Yearbook season is getting into gear… you’re activating your Pictavo accounts and now you’re asking how to get started. Here are some FAQ’s from the week and the responses.
When I log into Pictavo, I get last year’s book. What’s wrong? The first step in starting a book is to always go through the activation link sent to you in an email titled “Welcome to Pictavo” from
hello@pictavo.com. That will establish your email and login with your book for this year. After that initial activation, then you can go to
www.pictavo.com to login. You can use the same login and password you used last year, but you must still go through the activation process for this year’s book.
I need to get my portraits from my school photographer. What do I need and how do I get the portraits into the software? Tell your photographer that you need the student and staff portraits along with an index. The index contains the first name, last name, grade and teacher of each portrait, so the portraits can be easily flowed onto your pages automatically through Pictavo. This is considered the SPOA (School Photographers of America) format.
Be aware that only the administrator of your book, or someone the administrator assigns to upload portraits, has the permission to do so. We can also help! Simply forward the portrait link to production@yearbooklife.com and we’ll upload the portraits for you and give you instructions on how to flow them onto the pages.
How can I get assistance in getting started? New and returning users should schedule a FREE one-on-one webinar with one of our software trainers to go through all aspects of the software. This is a great refresher for returning customers and gives you the chance to review the new updates for the season. Give us a call at 888-680-0143 or email help@yearbooklife.com to arrange a webinar session for you or your team. Of course, we are always at your service and our Pictavo Tech Support Team can be reached at 1-800-290-0036.
Now that you are all set with your Pictavo activation codes and yearbook kits, here are some questions we’ve received this week and the responses….
How do I start using my Pictavo BuyTheYearbook?
In order to use the Pictavo BuyTheYearbook Features, you must turn it on. To do this, you must first be logged into Pictavo as the Administrator (only the Administrator can turn the Pictavo BuyTheYearbook on.) From there, click on the Admin icon then on the Manage Community icon. In the blue bar at the top of Manage Community, you will be able to click the On checkbox for the Pictavo BuyTheYearbook. This will open a new window that explains the Pictavo BuyTheYearbook and the 3 primary steps needed to set it up. These steps are (1) setting up your school’s Upload Settings, (2) setting up your school’s Shop settings and (3) setting up your school’s products to be sold online .
Please refer to the Help Menu within Pictavo under How To / Pictavo BuyTheYearbook for more information about setting up and working within the Pictavo BuyTheYearbook.
How can I learn more about Pictavo?
We are pleased to let you know that we have now condensed our Pictavo training videos into one 33 minute presentation!
The best part is that it is short enough to be viewed during one class period or anytime 24/7, for that matter. Although it is designed for new advisers or staff members that haven’t seen Pictavo before, viewers that are only interested in certain sections, can easily jump to their desired topic using the scroll bar at the bottom of the webinar screen. Here is the link and password to the new “Welcome to Pictavo” webinar:
PICTAVO HELP VIDEO
Password: pictavo
How do I assign Users to pages within Pictavo?
To assign users to pages, you must first be logged in as the Administrator, since only the book’s Administrator can assign users to pages. Once you are logged in, click on the Ladder icon. You can assign a user or group to a page by clicking on the “Assign Users” or “Assign Groups” buttons at the end of each page summary and clicking save.
If you wish to assign multiple pages to a user simultaneously, click on the Quick Assign Users button in the second level tool bar of the Ladder.
This will bring up the Quick Assign window where you can assign multiple pages to a user or group quickly. Be sure to click Save after each individual user or group is assigned.
What are your deadlines?
YearbookLife has only one final book submission deadline. This date is different for each school and is based on the date you told us you want your books delivered. Your Pictavo Countdown “Overall book due date” Clock located in the Dashboard section of your book, reflects your submission date. Of course, if you want to work past that date, you can! Just let us know so we can adjust our production schedule accordingly.
If you are designing a Custom Cover, then the cover is due by February 1.
Please do not hesitate to contact us throughout the season with any questions you may have. We’re here to help!
Yearbook season is getting into gear and we’ve had a few phone calls and emails! Here are some highlights from the past week…..
I’m having technical difficulties. Where do I get help?
Our top-notch Tech Support Department is available to serve you with any EZBook questions you may have! Contact them toll free at 1-800-887-0414, 9:00 am – 5:30 pm Eastern Time. As we get deeper into season, they will extend their hours to serve you into the evenings and on weekends.
I need to get my portraits from my school photographer. What do I need and how do I get the portraits into the software?
Be sure you are asking your school photographer for the “PSPA Yearbook CD” so you can use the student portraits in the yearbook. There is also an “Administrative” CD, but that will not work to flow your portraits in the book. The PSPA CD contains a database of names associated with each picture. Again, be sure it’s the PSPA Yearbook CD and make sure that the disc contains the photos from make up day.
You’ve been talking a lot about Pictavo. What is it?
Pictavo is our newest yearbook design software available FREE to all customers. Pictavo is a completely online program, which means that you can access your book any time, any where you have high speed internet access. With hundreds of backgrounds and clip art and design options, it may be perfect for schools that have been using EZBook for years and are looking for more creative options.
Administratively, Pictavo offers incredible management features including:
1. Community Image Upload – Have parents, teachers, etc., securely upload images for use in your yearbook, without allowing them to view your yearbook! All of their photos are kept in a community file – but accessible to you through your Pictavo software. This dramatically increases the number and types of photos for consideration in your yearbook without any extra effort on your part.
2. Online Yearbook and Ad Sales – This feature allows parents to purchase yearbooks online as well as purchase and design their ads online! No more ad design responsibilities left on the part of the yearbook chair!
Let us know if you’d be interested in switching to Pictavo or trying a demo of the software. Last year, 85% of our EZbook customers switched to Pictavo – and no one switched back. Don’t be intimidated by a new software – the learning curve is minimal and we have tutorials, tech support and one-on-one webinars available for your support.
What are your deadlines?
YearbookLife has only one final book submission deadline. This date is different for each school and is based upon the production time for the date you told us you want your books delivered. Please check your agreement. If you want to work past that date, you can! Just let us know so we can adjust our production schedule accordingly and remember that any delay in submission, will result in delay of delivery.
If you are designing a Custom Cover, then the cover is due by February 1st.
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As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or comments you may have! Everyone has the opportunity to learn something new by your feedback.
As mentioned previously, you’ll want to organize and develop multiple ad sales events, track and report financial progress of ad sales and establish a method of providing advertisement receipts to customers who purchase ads.
Here are some sales resources that should also be created and kept in special folders or a soft-sided briefcase for use when selling advertising space:
COVER LETTER—to be used when explaining to potential advertising purchasers what options are available. Remember that it should be personalized based on the audience you’re selling to. For instance, the letter that is sent home to parents making them aware of the opportunity to purchase a recognition ad for their son or daughter is obviously very different from the cover letter that accompanies advertising requests to local businesses, club sponsors, etc.
RATE CARD(S)—to be used to explain advertising rates and other critical information advertisers need to know such as deadlines, ad guidelines and digital guidelines.
LAST YEAR’S YEARBOOK—to help either remind advertisers what their ad looked like last year or prompt ideas from other businesses on how they’d like to represent their message in this year’s yearbook.
SAMPLE ADS—it’s always helpful to see other ideas as a start in creating your own. Use sample ads you’ve created over time to make it as easy as possible for purchasers to decide what they’d like their advertisement to include.
YEARBOOK SPECIFICATIONS—make sure potential advertisers understand the content of other parts of the yearbook and can visualize where their ad will be placed
SKETCH PAD—that can be used to brainstorm and illustrate some basic design concepts so the advertisement can be designed accordingly.
AGREEMENT FORMS (INCLUDING SALES RECEIPTS)—to formalize the sales transaction for both parties so you can plan on the purchaser’s advertisement as a part of the yearbook and the advertiser has a confirmation of their purchase for accounting purposes.
As you gain more hands-on experience in selling advertisements, you can modify your approach based on what works best for your situation.
Now that you’ve collected plenty of ideas on how to get organized, plan and conduct yearbook sales campaigns and advertising, you’re ready to prioritize your thoughts and put your own game plan to work. Remember to enlist the help of others and have fun with such an important and rewarding opportunity!
Ad sales suggestion:
Consider publishing your ad rates at a higher price and then offer all buyers a special discount or coupon of savings with an expiration date. Your goal to the public should be to sell as many small ads as possible along with a yearbook. The goal should be increased coverage. Buyers who want a full page ad will tell you, but many students and parents may not have the funds for a full page. If you take a business card size ad and a yearbook and package it together, you may create an attractive package for a parent for under $100.
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.
