Steve Slaunwhite - Start and run a copywriting business

There is nothing more ubiquitous in marketing communications than the brochure. It explains, educates, and sells; it is used as an aid during sales calls; it is used as a leave-behind after sales calls; it is mailed to fulfill sales inquiries; it is used as an enclosure in direct mail; it is handed out at trade shows; and it is included in press kits. Most buyers expect to find much, if not all, they need to know about a particular product or service in the brochure.

Brochures come in an astonishing array of sizes, shapes, and folds, from the basic slim Jim six-panel, to multipage, saddle-stitched tomes that approach book length.

Oddly, writing the brochure will not be your most difficult task as a copywriter. Your most difficult task will be organizing the information, and there are endless ways to do this. Which key messages should come first? What order should they be presented in? Which key messages should be grouped together?

When I write a product brochure, I like to start with a very short, succinct product description and then lead immediately into the most important and compelling benefit. Then I use headlines, subheads, callouts, and sidebars to break up and organize the copy in the most persuasive and captivating manner possible.

If Im writing a brochure to be used primarily as a sales aid, I imagine myself as a sales rep sitting across the desk from a potential client. I ask myself, Which benefits would I talk about first? What objections am I likely to face? How can I best overcome them? Then I organize the information in the same way as I would a sales presentation.

Heres an example of brochure copy that makes good use of benefits backed up by specifics to make a persuasive case:

An incredible 95 percent day-one release record

Fast. Thats the best word to describe how ABC Brokerage will steer your shipments through customs. Our leading-edge software systems and electronic link with us Customs combine to give us the earliest possible start on customs processing. The result is minimal delays at the border, meaning your shipments arrive where needed, sooner.

Sometimes brochures are designed to be more educational than sales oriented. For example, technical brochures are expected to provide clearly written product overviews and technical specifications. In these cases, I organize the brochure so the reader can easily glean what he or she needs to know. I include as much specific information as possible, and provide clear explanations and descriptions.

Heres an example of educational content from a financial services brochure. Note the headline written in the form of a question from the reader:

Okay, so just what is a Seg Fund?

Theres nothing mysterious about Seg Funds. Theyre simply investment funds held within an insurance contract. Theyre managed just like mutual funds. But because of the insurance contract, Seg Funds provide you with unique advantages and protection.

Perhaps the biggest mistake copywriters make when writing brochures is forgetting to include important information. Its surprisingly easy to forget the obvious. I once rewrote a brochure my client pulled from distribution because the original copywriter neglected to include one crucial product detail: the weight (an important point to consider before purchasing a roof-top industrial scrubber). Another brochure I recently received in the mail did not have any company contact information, not even a phone number. There was an empty spot on the back, presumably for distributor contact information, but this was missing. Who was I supposed to call if I was interested in this product?