While content creation is continuous, we don't yet know what things will look like on the other side of this pandemic. Create anyway. Use this time to put those ideas together in a clear, concise, and engaging way so when the world says "go" you can do exactly that. This is part 2 of our Messaging Mediums series. Be sure to check out Part 1: White Papers vs. Reports
There’s a multitude of messaging methods at your fingertips, which ones are you turning to in this difficult time? Does a blog fit your needs or is it a white paper that’s best for your business? Have you put the finishing touches on your one-page sell sheet or are you connecting with a graphic designer to facilitate that shiny brochure you’ve been working on for the past few weeks? Your business, your audience - which method is right for you?
You know your audience, you’ve narrowed down your niche market, and you’re looking for the best place to fling your precious dollars to see the most return on investment possible - we’re right there with you. Delve further with us as we decode the positives and negatives of those well-crafted one-page sell sheets versus those shiny, polished brochures.
What is the right type of content?
Small businesses involve heaps of learning. Yes, this pandemic has thrown us all a curveball, but it’s also provided lots of lessons and offered many us time to continue to create. Today, it’s no longer acceptable for businesses to think they can start themselves up solely with a website and the ability to collect credit card information. Today, customers want connection, contact, and to see companies taking the time to cultivate their brand. Use your time wisely, curating content to the right point of your sales cycle. Whichever promotional marketing methods you choose, don’t let those influential one-pagers or beautiful brochures sit in a box or hang out in a stifled corner of your digital page - get them into the hands of humans to generate more of those precious leads and sales.
Side note: what the heck is a sales cycle?
A what now? A sale cycle is exactly what it sounds like - the cycle of the sale. You know, you gain that prospect’s attention, create interest, find a way to answer questions, solve the problems, and capture that sale. Both one-pagers and brochures play a pivotal role in that vital sales cycle.
Why should I use a one-pager?
A one pager is a sell sheet. It’s often a single-page flyer filled with product information, designed sometimes in color and other times in black and white. Traditionally the one-pager is used at the beginning of the sales cycle to garner a prospective client's interest. Created to provide information on a company’s key features, the one-pager shares details to showcase the business and encourage that potential client to reach out, ask questions, and begin a conversation. Consider the sell sheet as a larger business card or smaller billboard. These guys are often inexpensive, handed out en masse, and ready to get the word out to both boost and engage your audience.
What about using a brochure?
Brochures are different from one-pagers. Brochures move further into the marketing foray. They are often designed to create interest, uptick desire, and push those emotional buttons that great sales pitches can. Traditionally brochures are shinier, more detailed, and encourage prospective customers to move closer to closing the deal. Your beautifully prepared brochure hosting photos, details, information, and more can be as few as 2 pages to upwards of 50. Often more expensive than that potentially disposable one pager, this multi-page printed project educates, highlights, and delves further into the business, products, and services at hand. Utilizing this tool in your marketing tool shed offers prospective clients data, graphics, and far more pin-pointed information than a one-pager - thus hopefully moving said client closer to that close. Whatever you do, please don’t solely reformat one piece of literature (like a white paper) and call it a brochure - the two are complementary but not the same.
Making the choice: it's up to the audience
Your business is different to all others. Sure, there may be many similar types but this one is all yours. You are the best person to know your own audience. What are their questions, so you know what they'll need to read to get the answers? Whenever an individual looks into making a purchase, there are often a few objections or questions surrounding the dependability, price, performance, and warranty of the product or service in question. No matter what marketing medium you design, keeping these questions in mind will help you cater the length and depth of your response so you’re bound to see more traffic.
Each of these marketing materials is used at a significant point of the sales cycle. If an individual shows a passing interest - hand them a one-pager and move along. If a prospective client is nosing around for more detail and seems closer to closing a sale - hand them the brochure and encourage them to reach out. Every sale involves helping a customer find a solution to a problem they may have. You may be selling a service or a product, but in the end, you’re selling the help, the solution to their difficulty - it’s about how you frame the message that makes the difference.
As a business owner, you guide your consumers on a journey. You figure out a problem they may have, craft a solution with your product/service, and offer them a way to resolve said problem. Let us do the same for you. It’s tough for everyone right now, and it’s tougher for many. As we smile under our face masks, we can continue to connect with our customers. We can help you create content to be ready to share it with the world. When the day comes that we can safely meet up at a giant convention or shake hands with our prospective clients again - you’ll be ready with those one pagers and newly-updated brochures. Catch you next time when we check out why a business would utilize the messaging powers of ebooks vs newsletters.
Stay safe, friends - you matter. See you soon.