According to marketing expert Julie Hyde, "If you want to look like you mean business, you need a brochure." Gone are the days when a business card and a handshake was enough to instill our confidence in someone offering services. Now we want proof of their livelihood, pictures of what they can do or what they have to sell, and we want to take it home and read it in private.
A brochure also ensures that you will connect with more genuinely interested people. Directing someone to a website does not mean they are going to go there anytime soon, or ever. And your business card doesn't tell them anything about upcoming sales or special offers. Brochures save time for your prospective customers by letting them access the information they want more easily, and they save you time by explaining the basics of what you have to offer.
Designing a brochure is not easy, and its not something everyone can do. Coming up with a great brochure proves you've got it together, and shows that you have resources.
Tips on Creating Your Brochure
--Think of your audience- People like brochures because they answer some of their important questions without further research on their part. Think of questions a customer might have about your products or services and come up with answers. Putting the answers in a bulleted format or exploring them in different sections, will help the reader feel like he is getting something out of the brochure.
--Create Visual Interest- Don't make it a mystery. Put more than just your logo or an extreme close-up of some unidentifiable product on the cover. Lure the reader inside with a great product photo or the promise of a sale.
--Use effective descriptions- Describe the Features, Attributes, and Benefits of each product or service (known as "FAB" in sales). Don't just say what it is, but also say what it does, and why it is special. Don't describe your product in model numbers or technical terms -- if you go into that much detail the reader will think they've picked up an instruction manual, not a brochure.
--Include something they'll want to keep - Depending on what you are selling, there are many opportunities to include information in the brochure that the customer might save for later use (and therefore save your brochure). A checklist on preparing a home for your flooring products, a guide to feeling younger to go with your spa products, a map of the region where your resort is located, ideas for a craft project using your art products, or a list of online resources for more information (including your website!) are all good options.
--Don't get caught up in all the bells and whistles - As you'll see below, the best brochure does not have to be the one with the most colors, finishes, or the fanciest die cut shape. Keep it simple and appealing. A few great photos and some well chosen words can go a long way over sales talk, starbursts, and bright colors everywhere.
Getting Your Brochure Printed
Now that you've developed a beautiful piece with a strong message (of course!) you need to get it printed. Some things to consider when printing your brochure:
Folding: Brochures can be folded in several ways, and the fold sometimes depends on how you've built your design. Three common folds are a half-fold, a gate fold (or tri-fold), and a Z-fold.
Paper Stock: Consider how heavy you want the paper to feel, if you want it to be able to lay flat, to keep its folds or even stand up. Compare different paper widths, i.e. magazine pages, magazine covers, business cards, and see which feels right. Try folding it and see how that feels too. Consider your audience, and the possibilities of colored papers, natural papers, and recycled papers.
Coatings: The most common coating is called an aqueous coating, and that's what makes things like brochures and magazines look shiny. High quality coatings are also available such as UV coating and high gloss. For the coating consider your audience and your message -- are you a non-profit organization or a resort hotel? The former might want no coating at all, for a more natural look, and the latter might want the glossiest product possible. If you are raising money, you don't want to look like you are spending too much of it on your literature! But if you are a high-end business, you may want your brochure to simply drip with quality.
People need fall arrest equipment protection because even those with experience working at heights can lose their balance or grip; we can slip, trip, or misstep at any time. People may think that their reflexes will protect them, but they're falling before they know it, and they don't have to fall far to be seriously injured. People have been falling since Day One. Until people get better at landing, they will need protection from falling.
Falls from ladders, roofs, and scaffolds account for more than half of all disabling falls to lower levels. Disabling falls from ladders, roofs, and scaffolds are most frequent within the construction trades. The cause of such falls? Loss of balance caused by slipping, tripping, and shifting or unstable ladders.
Fall-protection equipment is the first thing that comes to mind in protecting against fall potential: personal fall-arrest systems, safety nets, or guardrails, for example. But fall protection means more than equipment. Fall protection is what people do to eliminate fall hazards, to prevent falls, and to ensure that workers who may fall aren't injured. Accomplished fall protection is done by the following: Make fall protection part of your workplace safety and health program. Identify and evaluate fall hazards. Eliminate fall hazards, if possible. Train workers to recognize fall hazards. Use appropriate equipment to prevent falls and to protect workers if they do fall. Inspect and maintain fall-protection equipment before and after using it.
Roles of personnel involved in assuring fall protection is effective:
For Employers. Identify fall hazards at the site. Eliminate the hazards, prevent falls from occurring, or ensure that if falls occur, employees aren't injured. Make sure that employees follow safe practices and are trained to recognize fall hazards.
For Employees. Follow safe work practices, use equipment properly, and participate in training. Learn to recognize unsafe practices, know the tasks that increase the risk of falling, and understand how to control exposure to fall hazards.
For Architects and engineers. Educate employers about hazards that could expose workers to falls during each phase of the project. When designing buildings and structures, consider fall protection and other safety needs of those who will do the construction work.
For Building owners and managers. Ensure that those who do exterior construction or maintenance work know how to protect themselves from falls, are aware of installed anchorages, and know how to use their fall-protection equipment.
For Equipment manufacturers. Ensure that fall-protection equipment meets federal safety requirements and protects workers when they use it properly. Warn workers through instruction manuals and on equipment labels about the danger of using equipment improperly.
For Lawyers. Review your client's construction bids to ensure that they comply with local and national requirements. The documents should clearly state the client's responsibilities for protecting workers from falls and for identifying and controlling hazards that cause falls.
For further assistance in fall arrest equipment or other safety issues contact the author.
Both Jeff Moriarty & Abb Safety Net are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Jeff Moriarty has sinced written about articles on various topics from Brochures, Computers and The Internet. Jeff Moriarty Printing You Can Trust . Jeff Moriarty's top article generates over 1000 views. to your Favourites.
Abb Safety Net has sinced written about articles on various topics from Small Business, Anger Control and Small Business. Brent Bowlin is a health and safety researcher and has helped small busisnesses in their health and safety programs. For help contact at abbsafetynet@gmail.com.. Abb Safety Net's top article generates over 8100 views. to your Favourites.