Value of Using Multi-Page Booklets in a Small Business During Tough Economic Times

This is the third in a series of articles on the design and use of print media for value added marketing and advertising during tough economic times. The goal of this article is the same. Use print media for marketing and promotion during tough economic times. It provides the best value for your marketing dollars. Our specific marketing goal is increase the spending base of existing customers and attract new customers.

This article deals with multi-page booklets. They are probably one of the most expensive of the printed promotional tools, but depending on what your business offers, can be one of the most value added. Multi-page booklets can be used as menus in a restaurant, menus in a salon and spa, product catalogs, multi-page brochures and more. When your business needs to convey a lot of information about products or services in a professional and classy style, the multi-page booklet may be your answer.

Dimensions and Paper- There are variations, but the standard dimension are typically 8″ x 9″, 8.5″ x 11″ and 8.5 x 5.5″. Most standard run printers offer booklets ranging from 4 to 32 pages. Printers specializing in catalogs and magazines offer more pages, but that is out of the realm of we are discussing today. scored and folded in the center. Booklets typically are printed on 100lb Gloss Book Paper and come with or without UV coating. Variations in the type of paper and finish will likely cost more. Order quantities range from 100 to many 1,000. The more you buy, the better the value.

Design/Message – As mentioned earlier, the multi-page booklet is the choice for conveying high quantity, high quality, classy offerings. When using the higher cost multi page booklet approach, ensure you know what message you want to convey and how you want to convey it. If your business pays several hundred dollars for booklets and you decide after the fact they were not what you wanted, our value proposition just went out the window. The basic rule of thumb when using them are:

o best for businesses that have many products, each with detailed descriptions that need to presented in an organized, easily read manner.
o best for businesses that are providing a variety of services with complicated descriptions.
o make sure the design and message coincides with the theme, decor and branding of your business.
o As with other printed materials, keep it simple and easy to read. Flowing hard to read fonts in titles and text, tend to lose readers. Make it as easy as possible for your prospective client, but make it look good. Again, design and message is where a good graphics artist is a must.

Uses – we mentioned some uses earlier, but we will go into a little more detail in this area.

• Your business includes internet sales of 15 to 18 health and beauty products. Using an 8 page multi-page booklet as a catalog describing the products, manufacturer, availability, ingredients and pricing may be ideal. A catalog can be shipped with some or all orders and provides quick information concerning your other available products.
• Your business is a salon and spa that offers hair care, skin care and massage services. Using a 4 page booklet as your menu of services may be your solution. With your graphic artist’s help, you can convey detailed information about services, training and certifications your business has, pricing and present it all in a classy style that coordinates with the decor of your salon and spa.
• Your business is a small neighborhood ethnic restaurant that specializes preparing in-house and take-out the way the customer wants it. Your solution may be a 8 page booklet as your menu. The menu would describe your standard meals and pricing along with the specialty items available for the made to order dishes with pricing. This menu would be given to first time customers as a reward for coming in. They can take it home and determine what there next eat-in or take out will be beforehand.

Again, I am going to harp on branding. The most important thing to remember is to keep all of your promotional materials branded to your business for quick recognition. That means use the same logo, colors, fonts, and themes when developing your print marketing materials.