If your church sponsored event requires registration, you'll need to create a brochure for the brochure rack in the lobby and to hand out at your events. Design your brochure to get opened. There are many facets to designing strong, compelling print media. Here are some important things to know:
- How to position your text and what size to make the font.
- How to size your pictures so they don't overpower the layout.
- Where to put your call-to-action so it doesn't get lost.
Designing a printed piece that gets opened takes skill and the right tools. This guide will show you ways to ensure your brochure is designed to get your event noticed and help drive attendance.
Create promotional pieces right from your desktop. Most of designs can be done right from your desktop using desktop publishing software. When using these software programs, you can design your brochure with a variety of typefaces, type sizes and a color wheel.
Most layouts today are designed using desktop publishing software. And they're easy to use, so that even a person with little design experience can put an effective brochure piece together.
- Be clear and concise.
- Try not to be too wordy.
- Make your event sound fun and exciting!
- Who is invited? Whom are you targeting? Use colors, fonts, photos, etc… that appeal to that target audience.
- Who do they contact if they have questions? Phone or email? Be sure that person checks messages and returns calls!
- Who should they send the registration information to?
- At what address?
- What is the deadline?
- How much is the event going to cost?
- Where will the event be held? (include the time and date)
- What is going on at the event?
- Why should they attend and how it will impact their lives?
- Target your audience with appropriate language.
- Pictures say a thousand words - use great ones on your brochure.
- Make sure the brochure looks attractive to the eye.
- Use a logo if you have one, so people can connect with it easily.
- Don't fill up every square inch of space, nothing is wrong with white space.
Where to Find Graphic Images
To make your piece more compelling, you may also wish to include graphic images, including photography or illustration. A number of websites offer beautiful photos you can use on your brochure. One site we recommend is iStockphoto.com. Their selection of photos is huge; they are top quality and are cost effective.
To find the right image from other sources you can:
- Download images directly from a variety of
- Search the Internet for a list of stock photography houses that can send you catalogs filled with images.
- Purchase CD-Roms of images.
Once the layout is ready to be printed, you may need to get a high-resolution image. To purchase the high-resolution image, contact the place where you got the image and give them the number of the image.
There are also some Internet sites that offer free art, including clip art and illustration. Just go to the Internet and search: free art. Digital cameras work well for small photos. But, if the image is too big, the picture can be blurry.
Once you’ve designed your brochure, it can be loaded onto a disk or e-mailed directly to the printing company you are using. It's that easy.
The Key to Effective Design
Well-designed Direct Mail pieces should include the following:
A place for the reader's eye to go. It's important to keep your layout clean so that the message is clear and stands out.
Johnson Box. A Johnson Box is a headline technique that places an offer statement inside a rectangle or "box" made of asterisks or other graphic devices. The Johnson Box is the place to highlight the name of your event or benefit of attending. You do not need to take the "box" idea literally, but a title or headline of some sort is extremely important.
Typefaces. It's best to use just one or two typefaces. The type should be bigger and bolder for the headline and smaller for the body copy. Avoid using type less than 10-pt. size. Also, keep your target audience in mind. If you're creating your piece for an older audience, make the type bigger.
Make it easy for your potential attendees to reply. You should include a reply form, which the guest places in an envelope and mails back or drops off. Make sure you restate the offer on the reply device. That way if the piece gets separated, the attendee knows exactly what the offer is and how to respond. A motivating reply device should include the following:
- How to reply: phone number, fax number, address, website. (Make these stand out visually, using graphic devices such as boldface type or a larger type size.)
- Cost of the event.
- A reminder to enclose the money.
- Add a deadline like - "Hurry, deadline is January 30."
Now that you know the do's, here are some don'ts.
Don't make the layout too busy.
Don't hide the important facts and information.
Don't use color just for color's sake.
Don't add pictures or illustrations that have nothing to do with what is being offered.
Don't bury the call-to-action.
A draft of your brochure must go to GBCC's Communication & Connection Director via hard copy or email prior to its production. The director will help to make the best use of your promotional piece and ensure that it is GBCC quality.
The support staff at church will offer design help if you need it. Call or email the Communication & Connection Director to set it up.
You may make copies of your approved brochure or office staff can facilitate that for you. If you make the copies please be sure to have an appropriate number prepared. The church's graphic designer needs a copy of your design on disk in order to make more copies if it becomes necessary. Please supply the disk if you have it designed outside the office.
Each ministry is ultimately responsible for stocking/maintaining its own information.
