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SMART, HARD-HITTING PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL

44 Making your first brochure

Promotional material is an important component of any
marketing strategy—it reflects your business and customers
will often decide whether or not they are going to use a
particular business simply by looking at the company
brochure.

Brochures can vary from a single-page one-colour flyer
right through to a full colour, glossy magazine-style bro-
chure. It all depends on your budget and the end use that
the brochure is being produced for. Both styles can be very
effective. One-page flyers can have a number of uses.

If you are not sure how to go about making a brochure
the first step is to decide what type of promotional material
you like. Keep your eyes open and whenever you see a
brochure that you like, take a copy and file it away. When
you find one that you really like, take it to a graphic
designer and tell them that you want a brochure similar to
this.

The actual process of producing and designing a bro-
chure can be done by desktop publishers and graphic
designers. There are a few simple guidelines to follow:

• To find a graphic designer ask other business associates
for a recommendation. Ask to see samples of their work.

• Shop around and compare prices.
• Agree on a price before the job commences so that you

are 100 per cent aware of all costs involved.
• Make certain you use good quality photographs in any

promotional material.
• Use the best paper that you can afford. Thicker paper

does not increase printing costs by much but the end
result is a higher quality brochure.

The last point is worth discussing. The type of paper
that your brochure is printed on is important. This is called
the stock. The thicker the stock the better quality your

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