How to Create a Basic and Professional Brochure (In ten Minutes or Less)
Brochures are a great way to get your information out there. Without speaking an individual can learn all about your small business, college project, or retirement policy. Whatever your reason, a good looking Brochure can help you get noticed by potential customers, co-workers, or classmates.
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Instructions
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Pick an Audience: The first thing to do is to decide what audience you are trying to attract. Audiences can vary by ages, education level, and financial status. In other words, decide what your audience will expect (will you have more pictures or more words?) (Look to the bottom for things to keep in mind while making your brochure)
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Find a Layout that works for you: The easiest way to make a brochure is to use Microsoft Publisher (even a small business should have access to this software). At the bottom of this step there is a link where you may download publisher for free if you do not already have it. Microsoft Word can also work, but from my experience Microsoft publisher is easier. Get familiar with the layout, and notice where the Title page and information pages are.
http://www.toggle.com/lv/group/view/kl46468/Microsoft_Office_Publisher.htm -
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Create The Brochure: If only it was that simple, right?
After you have chosen the layout, sort of decide in your mind what information and pictures you want to include in your brochure. The title of the brochure will need a big picture, as well as some for the inside of the brochure. -
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The Title Page: Dont Make the title page too complicated! That is the easiest mistake to make early on in the brochure. Put a simple but large picture on the Title Page (I'm refferring to brochure sections as pages). Supplement the Picture with a Title. You may also want to include a smaller subtitle as well. Dont put too much text on this page, and try to only use one picture. The Title Section should be clear and simple.
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The Inside Panels: This is where the bulk of the information is located. In each section you want to have a clear bold title, with text underneath (or around) it. Keep it limited to simple titles and text. Use pictures sparingly, but make sure to include at least one. This section should be pretty self explanitory, you will have to add a textbox for new sections, or follow the template of your brochure. (under Insert tab at the top, add textbox )
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The Reverse Side: This is perhaps the most looked over section of the brochure. This is where the phone numbers and other critical information are. Keep this section very simple, and information to a minimum. It is theoretically like the backside of a document, so you just want to have the necessary information with perhaps a small graphic.
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Some things to keep in mind while making your brochure.
1. Keep the text Simple! Dont overdo it with too much.
2. Make pictures Large and also relevant. Include captions where possible
3. Use white space to your advantage! White space can be used to direct the audience's attention
4. Alwasy, Always, think in terms of what your audience will be expecting. What do they want to see?
5. Make sure the information is clear and to the point.
6. Use Consistent colors and themes to give the brochure a professional look.
7. It always helps to compare with other brochures online, or from a template, just to see how you're doing :D
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Tips & Warnings
Formatting can be tough, and programs aren't always very agreeable, but dont give up!
When you need help or ideas, look at other examples or default templates.
Make sure to save your document often so you dont lose your hard work!
Resources
- Photo Credit http://www.poweredtemplates.com/images/img/brochure_template.jpg
