Copywriting — Brochure

Use when

• Write the complete copy for a client brochure — covering structure, headlines, benefits positioning, proof elements, and calls to action. Use when a client needs a printed or digital brochure for sales meetings, trade shows, direct mail inserts, or website downloads.
• Use this skill when it is the closest match to the requested deliverable or workflow.

Do not use when

• Do not use this skill for graphic design, video production, software development, or legal advice beyond the repository's stated scope.
• Do not use it when another skill in this repository is clearly more specific to the requested deliverable.

Workflow

1. Collect the required inputs or source material before drafting, unless this skill explicitly generates the intake itself.
2. Follow the section order and decision rules in this SKILL.md; do not skip mandatory steps or required fields.
3. Review the draft against the quality criteria, then deliver the final output in markdown unless the skill specifies another format.

Anti-Patterns

• Do not invent client facts, performance data, budgets, or approvals that were not provided or clearly inferred from evidence.
• Do not skip required inputs, mandatory sections, or quality checks just to make the output shorter.
• Do not drift into out-of-scope work such as code implementation, design production, or unsupported legal conclusions.

Outputs

• The requested copy asset or idea set in markdown, written to publish, review, or adapt without major rework.

References

• Use the inline instructions in this skill now. If a references/ directory is added later, treat its files as the deeper source material and keep this SKILL.md execution-focused.
• Read ../premium-commercial-writing/SKILL.md when the brochure must support premium positioning, high-value sales conversations, executive buyers, or stronger proof and price justification.

Required Input

Before generating any deliverable, ask for:

• Client business name
• Industry / sector
• Country or city (default: Uganda / East Africa)
• Purpose of the brochure (what should the reader do after reading it?)
• Target audience (who will receive this brochure and in what context?)
• Format (trifold, A4 booklet, digital PDF, etc.)
• Services or products to be featured
• Any existing testimonials, case studies, or statistics available

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Part 1 — Purpose Before Writing

Define the single purpose of the brochure before writing a word.

Ask: What is the one action the reader should take after reading this?

Answer	How It Changes the Copy
Call us for a consultation	Lead with the problem and the transformation; end with the call
Visit our website	Build curiosity — give enough to compel a visit, not enough to satisfy it
Approve us as a supplier	Lead with credentials, case studies, and proof
Buy at the point of sale	Lead with the offer and price — transactional, immediate
Refer us to someone else	Make it easy to understand who benefits and why

If the client cannot define a single action, help them choose one. A brochure trying to do five things does none of them.

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Part 2 — The Eight Imprints Rule

Adapted from Pinskey (1997)

A prospect typically needs to encounter a brand or business name eight times before they will act.

The brochure is one imprint. It does not work as a standalone piece — it must be part of a system:

• Meeting (imprint 1) → Business card (2) → Brochure (3) → Follow-up email (4) → Article or post seen online (5) → Referral conversation (6) → Proposal (7) → Second meeting (8)

Implication: Design brochure copy to move the prospect to the next step, not to close the sale. The brochure's job is not to sell — it is to maintain and deepen interest.

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Part 3 — The Eight Elements Every Brochure Must Contain

1. A headline that states the primary benefit — not the company name, not the service category
2. A clear description of who you serve — the reader must immediately recognise themselves
3. The problem you solve — stated in the reader's language, not the business's
4. Your solution (services) — described in terms of outcomes, not processes
5. Proof — at least one testimonial, case result, or named client reference
6. A clear call to action — the single next step, stated explicitly
7. Contact details — minimum two channels (phone + email or WhatsApp)
8. A reason to act now (if applicable) — a deadline, limited availability, or bonus offer

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Part 4 — Features vs Benefits

"Features instruct. Benefits sell." — Hahn (2003)

Every service or product listed in the brochure must be translated from feature to benefit before it appears in copy.

The translation process:

• Feature: "We post 12 times per month across three platforms."
• Benefit: "Your brand stays in front of your audience every three days — without you lifting a finger."

The test: After every claim, ask: "So what does that mean for the reader?" The answer is the benefit.

In a brochure, features are supporting evidence. Benefits are the message.

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Part 5 — The Biggest Brochure Mistakes

1. Leading with the company name and history — the reader does not care yet; earn their interest first
2. Featuring the company, not the client's outcomes — "We were founded in 2015 and have 12 staff" is not a benefit
3. No call to action — a brochure without a next step is a pamphlet
4. Listing services without outcomes — "Social Media Management" tells the reader nothing; "More enquiries, more sales" tells them everything
5. Jargon and industry terms — write for the reader, not for peers
6. No testimonials or proof — claims without evidence are ignored
7. Burying the headline — the cover must state the most powerful benefit, not just the business name
8. Trying to include everything — a brochure with 12 services and 6 sections is unread

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Part 6 — Panel-by-Panel Structure (Trifold)

For a standard trifold brochure:

Panel	Position	Content
Cover	Outside front	Headline (primary benefit) + business name + visual. Nothing else.
Back	Outside back	Contact details + brief boilerplate + secondary CTA
Inside left	First seen on opening	The problem — stated in the reader's language
Inside centre	Central panel	The solution — your services, outcome-led
Inside right	Third inside panel	Proof — testimonials, case results, credentials
Back left flap	Inside back	Call to action + contact details repeated

Rule: Design the cover as the most powerful panel. It is the only panel the prospect sees if they are not yet interested.

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Part 7 — Design Instructions to Include

When briefing a designer, include these content-level design notes:

• Maximum two font families
• Body copy minimum 10pt for print; 14px for digital
• White space is deliberate — do not fill it with more copy or decorative elements
• Photography must show real results, real environments, or real clients — not generic stock
• Every image must serve a specific purpose (illustrate a benefit, provide social proof, or convey scale)
• The call to action must be visually distinct — boxed, coloured, or enlarged
• Separate editorial decisions from design decisions: write the full copy first, then brief the designer

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Quality Criteria

Good output from this skill:

1. The brochure has a single, clearly defined purpose and a single call to action
2. The cover headline states a primary benefit — not the company name alone
3. Every service is described in terms of outcomes, not processes or inputs
4. At least one proof element (testimonial, case result, statistic) appears inside
5. The copy avoids the eight most common brochure mistakes listed above
6. The panel-by-panel structure follows a logical journey from problem to solution to proof to action
7. All copy is written in British English using the register defined in east-african-english

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References

• Hahn, F.E. (2003) Do-It-Yourself Advertising and Promotion, 3rd edn. Hoboken: Wiley.
• Pinskey, R. (1997) 101 Ways to Promote Yourself. New York: Avon Books.
• premium-commercial-writing/SKILL.md - companion layer for premium value, proof, offer framing, and sales-collateral polish.