5 Non-Traditional Ways Your Small Business Can Use Brochures

When building out marketing materials for your small business, it is often easy to resist changing things up. You know what works, so altering the marketing mix might be a bit scary. But before you write off a product or service, take a step back and think outside the box about the product. With some creative thought, an item that you’re unsure of might actually wind up becoming a new pillar of your marketing mix. For instance, when you think about brochures, one of the first things that probably pops into your mind is an informational take-away you can find in a doctor’s office. And while this is a perfectly valid use of the marketing tool, it’s not the only use for brochures. Don’t believe us? Read on to learn five creative uses that you might be able to tap into to leverage brochures as a marketing tool for your business.

1. Coupons – Every customer loves coupons. Not only do they help save money, but coupons also keep bargain hunters coming back into your store. One creative way to use a brochure is as a quarterly or monthly coupon book. Simply designate a page or two for coupons, and encourage customers to clip them for a discount on your products or services. Remember to add an expiration date on the coupons to drive a sense of urgency for the customers!
2. Menus – Does your business sell food? If so, you know the importance of menus. Brochures are a great way to keep your restaurant or catering business in the minds of your customers. Just use them as a menu, and attach one to each order or invoice so that customers can slip your menu into their drawer or file that holds all the menus of local restaurants.
3. Product Catalog – Everyone likes seeing a picture of what they are going to purchase. This goes from everything from a T-shirt to a wedding cake. If your business has a physical inventory, including a brochure with imagery of your products and prices in each order you ship can help lead to repeat business. You can also hand out these mini-catalogs at tradeshows and when meeting potential clients.
4. Resume – Think a resume is just for a job seeker? Think again. If you do a lot of custom work, like a contractor or landscaper, brochures are a great way to show off some of your best jobs. Attaching one to each bid that you place can help ease the nerves of the prospective clients deciding whether or not to hire you.
5. Feedback/Refer a Friend – People like to give feedback on a job done well…or a job done poorly. People also like to refer their friends to businesses that have exceeded expectations. A single brochure can be used to satisfy both of these needs: The first half can be a feedback survey form for customers to drop off at your location or mail to you, and the remaining portion can be used for coupons to give to their friends/family. If you decide to go this route, remember to thank the customers who give you feedback, both positive and negative. With the negative feedback, be sure to ask how you can change something – simply asking can go a long way, and possibly increase repeat business.

Do you think that your business would benefit from using any of these methods of using brochures? Do you have some additional uses? If so we’d love to hear in the comments below.