Digital Marketing For Day Camps

In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, many overnight camps have had to unfortunately remain closed for the summer. Although it doesn’t entirely make up for lost revenue this summer, some overnight camps have decided to operate as day camps while still maintaining safety protocols provided by the CDC. 

Day camps, as the name suggests, are programs where campers attend for the day and return home for the night. These can be half or full-day programs that last from one day to a week, or even a month at a time. It just depends on the camp. 

Similar to overnight camps, day camps have various benefits for kids and teens. As most day campers are typically local residents, it offers them the daily opportunity to get out of the house, learn, and have fun! It also provides a camp experience where they’re able to make friends and establish some independence, just without the commitment of staying overnight. Another great thing about day camps is that they allow campers to either get a taste for a new skill, or ultimately feed an already-established interest and excel in one particular thing.

Many traditional day camps offer a wide array of activities to choose from. However, most day camps tend to specialize in one specific area, allowing campers to improve and develop skills in things they really like! 

Here’s A List Of Three Popular Types Of Day Camps:

Educational Day Camps

These types of camps are great options for parents and kids looking to extend their education during the summertime. Whether it’s math, science, reading, or writing, the possibilities for continued learning are endless! These camps are sure to help campers either review the course material from the previous school year, or get a head start on learning new material that’s to be introduced in the following school year. 

Example Post Idea: An awesome way for an educational day camp to engage followers on social media, for example, would be to utilize Instagram Story Ads to showcase how to do an easy science experiment. Doing so would let your target audience see first-hand what great things your day camp can offer!

Sports Day Camps

There are two types of sports camps. The first type offers sports activities in general, providing a fun learning experience for kids who love to be active. The second type primarily focuses on one particular sport. This type of day camp is perfect for aspiring athletes looking to improve and take their skills to the next level. 

Example Post Idea: One way in which sports day camps can take advantage of social media is by using the Instagram Highlights feature to record and save videos for “Tips” or “How-To”. For example, if you’re a basketball camp, you can record a coach explaining how to correctly do a layup. Content marketing should provide value in some way, and this is a great way to do that!

Read more about how sports summer camps can effectively use social media in our last blog post. 

Arts Day Camps

An art day camp is perfect for kids looking to develop their skills in an inspiring environment with other aspiring artists. This type of day camp can include dancing, acting, singing, baking, drawing, photography, and so much more! Not to mention, aside from gaining a general camp experience (making new friends, boosting confidence, etc.), an art day camp can allow campers to learn and make mistakes in a noncompetitive setting where everyone is equally eager to learn and become better artists. 

Example Post Idea: A great way for an arts day camp to use social media would be to showcase campers’ art through organic posts. No matter what kind of art it is, showcasing what campers create is a fantastic way to exemplify how your day camp can benefit campers and teach them new things.

Other popular types of day camps include technology, religion, and camps for kids with special needs. In your search for a day camp, you’ll find that there’s something for everyone! However, if you’re still unsure about whether or not physically attending a day camp is best for your child, many day camps are also moving online. No matter which type of day camp you choose, kids will immensely benefit from being exposed to new things and nurturing their skills and talents.

More Ways In Which Digital Marketing Can Help Day Camps Reach Their Goals:

Whether you’ve always been a day camp, or you’re a traditional overnight camp that’s transitioning to day camp this summer, you might have noticed the importance and positive impact that digital marketing can have. From getting the news out there that you will be having summer camp after all, to establishing an online presence that people want to follow. Having a great marketing strategy is crucial!

Here are a few more great tips to spruce up your digital marketing efforts:

• If you are having camp this summer, you’ll want to be taking pictures daily. We recommend posting 2-3 times a week. Keep in mind to take a lot more pictures than you currently need. You’ll want to take enough photos so that when Fall and Spring roll around, you’ll have enough content to take you through to next summer. This is crucial for Facebook and Google ads as well as for organic social media content.
• If you choose to advertise on Facebook or Google (we recommend doing so), choose your audience wisely. For example, if you’re an overnight camp that recently decided to operate as a day camp, you’ll want to target people in your camp’s surrounding area, as opposed to your usual audience of people around the country. You don’t want to waste money by targeting people that are too far away to attend your day camp.
• Be ready to answer any questions regarding camp and safety measures through Facebook Messenger, comments on posts, and direct messages on Instagram. Make it clear on social media that you are prepared with an established open line of communication. Parents will want complete transparency in order to feel comfortable enough to send their kids off to day camp.

All in all, social media is a great FREE tool to help keep followers engaged and in-the-know about changes in operations, rules, and regulations. It’s just a matter of using it in the most effective way possible. Plus, what parent doesn’t want to see their little happy campers having fun on a daily basis through social media? 

For more tips and guidance on how to master your online marketing strategy, please contact us at nick@socialsummercamp.com. We would love to hear from you and discuss how we can help you achieve your marketing goals!