One of the best times to sell yearbooks is long before the pages are approved. In fact, autumn is the ideal time to get yearbook sales underway!
Fall offers plentiful opportunity for you to spread the word, boost interest in the yearbook and start initial sales outreach. Students and parents are excited about school, and you want to play on that excitement during the first part of the school year.
Early sales matter because it gets the student body interested in the yearbook, but it also is good business practice. Those first sales help yearbook clubs better forecast demand and begin to accurately budget expenses. Early sales provide key metrics so teams can make informed choices about financial considerations.
Convinced early sales are important? Good. Now it’s time to take action with some special promotions and sales strategies to get those sales rolling in.
Early bird sale
Depending on the size of your school, have a one-day or one-week sale for the yearbook where it’s available at a low price. Make this the only time for this pricing. For example, if the yearbook regularly sells for $50, early bird pricing could be $35. This deep discount paired with the short time period will get the attention of students and parents.
Scaffold pricing
In addition to early sales, scaffolding pricing creates a sense of urgency while appealing to those who want to save money. If your early bird sale price is $35, for the next month you might sell yearbooks for $40, and then increase by $5 or $10 until full price is reached.
Parent conferences and special events
Parents are typically the ones who pay for the yearbook, so make sure you’re present when they are around. Set up an informational booth with the opportunity to purchase a yearbook at a sale price at all parent conferences, concerts and other special events where parents are attending.
Advertising and visibility
All yearbook staff should be talking about the yearbook at school to spread the word, but to really get information out, you need various advertising strategies. Place an informational booth in the cafeteria with samples of yearbook pictures. Hang posters noting sales information. Tease students by posting the first printed spreads in common spaces. Of course, never overlook the power of the school newspaper, automated phone messages to parents and bold, colorful flyers.
Digital outreach
Promote early yearbook sales on the school website and on social media. Today’s students (and parents!) are online and you’ll want to be there, too. Post samples of pictures and spreads, host contests, advertise ordering information and more.
Focus on freshmen and seniors
Incoming freshmen want to make the most of their first year in high school. Similarly, seniors want to remember their last year in high school. A yearbook is the ideal way for them to have a cherished keepsake reflecting those special years. Make sure to focus outreach on these target audiences and play up the nostalgia factor.
Personalized notes to students
One highly effective sales method is to reach out to students individually who are slated to be in the yearbook. If freshman Chris is slated to be on a particular page, send a note like: “Hello Chris, you’re going to be on the culture spread in the yearbook on page 10!” Then supply ordering information as well. This piques interest and helps boost early sales.
These simple strategies will help you ramp up early yearbook sales so you have a fantastic start to the school year. Embrace autumn opportunities for the best yearbook sales yet!