How to Make a Brochure for Parents Wanting to Adopt
A tri-fold brochure is an effective way to sell products and ideas. Parents looking to adopt can use the brochure to promote themselves as potential parents for an adopted child. Doing so can help potential parents stand out from the thousands of people also waiting to adopt a child. Oftentimes, the biological mother meets the parents through a file first. Based on the information in the file, she may decide to meet the potential parents in person. A brochure can definitely make your file memorable.
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Things You'll Need
- 8 1/2-by-11-inch sheet of paper
- Family photos
- Notebook paper
- Pen
- Writing utensils
- Tape or glue stick
Instructions
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1
Fold the 8 1/2-by-11-inch sheet of paper into thirds. Lay the paper vertically on a flat surface. Pull the top edge down and the bottom edge up so the top edge fits inside the fold made by the bottom edge. Crease the folds. This is your brochure prototype. Set it aside.
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2
Go through the family photos and collect the happiest family moments. Couples, select photos that show you happy and doing things together, such as hobbies, vacationing and enjoying life. These are the graphics for the brochure. Set the selected photos alongside the brochure prototype.
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3
Use the notebook paper and pen to write down all of the traits that make you great candidates for parenting a child. Include factors such as your health, education, financial capability and your love of children. The list you create is the basis for the brochure's content.
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4
Turn to a fresh page in the notebook and begin writing the content. Write an introduction, which presents you in a positive manner to prospective mothers. Keep the sentences short. Hold your introduction down to a paragraph.
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Write what is known as a "call to action." It is the part of the brochure that persuades a biological mother to understand how you are a suitable family for the child. Use the notes created in Step 3 to address the many ways your family is better than others. Use bullet points and subheadings to break up the text, and to draw the eye to the most important parts of this section.
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6
Create headlines for the center and cover panels of the brochure. Headlines are used to catch the eye, and leave the brochure reader with a message that is hard to forget. Look at the list of attributes or notes you created and use some of those words in the headlines. Repetition helps your message stick in the readers' minds.
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Grab your prototype and open it to begin designing your brochure. Cover the interior three panels -- created when the ends fold upward -- with a headline, some of the photos, your introduction and call to action. Make all of the elements fit together as if it were one picture.
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Place the headline designed for the cover panel on it. Add an appropriate photo or two. Let the headline and graphics introduce you to the biological mother. Place comments from family members on the middle back panel or write "Frequently Asked Questions," consisting of points the mother may not find in your file.
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9
Write your contact information on the back of the brochure. Place it with a final appeal, which is a summary of the call to action text you created. This final message is what the mother remembers most, so put some thought into it. Take your brochure to a printer to create copies, and for a final once-over by a design professional.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not create three separate columns, as this design is reserved for informational brochures.
Copy and print departments in office supply stores may have a design professional on staff who can help you tweak the brochure. Call around to find such a store.
You can also use the design as a guide to create a brochure in a print program you are familiar with.
References
- Photo Credit Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images
