Page 230 - Duct Tape Marketing

214 Part IV: Getting the Word Out without Advertising

A modular format is a great approach if your business offers a range of prod-
ucts that can be represented on separate marketing pages, if your price lists
or other information changes frequently, or if your prospects have widely dif-
fering interests or needs.

Rack cards
Rack cards get their name from the fact that they fit into 4-x-9-inch brochure
racks. Some rack cards involve a single, folded sheet that opens up to a multi-
panel brochure. Others include a number of pages folded and stapled down the
middle (called saddle-stitched). Many businesses create inexpensive rack cards
by printing the same image three times on an 812⁄ -x-11-inch sheet of paper (3-up
is the printing term), which they then cut into three cards of 323⁄ x 812⁄ inches.

The most important thing to remember about rack cards is that only the top
few inches are immediately visible to the consumer — the rest is hidden
under the brochure that sits right in front of yours in the rack, covering all
but the top portion of your brochure. So be sure that your name and a mes-
sage announcing your customer benefit appear in that small top space.

Fliers
The least expensive promotional piece you can print is a flier, which usually
takes the form of an 812⁄ -x-11-inch sheet of paper printed on one side or both to
announce a sale, open house, limited-time event, or low-cost product that
doesn’t rely on a high-quality presentation for its success. In producing a flier,
write copy that can be understood at a glance (remember, a flier is a throw-
away piece, so don’t expect people to hang on every word). Design it following
the advice for creating a print ad in Chapter 11. Then take it to a quick-print
shop and for as little as $50 you can walk away with a thousand copies printed
on white or colored paper.

Fliers usually look like what they are — low-cost handouts — but the caliber
of design and copy, the quality of paper and printing, and how you get them
into circulation can enhance the image they make.

Planning and writing brochures

The best brochures talk directly to the prospect, anticipating questions and
providing answers before the person even thinks to ask. As you develop
brochure content, refer to these copywriting tips:

ߜ Include a headline. Simply putting your name on the cover is wasteful
and too I-oriented. Customers care about what’s in it for them. Use your
brochure cover to present a benefit-oriented headline (see Chapter 11
for headline-writing tips) that grabs your prospect’s attention.

ߜ Use subheads. By placing secondary headlines throughout the brochure,
you can communicate your message quickly to those who aren’t inclined
to read it all.