the best thing about the product! I’m sure everyone has made one of those purchases without considering how much of a waste it was, just because of the pretty colours.

If you have a product that can sell itself or if you carry a brand name like Nike, Sony, Apple,……etc. You could put them in a plain cardboard box and people would still buy them. However, it’s just not about the quality that comes with those names that creates record profit sales. It’s about the billions of dollars spent in advertising, that gets their brand name out there to begin with.

With a quality business brochure, you can get your name and products directly into the hands of people that you feel would have a need for your services. Then, if you go out selling you also give them a face that goes with your services.

Marketing brochure example

Marketing brochure example (Venngage)

Other business marketing options

TV and radio advertising, internet marketing, and the fear of falling behind the competition on getting our name out there. Has caused a lot of us to forget about the basics that businesses all over the world for years have used. A simple brochure and door to door sales.

I know, no one likes a pushy salesperson to come into their office uninvited. We all know how you feel about it when they bother you, and you don’t want people to think that about you. If you believe in your product, or if you know that your services are like no one else, then sell the idea! If you don’t believe in it, then neither will your prospects. Always remember that you are going into a business to help them out, because you have what they need. Just like the brochure says.

A pushy salesperson can be a big turn off, however a salesperson who shows confidence in what they are selling makes the sale. And remember if you don’t think you have the ability to do a sales pitch don’t worry about it. Well designed business brochures will speak for themselves and will be guaranteed to get a WOW! From your prospects.

Ask anyone who is in sales, and they will tell you even if someone doesn’t want to hear your sales pitch, they are most of the time willing to take a business brochure from you.

Quick case study

I’ve walked into business before and just by the look of “all day failure on my face” they knew automatically that I was a salesman. Without even getting a Hello! They said; “Not interested!”. Well, so they thought. I asked if I could just leave them a brochure, and to get rid of me they kindly replied, Yes.

As I turned around to walk out the door I heard the woman who told me that she was not interested say; “hold on a minute”. She walked to the back of the office and I could see her talking to a man and she handed him the brochure. I could read the expression on his face, it was the look of “I need what this guy is offering me”. It turned out he did.

I sold his insurance company some custom designed and printed post-it notepads. Why? It wasn’t because I’m a great salesman. The fact is I had a professionally designed brochure. This let him know I had what he was needing even though neither one us us knew it at the time.

Brochure design example

Brochure design example (Envato)

Business brochures are still very effective

Business brochures can be designed to be directly mailed to people and places who can benefit from your services. Not every brochure you hand out will bring you a sale. However it does get your info into the hands of who you want to target. Don’t expect instant sales from the brochures that get handed out. It is often weeks or months before you get a reply.

Just be patient, and if you only get 10 sales out of 1000 business brochures that’s not bad, I know it’s not great, however it should pay for the brochures themselves. And help get you into the door with other businesses. If your product and services are what you advertised they were, then you will have 10 long term customers on your hands. Every business owner knows about word of mouth, hopefully someone shares your brochure with someone else.

About author

An Australian guest blogger and writer, Emma writes on her own small business blog, as well as guest posts for many other brands and mastheads. Emma lives in Melbourne with her two cats, where she frequents live theatre and wine bars.