{"id":14973,"date":"2016-06-17T12:56:28","date_gmt":"2016-06-17T18:56:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.signs.com\/blog\/?p=14973"},"modified":"2024-03-01T18:06:55","modified_gmt":"2024-03-02T01:06:55","slug":"how-to-successfully-market-your-summer-camp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.signs.com\/blog\/how-to-successfully-market-your-summer-camp\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Successfully Market Your Summer Camp"},"content":{"rendered":"

Marketing the allure of your summer camp is fundamental in maintaining and increasing attendance. Whether you\u2019re operating an outdoor adventure camp, a bible camp, a coding camp, or an athletic camp, finding ways to grow the number of annual attendees is critical to turning a profit and staying in business for the long run! In a society that has gravitated away from outdoor activity towards social isolation due to social media, video games and technology in general, summer camps need to find ways to capture back the attention of the younger generation. <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention <\/span><\/a>has found that only 29% of high school students participated in 60 minute, daily physical activity, proving that this trend of inactivity is plaguing the younger generation, or the <\/span>age group<\/span><\/a> known as <\/span>Generation Z<\/span><\/a>. <\/span>Technology is one of the primary factors<\/span><\/a> to a decrease in activity among children, which means the need to put down devices and go outside is at an all time high. Taking the time to create a marketing plan for your camp will not only benefit your camp, it also has the potential to change a child\u2019s life forever as they live the one of a kind experience that is a summer camp. Your camp could be the catalyst in helping children increase in physical activity and social interaction, so it\u2019s imperative that you can effectively persuade children to attend your camp.<\/span><\/p>\n

Creating a plan that can entice children to attend a camp may seem like an impossible feat when kids today are glued to handheld screens and technology. In actuality, attracting campgoers only requires creativity and a willingness to go the extra mile. To make your planning easy, we\u2019ve gathered the best marketing techniques that will specifically help you as a summer camp director or owner. We\u2019re here to take the stress of planning away, bringing you peace of mind knowing that you can build your camp\u2019s reputation and attendance without having to break the bank.<\/span><\/p>\n

Knowing Your Target Audience <\/b><\/p>\n

When <\/span>creating a marketing plan<\/span><\/a>, you must first pinpoint your target audience. For summer camps, you will have two main groups to advertise to: the children and the parents. Two different audiences means that you will have to create separate marketing strategies for each. Don\u2019t worry, we\u2019ll walk you through how you can target each group to help them see why a summer camp is something they should strongly consider. In essence, you will be creating a <\/span>push\/pull marketing plan<\/span><\/a>, which will allow you to reach both audiences simultaneously. Your tactics to children will be more push marketing while drawing parents back to your camp or new parents through word of mouth referrals will be more of a pull marketing strategy. Knowing how to market to children and their parents will give you the most effective marketing campaign and greatest chance at success. <\/span><\/p>\n

Captivating attention of the younger generation involves <\/span>advertising to their likes and needs<\/span><\/a>. To do so, focus your advertisements on the fun-filled activities your camp has to offer and the \u2018feel good’ atmosphere of the camp. Incentives are the best way to persuade kids and teenagers. Potential campers need to know the \u2018why\u2019 behind attending your camp, so advertising the highlights of what you have to offer is the best route to take. It\u2019s important to note that the<\/span> Federal Trade Commission<\/span><\/a> has established guidelines for marketing to children, which includes the <\/span>Children\u2019s Online Privacy Protection Act<\/span><\/a>. Of particular note of these guidelines, it\u2019s important to consider the following when planning a marketing campaign geared towards children:<\/span><\/p>\n