Everyone see the lovely yearbooks? Now, watch them disappear! Ah, if only it was as easy as a magic trick. But we can become yearbook magicians with a little marketing magic. In this two-part post, we have monthly promotional ideas to make yearbooks do a disappearing act all year long.
This hot, sweltering month is the ideal time to promote your cool back-to-school sales. Even if classes don’t start till September, take advantage of the eighth month to market Back-to-School (BTS) prices. Consider offering the cheapest and best price, an incentive to entice early buyers. Also, consider other promotions: free items with purchase or a package deal that includes extras for a bundled price. Limit your BTS special and price to a month or less to stress the urgency.
Reach the entire student body by mounting a massive marketing campaign:
- Utilize the eMarketing program to send out emails to the entire student body. (Check out our eMarketing webinar for step-by-step setup)
- Send mailouts to students’ homes.
- Promote the BTS price on social media posts and posters at school.
- Include order forms in registration or first day packets.
- Set up an order table at registration or new student orientations.
Hang “Buy Your Yearbook” posters around the school (we sent you a pack of 4 in your production kit, but you can order more at StudioBalfour.)
September
Increase early sales by reaching the buyers in charge of the pocketbooks: the parents. In the fall, the biggest opportunities to reach hundreds of parents are Open House and Friday night football.
For Open House, consider a two-folded strategy. Set up an order table for taking campus orders or submitting live online orders. Utilize your students throughout the night to pass out tear strips or business cards with the yearbook price and order information. If you’re still offering the BTS price, showcase that special deal or offer a special Open House price for ordering that evening.
Football season provides several marketing opportunities. Coordinate game announcements with your athletic director to have yearbook information announced at subvarsity and varsity games. (This is also a smart way to share Picture Day and senior portrait information with parents.) If your stadium has a video scoreboard, coordinate with the school or district to run a yearbook ad at each home game. This giant visual is a great reminder to parents about ordering a yearbook.
Several Houston-area schools like Jersey Village High School and Summer Creek High School (above) advertise yearbook sales on the scoreboard video screen at football games. Photo by Cindy Gonzales
October
Have a ghoulish time marketing the yearbook in October. Here are a few fun, spooky ideas.
- Decorate your door with a Halloween yearbook theme, advertising the book.
- Plan and participate in National Buy Your Yearbook Day, Oct. 23.
- Give out ghost lollipops (tissue covered lollipops) with order info tied to them.
- Give a piece of candy with every order (have online buyers bring by their sales receipt).
- Create a Halloween-inspired video to market the book.
Throw a Halloween party, offering a buyer’s incentive to all attending. Have a little food, a crafts activity and share a short slideshow of current spreads.
Patrick Henry High School and Agua Fria High School decorated their doors with a Halloween theme for an October marketing strategy.
November
This fall month is when we’re most reminded to be thankful. So, let’s be grateful to our buyers. Send thank you notes to everyone who has bought a book. Feature a few of those early buyers on your social media accounts, including order information for potential buyers.
Look at last year’s orders to see what early buyers haven’t purchased a book yet. Focus on those students and send them a reminder. Consider offering them a discount or coupon for ordering by Nov. 30.
Last fall iPrep Academy sent out thank you notes with Jolly Ranchers to all students who had already purchased a book. November is an ideal time to share gratitude as we get closer to Thanksgiving.
December
The holiday season is the ideal time to focus on sales. Consider sending another round of emails and mailouts to the entire student body. Heavily advertise the yearbook as a holiday gift option. Wrap up one of our gift notices to have a present under the tree.
This is also a good time to push last-chance sales for the current price. Consider a price increase for the second semester to help increase December sales.
Poof! That’s more than 15 promotional ideas for the fall semester. Wave your magic marketing wand and make one, two or three ideas materialize to help those books disappear. And if you liked this magic act, stay tuned for the second part of Monthly Marketing Magic. It’ll appear before your eyes in a few weeks.
