A well designed brochure is an asset to the marketing department of a company. Nine out of ten businesses will want to develop the copy (words) first. Why, because you only have a certain amount of space to tell your story. You can always select graphics and pictures that will re-enforce your message later on.
Write your copy from the customer's point of view, not yours. It's not what the business wants to say, it's what the customer wants to know.
Once the copy is completed, work on making it shorter and more descriptive. Mark Twain was supposed to have said, "I'd have written you a shorter letter but I didn't have the time". Paint descriptive word pictures wherever possible. A picture is retained in the mind much longer than mere words. Did you ever tell someone a story beginning with the words, "Picture yourself", we do that because it's powerful.
If you or your designer has created a visual look to your advertising, by all means, continue it in your brochure. The "family resemblance" will be more comfortable to the reader.
There are two types of brochures:
Function Number One: This brochure is designed to attract attention. It plays on the emotions of the customer. When they see it in a display rack they must pick it up and see what it says. It has an attention getting headline. It is designed to spend all its time, on public display, exposed to as much of your target market as possible. It will contain lots of white space and short thoughts rather than long paragraphs. It contains a "call to action" that requires or asks the customer to make a phone call, come on down, clip a coupon, mail a reply card or some other action that puts you and the customer in contact.
Think of this brochure as the appetizer of your business. Something to tickle the pallet but still leave them hungry.
Function Number Two: Think of this brochure as the main course. This brochure is designed for the customer who has learned of your company and has requested more information. He/she may have seen your "Type One" brochure I described above. Unlike Type One, Type Two can be crammed with information. Customers who request information want to know everything. They become insatiable for product knowledge. No matter what you send, it may not be enough to satisfy some customers.
This style of brochure should never be used in display racks or laid out for the curious passerby. A casual customer who is unfamiliar with your business will be "turned off" by the thought of wadding through this mountain of information just to see what you do.
Writing an e-mail newsletter helps you: Achieve expert status
Increase sales
Gain new clients
Improve customer relations
Get more referrals
Make More Money!
It’s true. Writing just one simple e-mail, as little as twice a month, can do all that for you. But here is the challenge: It has to be done right, or you won’t see these spectacular results. It took me several years – and thousands of dollars – to learn the most effective way to launch a successful e-mail newsletter campaign. And within one year of doing it the right way, my business tripled!
Instead of making you spend all that time and money, I’m going to list some basic tips to assure that your e-mail newsletter helps boost your business quickly. (Isn’t that nice of me?)
* Send your newsletters regularly. Once a month is okay; twice a month is better. Weekly mailings are ideal, but the most important aspect of a successful e-mail newsletter is being regular. Stick to a schedule!
* The main part of your newsletter – your article or tip – needs to be useful information for the reader. You should certainly put in some promotion about your company, but keep this to about 20 percent of the entire newsletter. Any more than that will turn off readers and cause deletes and un-subscribes.
* Use an e-mail service provider. If you try to manage your e-mail newsletters from your regular e-mail account, you will get very frustrated. The one I use gives a free 60-day trial, and they have loads of great templates that make it so easy to get started.
* Keep It Simple! Multi-column newsletters – with many articles and loads of photos – may look pretty in print, but an e-mail newsletter is easier to read when it is short and simple. Studies show that you get more sales when your newsletters are concise. Stay with one column, and use just one or two photos to get your point across.
The most common reason that designers stop doing an email newsletter (or never get started) is they make it too complicated. Don’t fall into that trap. The simpler your newsletter – the more effective it will be.
Some of the secrets I’ve learned seem to go against all of our instincts as designers and business owners, but please believe me – they work! When I began to use all of this advice, my sales went through the roof. I know it can work for you, too.
Can e-mail newsletters work for the wholesale workroom?
Absolutely! If your main target is designers, write tips for them. As a designer myself, I know I would really appreciate weekly or monthly tips from my workroom! Here are a few ideas for your articles:
3 easy places to up-sell trim
The quickest way to calculate yardage for a slipcover
How to choose the right lining
If you start sending tips to your designers and other potential clients, you will quickly become the expert, go-to workroom! And don’t forget to subscribe ME to your newsletter.
If you’d like a step-by-step guide to launching a powerful, profit-boosting e-mail campaign, check out www.enewsletterblitz.com
Both Kishor Nayak & Nika Stewart 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.
Kishor Nayak has sinced written about articles on various topics from computers and the internet, Brochures and Personal Desktop. Kishor Nayak is a Business Consultant working with International clients. Did you find this information useful? You can learn a lot more about how business printing can help you. Kishor Nayak's top article generates over 4400 views. to your Favourites.
Nika Stewart has sinced written about articles on various topics from Brochures, Marketing. Nika Stewart, the Designers' Success Coach, is the creator of Designer Blitz, a high-impact coaching system that guides interior designers to achieve their business goals.Visit her blog the. Nika Stewart's top article generates over 4400 views. to your Favourites.