| name | copywriting-brochure |
| description | 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. |
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
- Collect the required inputs or source material before drafting, unless this skill explicitly generates the intake itself.
- Follow the section order and decision rules in this
SKILL.md; do not skip mandatory steps or required fields.
- 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
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.
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.
Part 3 — The Eight Elements Every Brochure Must Contain
- A headline that states the primary benefit — not the company name, not the service category
- A clear description of who you serve — the reader must immediately recognise themselves
- The problem you solve — stated in the reader's language, not the business's
- Your solution (services) — described in terms of outcomes, not processes
- Proof — at least one testimonial, case result, or named client reference
- A clear call to action — the single next step, stated explicitly
- Contact details — minimum two channels (phone + email or WhatsApp)
- A reason to act now (if applicable) — a deadline, limited availability, or bonus offer
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.
Part 5 — The Biggest Brochure Mistakes
- Leading with the company name and history — the reader does not care yet; earn their interest first
- Featuring the company, not the client's outcomes — "We were founded in 2015 and have 12 staff" is not a benefit
- No call to action — a brochure without a next step is a pamphlet
- Listing services without outcomes — "Social Media Management" tells the reader nothing; "More enquiries, more sales" tells them everything
- Jargon and industry terms — write for the reader, not for peers
- No testimonials or proof — claims without evidence are ignored
- Burying the headline — the cover must state the most powerful benefit, not just the business name
- Trying to include everything — a brochure with 12 services and 6 sections is unread
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.
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
Quality Criteria
Good output from this skill:
- The brochure has a single, clearly defined purpose and a single call to action
- The cover headline states a primary benefit — not the company name alone
- Every service is described in terms of outcomes, not processes or inputs
- At least one proof element (testimonial, case result, statistic) appears inside
- The copy avoids the eight most common brochure mistakes listed above
- The panel-by-panel structure follows a logical journey from problem to solution to proof to action
- All copy is written in British English using the register defined in
east-african-english
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.