A professional brochure is the in-depth massage marketing tool you need to make a convincing impact. When you are ready to invest in a professional brochure, how do you go about getting what you want?
Four questions you should answer
To create your own massage brochure from scratch, start by considering these questions:
1. What’s the best way to present the benefits of your work?
* Remember to emphasize the problems you can solve, rather than the techniques you use.
* Consider using testimonials.
* Have a colleague read it carefully for language that might be misleading or offensive to a reader.
2. Should you include your menu, rates or directions to your office?
* Think about how often items such as your rates may change. These may work best on an insert.
3. How do you achieve a professional and attractive appearance?
* If you have a computer and layout software, you can design and layout a brochure on your own. But keep in mind that hiring a graphic designer can make a big difference in the quality of your presentation. If you do hire a graphic artist, be prepared for a considerable investment.
* Proofread several times for typos.
4. How can you find graphics to add interest to your brochure?
* Googling for “free clip art” returns a number of sites that will give you graphics or ideas for them. Check out the Microsoft and Avery websites.
Printing options
Once you have a professional brochure design, how can you get it into print?
* Your home printer. To make changes as often as you want, print a few brochures at a time at home. Big office supply stores even sell tri-fold brochure paper. Do take into account the cost of paper and especially ink for making full-color copies.
* Copy stores such as Kinko’s. They can print from paper master or CD, and fold, too. The more you print, the less each brochure costs.
* Online print services like the popular VistaPrint.com. Prices vary widely from $.07 to $1.20 a piece, as does quality. Order small at first to make sure the product projects the image you want.
No matter what option you choose for printing, look carefully at the print quality. Check for smearing, feel of the paper, and crispness of the folding.
Ready-made, professional brochures
“Why reinvent the wheel?” is a frequent comment made by bodyworkers who use pre-made massage marketing brochures. They seek a brochure company they trust to provide brochures that are reputable, well-researched and attractive. They simply add their business information to the back for a ready-made professional presentation.
Many find that brochures from an independent source also add credibility to their practice — in other words, you are not just making it up that massage can help prevent injuries or improve sleep.
It’s easy and inexpensive to type up, print and add a single panel insert to a pre-made brochure that states your rates, menu and other business information. When your rates needed to be adjusted, simply replace the insert.
A combination approach
If you have your own brochure, there are still good reasons to use brochures on modalities like Reiki, reflexology or Thai massage where detailed explanations really help. In addition, brochures on conditions like back pain headaches or fibromyalgia help you reach specific individuals in, say, fibromyalgia support groups, childbirth classes, or your chiropractor’s office.
A massage marketing brochure is something you can hand people that’s more in depth than a business card. Think about the impact you want to achieve, and research your options well before committing to a particular type of brochure. You want to be happy with what you get — and where it gets you.
