You’re back. And they’re back. And so, it’s time.

Yep, you’re back in your classroom, and so are all those eager, smiling, energetic young people we call students. Which means, it’s time to get those yearbook sales ideas going.

I know, I know…you don’t even know the first and last names that belong to those beautiful, angelic faces!

But, while school is still new, fresh and filled with endless possibilities, it’s the perfect time to sell the very thing that collects all the best memories of the year and puts them all in one place in a format that will be accessible for generations yet to come.

So, here are three ideas to help get you thinking about the best way to spread the word on your campus.

1. POSTERS.  Yes, this method is not new or innovative, but what if, instead of just the typical, “Yearbooks on sale now for $XX” your messages were much more creative and thought-provoking? How about things like:

“You’re in it–Check it out!” or “We’ve got you covered” and add some photos of students around campus and in classrooms printed out on paper attached to the posters.

Make “Wanted” posters and put student ID photos in the box with the sales info printed underneath in the same format as the FBI most wanted site, starting with, “Wanted in connection with purchase of  a yearbook…” Be creative!

Or, contact your Herff Jones rep for our custom posters that use your messages and images from your school to create professional posters for you put up around school.

The most important thing is to make the posters entertaining as well as informative.  Change them often and put them in different places around campus throughout your sales campaign.

 

 

 

 

2. FACEBOOK. Yes, we mean THE Facebook. Students are already on it, and so are their parents, who, let’s be honest, are the true purchasers. Use this free tool to market your yearbook. Here’s how to get it set up:

The easiest way to begin is to click the “help” button in the drop down menu next to the Home button and type “create a page” in the search bar. Click on “How Can I Create a Page?” in the search results and then again on the link in the answer.

Choose “Company, Organization, or Institution”, then choose “Education” from the “Choose a category” drop down menu. Type in your school’s name, followed by the word, “Yearbook.”

Check the “I agree to Facebook Pages Terms” and click “Get Started.”

Facebook will walk you through the next three steps, which are very, very intuitive. It takes just a few minutes.

Then, begin advertising on your campus that you have a yearbook fan page and get your students, parents and faculty to Like your page. Use any and all means at your disposal: morning announcements, parent newsletters, all-calls, School Loop or Infinite Campus or the equivalent, the school marquee, posters, banners, your own Facebook status, your students’ Facebook status’. Be creative! Hold a contest to see how many Likes you can get in one 24-hour period. Set a goal and give away pens, pencils, front of the line passes, anything just for those who Like your page in the allotted time period.

There are lots and lots of other fun ways to use your Yearbook Facebook page to help with yearbook production, but that’s a blog post for another day.

3. COMMERCIALS. We’ve said it before, and we’ve even shown examples. They are easy to do, and they can generate a buzz about your book like nothing else. Especially if you post the video on your Yearbook Facebook page or on YouTube (you can set up a yearbook YouTube Channel, too!), and the thing goes viral.

View some great yearbook commercials for inspiration.

What about inspiration from other sources? Here’s a great video that could easily be adapted for a yearbook sales commercial.

See the potential?

We’d love to hear and see the creative ways you sell your yearbooks. Share your posts and links as a reply below or on our Facebook page.