The Yearbook World of Scott Geesey
from Jostens Yearbooks of central/northern Pennsylvania
ARCHIVE - October 2022
FIRST SEMESTER - And How Is Your Storytelling Going?
Hello! Depending on when you're reading this you're weeks or months into the new school year. How's it coming?
I've been asking that question to schools lately. Thankfully COVID has been relatively quiet this fall - so far. Some schools have been cruising along - others not so much.
From our yearbooking perspective, let's run down some basics for any staff...
Thoughts and ideas for fall 2022...
PICTURES, PICTURES, PICTURES: The number one item of any yearbook. But how many do you have so far? Fall sports are approaching their end - if somehow you don't have enough images the clock is ticking.
And then there's everything else, which often gets overlooked in the push to get sports photos, Homecoming, the usual suspects.
A simple rule - get fresh images EVERY DAY. Because they're something happening in your building or with your students every day! Make it a staff goal - someone gets fresh pics each and every day.
Best way to do that - smartphone, which everyone probably has in their pocket already. The adage is true - the best camera is the one you have with you. You won't have time to run to the yearbook room for tshe "good" camera when something is happening. Whip out your phone (hopefully a newer model) and get some quick images.
Can't use phones in school? Get special permission for your yearbook staffers to use their devices for yearbook photos only. Create a press pass that your kids need to wear if they wish to take images during classes or activities. And of course they still need to ask the teacher for permission before taking images in class.
Never be caught short for pictures - take a TON of them at any event. When you do most will be garbage - but a few will be usable for pages or general storytelling.
START YOUR PAGE CREATION: First, hopefully you've already made the page ladder plan - what's being covered and what's going where.
If somehow you haven't seen the new version of the Yearbook Avenue page ladder, ask your representative to show you. Next year at this time it will be THE YBA page ladder, but you have a chance to start using it now.
Why is it an improvement over the classic version/ First, it works well with mobile devices which are becoming more prevalent everywhere. And check the new Topics feature - make a LONG list of stories you plan to cover in the book this year, then just drag and drop them on the new YBA page ladder as a reminder on what stories you plan to cover on each page. Much more than just Section and Description.
Then it's on to page creation - and I'm a big fan of using ready made templates on your spreads. Sounds boring? No way! Jostens has thousands of different templates ready to go for any section of your book. And that doesn't include the amazing Gallery templates, great layouts from schools all over North America.
My favorite line here is - why reinvent the wheel if you don't have to? Use our cool templates, plain or fancy, and save yourself a ton of time. And if you want to tweak or change templates go ahead - you won't hurt our feelings. Make your book look GREAT with a minimum of effort.
Our reading audience likes great pages, but it's the content on those pages that is what they really want. Stylish pictures, lots of info, well written captions - in other words, they want to see their stories in print and in other ways (social media, school video boards, other places.)
Save time by using or modifying existing templates, then concentrate more on your valuable content. That's a recipe for fewer headaches and real success.
WORK YOUR PROMOTIONS: And this covers two areas, sales and YOU. What do we mean?
On sales, your yearbook sale is crucial to your success. Think about it: you could make the greatest book in school history, filled with stories and great pictures and lots information of your people and the school year. But if no one buys a copy - you've failed. All that work and no one cared.
Hopefully you're already regularly and actively letting everyone know about your yearbook sale, and advertising sales if you do those. Regularly means some mentions every week, not just a single message here and there. Many schools just put up an occasional poster or two and go for weeks without mentioning their sale. You're a comsumer - what would you think about such a lack of information?
For Jostens schools, hope you're using our terrific consumer marketing program where we do the heavy lifting for you. Our email marketing program is outstanding, stylish and regular - not every day or every week (an annoyance) but in targeted two week campaigns, along with occasional national campaigns like Black Friday or during National Yearbook Week.
And any ads sales should be pitched regularly as well. Personal ads (parent ads, senior ads, buddy ads, etc.) should always be promoted consistently because many folks need to be reminded several times before they finally get the message. The main item: here's your chance to honor and remember your student forever in the pages of your yearbook. Let everyone know how you feel.
AND THEN THERE'S YOU: Here's where too many yearbook staffs do nothing and miss a great opportunity to help their own cause. Simple rule: never let yearbook be a secret at school. Always be out in front of everyone. Don't be that group that meets in some backroom and no one knows what they're doing.
Another saying from our good friend Casey Nichols - "yearbook should be a part of school life EVERY day." ALWAYS be visible - when you're out taking fresh pictures frequently, gathering interesting data with student polls and surveys, talking to people and finding out new stories, and with your regular sale promotion. Don't be that secret group no one sees.
MAKE YOUR REP A REGULAR PART OF YOUR TEAM: As a representative myself I always look for those opportunities to help, to offer different ideas, to give inspiration or maybe to sometimes be the "bad cop" with your staff and give that gentle kick in the pants.
Let's make 2023 your best yearbook effort ever - more stories told, more students covered, more memories kept. Your SUPERPOWER is being a storyteller. People (students AND adults) want to be recognized, to be seen and heard and loved. To be part of the school group. You and your yearbook staff may be the only group that can do that.
So let's do this!