School-friendly is the descriptor that popped up in an email about yearbook companies. It made me snort. As great as my relationship with my sorority sister-turned-yearbook rep was, I no longer could reconcile the bottom line on the invoice, demands from school administration, and equity concerns for students. While it was time for a change, options seemed limited. Aren’t all yearbook publishers the same? That myth and others nearly kept me (and many other advisers) from making a beneficial shift in the name of students. Let’s go through the top six yearbook myths together and learn the truth.
Myth 1: Customer Service is a Thing of the Past
Treering re-wrote the traditional approach to yearbook contracts and customer service to meet the changing needs of parents and educators by leveraging the technology they already use in the classroom and workplace. Editors receive real-time help without having to leave school or pre-scheduling an appointment. Instead of having one person on which to depend, there is a team of experts to assist with account management, design, and ongoing training.
Beyond the live agents and customer success managers—most of whom are current or former yearbook advisers—Treering users take advantage of:
These tools improve knowledge sharing and provide their staff and students with more opportunities for development and growth.
Myth 2: I’m Not in the Yearbook
We all know students don’t purchase the yearbook because they are unsure if they will be in it, so we provide coverage tips to help you and your staff gather stories in fresh ways. Also, students who transfer schools mid-year can still be a part of it because yearbook editors can also add students to the portrait section at any time.
In addition, advisers can give students ownership of their memories: every Treering yearbook includes two free pages on which they can drop their vacation, extra-curricular, and milestone photos. (Even better? It’s less than a buck to add two more.)
Myth 3: You Can’t Include Spring Sports and Events in the Yearbook
Editors love being able to set their own deadlines and extend them if they need more time. That December 17 book order deadline is no more. With a guaranteed three-week turnaround, you have beyond February to complete your yearbook, ensuring time to capture lacrosse season, Read Across America Week, and other spring events.
Ship to Home for Fall Delivery
Yearbook Hero Beth Stacy’s school traditionally does a fall delivery. Instead of strategizing distribution over her summer break, she uses Treering’s ship-to-home feature so graduates, international students, and military families all receive their yearbooks.
Myth 4: Yearbooks Are Out of Date
In a digital world, it’s nice to have something tangible. Yearbook coordinator Erin McDonald prompts, “Are you going to hand your kid the Cloud when they graduate?”
Yearbooks are a testament to the events, people, and culture of a particular moment in time. They provide a historical account of what was happening in a school, community, or organization and allow us to relive the essence of our past. Because they serve as a showcase for individuals to display their talents and bask in their successes, yearbooks also offer an opportunity to celebrate the achievements and accomplishments of students, staff, and campus organizations
They show how each member contributes to the story of the whole.
Also, from a pedagogical perspective, yearbooks offer a canvas for students, staff, and volunteers to express their creativity through writing, photography, and design.
Myth 5: Numbers are Firm in Fall
It’s freeing to say, “Yes, you can still order a yearbook.”
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Treering advisers say they never have to say no to a student: if someone misses the school’s deadline, they may order a book to be shipped to home. Your school’s storefront is always open.
Myth 6: I Always Have Too Many Leftovers
Conversely, say goodbye to overruns and hustling boxes of old yearbooks at alumni events. Frankly, schools are financially punished for these and they are a waste of resources and space. Moving forward, every year is a sell-out year because your yearbook shipment only includes what was pre-sold. You can breathe deeply, knowing the pressure to make a sales quota is eliminated. The savings are passed on to families.
The misconceptions about yearbook publishing end here.
