Email Your Students Directly—and Do It Early

Email remains one of the highest-converting channels for student communications. A direct, timely message from your institution telling students exactly where to find their course materials can drive immediate traffic to the bookstore and prevent the scramble that so often happens in the first week of class.

You may already be familiar with the term-start emails the online bookstore sends directly to students. Your own institutional emails work hand-in-hand with these: when students see a consistent message from both the bookstore and their school, that message lands with far more weight.

Send a dedicated bookstore email 1–2 weeks before the start of each term
Link directly to the online bookstore—make the call to action unmissable
Incorporate bookstore reminders into your existing welcome-back or orientation email series
Follow up with a reminder email if your bookstore traffic data suggests lower-than-expected engagement

📘 CA schools: Your email is one of the most important places to clarify the difference between Course Access (CA) courses—where materials are included at a discounted rate—and Student Choice (SC) courses, where students purchase independently. Many students have both types in the same term. Set that expectation clearly, and include a brief, balanced mention of the opt-out option and each term’s deadline without leading with it.

🎓 TA schools: Term-start emails should lead with awareness and key dates—letting students know their materials are included, when to expect them, how delivery works, and where to go with questions. Include opt-out deadline information each term. Proactive communication here directly reduces student confusion, billing questions, and unnecessary opt-outs. For schools where TA doesn’t cover all students, make eligibility crystal clear.

✅ VitalSource provides a ready-to-use student choice email templates you can find here. You don’t need to write a word; just add your institution’s name and send.