{"id":527,"date":"2026-10-08T15:55:21","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T07:55:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.crearventas.com\/blog\/?p=527"},"modified":"2026-10-08T15:55:21","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T07:55:21","slug":"can-i-include-testimonials-in-a-custom-brochure-4815-949afd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.crearventas.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/08\/can-i-include-testimonials-in-a-custom-brochure-4815-949afd\/","title":{"rendered":"Can I include testimonials in a custom brochure?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let\u2019s cut to the chase \u2013 if you\u2019re scrolling this because you\u2019re designing a custom brochure right now and wondering, \u201cCan I actually throw testimonials in there without making it look cheesy or random?\u201d \u2013 the answer is a resounding YES. Full stop. As someone who\u2019s been running this custom brochure supply business for almost 7 years now, I\u2019ve watched hundreds of clients nail this and dozens more mess it up so bad they end up tossing half their stack before it even leaves the printer. Let\u2019s break this down like we\u2019re sitting in my design studio, drinking bad office coffee, no stuffy marketing jargon allowed. Custom Brochure<\/a><\/p>\n

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First, let\u2019s get one myth out of the way: some people think testimonials are just for websites or Amazon product pages, like they\u2019re some cheap trick to sell you a random hoodie. But no \u2013 a custom brochure is a tangible thing. People hold it, flip through it, maybe tuck it in their bag or leave it on a desk for weeks. It\u2019s not a 10-second scroll where you can click a \u201creview\u201d tab and move on. Testimonials in a brochure don\u2019t need to scream \u201cCLICK TO SEE MORE!\u201d They work because they\u2019re tied to something real, something the reader can connect with right there, in their hands.<\/p>\n

I remember a client in 2019 \u2013 a small local dog groomer, let\u2019s call her Marnie. She came to me panicking because her old brochure was just a list of services: \u201cbath, nail trim, teeth brush\u201d with some blurry stock photos of golden retrievers. No one was calling to book appointments. She wanted to add something about how good her work was, but swore she\u2019d rather reprint the whole thing than add \u201cfake\u201d reviews. I told her to just grab the last three text messages she got from happy clients, the ones that weren\u2019t just \u201cthanks!\u201d but actually said something specific. Like, the one from Mrs. Henderson who said, \u201cMy 12-year-old poodle gets so anxious at groomers he shakes the whole time \u2013 Marnie takes 20 extra minutes just to let him sniff the table before she starts, and he didn\u2019t shed a single tear. I\u2019ve been bringing him back for 3 years now.\u201d We trimmed that down to a snappy line, added it right next to her \u201cGentle, low-stress grooming\u201d service section, and swapped the blurry stock photos for a quick snapshot Marnie took of her and a client\u2019s happy pup (permission from the owner, obviously). Three weeks later she texted me \u2013 she\u2019d booked 18 new clients from that brochure, 7 of them said they picked her specifically because of that line. That\u2019s not a fluke. Testimonials in a custom brochure work because they\u2019re targeted to the exact thing your reader is already looking for when they pick up that piece of paper.<\/p>\n

Now, before you go copy-pasting every 5-star Google review you\u2019ve ever gotten and slapping them all over the back cover, let\u2019s talk about how to do this right. Because trust me, I\u2019ve seen it go wrong. Like that spa client who crammed 12 tiny, unlabeled testimonials in 2-point font on the bottom of the back panel, no names, no faces, just \u201cGreat service!\u201d \u201cLove the massages!\u201d \u2013 it looked like spam from a random email list, not real people. Here\u2019s the rule I live by for all my clients: quality over quantity, and specificity over vague praise.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s break that down. If your testimonial is generic, it\u2019s useless. No one cares if a random person says \u201cGreat company!\u201d when they\u2019re holding your brochure to learn about your new line of eco-friendly kitchen containers. But if it\u2019s specific: \u201cI switched to these reusable food storage containers 6 months ago and haven\u2019t thrown away a single plastic bag since \u2013 my kitchen is way less cluttered, and they fit perfectly in my tiny apartment fridge\u201d \u2013 that\u2019s gold. It tells the reader, who\u2019s probably living in the same small apartment, that this product works for their exact situation.<\/p>\n

Also, add context. Readers don\u2019t need a whole biography, but a first name and last initial, or a job title, or even just a neighborhood makes it real. A restaurant client of mine, a farm-to-table spot in Brooklyn, added a testimonial from \u201cJamie, Park Slope\u201d next to their weekend brunch section \u2013 and local customers told me that made them feel like they could relate, like a neighbor recommending a spot, not a celebrity. Even a tiny line like \u201cOwner of a small caf\u00e9\u201d for a B2B service makes a huge difference. No one trusts a quote that says \u201cSarah from 123 Main St\u201d if they don\u2019t know who that is, but \u201cSarah, owner of Corner Bookstore\u201d is someone they might have heard of, or at least can picture as a peer.<\/p>\n

Another mistake people make: putting testimonials where they don\u2019t make sense. I had a construction company client once who put a long testimonial about a custom deck project right next to their new office renovation service. That\u2019s like putting a review for a taco next to a menu\u2019s dessert section \u2013 it doesn\u2019t flow. Testimonials need to be tied to the section they support. If you have a page about your wedding planning services, put a testimonial from a bride next to that page. If you have a page about bulk office printing, put a short quote from an office manager right there. Save the \u201cbig picture\u201d testimonials (like \u201cThis company saved our entire launch!\u201d) for the cover back or the opening spread, where they work as a hook for the whole brochure.<\/p>\n

Wait, let\u2019s get back to that original question \u2013 is there any reason NOT to include testimonials? I can think of a couple, but they\u2019re pretty specific. First, if your testimonials are outdated. If you\u2019re still using a review from 2018, and you\u2019ve completely overhauled your products or services since then, that\u2019s a no-go. A 5-year-old quote about a service you don\u2019t even offer anymore just makes you look out of touch. Second, if your testimonials are negative\u2026 but wait, negative testimonials can work too, if you frame them right. I had a tech support client once who got a complaint that their response time was slow once during a busy holiday season. Instead of hiding it, they turned it into a testimonial: \u201cI waited 2 days for support during Black Friday, and I was frustrated \u2013 but the team stayed on the phone with me for 45 minutes until my issue was fixed, and followed up the next day to make sure everything was working. That\u2019s the kind of care you don\u2019t get from big companies.\u201d That worked way better than 10 generic \u201cgreat support\u201d quotes, because it showed they own their mistakes. But only do that if you\u2019re confident you can explain the negative in a way that highlights your strengths \u2013 don\u2019t do it if it\u2019s a recurring issue.<\/p>\n

And one last big one: don\u2019t steal testimonials. Ever. That\u2019s basic, right? But you\u2019d be shocked how many people come to me with quotes they found on a random website, trying to pass them off as their own. That\u2019s not only unethical \u2013 it\u2019s obvious. I had a marketing agency client try that once, and when I pointed out that the quote they had was from a 2019 review for a different company, they got all defensive, until I showed them how fake it looked. Authenticity is everything here. If you don\u2019t have great testimonials yet, ask for them. Shoot a quick text to your top 10 clients: \u201cHey, we\u2019re updating our brochures, would you be down to answer two quick questions about working with us? It\u2019d help so much.\u201d Most people are happy to do it \u2013 they like being recognized, and it\u2019s low effort.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s talk about how to actually integrate testimonials into your custom brochure so they don\u2019t look like an afterthought. This is the part where working with a custom supplier helps, because we know how to balance design and content. For example, you can do a pull quote \u2013 a testimonial that\u2019s set in a larger font, maybe in a little colored box, pulling it off the page so it stands out. That\u2019s great for people flipping through the brochure quickly, who only catch the big text. Or, you can embed small, subtle testimonials right into the body copy, like: \u201cOur custom paper stock works for every climate \u2013 as one client put it, \u2018It didn\u2019t smudge even when I spilled my coffee on it at a trade show.\u2019\u201d That way it doesn\u2019t feel like you\u2019re shoving testimonials in every gap.<\/p>\n

I also love adding little visuals for testimonials, if it makes sense. Not fancy headshots, that\u2019s overkill for most small businesses, but a tiny photo of the client\u2019s product, or a snapshot of their team, or even a logo if they\u2019re a recognizable business. For that dog groomer Marnie we talked about earlier, we added a tiny polaroid-style photo of her with a golden retriever next to her testimonial \u2013 it was 2×2 inches, super casual, and it made the whole thing feel way more real than just text. People are visual, even on a physical piece of paper.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a quick test I run with every client: if you took the testimonials out of the brochure, would it be weaker? If yes, they\u2019re in the right place. If no, you can probably cut them, or make them more specific. No one wants to read a brochure that feels like it\u2019s just full of other people\u2019s praise \u2013 they want to read what makes your business different, and testimonials are the best way to prove that without you having to say \u201cwe\u2019re the best\u201d over and over.<\/p>\n

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Let me circle back to that original question one more time because I know some of you are still on the fence. I\u2019ve been in this game long enough to see what works, and what doesn\u2019t. Testimonials in a custom brochure aren\u2019t a gimmick \u2013 they\u2019re a way to bridge the gap between what you say about your business and what actual people have experienced. When someone is holding your brochure, they\u2019re making a split-second decision: do I trust this company enough to call, to email, to book, to buy? A real, specific testimonial from someone like them is the fastest way to turn that \u201cmaybe\u201d into a \u201cyes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Custom Brochure<\/a> Now, if you\u2019re already thinking about adding testimonials to your next custom brochure, or you\u2019re ready to order a new one that actually converts, don\u2019t overthink it. Just reach out to chat about what you need \u2013 we can go over how to pick the right quotes, how to integrate them into your design, and make sure the whole thing feels like yours, not a generic template. No sales pitch, no stuffy proposals, just real talk about what works for your business.<\/p>\n

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  1. Consumer Psychology in Print Advertising: A Study of Persuasive Elements in Tangible Marketing Materials (Journal of Marketing Communications, 2021)<\/li>\n
  2. Small Business Marketing Tactics: Leveraging Testimonials for Offline Lead Generation (Small Business Administration, 2022)<\/li>\n
  3. Print Design Best Practices for Customer Engagement (Graphic Design Association of America, 2020)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

    Jiaxing Liandong Packaging Materials Co., Ltd.<\/a>
    As one of the most professional custom brochure suppliers in China, we have world-leading production equipment and strong manufacturing capabilities. Please rest assured to wholesale bulk high quality custom brochure from our factory. We also accept customized orders.
    Address: Room 702, Building 3, Huabang Jinzuo, No. 365, Baichi North Road, Wuyuan Street, Haiyan County, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province
    E-mail: jxliandong@163.com
    WebSite:     https:\/\/www.liandongpacking.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Let\u2019s cut to the chase \u2013 if you\u2019re scrolling this because you\u2019re designing a custom brochure … Can I include testimonials in a custom brochure?<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":312,"featured_media":527,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[490],"class_list":["post-527","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry","tag-custom-brochure-49ae-956488"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.crearventas.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/527","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.crearventas.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.crearventas.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.crearventas.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/312"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.crearventas.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=527"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.crearventas.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/527\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.crearventas.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/527"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.crearventas.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=527"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.crearventas.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=527"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.crearventas.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=527"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}