Guidelines for written materials: brochures and bulletins

• Brochures are usually folded leaflets with an advertising or promotional message.
• Bulletins are often newsletters issued by an organization or institution, distributed to a lay audience but mostly presented in a slightly more technical style.

Your written material should be focused, concise and active. It should make readers eager to do or use what you are suggesting by explaining the benefits.

Think about the following when developing your brochure or bulletin:

The Basics:

• What do you hope to accomplish?
• Who is your audience?
• What are your audience’s needs?
• Why do you expect this audience to be interested in your message?
• How do you hope your audience will respond to your message?

Getting Started:

• Try to develop an outline for your brochure or bulletin.
• How do you want it to begin and end?
• How can you divide it into manageable sections?
• What visual aids can you use?
• When you plan your extension material, get feedback from representatives of all relevant target groups.

Writing and Making the brochure or bulletin:

• Be clear --> Write simply and directly!
• Use photos that support the text to catch the eye and to inform your audience immediately.
• Choose fonts and images that are clear, big enough and of good color and contrast.
• Materials in color are more appealing but make sure that a black and white photocopied version is also clear and legible in case people start copying the original.