One of the most effective marketing tools for your business can come through designing a brochure to advertise your business. Brochures are quick and easy ways to advertise your business and are a source of information the customer can keep. One program used to design brochures is Microsoft Publisher. Publisher is easy to use and already has templates in the program so it makes designing the brochure very straightforward. To begin, open Publisher and pick one of the “Brochure” templates. Select a design that you like and you are ready to begin.
When looking at the template it is important to get your bearings so that you understand which panel will be which part on the Trifold brochure. On the bottom of the screen you can switch between page 1 or page 2. Click on page 1 to begin. The far right panel of page 1 is the front of the brochure. In this panel you should have your business’s name, address, phone number, and other important information such as hours of operation. Placing your business’s logo or a picture of your business on the front panel is also a good idea. The middle panel of page 1 is the back cover of the brochure. On here you could have directions to your business or other vital information that the reader would see on the outside of the brochure. The far left panel of the 1st page is the inside flap. This may be a good place to briefly summarize your business’s products or services. It is important that you don’t overcrowd the brochure with lots of text. Text should be short, concise, and to the point. Sometimes using bullet points rather than paragraphs keeps you honest with the amount of text you are using.
When you have finished the 1st page it is time to move onto the 2nd page which is where the bulk of your material will be. The most important information is on these three panels and they will make up the inside of your brochure. These are the panels that the reader will see when they unfold the brochure. Breaking up these panels by using section headings can make it easier to read. Remember not to use too much text. Using big pictures for these three panels will not only help to take up room but will also provide visual stimulation for the reader. These pictures should entice the customer to want to find out more about the products or services your business offers.
Once you have finished the brochure you can either print it out yourself (on the front and back of an 8 ½” x 11” piece of paper) or you can get them professionally printed at a local store or using an online printing company. Online printing companies tend to be cheaper and the more brochures you buy the cheaper they are per copy.
