The first element to understand before making any decisions related to ad sizes, guidelines and rates is that you must sell your yearbook page for at least two to three times your cost for the page. While this may sound basic, many staffs fail to follow this advice. You can figure out your average cost per page by taking your total overall quote provided by your publisher (per copy rate x # of copies) and dividing that by the number of pages you have in your yearbook. Although this is not a true representation of your cost, since your figure will not take into account your cover, end-sheets, proofs, etc., it will provide you a starting point of what your cost is for an average page in your yearbook. Take that figure and multiply it by three to get your overall selling price for a full page ad in your yearbook.
This method of advertising sales is ideal for selling business ads. Most schools like this method since there is a definite break down in advertisement sizes to an eighth of a page, a quarter of a page, a half page and a full page. All you need to do is collect a clean business card and 90% of the time you have their artwork ready for submission. Consider setting up two different price scales – one for businesses and one for recognition ads for families. Make the business rate higher than that for families – consider
lowering prices 20%-30% for parents and students.
Offer Three Levels of Sponsorship:
Gold – 15 sponsors x $200 = $3000
• free yearbook • special recognition
Silver – 15 sponsors x $150 = $2250
• ½ price yearbook • special recognition
Bronze – 15 sponsors $100 = $1500
• special recognition
16 – 20 strips on a page.
Strip consists of business name, contact information and possibly a business logo.
If each strip is $15 = $240-$300/pg
If each strip is $20 = $320-$400/pg
If each strip is $25 = $400-$500/pg
if each strip is $30 = $480-$600/pg
if each strip is $35 = $560-$700/pg
Consider the Patron & Booster Layout method of advertising if you want to raise money without using too many pages in the yearbook. In this method, you sell levels of Sponsorship that include progressively more benefits as a sponsor moves from a Bronze to a Silver to a Gold level of sponsorship. Incentive ideas include such things as a free listing of their level of sponsorship in the yearbook or a school banner in the gym as well as free admission to basketball home games, special discounts to school functions, reduced priced copies of the yearbook, etc. Make sure there is a difference in benefits between the three levels of sponsorship and that you only have a limited number of sponsorships available for each level so they are attractive to the purchaser. By using the figures used at left, you can raise over $6,000 and use 1-2 pages in
your yearbook!
This method offers another alternative for raising more revenue without using too many pages in the yearbook. Strip advertising is very similar to traditional advertising with one exception – there is no definite size breakdown of spaces like half page or quarter page. Instead, all strips run the same size for one set investment. Since the ad strip is very wide but not too tall, the best info to include is a business name, address, phone number, and a graphic if necessary. This uniform approach works well in most
books – some schools even combine these strips with traditional ads.
If you wish to raise additional revenue for your yearbook, you may wish to consider offering advertisement space to businesses and recognition space to students, clubs and families. It is amazing the amount of revenue you can raise from one page in your yearbook. Many schools offer space to families, club sponsors, businesses, homeroom teachers, students, etc.
Developing an advertising program for your yearbook can be easy if you have a plan that includes:
(1) identifying your potential audience for purchasing advertising space
(2) determining ad sizes, guidelines, and rates
(3) creating effective ad sales campaigns, including collection methods.
Identifying Your Potential audience
Before getting started, identify your potential audience for purchasing advertisement space. You have several distinct buyers: local businesses, school vendors, families, students, club sponsors, teachers, and coaches to name a few. How you pursue each audience may be different. Here are some ideas to get you started:
local businesses: These businesses are typically located near the school or in the district. They usually include insurance companies, banks or financial institutions, restaurants, real estate agents, mechanic shops, car dealers, and fast food establishments. Remind these potential advertisers that an ad in a yearbook will be seen for years because yearbooks are saved for a long time.
School Vendors: These businesses are on the school vendor list and do some sort of business with the school/district. Your purchasing office should have a list of contacts and their addresses.
Families: These buyers want to recognize their children for their accomplishments throughout their school years. Many photos will probably accompany their ad as well as words of praise.
Students: These buyers want to recognize their friendships on campus. Many photos will probably accompany their ad as well as words of celebration.
Club Sponsors: These buyers want to recognize their club officers or overall organization. Some photos will probably accompany the ad as well as words of appreciation.
teachers: These buyers want to recognize a fellow colleague’s retirement or accomplishments. Some photos will probably accompany the ad as well as words of congratulations.
Coaches: These buyers want to recognize their teams or team captains for their accomplishments. Some photos will probably accompany the ad as well as words of encouragement.
As you can see, you have quite a few audiences of buyers. As you develop a plan of communication, make sure to clearly state your offer to each buyer and include a rate card for the cost of an advertisement and a yearbook as well. Consider developing a rate card/brochure for all prices as well as three to five basic layout designs for all ads. This will help your buyers make a better decision. Also consider offering discount coupons with expiration dates to all buyers during your sales campaign. This may be the driving force to help some people purchase ad space. Remember, everyone loves a deal.
At long last, after months of anticipation and hard work leading up to yearbook delivery, the day comes when you can distribute the school’s yearbook with pride!!! Here are more ideas to consider when planning for this special day:
1. How will you distribute the yearbook and how will students be notified of its availability?
• Will yearbooks be delivered to each homeroom in a way that ensures that each student that ordered a yearbook gets one?
• Will there be designated pick-up times that students are asked to pick up their yearbooks in a central or convenient area of the school?
• If you decided to create and publicize a signing party to coincide with the yearbook delivery day, are you prepared for it? After many months of curiosity,
kids are especially anxious to see the yearbook and, of course, never want to miss an opportunity to socialize with their friends!
2. Depending on the yearbook distribution method you choose, how will you keep track of who has received their yearbook and who hasn’t to ensure everyone has received what they paid for?
• This is where it’s critical to have a detailed tracking mechanism (either manually or computerized) that allows you to quickly find and record each student who
is given their yearbook. It’s helpful to have the yearbook distribution list sorted and available in a multitude of ways so you can easily find the purchaser’s
name and check them off the list. Common sorting methods include alphabetical by last name, grade or homeroom.
3. You’ll also want to make sure that you have a method of tracking any additional sales that are made once the yearbook is delivered (versus the advance sales) since many
others will want to order a yearbook after seeing it!
4. Regardless of whether you’re distributing a yearbook that was ordered in advance or ordered on the spot, it’s critical that you collect the money prior to handing over the yearbook to the purchaser. Otherwise, it’s too hard to collect the money afterwards.
5. Once the mad rush of yearbook distribution is over, it’s crucial that you reconcile your records to ensure that every person who ordered a yearbook received what they paid for. If for some reason, someone paid and didn’t get their yearbook as a part of your normal distribution process, you’ll want to make alternate arrangements right away to get it to them. Hopefully, it’ll be easy enough to track them down in school without having to locate them over the summer or fall. It’s also important that all money collected be kept in a safe place.
1. Send “See You in the Book” notes to students whose pictures were taken (include page number and coverage subject) as a reminder that this is their book with their picture in it. It will let students know they will be in the yearbook and increase their interest in buying one.
2. Choose a marketing theme that conveys the essence of community and belonging that yearbooks represent. It can be used in all promotional materials and announcements such as “Making Our Mark”, “Together We Are One” or “On Our Way.” Your staff is sure to come up with other unique ideas!
3. Give invitations to students to buy their yearbook. Make them special and individualized.
4. Create and decorate a “Thank You” bulletin board for purchasers to autograph when they turn in their order.
5. Scan and post yearbook photos from previous years and include them on flyers asking the student body to guess who’s elementary or faculty image is pictured. All correct answers will earn a $5.00 coupon off the yearbook.
Promote the Sale of Yearbooks in every reasonable Venue
1. Post announcements and images on the school website announcing yearbook sales to the general public. Also consider announcing yearbook sales through
a calling service if your school subscribes to this kind of service.
2. Develop a sales brochure and order form you can leave in the front office for campus visitors to review. Many times parents come on campus to visit the nurse’s office, the attendance office, or the front office. These three places are great locations for brochures so parents can learn about your yearbook sales campaign. (You may
also want to contact the feeder middle schools and elementary schools to see if you can leave brochures on their campuses as well. Many times classmates may have a younger sibling attending one of those schools and the more exposure to parents, the better.)
3. At freshman orientation, have student body leaders discuss the yearbook and describe its importance to incoming students.
4. Create a skit during an assembly or audio commercial during morning announcements about yearbook sales to get the student body excited about upcoming sales. Pass out forms at the end of the presentation.
5. Enlist the aid of key influential people on campus to help promote the yearbook. Have teachers bring their yearbook the week of sales so they can share their stories. Have coaches and sponsors inform their teams of the value of purchasing a yearbook and demonstrating the ultimate sign of school spirit.
After scheduling the best times to promote and sell the yearbook, you’ll need to come up with promotional pieces and/or a theme that attracts attention to the upcoming sale dates, times and locations. YearbookLife provides items to help you. Of course, you can always create your own promotional pieces to supplement what you’ve been given. Be creative and come up with clever slogans and messages if you really want to personalize the sales campaign to your school. Naturally, the use of simple statements like “yearbooks on sale!” or “don’t miss the opportunity!” or “last chance!” are always effective and a fast and easy way to draw attention to the yearbook sale.
Other ideas for making the sales campaign fun and effective include:
1. Tap into the principal, teachers, coaches or others heavily involved in planning school events to find out what activities are already planned that you could work
around and use as a forum to promote the sale of the year book and possibly even start taking advance orders. (i.e. are there some Open Houses, pep rallies, sports events, activity nights or other events that draw kids and their parents to the school and are a natural venue for promoting and selling a school yearbook?)
2. Identify the heavy traffic areas in your school where posters and banners could be hung to capture student’s attention about the yearbook. The school cafeteria, library, entrances (and even restrooms!) are used by everyone…don’t miss the chance to catch their eye as they’re going about their day.
3. Don’t forget about school announcements, student and parent news letters and web sites! Work with your school administration and newsletter staff to determine
how to take advantage of these opportunities to get the word out about when and where to buy a yearbook.
Gather input and buy-in from Students and Staff
There’s no better way to entice students and staff to buy a yearbook than making sure they’re included in the content and the development process. After all, making sure that the yearbook is representative of the people, events and happenings at your school is the whole value of the yearbook.
1. Develop polls and buyer surveys through English classes at all grade levels. Have these surveys ask for ways the yearbook can be improved and help you better understand their perception of value versus cost. You will be surprised how many people appreciate your effort and how much stronger your yearbook program and sales will be as a result.
2. Conduct a cover design contest and use the winner’s design for the cover or the title page if your school has already chosen a cover style. Miniaturize some of the finalists’ designs and use them as custom clip art throughout your book. This way, more students will receive recognition.
3. Include quotes from student interviews about selected topics. Include as many student quotes as possible.
