I love paper. One of my favorite parts of designing a brochure has always been flipping through a book of paper samples and choosing just the right thickness, look and feel. More and more, along with everything else, brochures are going digital. Don't get me wrong, it is still a good idea to have something customers can hold in their hands and take with them that conveys the personality of a product or service by the way it is finished. That won't go out of style any time soon. But having a digital version of your brochure has so many benefits and is one opportunity to tell your brand story.
Here are the top 10 reasons you need a digital brochure for your business.
Saves time: With printed brochures, the process of production, proofing (usually on press) and shipping take some time. A digital brochure can be up and running as soon as final approval is complete.
Reinforces your brand story: Brand Story is how your company came to be, mission, USP, brand voice and key marketing messages. All components of your marketing should tell your brand story and a digital brochure is a great way to reinforce branding and show your customer that you are tech savvy.
Easier to update: Again, fewer steps in the revision process insures the digital brochure can be updated more quickly than a printed one.
More detailed: Because you can make updates more quickly, your digital brochure can have much more time sensitive information, whereas the printed version should be more of a general overview.
Adaptable: Digital brochures can be optimized to present content across devices with perfect quality and increases engagement time.
Tracking Opportunities: There is a ton of data to collect through digital brochures. From reader behavior to leads generated, you are able to truly capture performance and engagement. Your digital brochure can also be search engine optimized. The keywords within your digital brochure can be indexed and ranked by Google to provide additional traffic to your business.
Affordable: If you are on a tight budget, a digital brochure will save you the cost of print production, paper, cutting, folding and shipping. You'll be able to spend more on design and can have it be any shape or style without having to pay extra for special die-cuts or binding.
Shareability: Digital content is a great way to spread your message, because it is easy to distribute and allows your audience to easily share it with others. You can have a link to it on your website or email a link or PDF copy.
QR capability: A digital brochure can incorporate the virtual reality craze. By providing a QR code, your audience can easily obtain your contact information, application, or product just using their phone.
Interactive content: Unlike a physical catalog, digital brochures have the unique capability of embedding interactive content. Not only can videos be added to brochures, but you can also add slideshows, audio, or provide interactive plugins so viewers can chat, provide feedback, or even rate content. Build in links directly to products or include call-to-action buttons for inquiries and tracking. You can link full websites, products, or any media directly within the brochure.