Are you one of the 500,000 US citizens in the process of starting a new small business this year? One of the first things you need to think about is marketing.
A good place to start is by designing a brochure.
Anyone can design and print their own brochure and despite the tech era, they’re still a valuable marketing tool.
Are you ready to take the first step toward marketing your business? Check out this guide on how to design a brochure layout when you’ve got no idea where to start.
Before You Start
Even if you’re in the first stages of setting up your business you should already have a clear idea about your target audience, your brand personality, and your message.
Don’t start work on any brochure design until you have a clear picture in your mind about what you’re going to say, how you’re going to say it, and who you’re addressing.
These things are important because they’ll determine the images, colors, mood, and language portrayed in your brochure. Look for online ads and brochures aimed at the same demographic to see different brochure ideas that could appeal to your prospective customers.
Set Goals
Why are you designing and printing a brochure? Do you want to attract customers to your store? Is it to introduce your brand to a group of people? Is it purely to get your contact details out there?
Before you go to all the time and expenses involved, first decide if a brochure’s what you really need. Would a website or business card better suit your aims?
Another important reason for goal setting is that you won’t know if your brochure’s succeeded unless you have a goal to measure it against.
Brochure Layout Design Basics
Now you can get down to the nitty-gritty. Choose which brochure-type works better for your aims. You can choose from 15 different brochure layouts, including a half-fold, Z-fold, and trifold brochure layout.
Take a sheet of paper and play around with the different types of folds to see which one suits your distribution and display needs.
Putting It All Together
Collect all the copy and images you’d like to include in your brochure and print them out.
When you’re new to the world of graphic design, you’ll get a better start by rearranging the different snippets into various layouts at first. That way you can focus on your layout instead of the mechanics of unfamiliar commands and prompts.
Remember to keep your text short, to the point, and structured with headers, sub-headers, and bullet points.
Once you’ve got a good idea of what you want, you can start working with your images and text within your graphic design program.
The Final Stages
Always print out a few copies of your brochure layout ideas before you print them in bulk. Ask friends, family, or a few potential customers to read these trail copies and offer suggestions on how you can fine-tune your layout.
Are you looking for more creative inspiration? Keep browsing our blog for more great ideas and tips to help you make the most of your home and your hobbies.