Ultimate Guide to Writing & Designing Brochures

You don’t need to be a pro designer or master wordsmith to create a brochure that looks great, sounds awesome, and gets people to look, read, and react. With the right tools and a bit of guidance, anyone can produce a compelling brochure that stands out for the right reasons and helps advance the cause of your organization. Here are a few easy-to-follow tips and tricks.

How to Choose the Right Brochure Layout

When deciding between a trifold and bifold brochure layout, it's essential to consider the specific needs of your message. A trifold design (pictured below) is perfect for organizing information into distinct sections, making it easy for readers to navigate and carry around. This layout is ideal for events or promotions where you want to provide detailed information in a compact format that can easily fit in a pocket or purse.

On the other hand, a bifold brochure (pictured below)offers more visual space, making it suitable for simpler messages that require larger images or graphics to convey the main points effectively. By understanding the strengths of each layout, you can choose the best option that aligns with your content and design goals.

Make Design Easy with Brochure Templates

Use brochure templates to ensure that your design adheres to professional standards. Templates are a framework that helps you organize information effectively without worrying about alignment, text formatting, word counts, or bleed lines. MissionPrint offers a variety of templates that you can customize according to your needs. This way, you focus more on what goes in and on your brochures and less on design technicalities.

Effective Image Selection and Placement

How many images should you include? Where should they go? Choose images with higher resolution and relevant to your message. Make sure they supplement, illustrate and amplify your message. If you’re promoting a food drive, show people at the drive rather than closeups of food. The former is more descriptive of your event, while the latter doesn’t add much.

Placement is also crucial; your most impactful image should go on the front to attract interest, while supporting images should be strategically placed throughout the brochure to maintain engagement. By strategically distributing images, you create a visual journey for the reader, guiding them through the content and enhancing the overall message. Remember, the goal is to seamlessly integrate visuals with text to create a cohesive and compelling narrative that captures and holds the reader's attention. Each image should serve a purpose, whether it's to evoke emotion, provide context, or reinforce key points. By carefully curating and placing images, you can ensure that they enhance and amplify your message, rather than overshadowing it.

Say It in Your Organization’s Voice

Your brochure should sound like it came from your organization. Use language and tone that reflect your brand’s personality, whether it’s formal, friendly, or inspirational. This helps in building a consistent brand identity and makes your message more relatable to your audience. Look to be relatable and have some personality, like a friendly neighbor, rather than sounding like an omnipotent voice. People lean toward messaging that speaks with them rather than talks at them.

Reviewing and Refining

Once your brochure is assembled within a template, review it a few times and have others review it as well. Look for typos and repetitive language, ensure that the text is clear and persuasive, and check that the images are correctly placed and of high resolution. This step is crucial as it prevents costly reprints and ensures your brochure represents your organization professionally.

Creating a brochure that inspires action is about combining good design with engaging content. With these tips, anyone can create a professional-quality brochure that stands out and gets noticed.

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