Here’s a truism to keep in mind when designing your printed marketing materials. Often it’s the words not spoken that create the most powerful impact. This is especially true when designing a marketing brochure.
Many small businesses or non-profit organizations have so very much they want to say to potential clients or patrons. Yet, that eagerness to share about their mission or small business can lead to overkill. Saddling those unsuspecting folks with a tri-fold brochure crammed with enough words to put them to sleep is a bad plan. Who wants to wade through a mountain of advertising copy?
Don’t bury the message! The average person is not going to expend the effort to figure out what you’re all about when you overload them with too many words. Think about it. Would you take the time to diligently read through three tri-fold panels of packed nine-point type? Even if the brochure does include some snazzy pics, it isn’t likely that people will read all those words.
There is a simple solution to ensuring your brochure doesn’t end up in File
Thirteen. It’s called editing. We’re not talking about the dainty tweaking of the turn of phrase. Instead, envision the editing process as akin to shaping a diamond in the rough. The very thing that sets apart that sparkling jewel from an uncut stone is what has been removed.
Fiction writers know this quite well. What begins as a rough draft that meanders down a few rabbit trails is eventually edited and honed into a tightly crafted, compelling page-turner of a story. Otherwise few would read past the first chapter.
Wordiness in marketing copy puts the mind to sleep. Even though it may sound a little hard to believe, the best marketing copy uses the fewest words to get the message across. This means you should make every word carry its own weight and then some.
Don’t lose the essential kernel of your marketing message. Just remove all the clutter that obscures your main points. When you do get the brochure content down to the tightest copy you can produce, have at least two other people look at it with a red pen in hand. The bloodletting will be worth it. Once you take away all the superfluous words, the message becomes loud and clear. And it’s that clear, strong message that prompts a buying decision.