Marketing, Selling and Fundraising

Now that you have established your sales plan and trained your yearbook staff, we will help you determine how to market or promote the yearbooks and what events will provide the best exposure for meeting your sales goals.

Marketing/Promoting Yearbooks:

Memory Book provides a series of items to help in the promotion of yearbooks as well as some great ideas that your school can take advantage of.

• Hall Posters, Take Home Envelopes, Reminder Cards, Reminder Stickers (Click here for Marketing Materials Order Form)
• Direct Mail or Email to parents
• Announcements on the school PA system
• Banners and/or flyers
• In-Home parent emails
• Post a notice on the school website (Click here to download Banner Ad)
• Incentives such as a signing party for students who purchase yearbooks
• Link for parents on school website to pay for yearbooks online

Selling Yearbooks:

We strongly recommend pre-selling yearbooks. This will give a general count of books needed for students. You will probably want to order extra books to cover late sales, complimentary books and other unforeseen needs. Here are a few tips on how to be successful at selling yearbooks.

• Check out the school and local calendars and avoid functions that compete with the sale of yearbooks.
• Understand the times students and parents are most inclined to purchase a yearbook. Look for functions that enhance the sale of yearbooks and set up a sales booth at these events.

  Example:

  • School Registration
  • Back to School Night
  • Assemblies
  • Parent Teacher Conferences
  • Lunch Time
  • Sporting/Theater/Music Performances

• Run a sales campaign and follow up with a “Last Chance” campaign

Fundraising:

Some schools completely fund their yearbooks by sources other than student purchase. Others use a combination of sources to pay for the production of their yearbooks. Whatever method is chosen, they should be part of your sales plan with specific goals identified for each type of fund. The following are some examples of additional funding programs and ideas.

• Selling Ads: Using ads in the yearbook can give students experience in selling and designing ads and business practices. Advertisers like to place ads in yearbooks because it is a great way to reach their primary market. It also is a method of demonstrating school and civic support.

  Types of Ads to be Sold

  • Business ads- Local businesses that are of interest to students
  • Organizational ads- churches, civic or fraternal organizations
  • Professional ads- Doctors, Dentists or Lawyers
  • Personal ads- parents, relatives or student friends
  • Sponsor pages- “This page sponsored by” available to anyone

Check out our printable sales guide to see examples and how to organize an advertising program. If selling ads is not your cup of tea or additional funds are needed to cover yearbook costs, there are tons of other ways to raise money.

• Other Fundraising Ideas

  • Check with other school organizations (PTO/PTA) and see if you can partner with them on their fundraisers
  • Sell yearbook personalization- Have the student’s name printed in foil on their yearbook cover
  • Host a yearbook signing party with an admission fee
  • Aluminum can recycling (also toner and ink or cell phones)
  • School-wide garage sale
  • Jeans Day-encourage the staff to pay $5 to wear jeans
  • Raffle items donated by local businesses. In turn, recognize them in the yearbook.
  • Sponsor a 5K walk/run
  • Crazy Day- Encourage students and staff to pay $5 to wear funny hats, pajamas, costumes, etc., to school.
  • Check out our Fundraising Ideas page on Pinterest to get new ideas.