Idea File Fall 2024

Five Simple Ideas | 17

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| TRAINING | MATTERS

“Having a plan for marketing and sales is extremely important because you need to get that book out to as many people as possible, and you want them to see all these really cool, creative spreads your staff created,” Tripp said. “That starts with the adviser expressing the importance of marketing.” But understanding why you should market is different from actual marketing. So, what works? You can find plenty of marketing resources and tips at walsworthyearbooks.com/marketing , and Tripp has also seen many in-school efforts pay off. “There have been a lot of unique ways I have seen students market the yearbook, like PEP [Parent Email Program] , coupons or discounts early in the year and putting up the index on lockers. That’s one of my favorites because everyone flocks to the index to see their names. A few schools have a whole marketing team AND a creative team to separate those tasks from the get-go. That can depend on the staff, but having students devoted solely to marketing while others focus on design and photos so it’s split evenly can help. That way, everyone has a responsibility.” Students don’t know what they don’t know. From staff management to utilizing available resources, it all starts with the adviser showing students their potential. Tripp noticed immediately that advisers who prioritized training early on had a smoother experience the rest of the year. And what tops the list for training? The importance of deadlines. “The biggest commonality between successful yearbook programs is that they turn their pages in on time. To have any successful yearbook, you have to have a book,” Tripp said. “I once heard someone say, ‘There really isn’t too much of a difference between a really, really good book compared to a great book. The biggest difference is one’s turned in on time, and one’s not,’” Tripp said. 2 | YOU NEED A | MARKETING STRATEGY

Training your staff to respect deadlines and turn their projects in on time will be a beneficial life skill that will remain with them long after the book is submitted. But deadlines alone won’t make a great book. Sometimes, you have to anticipate potential problems. Recalling his own yearbook staff in high school, Tripp emphasized that the yearbook belongs to the school, not an individual, and that interpersonal skills can make or break your year. “Struggles come when one person wants it to be their book when it should be the whole school’s book. Coming together, hashing out differences, really being on the same page and collaborating is extremely important. It may mean having hard conversations,” Tripp said. “But it teaches you real-life skills like

communication, collaboration, teamwork and dealing with conflict,” Tripp said. So, what specific training items should you focus on, and how can Walsworth help? “Give your students the right amount of training to do the job. Utilizing Walsworth for our resources and having students cross-training so they can take photos and write spreads and wear multiple hats, especially when students go on field trips, get sick, are out on vacation, etc., is extremely important to be successful,” Tripp said. “Some of our best resources are Adviser Academy, Elite Weekend, and That Yearbook Podcast with Jim Jordan, Sabrina Schmitz and Mike Taylor, which has been a huge hit, and the marketing tools as well. Schools love these,” Tripp said.

Marketing is about more than just sales and dollar signs though. Tripp explains how the yearbook also markets the school and its culture. “If I was new to an area, had kids and was visiting schools, I would look at

the yearbook because the yearbook should solidify the school’s culture. How many clubs are there? Is there a balance of academics, athletics and other types of organizations? The yearbook is a great marketing tool for schools.”

Lifelong Lerner. Tripp Walsworth poses with Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School yearbook adviser Sarah Lerner, CJE, during a visit to Florida in February with Walsworth Yearbooks Sales Representative Veronika Levine, CJE. They discussed Walsworth President Don Walsworth’s 2018 visit after tragedy struck the school. “It was nice to meet Tripp and see the direction the company is heading. He was very interested in learning about our program, meeting the editors and hearing about what I do as the adviser,” Lerner said. Photo by Veronika Levine, CJE