Zazou Marketing

I got a call today from a client who wants a brochure. He wasn’t sure what he wanted, so I mentioned a few possible topics that we could cover in the marketing material, many of which were a surprise to him. It made me think that it might be helpful if I posted some general areas that are often covered in brochures.

So, as you think about your own brochure, think about which of these will be most helpful in selling your service or product. And that really is the key — don’t just include that you have been in business for 50 years because you think it sounds impressive; only include that information if it’s going to make your clients buy your product or service. And keep in mind that you almost never want to have all of the following topics covered in one brochure!

Also, just because you talk about your services (or some other topic), you should not label the section “services.” Instead come up with a catchy, descriptive header that helps sell your company, product or service.

Possible features to include in your service or product brochure:

• Introduction – Outline what you offer and–of course–what you do for your client.
• Call to action – Ask the reader to act. Do you want a call? Order a product? Or for the client to visit a website? Then let them know what to do and how to do it.
• Services and/or products – Describe the services and/or products you offer (and always focus on how they benefit your customer).
• Business structure – Describe how you do business and why it benefits your client.
• Clients – Include case studies or a list of people or organizations who have hired you or bought your product. Or you can include descriptions of the kind of companies who have hired you.
• Testimonials – Include testimonials that tell how great you or your product or service is, of course, And, if possible, use ones that include numbers that prove that your service or product has improved their life.
• Fees, prices and terms – If you have a set price structure, you may want to include it, in addition to any guarantees that you make. For products, you may want to also include shipping and handling costs.
• Features – Highlight features that set your product apart from your competition. And, of course, include how those features benefit your client.
• How the product works – Describe how your product works and what it can do, including why its superior to the competition.
• Information about the buyer – Sometimes its helpful to spell out who the product or service is designed for. (Even if you don’t have an entire section for this, all of the content should keep this person in mind.)
• Applications – Describe how your product or service can be used and answers the question of what problems it solves.
• Availability – If you sell a product or two or three or more, you may want to list the models, sizes, construction materials, options, accessories, etc. Again, include why these specs matter to your client. Also, you may want to include charts and graphs to help your client select the right product.
• Technical specifications – For products, you may want to include and technical requirements, such as cleaning methods, storage conditions, etc.
• FAQ – This is obviously where you include frequently asked questions (and their answers).
• About Us – Including a brief company description section can show that the service or product is backed by a reputable company. And, if it well help sell your product or service, highlight the credentials of important employees.
• Support – This section can be either who and how to contact support, or it can be information about delivery, installation, upkeep, etc.

Many organizations create websites assuming that the product or service will sell itself… If you can just get people to your website, they’ll see how wonderful what you offer really is. And then they’ll go ahead and buy it, right?! Well, now that you’ve had your website for some time, you have probably realized that simply having a site doesn’t necessarily mean sales.

So, if you want your website to actually generate revenue, you may need to revamp a few important aspects of your site. In fact, there are six things you should update, says an April 28 article in The Washington Post. And since I’m writing about this article here, you won’t be surprised that one of the fixes that the article advises is to “write better product descriptions.” Here’s the article’s sage advice:

Spend some time reading your product descriptions to make sure they’re succinct and filler-free. The formula here can be difficult because, as Amy Schade says, you need to “convince [users] the product meets their needs,” but the verbiage “has to be short and descriptive.” There’s no salesperson available on a website, so shoppers “should be able to see a product and know what it does,” says Schade, a director at the Nielsen Norman Group in New York City and co-author of the second edition of the “E-Commerce User Experience” report. Writing new and better product descriptions, Schade says, “is time consuming but worth it.”

So there you have it. Good writing can equal sales. So, when you are creating product descriptions, remember to make them succint, descriptive, and filler-free, while also ensuring that they convince prospective buyers that the product meets their needs.

Zazou Marketing