Brochure Design Inspiration – A Walk Through

No matter what design and layout you choose, there’s one thing unchanged in every well-crafted brochure. They tell a compelling story – your business story to potential customers/clients. A brochure serves as a great tool for promoting your brand. Check out these brochure design inspiration.

Having said that, you should know one thing – every business is unique in its own way and so will the story be. You can have the style (Brochure fold) you want to tell your story to the world.

A good brochure has the power to boost your sales and get promising leads. If you’re thinking of designing one, remember this – each fold works well with certain types of content. Thus, selecting the right type of brochure fold will make your content worth sharing.

Now that you know what your content looks like, take a look at 8 types of brochure folds –

Types of Brochure Fold

Half-fold brochure

Also known as a bi-fold brochure, it’s made up of a sheet of paper folded into two panels. The standard brochure size for the half-fold is 8.5” x 11”. You can use this for simple product presentations.

Tri-fold brochure

Here, the sheet is divided into three parts. The right panel folds beneath the left panel measuring 8.5” x 11” as a standard size. You can use it for any purpose. Tri-fold strikes a perfect balance between content and design.

Z-fold brochure

It’s in Z-shape and is similar to a tri-fold brochure.

Gatefold brochure

It’s divided into three unequal panels, with the side panels measuring one half of the width of the central panel. As the name suggests, the side panels fold like a gate. The standard brochure size is 8.5” x 11” and you can use it for heavy graphic designs.

French fold brochure

Aka right-angle fold, it’s a unique fold dividing the brochure into 4 panels. Each panel measures 8.5” x 14” and is used for Graphic-heavy designs, maps, and invitations to sales and events.

Accordion fold brochure

If you want to give your customer a step-by-step tutorial, this brochure is an ideal one. The accordion fold divides the sheet into four panels measuring 8.5” x 14”.

Double parallel fold brochure

In this, your paper is folded half to form two panels, and then in half again, to form two parallel folds that go in the same direction. The standard size for the double parallel fold is 8.5” x 14”. It can help you as a reference material that customers could use for your products and services.

Parallel map fold brochure

The parallel map fold is similar to the double parallel fold. The standard size is 8.5” x 14” and is commonly used for information-heavy content, especially if you want to detail a wide range of products and services.

Which one would you go for – flyer or brochure?

Well, both flyers and brochures are distinctly important for your business. What is interesting here is that they both differ in terms of their layout and purpose.

Let’s talk about the flyer first

A Flyer is usually a single-sided sheet used for promoting an event, service, product, or idea. Here, you have to be simple to capture the reader’s attention quickly. Because of the small size and the lifespan, the flyer is cost-efficient.

Flyers are handy too – you can easily distribute it to anyone. From a tiny mailer to a handbill, you can create eye-popping designs. An attractive flyer can make the audience put down their phone and pay attention to you.

How brochures help you unpack your product?

There’s a misconception related to brochures. Often people think that it’s just another piece of paper like a flyer. But here’s the difference – unlike flyers which is just a single sheet, brochures have multiple sides. This means you have many folds, more content, and appealing images that bridge to the customer’s heart.

Having said that, there are different fold types and you choose the one you fit in. Apart from design and layout, what also matters is the way to present it. It’s a choice you make whether to print it on hard or soft paper. Often, you’ll find the pages are a bit thicker than flyers. This is because it increases the durability of the brochure.

On the distribution front, you cannot give brochures to random people because it’s expensive. This is centered around special interest people – your potential customers/clients. A steller brochure should help you promote the products/services service of your company. This will not just help the customers make the decision but also promote your company to a greater extent. Remember, customers are well-read and in order to catch their attention, you have to stand out.

Now that you’ve learned the difference between flyers and brochures, get started with showcasing some mind-blowing brochures. Check out some useful branding ideas for your business.

What makes brochures different from sales sheets?

A sell-sheet is a single-page flyer with a product description. As the name suggests, this is usually prepared at the beginning of the sales cycle to get the attention of the prospect.

When you design a sales sheet, you already have in mind what you need to share that will build curiosity. By sharing one or two products, you create a space for more conversations. Prospects with questions can reach out to you to get more information. Often sale sheets are referred to as tissue paper as it’s inexpensive.

On the other hand, a brochure almost looks like a small booklet, catalog, magazine. A professional brochure gives your prospect more information on a product. You can use it as a tool to help move a prospect along in the sales cycle by featuring the benefits of your product or services more fully with eye-catchy designs and layout. By now, you must be sure of what this means, right? Well, if you haven’t got it yet, here’s the thing – marketing is not just pitching ideas but it’s also about conversions. Meaning how do you make your prospects accept your ideas and close sales. You can also have a look at the design ideas for effective Brochure Marketing

Brochure Design Inspiration Guide

So, how can you make your next sale brochure win over your competitors? Imagine you are designing a 6-panel trifold brochure. In this section, you’ll see how you can nail marketing by turning a paper into a branding weapon. So, here’s your 6 panels to the pinnacle –

Panel 1 – It’s the front cover of your brochure. This is the first thing the reader sees when you fold it. A good front cover should pique them to continue reading. First and foremost, identify what your goals are. Next, ensure that it is strong and not cluttered. Just like a movie teaser, it should intrigue them and leave a lasting impression.

Panel 2 – This is where you talk about your product/service. Remember, prospects don’t care what you’re selling unless you give them the differential factors – your unique selling point.

Panel 3 – This panel precedes panel 2 and follows an old selling model. After convincing the prospective buyer to agree on something small, you basically ask them for something bigger.

Panel 4 – By now, you’ve come halfway through knowing your reader’s interest. Now, give them extra information that will clear all their doubts. For example, you may talk about how sales work. This will enable the reader to take the next step.

Panel 5 – In this panel, you have to showcase the testimonials. These are some of the most effective sales strategies. You are one of the many until a client/customer experiences your product/services. For this, you have to be in their good book. Your relationship with them defines if you are at the edge of winning or losing. Their reviews and recommendations can support your credibility and strengthen your brand.

Panel 6 – The Call to Action. To make your prospect do what you want, you need a kickass CTA. This is quite a challenge as you have to create conversion in a subtle manner. Without being pushy but by setting a sense of urgency you have to make them do what you want. Are you ready to learn how to write CTAs? Here are some powerful lines that your readers shouldn’t miss out –

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These are things that count when you are designing brochures. What you write in your brochure is as important as it’s aesthetic value. Once you follow these 6 steps, you might be surprised how quickly you are falling short of space.

Get Similar Design

Now, it’s time to design one. These are the 20 awesome brochure templates to get inspired from. Check out the detailed guide about designing a brochure.