A lot of camps I talk to don't want to prioritize marketing as one of their main goals for their summer camp. I hear a lot of people say that it just isn't a priority, or they don't have time to fully focus on it and a number of other excuses for why marketing isn't that important to them. But the more and more I think about camps who think that "marketing" is a bad word, the more and more...
Read MoreOne of the most successful ways for camps to market is through email. I happen to love email marketing, especially if like most camps you already have a list of parents and campers who have opted-in to receiving your newsletters and updates. That being said, I am definitely concerned about email marketing open rates and how camp email marketing has become less effective in the past few years. There is no exact email marketing open rate benchmark for summer camps, but...
Read MoreOne of the keys to having a really engaging Instagram account is to post beautiful photos. Summer camps have it easy because most of their photos are already beautiful (lakes, mountains, trees, etc.), but it's always fun to add a little something extra to your photos. My favorite app for making beautiful Instagram photos is Over. You can add text, pre-made images, borders, colors, etc. to your photos using this app. It's pretty awesome when it comes to making your Instagram...
Read MoreMost companies, all the way from start ups to huge corporations, don't feel like they need to pay anything for advertising. I'm sure this stems somewhat from all of the awesome free social media tools that are available to companies. Even though these tools can be extremely powerful in driving results, I feel very strongly that summer camps should at least be spending a small amount of money on ads. Well, how much money you ask? As much money as...
Read MoreHere are some interesting articles on social media and summer camps from this past month! Mashable: A marketer's guide to retargeting on Facebook- This is a great beginners post on how FBX (the Facebook Exchange) works for retargeting. American Camp Association Blog: Famous campers and camp staff share thoughts on character- Did you know Michelle Obama went to summer camp? Me either until I read this blog post! Mashable: Social media project monitors keywords to prevent suicide- This is a very interesting article...
Read MoreI've written a lot in the past about how to use Facebook ads and how to track conversions on Facebook using their conversion tracking pixel. Still almost daily I get asked why any camp would want to run Facebook ads, so I decided to write up a few quick notes. Remember that I worked at Facebook for almost three years before starting Social Summer Camp, so I feel pretty confident in the following reasons that Facebook ads really work for...
Read MoreI hear a lot from camp directors how many of their campers feel like they can only be their authentic self at camp. I know from my own camp experience too that there is something special about camp that lets you be closer to who you really are than the persona you have to hold up at school. Camp directors hold so dearly the idea that their campers can be so real at camp, yet I often see those same...
Read MoreYesterday I wrote about how to cultivate your personal brand as a camp director or assistant director. Today I am going to quickly cover how to promote your personal brand (if you wish!). Like I mentioned in my previous post, having a personal brand in non-negotiable, you have one even if you don't want one. Which is why it always makes sense to think through your goals both short term and long term in regards to your brand. You don't...
Read MoreEach person has their own individual brand that represents how they portray themselves to the world. For a camp director or assistant director, this personal brand can go very far in helping establish their credibility to new and returning parents. Not all directors are going to want to promote their brand (I'll cover marketing your personal brand in my next blog post), but it still is important to actively cultivate your personal brand. The first step for defining your personal...
Read MoreHaving a custom Facebook cover photo is extremely important for your summer camp. This is a great place to show your logo, brand, and general photos of the summer camp experience. It is one of the first things visitors to your Facebook page will see, so you want to make a good impression. Presenting a clean, professional-looking banner across the top of your page could make or break a new camper signup. Below, you can see the cover photo I...
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