How To Plan & Develop Your Own Yearbook Sales Campaign

Yearbook Sales Are Critical Some schools do not have to conduct a sales campaign to sell yearbooks. These schools include in yearbook in the tuition of every student on campus. If you are one of these schools, you raise revenue via tuition funds. You major focus will then be marketing the popularity of the book and promoting ad sales If you are not a school with tuition funds paying for your yearbook, then you will need to embark in a sales campaign to sell as many yearbooks as possible to as many people as possible.

Getting Started: Identify Audience You will have opportunities to sell to multiple buyers. Make sure you do not ignore any person or group. Your goal is to maximize sales. Students – do not ignore underclassmen or younger grades. Your yearbook covers all students on campus…not just the graduating class Teachers – Many teachers fail to purchase yearbooks because they are never asked. Take time to develop a special campaign to target all adults on campus, including support staff, paraprofessionals, administration, district personnel, school board, etc. If giving books away has been a tradition, remember that nothing is free… every buyer has subsidized any yearbook you give away Local Businesses – Have you ever considered this option? Consider packaging a yearbook with any ad you sell

Getting Started: Develop Offer The next step in developing an yearbook sales campaign is to identify your cost & develop your offerings: Review your quote from your publisher and also forecast all your expenses and then plan your income via book sales, ads, etc. Develop a best – most likely – worst case scenario when it comes to looking at your budget. Once you calculate all expenses and income, add a cushion of about 10% to help plan for the unexpected. Establish a standard price of your yearbook and then consider offering discount coupons for early buyers as well as raising the price for late buyers. Example: Early Buyers: $45 (first sale – Sept/Oct) Standard Fee: $50 (regular sale – November) Late Buyers: $60 (After Jan – when books arrive)

Getting Started: Develop Offer Review all additional options of merchandise you can sell to your buyers. Any offer you consider should pay for itself plus raise additional revenue for your program. These offers can include: Name stamping (getting your name in foil on the front lid of your yearbook or on an adhesive name plate) Autograph pages/booklets/sections Plastic/Vinyl yearbook covers Yearbook DVD supplement Yearbook Recognition Ad Special commemorative autograph pen

Getting Started: Materials Needed The next step in developing a yearbook sales campaign is to prepare the tools you will need to launch your campaign. You will need the following: Promotion Posters – post around main traffic areas at school 8.5 x 11 Flyers/Announcements for Posting In Classrooms Sales Coupons (should you wish to offer special incentive for purchase – include expiration date) Receipt Pads/Forms – check to see if district requires certain receipt pads Sales Letters/Brochures to mail home – You need to announce sales campaign to parents. See if you can mail home or send home an announcement to let parents know. Also consider posting brochures at attendance office, front office, etc. Promo ads to publish in school paper/programs Web page to promote sale -

Timeline For Program When developing a sales campaign, we recommend a goal of launching up to 3 sales campaigns for the year. Each campaign should have a pre-planning stage, a sales time frame, and a closing stage. Please plan out your sales accordingly and have all the material needed. Here is a game-plan most schools use. 3 weeks before - have announcements written, posters go up, order materials needed for yearbook sales from your publishing company. Consider developing a reader survey to generate interest 2 weeks before - have announcements written, posters go up, order materials needed for yearbook sales from your publishing company. Consider developing a reader survey to generate interest 1 week before - Promote Sales campaign happening next week...send letters home and post info on school marquee. Have announcements begin!!! Sales Week - Execute the sales campaign and have some type of contest. Consider a battle of the classes. Promote the last chance to buy at current price. Week after Sales - Collect all funds and input buyers into a tracking system or spreadsheet software. Also make deposit with book keeper if not done so.

Timeline For Program In developing multiple campaigns, make sure to spread them apart and price the yearbook at different rates during each campaign. Here is a time template to consider: CAMPAIGN # 1 will occur week of: ___/___/___ to ___/___/___ Sales Price of Yearbook will be $____________ ALLOW A MINIMUM OF ONE MONTH TO PASS CAMPAIGN # 2 will occur week of: ___/___/___ to ___/___/___ CAMPAIGN # 3 will occur week of: ___/___/___ to ___/___/___ Consider the following tips:

Tips for Your Sales Program Consider the following tips: Gradually increase the cost of the yearbook for each sale campaign Hold sales campaigns on the 1st or 15th of the month Create special packages for buyers that can include options like name stamping or an ad space along with the price of a yearbook. Consider adding options to all your offerings...this can increase sales!!! Develop a system to track & report sales as well as balances due by buyers Consider offering a payment plan for students who cannot afford to pay for a yearbook at one time. Make sure you stress a non-refundable deposit. Consider offering families with multiple children at you school a discount for a second or third yearbook Tie in gift certificates/gift cards during the holidays... Review when final copy counts are due to your publisher Consider using sales letters in both English & Spanish Make sure to offer Parent or Senior Ads during some of the sale campaigns Use your school website as a sales tool by posting prices and deadlines for sales

Promoting The Process Public relations & marketing are critical in getting the word out about yearbook sales. Consider the following ideas: Make sure to have a definite beginning and ending to the campaign. Do not leave it open ended where people can come in any time. Attend all parent functions in the district at all campuses & announce sale of yearbooks. Consider leaving a yearbook sales brochure/flyer at all campuses in the district Consider leaving a flyer at the front office and attendance office of your school so all visitors know about your sale. Print an ad in all sport/event programs Use the school phone-calling system to announce sale of yearbooks Use the school website to announce sale of yearbooks Use the school marquee to announce sale of yearbooks

Initiating The FIRST Sale Make it easy for all audiences to purchase a yearbook. Consider the following process: Get 9 x 12 envelopes for every teacher on campus. Include a color flyer for each student in the class (35) as well as an order form for a yearbook and instructions. Have teachers pass out the flyer and order form and provide a script to have them discuss the sale of yearbooks to their class. Have teacher inform students that a sale will be occurring all week in the cafeteria or yearbook room before school, during lunch, after school, and all games/functions all week. Consider collecting non-refundable down payments with a payment plan of 1 or 2 extra payments or collect full payment. At your yearbook order table, make it fun. Include music as well as posters and copies of previous yearbooks as well as samples of merchandise available. Have about 4-5 staffers manning the table to take orders. If possible, have staffers wear t-shirts that match. If possible, create posters with multiple photos you have taken for the yearbook for students to see.

Initiating The SECOND Sale Make it easy for all audiences to purchase a yearbook. Consider the following process: Instead of using classroom teachers to review the sale, include a classroom poster to announce the sale and the new price. Use this sale process to focus on teams and clubs. Have coaches and sponsors promote the sale to their group/team as an example of school spirit. Use this sales process to visit club or team meetings to discuss sale and include some images they can review that may be included in the yearbook. Create a special incentive for groups or teams having 100% buy rates Continue to set up a table in a public area and also include sales brochures at key locations.

Initiating The FINAL Sale Make it easy for all audiences to purchase a yearbook. Consider the following process: This is the LAST CHANCE SALE to purchase a yearbook or reserve a copy. Post FINAL NOTICE flyers in all classrooms as well as key areas on campus. Post a list of names of all non-buyers OR buyers and let people see if they are on the list. Promote the action they must take to be removed/added to the list. Create a sales table again to collect final orders from students and parents.

Distribution of Yearbook Plan for this event ahead of time by getting your distribution process on paper for all to review. Inform the public how many extra yearbooks may be arriving that will be sold on a first-come first-serve process at the highest sales price of the year. Plan on music, snacks, and fun…Order extra yearbook merchandise you can sell at the distribution event. No reservations will be accepted for yearbooks without full payments taking place. Give yourself a little wiggle room. If you ordered 50 extra copies…plan on selling ½ of them by reservation then the other ½ upon arrival. This will spread opportunity to all buyers. Invite local VIP’s like district personnel. Also invite local advertisers to your event & have them to set up a display or pass out coupons to your captured audience.