Marketing Collateral: What It Is and What to Create First

Marketing collateral is the set of branded materials that help people understand your offer and take the next step. It supports the buyer journey from first interest to purchase and even retention. The best collateral answers real questions makes decisions easier.

What is marketing collateral?

Most people think marketing collateral is just brochures and PDFs. That is part of it, but the real meaning is broader. Any asset that helps a buyer trust you and move forward counts. It can be a one pager a rep sends after a call. It can be a landing page that explains your service clearly. It can be a case study that proves results.

Collateral works when it does one job well. It does not try to explain everything. It fits the moment and the person reading it.

Marketing collateral vs marketing materials vs sales collateral

These terms get mixed up, so let’s clear it up.

• Marketing materials is the broad bucket. It can include anything used to promote a brand (A social post can be marketing material).
• Marketing collateral supports the journey and helps a buyer decide (A case study is collateral).
• Sales collateral is built for sales conversations and closing, like objection handling and follow-ups (A proposal template is sales collateral).

When you label them correctly, you stop creating random assets and start creating useful ones.

Where collateral fits in the buyer journey

A buyer does not wake up ready to buy. Most people move in stages.

• In the awareness stage, they want simple clarity. They ask, “What is this and is it for me?”
• In the consideration stage, they want proof. They ask, “Will this work in my case?”
• In the decision stage, they want confidence. They ask, “What happens next and what is the risk?”
• In retention, they want value. They ask, “Did I choose right and what the next step is?”

Your collateral should match those questions. When it does, your conversion rate improves without extra traffic.

Why marketing collateral matters for teams?

A business can run ads and still lose deals. It can post daily and still feel invisible. In many cases, the gap is collateral. The buyer gets interested, then hits confusion. Confusion slows decisions and kills trust.

Good collateral improves brand recognition and brand trust. It also helps sales teams speak with one voice. That means fewer mixed messages and fewer lost deals. It saves time too, because reps stop rewriting the same explanation in every email.

The main types of marketing collateral

You do not need everything. You need the right set for your business.

Awareness assets that create first interest

These assets help people notice you and understand what you do fast.

Social posts and short videos work well here. Infographics can also work if they simplify a topic. Event posters and simple flyers still matter for local businesses and trade shows.

Consideration assets that build trust

This is where people compare options. They want detail, but not noise.

Case studies and testimonials work because they show proof. Guides and ebooks work when they teach something useful. Landing pages work when they answer the buyer’s main questions and show real outcomes.

If you only create one thing for consideration, create a strong case study. It is the easiest way to answer “has this worked before?”

Decision assets that push the deal forward

Decision stage collateral needs to reduce risk and remove friction.

A one pager helps because it is easy to forward. A product datasheet helps when buyers want specs and details. A sales deck helps when you need a clear story in a call. A proposal template helps because it standardizes how you present scope and pricing.

Retention assets that keep customers and grow accounts

That is a mistake to ignore the retention.

Onboarding materials reduce support tickets and lower churn. A simple success checklist helps customers see progress. Education content helps them get more value. Renewal and expansion kits help your team show what the customer achieved and what to do next. This is marketing collateral too, because it protects lifetime value.

Digital vs print collateral

Digital collateral is easy to update and easy to measure. Print collateral can feel more tangible and personal. Both work when used in the right place.

Digital fits websites, email follow-ups, social, and partner sharing. Print fits events, local outreach, and in-person meetings. Print also works when your audience prefers physical materials, like certain B2B industries.

One warning though. Print goes outdated with the passage of time. If you cannot update it, keep it evergreen and simple.

The framework for creating collateral that performs

Many teams create assets based on ideas, not buyer needs. That creates “pretty files” nobody uses. This framework keeps you grounded.

Start with your audience and pain points

Begin with your ideal customer profile. Then build one or two buyer personas. Focus on pain points and use cases. Add the common objections you hear in sales calls. When you create collateral from real questions, the writing becomes natural.

Build a simple messaging foundation

Before design, lock your message. Your value proposition should be one clear sentence. Add three proof points that support it. Add one clear differentiator that is true, not hype. Then write in one tone of voice across assets.

This keeps brand messaging consistent and it makes your brand feel stable.

Give every asset one clear job and one CTA

An asset should do one job. It might explain the offer and handle objections. It might prove results. It should not do all three.

Then give it one CTA and be specific. “Book a demo” is clear. “Get a quote” is clear. “Learn more” is too weak.

Collateral by funnel stage table

Use this table to decide what to build first.

Funnel stage	Buyer question	Best collateral	Proof element	Strong CTA
Awareness	What is this	Short video, simple page	Clear promise	View services
Consideration	Will it work for me	Case study, guide	Results and quotes	See case study
Decision	What happens next	One pager, proposal	Scope and steps	Book a call
Retention	Did I choose right	Onboarding kit	Quick wins	Start checklist

 

The process that stops collateral from dying in drafts

Most teams struggle with collaboration. They create five versions and lose track. This is not a design problem. It is a workflow problem.

Set ownership and approval once

Decide who owns each asset. Decide who approves it. Limit reviewers because too many reviewers create delay and watered down copy. Use a basic approval workflow. Draft, review, final, publish.

Fix version control and create one source of truth

Store collateral in one place. Use clear naming conventions. Use a simple structure, like by funnel stage or by product. Add notes about where each asset is used and when it should be updated. When people can find the right asset in seconds, usage rises.

When a full asset library becomes necessary

As you grow, you will have more collateral and more teams. That is when a formal asset library becomes valuable. The goal is simple. Make it easy to find the latest version and prevent old PDFs from circulating.

Brand consistency without making everything feel robotic

Brand consistency is not only design. It is also tone and message. Keep logo usage consistent. Use the same brand colors and typography. Use one tone of voice across emails, PDFs, and decks. Keep key phrases consistent too, like your main promise and your core benefits.

Templates help, but do not force every asset into the same layout. Different formats need different structures.

Where collateral should live so people actually use it

Creation is only half the work. Distribution matters more than teams expect.

Website pages should hold your core story, proof, and FAQs. Email templates should support follow-ups. Sales teams should have a small “ready bundle” that includes a one pager, two case studies, and a short deck. Partners should have a simple kit they can share.

How to measure collateral without turning it into a tracking mess

Most teams either track nothing or track too much. Both fail.

Metrics that matter

Track views, click through rate, and conversion rate for key pages. Track download rate for PDFs. Track how sales uses each asset. Track sales cycle changes if you can.

Do not obsess over perfect attribution. Focus on patterns. If one case study is used in most wins, that matters.

Improve collateral through small tests

Change one thing at a time.

• Test a new headline.
• Test a shorter CTA.
• Test a different proof section.

Small changes add up, and they teach you what buyers respond to.

 Collateral Fixes That Move Deals Forward

Common problem	Why it happens	To-the-point fix
Sales does not use the assets	Collateral doesn’t fit real sales moments.	Build a sales bundle for follow-up, objections, proposals, renewals.
Brand looks inconsistent across teams	No guidelines, no templates, no single latest version.	Set brand guidelines, use templates, keep one source of truth.
Nobody knows what to create next	Work is opinion-led, not funnel-led.	Map funnel gaps, prioritize the leaking stage, build that asset next.
You cannot prove ROI	No clean tracking or review routine.	Track usage + conversions, review monthly, cut weak assets, improve winners.

Tools that help, without turning this into a tool hunt

• Use simple creation tools for speed.
• Use slide tools for decks.
• Use email and CRM tools to connect collateral to the journey.
• Use an asset library when version chaos becomes a real problem.

Do not buy tools to fix unclear messaging. Fix your message first. Tools amplify what is already there.

What to build first for common business types

 

B2B service business starter set

Create one strong services landing page, one pager, two case studies, and a proposal template. That set covers most sales moments.

SaaS starter set

Create a clear product page, an explainer video, two customer stories, and a short sales deck. Add onboarding assets early to reduce churn.

Local business starter set

Create a localized service page, simple flyers, testimonials, and referral assets. Keep the CTA clear, like call now or book a visit.

Localization and compliance that builds trust

If you market to different regions, localization matters. Pricing, examples, and even language can shift by location. Translate only what you can maintain.  Also respect privacy and consent in your tracking and forms. Trust is part of collateral, even when the asset is a landing page.

Collateral audit and cleanup plan

If you already have a pile of assets, do a cleanup.

List everything you have and remove duplicates. Mark what is outdated. Assign an owner to each key asset. Set update dates. Put the best assets into one bundle for sales and one bundle for marketing.

This one step increases usage overnight, because people finally know what is current.

Final thought

The best marketing collateral is the stuff people actually use. Keep it tied to real buyer questions, keep it easy to find, and keep it updated. When your collateral is clear, your marketing feels stronger even without increasing ad spend.

FAQ

What is marketing collateral?

It is any branded asset that helps buyers understand your offer and take the next step, from awareness to retention.

What are examples of marketing collateral?

Common examples include brochures, one pagers, case studies, landing pages, pitch decks, proposal templates, and onboarding materials.

What is the difference between marketing collateral and sales collateral?

Marketing collateral supports the full buyer journey. Sales collateral is built for sales conversations, follow-ups, and closing.

What collateral should I create first?

Start with one clear page that explains your offer, one proof asset like a case study, and one simple one pager for follow-ups.

How do I keep collateral consistent?

Use brand guidelines, templates, and one source of truth. Keep messaging consistent across channels and keep versions controlled.

How do I measure if collateral works?

Track conversions, clicks, downloads, and usage by sales. Review monthly and improve assets based on patterns.