Your small business must have advertising material. Some small businesses don’t have a brochure and don’t feel that they need one, until they are trying to get a major account and realize something is missing. You need more than a letterhead with your company name and address, because customers want more information about your company.
Don’t wait until the last minute to create a brochure. You will have limited time for that when you are trying to win a bid, or when a prime prospect asks for more information on your small business. You may lose out if you are not prepared with an advertising brochure to help sell your service. Here are five tips on creating an advertising brochure.
Know Your Audience Before You Begin the Brochure
The brochure has to be written with your audience in mind. What do they want from your company? This is not the opportunity to go on and on about how great your company is. Look at it from the perspective of "What do they want from you?"
The Brochure Explains What the Service Is
Explain completely what your service is. What do you offer the client that is different from your competition? What types of accounts do you handle?
How Does the Product or Service Work?
How does the product work? Explain in detail the features of the product. Give the prospect most of the information they need to know so they can take the next step and purchase the product.
All of the services offered by your firm should be written in detail, with descriptions explaining how the service works. This is not the time to brag about your company, but explain how your firm helps the client.
A Strong Selling Message
The brochure is advertising material and must be persuasive. According to Jay Conrad Levinson and Michael W. McLaughlin, in their book, Guerrilla Marketing for Consultants, (Wiley, 2005), "Brochures should be issue-based and should reinforce your marketing message on how you can solve clients’ problems." Give strong selling points.
Desktop Publishing Software Will Organize the Brochure
A desktop publishing program will make your brochure look professional. Organize it with headings and subheads which make it easy to read. Save your brochure in a PDF file if you want to put it online. You can use a good laser or an ink jet printer to print as many or as few brochures as you need.
If you follow these tips your advertising brochure will help you sell your small business.
