Campus marketing is a bit tougher when you’re not on campus. More than ever, we should rely on eMarketing to boost yearbook sales.
When the coronavirus first began to spread in the spring, there was a mild panic about yearbooks. Will there still be a yearbook? When will it arrive? Can I still get one?
As staffs finished books remotely, an interesting statistic emerged. Sales went UP. Balfour sold 25 percent more yearbooks online than it did the previous spring. This fall, more schools than ever have set up online stores to sell books. And more than ever, schools should take advantage of eMarketing.
What is eMarketing?
This free marketing tool is an easy way to reach buyers and boost yearbook sales through email. Using your StudioBalfour account, you can design and send custom campaigns with just a few clicks. Here are three simple steps to get started.
In the eMarketing portal in StudioBalfour, you can launch a new campaign, customize messages and images, manage your templates and see all your previous campaigns.
You can select from a variety of pre-designed email templates or create your own custom message. Send emails to the entire school or target non-buyers and specific groups for specialized sales.
The platform can also be utilized to communicate other messages to the student body. Use it to send reminders about picture day, advertise baby ads or encourage photo submissions with ImageShare and EZPix. Staffs can also email thank you messages for purchasing a book or provide updates on yearbook distribution.
This is one of seven EZPix campaigns you could choose from to advertise the crowdsourcing tool for portraits and event photos.
Why should I try it?
The pandemic has made it much more difficult to sell yearbooks, especially to virtual students. The eMarketing tool provides a powerful way to connect with buyers and share information.
When schools switched to remote learning last year, Bellevue East High School reached out with an eMarketing campaign. They shared a sneak peek video of the book, encouraging students and parents to order at balfour.com. Overnight, they sold nine additional books and 57 books in eight days. Before this year, Bridgeland High School had never used eMarketing. When the Houston-area school started virtually, the adviser decided to give it a try. Before the first campaign, they had sold 69 books. Within 24 hours of the initial email, sales rose to 132 orders and in a week skyrocketed to 317 sold. After their second campaign, the sales almost doubled to 607 orders. A third email, targeted to seniors, brought in 81 more orders.
Let eMarketing do the work
This free marketing tool is an ideal way to reach buyers. Send and schedule emails with eMarketing and watch your sales grow. Ready to get started? Check out the full user guide here and our eMarketing video from Amplify. Contact your rep for more details.
