Meridian Agency Blog

Brochures: Selling in the Rack

So many people are now making their travel decisions online that many businesses have opted not to produce a printed brochure. While this is understandable, written collateral still has its place and is still a useful tool for travel businesses because travelers still frequent Visitor’s Centers and pick up brochures from racks. So while you may not be printing as many brochures or be putting as much in them, they can still be a good way to attract business and a great way to drive traffic to your website.

Size

If you are producing a brochure for the rack, a 4 inch wide by 9 inch tall piece is a good size. You may want to produce a “rack card” which is only the front & back of a 4×9, or you may opt for a folded paneled brochure. Three panels is a good size for a standard business brochure.

Front Cover

How do you optimize your Brochure space? First and foremost, be sure that the top 4 inches of the front of your brochure attracts attention. This is the part of the brochure that people will see – other brochures in the rack will cover up the bottom part. It’s important to use bold, clear fonts that convey your message in a clever or inviting way. If the name of your destination is recognizable, use it at the top with a tagline that calls the viewer to action. If you are marketing a new or lesser known brand, then use a clever slogan to draw them in and peak their interest. For example, instead of “Buffalo County” (marketing a county as a destination is a whole other challenge we won’t go into here) use the tagline which might be “Sip, Surf and Soul.”

Design

Color is key – I highly suggest that your brochures be printed in full color to attract the most favorable attention. Be sure that the design of your brochure matches your branding and is cohesive with your website, but also keep in mind that professional photography and design can go miles in your favor, while amateurish desktop produced brochures can actually harm. Usually my clients find their professionally taken photos to be invaluable and many are able to use them for years. If you cannot afford to hire a photographer, try purchasing a few key stock photos and having a designer work them into a professional layout. Don’t shy away from bright colors, out-of-the-box design concepts and lots of white space – these are  a great way to attract attention to your brochure.

Content

Once you’ve attracted their attention, how do you turn that into action? Because of the wealth of information you can provide on your web site, it isn’t necessary to put every detail into your brochure. Use the inside of the brochure to highlight features or outline benefit statements, working in photos and graphics and keeping text to a minimum. Be sure to let them know that they should check out your website for more information.

Call to Action

Be sure to include a call to action as many times as possible in your brochure.  This can be as simple as an invitation to call or visit your business online, or can be in the form of a “hook.” Hooks include discounts, packages, sweepstakes or other incentives to get them onto your site or to get them to call or come by your business. Be sure to include directions to your business and contact information. Maps are also sometimes needed.

Of course every brochure is different, but these are a few ways you can make sure that your brochure “sells” in the rack.

Understanding Social Media

For many small businesses, the ever evolving online world is an enigma, particularly the social media realm. A few clients I have just recently convinced to create a web site, and now talking to them about Facebook, Twitter and FourSquare is completely overwhelming these Don Draperesque print and television loyalists.

I advised them to take baby steps with the social media and to initially incorporate five basic media into their plan.

1. Facebook – Create a FREE business page on Facebook. This is not a profile (profiles are for people, pages are for businesses). Here you can upload photos, video, links to your site and you can do daily or weekly updates to let people know what is going on. If you have a personal Facebook profile, then “share” your business page and ask others to “like” it. This basically subscribes them to your posts so that you can build a following. You can also take advantage of the Facebook ads.

2. Twitter - In some ways, Twitter seems at first to be so similar to Facebook that you may wonder why you need it. It is actually very different, though – Twitter is more mobile and based more on short, quick information. Many people who Twitter are not on Facebook and vice versa so it’s good to cover both. Additionally, you can link your Twitter and Facebook posts so that you only have to post it once and it goes out on your Twitter and Facebook accounts.

3. YouTube – You don’t have to create a kooky or crazy video to be on YouTube. Many businesses will create their own channels and upload video about their business, products, tutorials, tours, and more. They don’t have to be completely professional (though I do recommend this if you can afford it). You can also upload these same videos to Facebook or just link to the YouTube videos.

4. FourSquare – If you have a business that is based on live customer interaction and you have an actual physical presence, FourSquare is a social media resource not to be ignored. Members of FourSquare use their mobile phones to “check in” to locations and also give reviews and comments about the location. As a business owner, you need to be sure your presence on FourSquare is inviting. Add photos, information and keep it up-to-date. Ask customers to upload compliments and testimonials.

5. LinkedIn – LinkedIn is a great way to find leads, network and get to know others in your community. Creating a profile is free and easy and you can add contacts and groups of interest to build your own network.

There are many other social media that you may want to consider, but as a starting point, these are key.  It’s also important to be sure to include links to the social media on your website, in your email signature and on brochures and business cards.