Getting started on the 2021 yearbook has been no easy feat. If you’re anything like me, you’re probably a little bit behind this year. This pandemic has changed the year and therefore the entire yearbook building and sales process.
Just like with every challenge we’ve faced this year, it’s best to focus on what you can do, rather than what you can’t. We are all flexing our creativity muscles this year and coming up with new ways to keep our traditions alive. Just by agreeing to build a yearbook this year you’ve already saved one very important tradition. To help you make sure your community benefits from all your hard work, we’ve come up with a couple yearbook sales ideas for 2021.
Yearbook Marketing Messages for 2021
Your audience hasn’t changed this year–you’re still selling yearbooks to parents and students–but their needs have definitely changed this year, and therefore your message should as well.
Connect with Their Desire for Normalcy
Let’s be honest, no one is a fan of this “new normal.” When talking about why the yearbook is important, remind your community that the excitement of receiving their yearbook and looking for themselves and their friends in all the photos is one of the very few experiences we don’t need to take away from our children this year.
Connect with Their Fear of Missing Out
As much as this might not go down in the history books as our favorite year, it will go down in our history books. This is a year like no other, and your 20-21 yearbook will likely be the most treasured. Remind parents of the importance of preserving these unique times for our children. Our children will look back on these yearbooks for the rest of their lives.
Connect with Their Desire to Help
At one point or another, I’m sure everyone has felt a little helpless this year. Research shows that helping others, helps yourself. Let your community know how their purchase of the yearbook will add to a fundraiser for your school. Let them know that for each yearbook purchased, one tree will be planted to help the environment.
Yearbook Sales Channels for 2021
Whether back-in-school or distance learning, it’s safe to say that not all your typical sales channels exist this school year. Even if they do today, it is unknown what will happen tomorrow.
Not all the same school and parent events are happening this year. I miss going wine tasting with my mom squad, but some of our favorite vineyards have started hosting Zoom tastings which have proven to be quite fun. Consider doing something similar with your community and host a virtual event.
Instead of printing hundreds of flyers for the Friday folder, consider taking your creativity online, and send a digital flyer in email. Create a series of social posts, or add some of your messaging to your school’s website. People were online shopping before this pandemic, but between Q1 and Q2 of 2020 e-commerce increased by more than 30%. Take your messages online where people are shopping now.
This year is certainly more difficult than others, but that doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t matter. Our student’s memories this year matter, their experiences, their lack of experiences, all of it. Capturing these moments in the 2021 yearbook is only the first step, making sure each child gets his or her own copy is just as important.
