In a world of information overload, short attention spans, and saturated markets, a strong brochure can be one of the sharpest tools in your marketing toolbox. So today, I’m sharing some tips to help you create one that converts! Read on and then block some time to make updates to yours.
1. Set a Goal
In a month that is all about marketing and strategy, I’d be failing you if I didn’t drive that point home here as well. Every asset you create on behalf of your business should be designed with intention and should have a single purpose. So, before you go and invest time, effort, and money into creating a brochure, ask yourself, “What is the goal here?”
As a wedding professional and business owner, you’re likely to have a goal (or two or ten) tucked up your sleeve and, as tempting as it may be to try and address them all in a single document, resist the urge. If you have more than one goal, that is a clear sign that you need more than one brochure. Map out a single objective for your brochure and then outline content (images, graphics, and copy) that is targeted to your ideal client.
2. Be Confident
A brochure is a piece of sales collateral, so being confident in your delivery is essential. How can you demonstrate confidence on paper? Through the voice you use in your messaging. First off, avoid sentences that ramble or are written in a passive voice; writing in an active voice and using concise sentence structure demonstrates expertise and decisiveness. Next, don’t be afraid to make strong statements about your services; you want people to know that you are not only a professional but the best person for the job. And, lastly, don’t hide your face; people purchase from people, so let potential clients get to know you!
3. Be Concise
One of the challenges of marketing in the age of the internet is that it can be difficult to catch (and retain) people’s attention. And, regardless of whether you are presenting your brochure in print or digital form, being concise will increase the likelihood that your message is actually received. Which leads me to my next point…
4. Write headlines
In addition to keeping your word count to a minimum, structuring your brochure’s content around headlines is a great way to visually draw attention to what’s most important. A well thought out headlines can be used to direct people where they need to go, as cliff notes (essentially telling people what is below without requiring they read it) or as attention grabbers that say something about your business.
Need a few ideas? We’ve used headlines in our brochures like:
- Who we are
- Love from our planners
- Connect with us
- Everything you need for your wedding business, all in one place
5. Speak to Your Ideal Client
One of the mistakes wedding professionals make with their brochures is not tailoring them to their ideal client (more on this next week). At the end of the day, the success of your brochure (or any marketing effort) should be judged on how many ideal clients it helped you book – not just any client.
To get all hippie on you, this is where what you put out into the world is what ends up coming back to you. So, when you are designing your brochure, only include images of work you'd like to do more of, testimonials from clients who you loved working with, and information and pricing that is at the level of service you are trying to attract. You might end up with a brochure that is shorter than you thought but that is ok – embrace the white space!
6. Include a Call to Action
Just like your brochure needs to have a goal, it also needs to have a call to action. Whether it is as soft as asking people to follow you on social media or more direct and encourages them to schedule a consult, include one. Just like guests at a wedding like to know where to sit and where to go, inquiring couples like (more like need) to know what the next step is if they are interested in learning more.
Here are some examples of CTAs:
- Follow me on Instagram
- Email me to schedule a free consult
- Head over to yourwebsite.com and download my (insert title) PDF
- Let’s start the conversation!
- Tag me in your engagement photos – I’d love to learn more about you!
7. Don’t Create Trash
After putting in the effort to strategize, design, and write a beautiful brochure, don’t print it on cheap paper! Your brochure might be the first thing that a potential client sees and touches, so make a great first impression by handing them something they won’t immediately throw in the garbage. That doesn’t mean that you need to be extravagant with your printing but at least use high quality paper that has some weight to it. (Remember, you want your brochure to make it home and stare at them as a constant reminder to book you!)
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