How To Design Your Own Direct Sales Brochures

Each direct sales company operates differently. Some provide their sales representatives with customizable marketing materials including brochures, others provide graphics and suggestions. Either way, a direct sales business may benefit from having their own personalized marketing materials and that often begins with a brochure.

A brochure has a few basic responsibilities.
Sell products
Provide contact information

Selling a product is accomplished via graphics which represent the company and help the reader to identify with the product. Selling is also established via content what is written in the brochure. Lets take a look at the steps involved in integrating these two responsibilities into a two or three page brochure.

Step 1. Grab a piece of paper and list the benefits of your products. How does your product help your customer? How are their lives changed, improved, and benefited? Take a look at your company website to see how they address this question. Also, if they provide any marketing content, particularly if it is a recognizable slogan or mission statement, consider including this on your brochure as it will help establish brand recognition.

Step 2. Ask yourself why someone would pick up your brochure? Is there a promotion or coupon you can attach to the brochure to provide an incentive?

Step 3. What information is it vital to include? For example, do you want to include a list of your top sellers and the prices or is it more important to talk about the benefits of hosting a party?

Step 4. Consider your budget. Pricing for a brochure varies tremendously depending on paper quality, paper color, two fold or three fold, ink colors, and quantity. Do a bit of research to determine how much it is going to cost for various options.

Step 5. How are you distributing the brochure? Are you mailing it or handing them out? The difference will affect your design. For example, if youre mailing the brochure placing the postage mark over your contact information will dramatically affect your response rate.

Step 6. Write the content in an informal, conversational voice. One trick is to write the content like youre talking to or writing to a friend. This type of writing style is easier to read and easier for prospects to relate to. Choose your graphics and place them in your copy keeping in mind balance helps aid readability. If the top of the brochure is heavy with graphics and the bottom is heavy with copy it might be easier to read if the graphics are placed throughout the copy.

There are many brochure design programs available both online and via software packages available at the local office supply store. Microsoft Publisher is a good program, however it is pretty expensive. Keep in mind how many brochures you will be creating each year to determine if the expense of the software will provide a good return on investment.

Brochures are an excellent tool to communicate with prospects and customers. They have the handy ability to hang around in homes and businesses and inspire impromptu sales. Brochures help customers and prospects find your contact information when they need it and keeps your products and business fresh in their minds.

How to Create an RSS Feed Using FeedBurner

Feedburner is a free online RSS feed creation tool that allows you to create a RSS feed of your own for your blog, podcast, video cast or other website. In just a few quick and easy steps you can have your feed created and functional on your website. Here’s step-by-step instructions on how to create your own RSS feed with FeedBurner.

1. Go to www.Feedburner.com
2. Enter the URL (link) to your blog, podcast or video feed in the box in the middle of the page.
3. If you are burning a feed for a podcast, be sure to check the appropriate box after entering your link.
4. Click Next.
5. You may be directed to a page that tells you there is more than one feed at this address, if that’s the case, you will need to choose the option that fits best. For our purposes here, we are creating an RSS feed so choose the RSS option.
6. Click Next.
7. The next step will verify the blog address and you’ll be able to name your feed and customize your feed address.
8. If you don’t have an account at FeedBurner, you will need to create one. If you do have an account, simply sign into your account.
9. Click Activate Feed.
10. You have now created a feed with FeedBurner. You should now see your feed’s link. This is the web address where you can subscribe to your feed and is also where you’ll want to send others to subscribe to your feed.
11. From here you can customize the way your feed looks and more, by moving through the steps and choosing the options that fit your needs best.

Take the time to browse through all the options available to make your feed just what you and your readers want and need.

How to Create an Audio File with Audio Acrobat

Audio Acrobat is an audio recording online software that allows you to record audios that can be sent to others, played on your website and more. You will need an account in order to use the software and there is a monthly fee that you are required to pay in order to utilize it.

Here are the steps necessary to record an audio using your Audio Acrobat account.

First, login to your account at http://audioacrobat.com
Once logged in do the following to create an audio within your account.

1. Choose Audio Tab at top
2. Click the Create New Audio Link
3. Choose the appropriate button depending on how you want to create your audio: Record By Phone or Audio Web Recorder

First we’ll go through the Record by Phone option.

1. Click the Record by Phone button.

2. You’ll see the phone number to call as well as your PIN number.

3. Dial the number on your telephone and when prompted enter your PIN number followed by the pound (#) key on your phone.

4. For this how to sheet we are going to record a personal audio with only one person so when prompted dial the number 1 on your telephone.

5. You’ll be asked to start your recording and then press any key once complete.

6. After you’ve recorded your audio you will need to do one of the following.

Hang Up – This will automatically save your recording.
Press 1 – To hear your recording played back to you.
Press 2 – To erase your recording and start over.
Press 3 – To save your recording.
Press 9 – To not save your recording.

7. Once you’ve got your audio exactly as you want it be sure to press 3 to save your recording.

8. Then simply login to your account, click the Audio tab, and then click the Show Audios link to see your recording listed.

Now to record an audio via your computer microphone.

1. On the Create Audio page click the Audio Web Recorder button.

2. You may get a message on the next page about Adobe Flash Player Settings, asking you to allow AudioAcrobat.com to access your camera and microphone. In order to record an audio this way you need to click the green check mark button labeled allow.

3. To begin recording click the Begin button.

4. You’ll see a new screen pop up with a grey Record button with a red circle lit up. In order to record you will need to click this button.

4. Begin recording your audio. When you are ready to stop simply click the Stop button with the red square that is lit up.

5. To listen to your recording click the Play button that is now lit up with the green arrow.

6. Once you have your audio the way you want it name and enter a description for the file in the appropriate boxes and click the Save button.

You’ll then be taken to the Media Job List page that lists all your audios. You should see your most recent recording at the top of the list.