The Business of Yearbook,
Now More Than Ever
Scott Geesey
Representative, Central & Northern PA
Jostens Yearbooks
Scott’s Story
• Yearbook representative for 12 years
– 1999 – the hardest part of the job was…
• Book creation
• Book sale – easy part, most students bought one
– 2011 – the easiest part of the job is…
• Book creation
• Book sale – hard part, bad economy, job losses,
students want to be “sold”
Who’s Struggling with Book Sales?
• Go around the room quickly and share
stories…
What do we do?????
• “Think out of the box…”
– Using a cliché at a journalism conference is
not a bright move, Scott…
What do we do?????
• “Think out of the box…”
– Using a cliché at a journalism conference is
not a bright move, Scott…
– If what you’re doing isn’t working and you
keep doing the same old thing, who’s at fault?
The economy? The students? How about…
YOU!!!
It’s All About the MARKETING and
PROMOTION!
• How do you currently sell your book? Go
around the room…
The first thing we need to do is
recognize the VALUE of the
product you’re creating…
It’s NOT just a chore!
The next time someone tells you that the
yearbook is too expensive or they can’t
afford one…
REMEMBER THE LIST!!
You have the VALUE,
now make the
SALE!!
Rule One: Don’t underprice your book!
How-to’s and ideas…
Start with a budget…
• Don’t just “wing it.”
• Create your own budget, or ask your
yearbook representative for one.
• Don’t paint a “rosy” picture.
• Estimate high.
• Always make your goal to make MORE $$
than you’ll need to pay your entire bill, not
just break even.
You have the VALUE, now make the SALE!!
• Create a Yearbook Sales Team
– Separate group of students whose main job is
to market the book, sell ads, do fundraisers
– Yearbook Business Manager, adult or
responsible student, to lead the effort
– Yearbook Adviser is still in charge
– Maybe use business students? Get the
business teacher and class to handle your
marketing and sales as part of a “real world”
project each year
You have the VALUE, now make the SALE!!
• Create a Yearbook Sales Team
– Sales Team members can work on pages in
the yearbook – they do the ad pages!
– Create goals for the team and each member
– Offer sales incentives to team members for
hitting sales goals?
• Free yearbook?
• Prizes?
• Money?
You have the VALUE, now make the SALE!!
• Create a Staggered Book Sale through the
school year…
– Several book offerings through the year
– Plan the entire annual sale in advance
– Best price is the first offer…
• “The regular price for the book at the end of the
year will be $60. Our current price of $45 is the
best price offered this year.”
– Constantly inform everyone during the various
sales stages – you’re ALWAYS Promoting!
You have the VALUE, now make the SALE!!
• Use your company’s “pay by mail”
program
– Parents/students are billed at home
– Can pay by check, money order or credit card
– Can pay in mail, by phone or online
– Money is collected for you and deposited into
your yearbook account with your company
– Complete sales reports provided to you
– A “must have” for yearbook staffs without a
sales team
– Extra charge for this service?
You have the VALUE, now make the SALE!!
• Online book sales
– Rapidly becoming popular
– Always on, 24/7
– Can use a credit card
– No money handling at school
– Extra charge from your yearbook company?
You have the VALUE, now make the SALE!!
• Email Marketing
– Get email addresses from students/parents
– Don’t bury people in emails
– Include a link to an online sale
• Automated Phone Calling System
– Get school permission to use
– Don’t bury people in phone calls
– Keep your message brief and to the point
• Texting Students?
You have the VALUE, now make the SALE!!
• Social Networking
– Facebook, My Space
– School-specific channels
You have the VALUE, now make the SALE!!
• PERSONAL Marketing…
– The yearbook should not be a secret…
– Show students that they are in the book, how
many times they are in the book, and even a
page where they are pictured
Would you buy an iPod, clothing or ANYTHING
without first seeing it????
You have the VALUE, now make the SALE!!
• Hold a Yearbook Assembly
– Hold the assembly early in the school year
– Do your book ordering all in one class period
– Get students fired up for your book
– Ask your yearbook company or company
representative to get involved
You have the VALUE, now make the SALE!!
• Who else would be interested in buying
your yearbook?
– Local doctor’s and dentist’s offices
– Other local businesses
– Local police department
– Local public libraries
– Alumni
– EBay
– “Think out of the box,” who would want one?
You have the VALUE, now make the SALE!!
• A New Idea – the 12 Month Yearbook Sale
– Old way = very limited sale, only in school, maybe two
weeks at a time, start in fall, wrap up by December,
stop at company’s ordering deadline.
– New way = utilize online sales for the entire school
year.
– Start with summer online sale, best possible price for
“early birds.”
– Continue in fall and winter with different offers online
and in-school.
– After your company’s ordering deadline, continue
book selling through spring online and in-school.
– Will your yearbook company cooperate?
You have the VALUE, now make the SALE!!
• Build your brand…
– Long term view
– Build your students a great product
– In future years, students will expect another
great product from your group and won’t
hesitate to buy your book
What about advertising sales?
• Business Ads
– Usually only done by high schools
– More difficult now with school restrictions
– But don’t ignore! Local businesses want to
support local schools; buying a yearbook ad
allows them to do that.
– Needs to be well organized
– Needs motivated staffers to succeed
• Perfect for yearbook sales team
• Incentives??
What about advertising sales?
• Business Ads
– Consider an ad sale over the summer when students
are more available to travel freely
• IDEA – Business Ad Packages
– How many people actually read ads in the book?
– Package: one set price gets a ad in the book, other
mentions in school such as on a large banner or
advertising magnet, on school website and elsewhere
– Give the business more bang for their buck
What about advertising sales?
• Personal ads/PDAs
– More popular than in the past
– Can be done by ANY school, ANY age group
• Ads, one liner messages
– Parents/relatives want to honor students
– Don’t just limit ads to seniors…
• Personal ads for ANY student
• Buddy ads – friends buy ads for themselves
• Sell to booster clubs, sports teams, etc.
– What to charge?
• Business rates vs. Less expensive rates
What about fundraisers?
• Schools are fundraised to death, right?
• Only use high return fundraisers
• OR school wide fundraisers
– Get the most people involved as possible
– Offer: earn a free yearbook plus possible other prizes
• Consider using fundraiser companies
– They succeed when you succeed
– They give you extra assistance
– They often offer extra prizes for students to earn
• Consider fresh LOCAL fundraising ideas
– Work with local restaurants or businesses
Any unique ideas from the group??
The bottom lines for yearbook
business success…
• Take an ACTIVE, CONSTANT approach to sales, not a
passive approach – don’t wait for sales to come to you
because they rarely will.
• Plan your ENTIRE sales campaign, books and ads, well
in advance. Never wing it.
• There are no “stimulus packages,” no handouts, no easy
solutions, else everyone would do it.
• BUT sales is not HARD, it just takes planning and effort.
A yearbook with a solid financial surplus is a great
reward.
• The experience also looks GREAT on a resume or
college application!