by Katie Coronado, yearbook adviser
Cypress Falls High School, Houston, Texas
The yearbook staff produces a valuable resource: a history book, a memory book and a reference book. The price is right. Who wouldn’t want one? Unfortunately, many don’t realize a yearbook’s lasting value until it is too late to get one.
Last year we sold out. It was just a handful more books than we had sold the year before but less than 15% of our total population. It was my first year as an adviser.
We knew we could do better.
We set a goal of almost 100 more books – ambitious for a tiny staff in a school that hasn’t sold that many books in almost a decade.
Our theme for our 2015 yearbook is “Here & Gone.” The theme, as well as the fact that we sold out the previous year, drove our advertising campaign.
We used our school’s messaging system to send out e-mails and phone calls to homes. We made school announcements, created and hung posters all over the school, posted to the school’s (and our own) Facebook and Twitter accounts – all with reminders that 2014 sold out and these would be gone just as fast. People want what they think they might not get and a yearbook is a limited edition – sell it like it’s one.
My staff was very motivated to get the book sold out again. They have been retweeting and telling their friends and classmates to be sure to buy a copy since school started. We celebrated at 25%, 50% and 75%, and planned a big party for making the final deadline. They want their hard work to be seen and wanted.
And it worked! Last week, we completely sold out again, and I am still turning away parents.
Last year not having enough books for every one that wanted one stressed me out, but now I see that it is the best thing that could have happened for my staff. It helped drive sales this year. Next year, we can advertise that we’ve sold out two years in a row.
Don’t be afraid of the disappointed/angry parents – let them know when the next year’s book will be available for sale and hopefully, they will pre-order early.
Excerpt from Elements magazine “How’d You Do That?: Sold Out.”
