So you're ready to launch the next-generation marketing campaign, and you know you need a brochure. If you're not sure where to begin, the task of designing, printing and distributing your brochure can be daunting. Too many businesses rely on packaged desktop publishing software, ClipArt and desktop printers to handle this cornerstone of marketing strategy - and few things could be more fatal to a business. For all the time, effort and expense it takes to do it yourself, you could have a professionally designed and printed brochure that actually works to sell your products and services for you instead of something that tells customers the quality of your company is low.

Customers equate brochure quality with company quality. They also know brochure printing and design costs money; if you have a cheap brochure, it tells them you do not make money and therefore do not have a pool of satisfied customers. In short, cheap brochures can kill your business. Here's how to do it right:

Copy

Before designing your brochure, you need to know what it is going to say. Unless you're an experienced copywriter, you do not want to do this yourself. While you might think you know what prospects need to hear about your company, a professional copywriter knows the psychological triggers that motivate customers to take the next step in the purchasing process. They also approach your company from an objective point-of-view and are able to dig deep to find features and benefits tailored to your target audience. Using online resources, you can find good copywriters for as little as $40 per hour; and they might be able to write your tri-fold brochure copy in as little as five hours. The $200 investment will make a big difference when customers finally see the finished brochure.

Design

Just as with brochure copy, brochure design must be handled with grace and delicacy. Only trained graphic designers graphic designers truly know what colors impact customers, and how to use those colors in conjunction with shapes and images together with your copy for a compelling brochure that sells. A professional brochure design could cost as little as $400; and, again, this is money well-spent in the long run.

Printing

Your brochure must be printed through a printer such as PsPrint, which offers state-of-the-art presses and professional-grade papers, inks and finishing. Brochures should be printed on 100-pound gloss text or cover stock or on 70-pound or 80-pound recycled matte, depending on the design and your preferences. Anything less will come across as flimsy (as will your company); anything more is too harsh. With PsPrint, you can get 5,000 full-color tri-fold brochures printed on 100-pound gloss text for under $520.

Add it up

If you want your brochure marketing campaign to have great impact, you need to hire professionals. Using our example pricing, you could get 5,000 outstanding brochures for about $1,120, which is less than a quarter per brochure. Let's compare that with one of the leading pre-scored glossy tri-fold desktop computer papers, which costs about $22 per 100 sheets. At a quantity of 5,000, you're looking at a cost of $1,100 - and that's just for the paper! Not to mention you have to write the copy, come up with the design, use your ink (it will take several refills to print that many) plus fold the brochures yourself. For just $20 more you could have the real deal. When you add it all up, hiring professionals to do what they do best - and in turn make you look your best and earn a great return on investment - is much cheaper than doing it yourself with cheap brochures. Now, take a deep breath, and visit PsPrint - they have everything you need!