There are tons of online services that say they can help you create a professional marketing brochure in minutes. Unfortunately, their definition of “professional” is a little loose. (As is their definition of “minutes” by the way.)
Of course, the idea is that you can save yourself money doing it yourself. But is it possible though that you could actually lose money?
The answer is: yes, very possible. We’ve come up with six ways you can actually hurt your business by creating your own brochure:
- Mistakes
- Time invested here is time lost there
- Lost sales
- Damage to your brand
- Wrong Information
- Wrong Target Audience
The 6 Ways You Can Hurt Your Business Creating Your Own Marketing Brochure
It seems reasonable. Creating your own marketing brochure will save you the costs of hiring a marketing company to do it for you. But you could actually end up hurting your business in many different ways. Here are six examples:
1. Mistakes
Printing your brochures is an unforgiving business. If you make a mistake in one spot, it can throw your whole print process off. Maybe you put the fold in the wrong place or maybe you put the content that is supposed to be on the outside of the brochure on the inside instead, and vice versa. Maybe you used the wrong file format. Or maybe the images you used still have watermarks or are way too small to look good in print.
The result of any of these mistakes: ugly, poorly produced brochures that you either have to put up with (see “Damage to your brand,” below) or that you have to pay to re-print. Remember, the printers will fix their mistakes for free, but your mistakes you’ll have to fix on your own dime. And if you make a mistake twice – well, it can get quite costly.
2. Time invested here is time lost there
Chances are, you did not get into the business you’re in so that you can spend a few days creating a brochure. And yes, a few days to lay out a brochure is about right. You’ll see ads on the Internet for “high-quality marketing brochures you can make yourself in minutes.” But the truth is, the quality usually isn’t that high. And it never takes just a few minutes.
On the other hand, learning how to use professional tools such as InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator takes time and practice. Even then, they are simply the tools. You’ll also have to learn design concepts, copywriting, and all the other skills that go into a truly professional brochure.
All of this time you spend here is time you’re not spending on your core business. Consider whether you’d rather spend your time doing what you do best and hire someone who knows how to create a brochure to do it for you.
3. Lost sales
This is actually where you could lose the most money – and you may never know it. Sales and marketing brochures need to resonate with buyers. They play many different roles: providing information, reinforcing your brand, connecting with customers, and drumming up excitement for your product or service. If you don’t do it just right, you’re losing opportunities to connect with your customers and in turn, sales.
The next three points go into more detail about where you might be hurting your business if you create your brochure yourself. But the bottom line is, you’re losing on your bottom line! Professionals create brochures with impact that generate sales, not lose them.
4. Damage your brand
Losing immediate sales during one marketing campaign is one thing. But you could actually be damaging your brand and driving away customers from future sales as well. Remember those printed mistakes in Point 1? Your customers might see cracks forming in your business and take it as a signal to shop elsewhere. So creating your own brochures could actually drag your business down from where it is right at this moment.
Remember, marketing works both ways. Your messaging has an impact on your customers, and that impact can be good or bad. Hiring a professional marketing company gives you a better chance at creating a positive impact.
5. Wrong information
This doesn’t mean mistakes with the facts. Rather, it means providing information to the customer that is irrelevant to them.
As we’ve mentioned previously, no one knows your business like you do. But there is still value in the outside perspective. Professional marketers are trained to get inside the minds of your customers, to see what the appeal of your business really is. Maybe it’s the varied menu and value like you think. Or maybe it’s the friendly smile and convenient location. Probably it’s a mixture of all four, and then some.
Finding out the right information and providing your customers with that information with clear and exciting messaging will win the day. Anything less, and you’re leaving money on the table.
6. Wrong Target Audience
Knowing who you’re talking to is just as important as knowing what you should be talking about. Car dealerships are famous examples from the not-too-distant past. For decades, women have talked about how they were ignored, treated disrespectfully, or asked less meaningful questions like, “What’s your favorite color?” Yet, women make roughly 85% of the car-buying decisions in a family. Clearly, many salespeople out there needed to re-evaluate who their buyers were!
Even if you do know your target audience, you may not know exactly how to talk to them. What interests them? How do they like to be talked to? What will encourage them to buy from you instead of your competitors?
In other words, talking to the wrong people in your marketing brochure or talking to the right people the wrong way can also ultimately hurt your business.
6 Ways Spending Money on a Professional Marketing Brochure Grow Your Business
It’s a common refrain in business: you have to spend money to make money. Paying for a professional marketing brochure is an investment. And as we’ve outlined already, “saving” money costs you in time – and ultimately you’re probably losing both.
Why not skip the hassle and get it done right? Contact Elite Marketing + Promotions to find out how we can create a professional marketing brochure that grab attention and grow your business. With Elite, you’ll:
- Avoid costly mistakes
- Save time that you can spend working on your core business
- Increase sales
- Increase the value of your brand
- Provide the right information in the right way
- Connect with your target audience(s)
The same is true for all your marketing materials, not just brochures. Your business cards, your flyers, your website, your social media marketing – all of your printed materials are best left in the hands of the professionals.
And if you’re relying solely on social media marketing – well, then we really need to talk! You could be missing some great opportunities since not everyone is on Facebook.
Find out how Elite Marketing + Promotions can help your business right now. We’ll make it easy for you to boost your sales, increase your brand recognition, and reach your customers.