Adding Accessories like Cover Personalization, Stickers and Signing Markers to your School Store is a great way to elevate the yearbook experience. But here’s the key: families won’t buy what they don’t know about.
That’s why marketing your Accessories is just as important as turning them on in Yearbook 360. The good news? Promoting them to parents is simple, and we’ve got a roadmap to help.
Step 1: Show Parents What’s New
Parents love the idea of giving their student something extra, but they need to see the options clearly. Here are easy ways to highlight this year’s new lineup:
- Cover Personalization – Present this as the keepsake parents won’t want to skip. It’s the best way to make the book unique for their child.
- Vinyl Stickers – Describe them as a fun, trendy add-on students can use to decorate their yearbook, laptop, water bottle and more.
- Signing Markers – Position these as the perfect extra for signing day. Parents instantly understand the value of preserving those memories.
Add visuals whenever possible – a quick social post with a photo of stickers or markers goes further than just listing the item. We have some graphics to help you promote here.
Step 2: Bundle for Better Value
Parents respond well when you package items together. Promote the Ultimate Yearbook Experience, yearbook + personalization + stickers + markers + a protector or supplement, as the one-and-done option that makes ordering simple.
Use wording like:
“Make your student’s yearbook unforgettable. Personalize it, protect it and get signing-day ready in one easy bundle.”
Bundling helps families feel like they’re getting more value while helping your program maximize sales.
Step 3: Use Your School’s Communication Channels
Every school has built-in ways to reach parents. Use them consistently:
- Email blasts or newsletters – Include a short blurb with a direct link to your online store.
- School website – Add a banner or announcement highlighting Accessories. You can find free school website banners in your Yearbook 360 account!
- Social media – Share sneak peeks, photos of last year’s books or fun graphics like “There’s More In Store.” We have an entire year of social posts mapped out for you here.
- Posters/flyers around school – Catch parents’ attention at events, games and open houses.
The key is repetition. Families are busy, and it often takes multiple reminders before they act.
Step 4: Let PEP Do the Work
The easiest way to market yearbooks is by signing up for Walsworth’s Parent Email Program (PEP).
Here’s why PEP is a game changer:
- Professional emails are sent directly to parents on your behalf.
- Messaging is clear, consistent and includes your School Store link.
- Families are reminded to order their yearbook, and in turn, their accessories.
Schools who use PEP see stronger, earlier sales because parents never miss the opportunity. If you haven’t signed up yet, this is the time.
Step 5: Build Excitement with Students
When students get excited, parents pay attention. Make Accessories part of your student-facing promotions.Here are a few ideas:
- Tease What’s Coming – Share sneak peeks of the new stickers and markers on posters, social media or morning announcements. Use phrases like “Coming soon: the extras that make your yearbook unforgettable.”
- Create a Countdown – Launch a “Countdown to Yearbook Day” that builds anticipation not just for the books, but for the Accessories that will arrive with them.
- Get Students Involved – Run polls or surveys asking how they’ll decorate their books or what they’ll write with their new signing markers. This gets them thinking ahead.
- Celebrate Signing Day Traditions – Show photos of past yearbook signing days and tie them to the new tools: “This year, signing day gets an upgrade.”
- Build the Bundle in Messaging – Always position Accessories as part of the complete yearbook experience: “When the yearbooks arrive, so do the extras that make them yours.”
By sparking curiosity and excitement now, students will be even more eager to pick up their yearbooks – and their Accessories – when the big day arrives. And don’t forget, when kids talk about the extras, parents are more likely to buy them.
Step 6: Tie Marketing to Milestones
Accessories make the yearbook feel like a complete experience, so connect your promotions to moments parents care about:
- Homecoming season – Encourage early purchases with personalization to help capture the spirit of the entire year.
- Holiday gift season – Position yearbooks and Accessories as the perfect gift.
- Spring/senior milestones – Play into FOMO and promote signing markers and supplements as must-haves before year-end.
This keeps Accessories relevant all year long and creates multiple purchase opportunities.
Turning on Accessories is just the first step. The real magic happens when you market them consistently to parents, making sure they understand the value of personalization, protection and celebration.
Whether you use school channels, bundle with yearbooks or let PEP do the heavy lifting, promoting Accessories is an easy way to give families more reasons to buy – and give your program the boost it deserves.
This year, don’t just sell yearbooks. Elevate the experience.
