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A winning winter: Why you should start yearbook sales right now

When it comes to creating a timeline for your yearbook sales and marketing campaign, winter can be a key time of year.

The winter months typically represent the halfway mark on yearbook production, which makes this the perfect time to get students and parents interested in your product and accrue pre-sales.

Starting your marketing campaign now reminds everyone the end of the school year is within reach, and they may wish to set aside funds for spring expenses such as yearbooks, caps and gowns, graduation parties and event banquets. Further, the more pre-sales you can accrue now, the better you can predict end-of-year sales and adjust your budget accordingly.

Here are some ideas for taking advantage of these colder months to promote your overall yearbook sales.

  • Recruit student staffers to plan and execute your winter marketing campaign, taking the opportunity to teach the tenets of successful marketing.
  • Stage a brief “Early Bird Sale” wherein yearbooks are offered at a lower price. Yes, you’ll be giving up revenue, but you’ll also boost cash flow, create buzz, gain a better idea about your demand and reach buyers who wouldn’t otherwise invest. Studies show early bird prices convey urgency and motivate buyers who want to avoid regret over missing a deal. And because people share stories about good deals, you should get free word-of-mouth that could let you save on advertising.
  • Similarly, you could employ “scaffold pricing” wherein the price of your yearbooks rises incrementally each month until the end of the year.
  • Ask yearbook staffers to man highly visible pre-sale tables at wintertime events that will draw parents, including conferences, concerts, plays and sporting events.
  • Ensure posters and fliers advertising winter pre-sales are all over your building and in school news publications, showing photo “teasers” of some highlights, summarizing your content and explaining the pricing structure. Constant reminders may motivate students to either buy early or start saving up.
  • Depending on school policy, you may be able to send promotional emails or automated phone messages directly to students and parents. You might also post messaging on school social media.
  • To create even more buzz, think about staging fun school-wide contests using yearbooks as prizes.
  • When possible, focus your sales efforts on the freshmen and seniors who, historically, have been top yearbook customers. For seniors, focus on nostalgia and the fact they’ll leave school forever in a few short months, taking only their lifelong memories.
  • Consider contacting students who are prominently featured in your yearbook to encourage them to invest.
  • Keep a database of past customers. Maintaining email information allows you to send promotional messages to students each year they attend your school, while also reaching parents with multiple kids in your school system.

Spring may still feel like a pipe dream, but the end of the school year and the release of your next yearbook is really just a few months away. Make sure you’re ready to optimize sales by using this somewhat slower interval productively.

Find more helpful suggestions for optimizing your yearbook sales at Lifetouch.com.

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