Getting social to sell yearbooks sounds easy: just post and parents will pay up, right? We get it, yearbook sales can be stressful, especially if you have a publisher who requires an order quota. Adding social media to your yearbook marketing strategy can only help increase the visibility of your staff and your product. Here are five types of Instagram and Facebook posts to add to your yearbook’s social cadence. (Share if you love your yearbook… kidding.)
1. Positive Peer Pressure
Customer loyalty is a big deal–it’s why we collect stars and points and become an Insider. You can erase the thought of a back-end engineering feat to get students a digital punch card in their Remind account and head to the local dollar store for a bag of candy. (We like candy necklaces because they are wearable reminders, thus reinforcing our campaign.)
A simple, reward offering of “Sweet! You bought a yearbook!” followed by the names of buyers will create a positive buzz around campus.
How it Helps Sales
We’ve talked about social proof. We’ve talked about FOMO. This yearbook social media post does that and
- Shows appreciation to those who listened early on and bought a yearbook.
- Answers the age-old question: “Did I buy a yearbook?”
2. Call to Action: Crowdsourcing
Specific asks give you specific results. Consider these the two above: which one brought in 35 submissions in 24 hours?
How Pictures Yield Purchases
This is not new information: if students know they are in the book, they will want the book. Using student-sourced photos from social media help sell yearbooks because it tells more of the year. And that’s our job. Follow up these calls to action by showing students you used their photos.
3. Sneak Peeks
Sneak peeks include: cover shots, close-ups or excerpts of spreads, and releasing yearbook photos. Be sure to include a countdown to distribution.
A few weeks before your final deadline, order your printed proof. Besides seeing the top-notch quality, you can use your book in photos to promote last-minute sales.
Use the Yearbook to Sell Itself
Product teasers are a mainstay in the marketing world. They pump up potential yearbook buyers and answer “What’s in it for me?”
4. Show and Tell
Giving glimpses of the work behind the scenes connects customers to the product. It builds trust among the student body because they see your team them working hard to photograph track meets in 100-degree heat or giving up their time at Homecoming to take photos on the dance floor. Beyond work, teambuilding, editor lunches, and TikTok trends can also serve as recruiting tools for next year’s staff.
Sell by Showcasing Your Yearbook Culture on Social Media
The yearbook shouldn’t be about your yearbook staff, but because of them. Parents, students, and teachers will believe in the work you are doing if they see themselves in it.
5. Nitty Gritty
The most important thing you can do it tell people how, when, and where to buy. Give them the details and make it easy. While a general “Buy a Yearbook” post shouldn’t be the only yearbook marketing post in your social toolkit, friendly reminders do help. You will sell more yearbooks by varying posts and increasing engagement on your social media channels.
Why We (Still) Share Yearbook Info
For the same reason your five year old knows the phone number for an all-inclusive resort, mere exposure leads to sales. People tend to love familiarity, and that’s why yearbooks are a tradition.
We’re just going to leave this here.
