How to Make an Online Traveling Brochure
Given the cost of designing, printing and mailing marketing materials, many travel agencies and tour companies are putting their travel brochures on line. Travel-savvy companies are using the Internet to promote everything from exotic destinations to domestic must-see attractions.
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Instructions
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Research the destinations your brochure will describe. In particular, investigate the most popular and compelling facets of the cities or countries covered by the brochure.
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Make a list of the information a traveler will need to register for the trip. Include the names of cities on the itinerary, dates of travel, daily stops, pricing options, room occupancy restrictions, disclaimers, booking deadlines, an order form and enough sales and marketing language to excite readers. Add a call to action and a phone number and web address so readers can contact you with questions.
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Select low resolution photos that typify the brochure's ports of call or stops. Beaches, tourist attractions, jungles, historic landmarks, rain forests and waterfalls are colorful slices of life that make people want to travel. Find inexpensive professional photos by visiting stock photography sites on the Internet (see Resources). When you order, let your contact know that the photos are for web use, not print.
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If you are using original photos and plan to scan them for publication, select 72 dpi when you set the image size. This dot-per-inch minimum keeps files small and allows you to use multiple photos without making the brochure file so large that viewers have problems opening the document.
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Follow color theorists' recommendations and match the colors you pick for your brochure to the destination's culture. Choose yellow and red for Latin destinations, cool blue for trips to such places as the Caribbean, Scandinavia, Canada and Alaska. Complement beach scenes with white. Use black and gold if the journey is to be composed of somber, elegant sites or includes formal events.
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Help readers navigate your brochure by using only two fonts. Arial is the most popular font used on websites because it is easy to read. Find one decorative font for headlines and use it sparingly. Set photo captions in Arial, and then select "Italics" so the captions don't blend into the rest of the text.
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Use tricks favored by copywriters and marketers to pump up your text. Make sentences short, punchy, to the point and energetic. Go easy on the flowery descriptions---save the room for important details. Lavish the copy with what marketers call "emotional drivers" -- words that tap a reader's hot buttons. Stress the benefits a traveler receives when they travel: less stress, more down time, unforgettable memories. Do all you can to stress the trip's affordability.
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When you've completed the brochure, proof and spell check it, and ask others to review the text and layout for missing information and readability. Make certain your contact information is bold and offers booking options (call, mail, web). You can attach the brochure to an e-mail, imbed it in the body of an e-mail or post it to a website and create a link on the home page so travelers can access the brochure and respond accordingly.
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Resources
- Photo Credit © Corbis Royalty-free stock photo
