We believe yearbook IS a love letter a school writes to itself. And it’s the yearbook staff’s job to compile and present the contents of that letter. The manner of the presentation will look different from school to school, but the purpose is the same: to capture the essence–the heart, soul and personality–of the school it represents by preserving the events and memories of the year in a meaningful and memorable way. That is no easy task.
But what good is all the hard work if no one sees your labor of love? If your staff is responsible for selling as well as producing the yearbook, now is a great time to spend some staff energies planning book sales strategies. Consider using social media to spread the word that yearbooks on are sale:
Studies show that 92% of teenagers have a profile on at least one of the major social media sites, and check in on the site several times a day. What better way to keep your sales information in front of them than posting on the sites they use most? The majority of students and their parents check Facebook at least once a day, so this is a great place to begin your social media presence.
If you don’t have one already, create a school yearbook Facebook page and post information about your book sales, parent ad sales, school events, and what you’re working on. Share photos that might make it into the book, short excerpts from interviews taken at events and activities, and even take polls about things you’d like to cover in the book. Advertise your Facebook page on campus, and think of creative ways to get your school community to follow your page.
Consider starting an Instagram account and share photos of school events and your staff activities. Be sure to tag the photos and use familiar hashtags. Create a unique school hashtag and invite your school community to use the hashtag on their posts as well. (Yes, you can use Instagram photos in your yearbook if you ask permission. And while you’re asking permission, ask for a copy of the original photo as well because chances are it will be a much higher resolution.)
Other popular sites to consider are Twitter, YouTube, SnapChat, and Pinterest. No matter which site(s) you choose, post often and interact with your followers. Run silly, fun promotions to get students, parents and faculty to follow your accounts. The more you engage with your school community, the more likely individuals are to purchase the yearbook.
Afraid of the time all this posting will take? Look into using social media managing sites like Hootsuite or Buffer to schedule your posts across several sites at once. Or if you need something even simpler, try IFTTT, and app that allows you to make “If (This) Then (That)” equations to post across social media platforms.
And once you’re all set up, have fun coming up with creative ways to invite people to buy their very own school yearbook love letter. They’ll thank you for it!
Oh, and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. ?