
Brochures on a budget
Budgeting can be one of the biggest challenges when you’re just starting out with your business. Marketing can be an expensive business, meaning as a start-up or small business, you will need to consider what the best method is for your business.
Whilst brochure printing can be expensive, there’s no reason why small businesses should miss out. Print specialists Where The Trade Buys explain how you can produce brochures that are still beautiful and an effective marketing strategy for your company on a budget.
The design process
There are a few things that you need to consider when you’re buying your first batch of brochures, but don’t worry if you’re buying on a budget – we’ve got you covered:
1. The quality of your brochure
These brochures will be representing your business, so you need to make sure that they’re in top condition and just because you’re buying on a budget, it doesn’t mean you can’t achieve this. This can be achieved through a number of factors. The size of your brochure and the way it is finished can influence the way it is received, and of course the cost. Whilst it is tempting to cram as much information onto fewer pages to save money, you don’t want to make your brochure look unprofessional.
Paper stock can have an impact on the cost of your brochures. Of course, in an ideal world, every business would use the highest paper stock they can afford but you should consider your audience and the purpose of the brochure before making a decision. For an informal brochure, a thinner and cheaper paper stock is the better option – but if you are targeting a high-end corporate conference, you’ll want to invest a bit more money in a better paper stock.
They way your brochure looks can be the difference between someone picking up and having a read or someone walking past and completely ignoring it – you need a perfect bound brochure printing service to help you get the most out of it. When it comes to the finish of your brochure, saddle stitched brochures are a sleek way to present your corporate brochure or catalogue to your audience, as they are generally finished with a gloss or silk lamination. The Scodix finish is available for companies who want to make their publication stand out and generally has a minimal difference to the cost. Case bound can be quite expensive, but is the crème-de-la-crème when it comes to top quality. If you have the budget to pull out all of the stops, then case bound is the option to go for. However, PUR is a high-end binding option that is more affordable than Case bound – this finish is ideal for pitch documents and coffee table brochures.
Make sure your brochure has all of the correct information – it is vital that it does because this could cost you both time and money which, if you’re on a budget, you might not have. You don’t want to waste money on unnecessary reprinting because a mistake has slipped through the net. Make sure all design and text have gone through thorough quality checks for spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and just general mishaps. Check, check and check again that everything is correct.
2. Informative brochures
Don’t invest a lot of money for a large brochure. Less is often more! This is quite often the case for the copy you include in your brochure. Keep it simple – you don’t want to confuse the reader with too much information. Text should be clear and concise, including all the need-to-know information. This is good for budgeting, as you will save money on fewer pages. But remember to include your company logo, contact details and, of course, your key message – without these your marketing campaign will be a flop.
If your brochure has an informal approach, use design to your advantage by adding unconventional fonts. The design is down to you – but remember it needs to remain clear to read and fit on the pages correctly.
3. How many brochures will you really need?
The more brochures that you buy, the cheaper they become – and although this can be tempting, only buy the amount you need otherwise they will be a waste of money. It is worth checking the price guides before you place an order to consider if a long run, medium run or short run will be the most cost-effective. Quick buy pricing guides allow you to make an informed decision without contacting the printing company directly – cutting out the middle man. Longer runs are generally most suited for handout brochure at events such as trade shows because they are more cost-effective.
4. Make use out of what is free
Your brochures will have even more reach if you decide to make them available for download, as PDFs online. This way you can have both printed brochures and e-brochures.