Most schools cannot afford to provide students with free yearbooks.
Producing yearbooks can be an expensive endeavor depending upon the theme used, time invested and class size. Promoting the yearbook ensures this money is recouped from product sales and advertising revenue. Plan the production of the book and marketing campaign, based on the anticipated sales and past success. For example, if you know your community cannot afford a book costing more than $30, limit the design and increase the available ad space to bring down the price per book and encourage local sales.
Involve Everyone
People like to buy things they helped create. Involve students and community members in the creation of the yearbook to provide them with a reason to purchase the book. Ask students to submit photographs. Encourage businesses to sponsor events featured in the book. Hold a contest to decide the theme or cover art.
Start Early
The end of the school year is a busy time for everyone. A last-minute marketing plan will often result in missed sales opportunities. Make sure everyone knows the theme, content and price of the yearbook early on. Respond to feedback from the school community to prevent confusion and maximize your ability to target the product to individual buyers. Details such as the release date and delivery options may be provided later.
Offer Discounts
Even when money is not an object, people like a good discount. Offering your yearbooks at a discount during a special sales event draws attention to the product and encourages early purchasing. Package deals can also draw customers (e.g., a discounted price for bulk purchases, 10% off with the purchase of cap and gown, free logo pen to the first 20 students). Another tactic for drawing customers is offering an advanced copy. Yearbooks are not unique after they have been released to every student; having an advanced copy will appeal to students interested in having an exclusive item.
Engage Local Businesses
Local businesses rely on good publicity to further their brand. However, purchasing ad space is expensive and can appear staged to target audiences. Invite these businesses to partner with the school by donating supplies and hosting events. Donations may be offered as prizes to motivate yearbook customers or resources to directly lower the cost of yearbooks. This benefits the school and provides an opportunity for positive buzz and visibility for the business.
Get the Word Out
There are many options for publicizing your yearbook. The best marketing plans use a variety of outlets and mediums to accommodate a diverse audience. Research the advertisements that are successful in your community. Ask students and teachers, where they go to find and share the latest news and product reviews. Use fliers, radio ads, posters and online social networks such as Facebook and MySpace to promote the yearbook. Each individual campaign should be evaluated and updated by yearbook staff to keep interest high.
Tags: advanced copy, cannot afford, your community