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Let Them Read All About It...

Putting Together an Effective Brochure

by Kathy Miller

A simple brochure can be one of the most effective marketing pieces in a library's toolkit. Brochures are fairly inexpensive to produce and are easy to carry to meetings or mail to prospective clients. They should state your message simply and clearly, and inform people of the services you offer. If your library or information center doesn't have a general brochure, it should. They're not hard to produce if you follow a few simple steps.

• Decide on your message. What are you trying to get across, and to what audience? Lack of focus will almost certainly lead to a cluttered, unclear brochure. So before you begin, determine who will receive the piece and exactly what you want them to know. Don't try to say everything in one brochure: You can print different ones for different groups (management, patrons, students, new employees, etc.) or for different topics (services, fees, serials lists, etc.).
• Write clearly, using plain English and good grammar. Don't use jargon. Remember, your brochure is geared toward people who are less familiar with your services than you are. To ensure that your message is getting across, it's a good idea to have a non-librarian read your copy before it's printed. He or she can tell you whether they understand everything you're saying. Write from your customers' point of view; don't write from your own.
• Sound inviting. Use phrases like "We're here to help you do your job better" and "Let us know how we can serve you." Make sure that your copy encourages people to use your services. It's one thing to say "We offer X and Y and Z" and another thing to say "We're happy to do your search for you or to teach you to search our X, Y, and Z databases." Don't just tell people what you have; point out what benefit they can get from it.
• Have your copy proofread. Use a reliable, knowledgeable person who is a master of grammar and spelling. Under no circumstances should you proof your own copy. No matter how good you are, if you're the one who did the original writing you'll be blind to many mistakes. Getting another opinion can be invaluable—and may save you a lot of embarrassment later on.
• Think about graphic presentation. Organize your brochure so that the eyes flow easily over the copy that you have put in a logical order. Use bullets (or other graphic shapes) and bold type to highlight each important point. Use only a sentence or two of explanation under each point; don't get too detailed.
• Don't use too many different colors or typefaces. It may make your piece attention-getting, but it may also make it confusing. Stick to a few complementary colors and, for the most part, to one typeface. Try to avoid fancy "script" and other "serif" fonts (the ones with lots of curlicues) since they are often hard to read. Be simple and be clear.
• Don't crowd a brochure with too much type or artwork. Be sure to include enough "white space" (blank space) to rest the eyes, and to provide a break between different concepts or points in your text.
• Use only good-quality art. The general rule is that no photo is better than a blurry photo; and no graphics are better than cheap-looking graphics. Be tasteful. There are several sources of library-related clip art that you can buy if you want to use it.
• Print your logo (you do have a logo, don't you?) in a prominent place on the brochure. Make sure that people will look at your piece and identify it with your organization immediately.
• Make your contact information obvious. Do include your library's name, address (internal or external, depending on your audience), phone/fax numbers and e-mail address(es). If you have different numbers for different purposes, list them all clearly. Tell readers whom to call for what needs. Also list your hours. It's important to let people know exactly when and how to reach you; that's one of the main purposes of a general informational brochure.
• Do include your Web page address. If you have a page, let everyone know it, even if it's under construction. Having a Web page makes you look all the more savvy and technologically advanced; in this age of computers it seems that people are coming to expect Web pages from any sizable organization.
• Look at other people's brochures. It's a great way to get ideas and to see what works and what doesn't. There is plenty of opportunity to explore your peers' work through groups like the Library Public Relations Council and contests like the annual Swap & Shop events at SLA and ALA. You can even look at brochures from other types of companies—reshape their ideas to fit your audience.
• Use high-quality printing for your brochure. Remember, your brochure represents you and your organization. You can look like a quality, reliable operation or you can look like a cheap, fly-by-night one. If you're not familiar with the process or the options, talk to the person in your company who is in charge of buying printing services for other materials (annual reports, handbooks, etc.). Or look at past issues of MLS at the printing primers (vol. 7 #7/8; vol. 8 #1/2) that were written just for people like you.

It's worth the time and money it takes to produce a clear, quality brochure. It will make you look good and hopefully will keep former customers coming in and attract new ones as well.