How to Make Handouts and Brochure Communications

In olden days, taxis with loudspeakers were used to do mass communication combined with dispersing handouts. Wall posters were stuck on boards and walls for public viewing. These are now considered as a public nuisance. Now, handouts, pamphlets, charts and webpages are for mass communication of certain programmes, campaigns or technology communications for development. These are meant mainly for the common public. Therefore, these are written in simple easily understandable language and a convincing optimistic note. These are applied modes of communication, attractively formatted than the popular creative articles of magazines.

Content writers who can do mindful presentations can only make such an impressive and effective matter for brochures. Due to graphically rich layout, creative design, high-quality production and a stock of these are costly in terms of printed content. Digitally these can accommodate a single page of a website and therefore can run economically.

Instead of describing the content using descriptive contents alone, creativity has to be incorporated to make the content more interesting and fascinating to the common public.

Pictures, diagrams, charts and graphic illustrations, make the article attractive and easily understandable by the common readers.

In digital media, we can incorporate videos and sound. Digital communications including text content, digital graphics, videos and voice podcasts, integrated into a single web page make the content very much interesting.

Forms of Communication

• Folders
• Leaflets/ handouts
• Brochures
• Booklets
• Websites
• PDFs.

• A catchy long-form title which is of less than 15 words.
• A brief introduction to the topic.
• Bulleted creative content which is crisp and without technical jargons and complicated descriptions. Content length may be limited to 500 to 750 words so that the readers will not loose and information at the same time not getting bored after many details.
• Information-rich graphic content such as photographs illustrations and diagrams simplifying the technical details.
• The conclusion is brief and objective oriented.
• Contact Details.
• Bibliography.

Title of the Brochures

This is usually a long-form title including the technology as well as its utilisation and benefits. That means the title also includes useful keywords in it so that it will be easily searchable online.

Introduction

An introduction is a brief outline of the programme which leads to the subsequent details. This will be usually a small paragraph. This part only draws the attention of the user to the main topic. Purpose of this section is to make the user clear about the goal of the programme and what objectives it can fulfil as per as the user is concerned.

Programme or Product Descriptions

Details are given precisely what is required for the understanding of the programme only. No technical details which are not related to the purpose may be avoided. If a writer is preparing the content for the coordinator, he must understand clearly what he needs to describe and what he should not. This section gives technical, operational, dealing and financial information and key benefits to the customers.

Conclusions

Various advantages are highlighted here so that the user will be convinced about the benefits. It easily helps to close the deal or convey the objectives.

Contact Details

Proper details for the contact of the coordinator and contact person may be given so that at a given point of time clients can benefit contacting the persons.

Bibliography and acknowledgements

Unlike many of the technical reports, only user-relevant bibliography can be given so that the technology strengths and novelty can be made evident.

This place can also be utilised for acknowledging the technology invention support provider in the form of financial or technical cooperation.

Any form of trademark, patent, copyright or industrial design should be indicated so that it not only shows the strength of the venture but also supplements branding and commercial value.

Branding

Branding gives benefit not only for the proprietor but also for the clients. Therefore branding has become a beneficial entity as far as commercial marketing is concerned. It is also a useful easy keyword for an online search. It gives thrust for the commercialization process.

Photo and Video Requirement

For printed publications very high quality and attractive photographs and graphics are required. Always have in hand at least 2100 px by 1500 px which can be utilized for different purposes such as background, front picture, inset pictures, etc. If there is a video on the Internet pertaining to the programme or product, its link may be mentioned as URL or QR code.

Medium size photos of 1280 px by 720 px photos are required for webpages.
In the digital platform, 1080 dpi HD videos are a standard for digital video communication. These are changing according to technology and industry requirements. Up to one minute video will be good for this purpose. The purpose is to give a ringside glimpse of the programme.

Planning and execution

While preparing these there are front-end and back-end operations involved. Fixing the date and time of publication is very important. Based on which various activity timelines have to be drawn. If it needs to be printed what can be the size? Usually, pamphlets are in two-fold of quarter demy paper with lamination. If it is a coffee table folder, it can be one fold of half demy or quarter demy with lamination. Laminations prevent from staining and spoilage. Digital prints are very sharp and elegant.

It can be a webpage, social media post or an e-mail PDF. These will be determined by the needs of the marketers.

Usually, in case of small number of communications, cost of website and print will be on par. In case of a large number of communications, a webpage followed by e-mail contact will remain economic.

• A preview of the programme, activity or product is required mainly for communication of authentic information. The information content will provide knowledge to the holder.
• It is easy to distribute being handy or portable over the internet.
• In case of product or service brochures, the client or consumer owns key details in his hand in the form of the brochure which represents the company or the coordinator.
• It adds value to the product in terms of authentication of various things including contact information.
• It builds trust and confidence in the provider.

In outreach activity, handheld communications and single page mobile phone, tablet or webpage communications play an important role. Depending on the quality, the productions costs may vary. These brochures are content-rich materials than visiting cards and lesser in the budget as compared to business stories or technical bulletins. Prepared content for handouts can be flexibly manipulated for pamphlets, posters or webpages. These may be prepared in compatible portable formats such that it can reach social media easily.