I am certainly not an expert on advertising. However, as someone who has been fighting with how to put together a decent brochure and business card for years, and has looked at many others out there, I can at least give you some pointers.

First I introduce some issues particular to different types of printed advertising, then I discuss some general principles that effect all of the types discussed.

What are you planning to do with your business card?

• Post it on bulletin boards in stores etc.
• Use it as an appointment card.
• Hand it to people I am getting to know
• Hand out dozens at trade shows etc.

Your answers to the above govern certain factors of how you design your card.

If the card will be posted on bulletin boards, try to design it to be eye-catching and easy to read from about 6 feet away. (More on this below)

If it is an appointment card, then make sure it has space to write in appointment date & time, and has the full details of how to reach your location. A map might even be helpful.

Whether the purpose is to hand it out to just a few people you are getting to know, or hand out dozens at a trade show affects how much you will wish to spend on your cards. If you plan to give out hundreds of cards, then a standard box of ordinary cards is appropriate. If giving out only a few cards, using more expensive stock, or even something non-traditional, such as a designing a pen might be a good option.

There are even sites that allow you to design free (except for shipping and handling) business cards, which can be a good way to get started. I have used vistaprint.com, but an internet search on free business cards will turn up many others.

I personally do not give out that many cards, so I am experimenting with giving out a pen with my contact information on it. It costs more for a pen than a business card, but people seem to keep them more often, while business cards are often filed or tossed out. Other people experiment with magnets, notepads or paperclips. There are many sources for such "promotional items" both on the web, and through local business supply stores, such as Staples, Mail boxes etc, or Office max.

Brochures give much more scope and space than a business card. Once again many factors govern what type of brochure to do.

• Post it on bulletin boards in stores etc.
• Put it in professional offices or stores
• Mail it regularly to a mailing list
• Include teaching schedule
• Hand out at a trade show
• Hand out a few to potential clients
• Emphasize teaching or sessions

Be sure you like it before committing to a major print run. First efforts are rarely still what is wanted 6-12 months later. I highly recommend doing small runs of brochures on your computer, use them for a while, and then decide what changes to make before committing to a larger print run.

Cost per brochure is a more important number than the cost to design the brochure. If giving out a small number of brochures, then spending $1+ a brochure for high quality paper and printing may make sense. However, if you intend to go to a trade show and hand out a few hundred, then it can become cost prohibitive to do so.

If putting the brochure in a professional office or salon, check to see what other brochures in that environment look like, and what types of information they contain.

If you are looking for a good ready-made practitioner brochure, check out this brochure from info4people.com. Cost is (as of 7/04) 0.30-0.40 cents a piece depending on quantity.

If mailing the brochure out to a mailing list of past clients and students, then make sure that there is something new in each mailing. It can be a newsletter, a new schedule, or a new service. Email is far more cost effective of course, but not everyone has email, and a physical piece of paper is a good reminder.

Advertising is a great way to waste a lot of money. Keep a close eye on how many people find you through a given ad, and discontinue or change any ads that are not producing. I typically am happy to double or triple the money I spend on ads, not a very good rate of return, but steady. Word of mouth is always the best advertising.

Place your card, brochure or magazine ad somewhere where there are alot of similar size ads. This can be at your local store bulletin board or on the floor of your house amongst other ads you have collected. It does not matter what these other ad are for.

Stand back 6 feet, and ask the following questions about the it.

Do you notice it?

Does it look interesting?

Can whatever is most important be read from a distance?

Is it clear what is being offered?

Is it clear even if the viewer doesnt know what Reiki is?

Is it clear how it may benefit the viewer?

Is it too busy? Too empty?