Ad sales are the financial backbone of the yearbook. Revenue from business ads, parent tributes, and senior recognition helps cover printing costs, keeping the book affordable for students while allowing the program to earn a profit. Without ads, prices would rise significantly, making the yearbook less accessible. By balancing the budget with ad sales, more students are able to purchase and enjoy the book.
Beyond financial support, ads enrich the yearbook experience. Business partnerships strengthen ties with the community, while parent and senior ads add personal, heartfelt touches. Selling ads also teaches staff members valuable real-world skills in communication, sales, marketing, and teamwork. Ultimately, ads make the yearbook more meaningful, affordable, and connected to the school and community it represents.
For parents, it’s a chance to celebrate your student with a message they’ll treasure forever. For businesses, it’s an opportunity to support your school and connect with the community.
Balfour’s Online Ad Solutions
Balfour provides two options for selling yearbook ads online! While other vendors take a percentage of your ad sales, with Balfour the profit is all yours.
Balfour’s Ad Space
Makes purchasing yearbook ads simple and accessible for parents, families, and local businesses. Purchasers can upload content directly into Encore for advisers to easily access and place in their ad layouts.
Balfour’s Ad Builder
Streamlines the design process with easy-to-use templates that produce professional, high-quality ads. Families and businesses can upload photos, customize layouts, and match the book’s theme. For advisers and staff, this means less editing, fewer formatting issues, and more time to focus on content. Families enjoy the creative control, making their ad a more personal and meaningful part of the yearbook.
🎨 Creative Ways to Sell Yearbook Ads
📣 To Parents & Families
“Legacy Packages” – Offer bundled deals (senior ad + book + nameplate).
Deadline Driven Campaigns – Run early-bird specials, holiday discounts, or “last chance” pushes before page deadlines.
Memory-Makers Table – Set up at football games, concerts, or parent nights with laptops/iPads where families can buy/submit ads on the spot.
Show & Tell – Post past examples on social media and in school newsletters so parents see how personal and memorable they are.
🏪 To Businesses
Theme Tie-Ins – Create ad templates that match your yearbook theme so local businesses feel part of the story.
Social Media Add-On – Bundle a yearbook ad with a shoutout on the school’s official social channels.
Coupons & QR Codes – Encourage businesses to include a discount or QR code in their ad.
Recognition Wall – Display posters in school or on the website listing all supporting businesses.
👩🎓 Student-Led Campaigns
Ad Sales Competition – Divide staff into teams; reward the group or individual who sells the most.
Pitch Day – Role-play and practice sales pitches with teachers and alumni before approaching real businesses.
“Business Spotlight” Pages – Feature a short write-up/photo of supporting businesses alongside their ad.
Creative Packages – Offer half-page or full-page ads that include a mini-photo shoot taken by yearbook photographers.
🎁 Seasonal/Creative Ideas
“Shout-Out Week” – During Spirit Week, let students buy small shout-out ads for friends or clubs.
Holiday Campaigns – Sell parent ads as Christmas, Valentine’s, or graduation gifts.
Alumni Ads – Ask graduates or booster clubs to purchase ads in support of their teams or organizations.
👉 The big key: Make ads feel like part of the celebration, not just fundraising. Families see them as memories, businesses see them as marketing, and students see them as a learning opportunity.
