Writing Effective Brochures: What Goes Where? (Pt.2)

In Part 1 of this article, we explored a method for organizing information in an 8 ½ X 11 2-fold brochure. Now we'll look at some common layout problems and see how to solve them.

Problem #1: Detachable Registration Forms

If your brochure is used to publicize a specific event, you may want to include a detachable registration form. On a 2-fold brochure, this will usually go on the rightmost inside panel. The main thing to remember is that once the form is detached and submitted, the reader will also lose whatever information was on the back of the form. In a worst-case scenario, the missing information can be things like:

• directions to the event
• lists of what to bring or prepare
• event schedules

If you've set up the brochure as described in part 1 of this article, then the information on the back of your registration form will either be the detailed description of benefits to the reader, or some of your product/service information. Not good information to lose!

There are three ways to eliminate, or at least reduce, information loss when using detachable registration forms:

• switch to an 8 ½ X 14 3-fold brochure and use the extra panel for the form. This leaves the original brochure essentially intact, while still providing a registration form.
• rearrange the information to minimize the amount of information on the back of the form. A good approach is to use the back of the form for graphics that will support the purpose of the brochure while they're there, but not be missed when they're gone.
• create your brochure as you normally would, then add a separate insert with the registration form on it. After the form is sent, the brochure remains intact. This is a nice solution because you can have the main brochure profesionally printed without the risk of having hundreds of dated "leftovers" once a course date has passed. The same strategy applies to brochures that contain specific sale information.

Problem #2: The Pages Look Empty

If your brochure looks sparse and empty, the first step is to decide if there's more you can say. Are there additional benefits of using your product or service? Can you give more product details?

If there's really nothing more to say, here are some suggestions for filling up the page:

• set the headers and body type one or two points larger
• use the white space as a canvas to create emphasis. Do this by increasing the relative size of the headers and grouping related items together attractively.
• use additional graphics or color blocks, If you add graphics, try to keep them relevant to the product or service. To use up even more space, add captions describing the graphics. (Adding captions is a good idea anyway. Studies show that the captions accompanying graphics get read about 4-5 times more often than body text does.)

Problem #3: Your Pages Look Crowded

It's harder to make a crowded page look good than to fill up an empty one. Some tips for organizing a crowded page:

• can you cut out some of the text? Tell them less about you, while keeping information on the benefits to them.
• try point-form instead of full sentences. Not only is it easier to scan, it can save you space.
• reduce the size of non-key text. Items like your company address and privacy policy can be reduced to a smaller than normal point size.
• use color and font size/weight to relate key items by repetition. When space is scarce, you don't have the luxury of physically grouping items to suggest relationships, so do it with fonts and color instead.

  Compare the examples below and see how fonts and color have been used to make a dense page easier to process visually.

  
  
     No Font Control or Use of Color
  

  
  
     Use of Font Sizing in Headers
  

  
  
     Use of Font Sizing and Color
  

Problem #4: Some Information Just Doesn't Fit

Most of the brochure comes together nicely, but there are one or two points that just won't fit into the overall flow. You know the information is important, but you just can't see how to work it in without distorting things. When this happens, try using a sidebar.

Example
You deliver training seminars and your brochure focuses on the benefits to the user of taking your training. Yet you sense that the potential customer will also want to know about your ability to deliver the goods. A sidebar listing your qualifications as a seminar leader will provide the information without interrupting the flow of the main text.

Example
You sell vacation packages. Your brochure has concentrated on your current special offering: cruises to the Bahamas. Yet, you want to make the reader aware that you offer other things. You can do it by including a sidebar that touches on your other services. Putting the text in a different color will help reinforce the idea that the information is separate and distinct.

Example
You have a powerful and unique selling point that you want to really stand out. You can achieve this by putting the information in a sidebar and really presenting it, using color and graphics placement for emphasis.

One last tip for making sure your brochure is effective: put it away for a week, then read it as if it had come from a stranger or competitor. What's missing? What's not properly explained? When testing your brochure this way, pay attention to your first impressions—they will often show you what needs correcting.

You can also ask semi-strangers to read your brochure, then give their impressions of your business. Be cautious of asking close friends to critique your brochure; friends are often reluctant to hurt you by pointing out problems.