Woohoo! You’re done! The yearbook is finished, you’ve sidelined thoughts about next year (at least for a week or two), and you’re ready to start handing out books. So, how do you get the rest of the school as excited as your staffers? Two words: Launch party.
What's a launch party?
A yearbook launch party is an innovative way to create buzz for the book’s arrival. Essentially, you invite key school personnel (administration, counselors, front office staffers) for a sneak peek at the book. Cedar Park High School held its first-ever launch party last May, offering light snacks and a short presentation. The editors showed a 10-minute Power Point, discussing summer camp, theme and design, and statistical information about the class. An editor also read the theme copy while spreads played in the background. Afterward, they gave the attendees 10-15 minutes to flip through the book. “They oohed and aahed over the book and made my staff feel great about their hard work,” adviser Paige Hert said. “I think they appreciate the book more now since they heard the explanation of how much work it is.”
At a 2018 yearbook launch party, the Tracks yearbook staff shared with their administration they took 170,000 photos and conducted more than 700 interviews.
A yearbook launch party is an incredible way to build support from the ground up. It creates good will and communication between the staff and admin. Letting key players see behind-the-scenes work enlightens them about the tremendous work that goes into producing a yearbook.
The launch party is also a smart marketing tactic. We encourage you to invite influential and beloved teachers to your launch party as well. Between administrators and teachers, there are a lot of people who could sing the praises of the yearbook. That is just the kind of buzz you need before handing out the book.
What else?
How else can you get the school buzzing as distribution day draws closer? What simple tasks can get people talking about the big day?
Countdown clock: Similar to the sign we recommended for increasing yearbook sales, use a countdown clock to mark the days until the yearbook arrives. Post the clock in a high-traffic area and change the giant numbers each day. Seriously, when we say giant numbers, we mean giant. Paint GIANT numbers on massive rolls of paper. (After they dry laminate each page so the numbers can be used year after year.) Make people stop in their tracks when they see the countdown, reminding them the yearbook will be here in 4, 3, 2…days. It’s pretty awesome to post that giant 0 on distribution day.
Sidewalk chalk: Snag the most artistic kids on staff and put their talent to work on the sidewalks around campus. Advertise the book’s arrival date, the pick-up location and whether extras are available for purchase. Anderson County High School does a chalkboard marketing campaign every year to advertise distribution day. They make sure to cover prominent walkways and include their cash only policy. This year, they also created chalk ads for their last week of sales to bolster online orders. Before you start decorating, don’t forget to ask admin for permission to go chalk-happy.
Get creative with your sidewalk shenanigans like Timbercrest Middle School did with their mouth-watering donut creations.
Cover reminders: Create buzz by showcasing the beautiful cover again and again. Go all out with a cover reveal video like Glacier Peak High School does every year or go more subtle with social media posts. Take advantage of that gorgeous sample cover the rep brought you by using it in promotional announcements. Remind the audience when and where they can pick up that beautiful book and whether extras are available.
Rock Canyon High School’s staff utilized their social media accounts to remind students about distribution and showcase their cover. Their Twitter post (right) also played off the “It All Depends” theme and choice of covers.
Email: Send out one last email blast to the entire school. Consider using the eMarketing program for pre-made templates and share with parents information about the distribution date, location and ID requirements. If you have extra books to sell, use the email as a final sales push.
Countdown clocks, sidewalk chalk, cover reminders, email and one epic launch party—four small ways and one big way to make the yearbook’s arrival the center of attention. Let’s give them something to talk about.
