Social media is a huge driver for summer camp enrollment. You can build a community, exchange photos and feedback with parents, and remind everyone that camp is on the way.
All five of the summer camp social media ideas below won’t cost you anything but will build major buzz for your camp. The more organic shares your summer camp content gets, the more campers will sign up. Don’t forget to embed links to the registration page!
Video is where social media is at right now. To make yours as shareable as possible, do something creative and amazing. For example, try doing a choreographed one-take video that follows the action across your campground. It doesn’t have to cost anything...a phone camera, some willing participants, and a unique idea are enough! Check out this totally cool one from Canyon Creek Camp. It went viral and was shared over sixty thousand times—that’s one way to drive enrollment for free.
Popular hashtags are an easy way to harness pre-existing streams of traffic. You can also use them to create a routine that your followers will look forward to each week. For example, here are a few popular hashtags for daily social media themes (and how you might use them):
— Share an inspirational quote with (or over) a pic from camp to kick off the week.
Put together a month of summer camp social media ideas in one sitting (4-5 posts for each theme), schedule them with free social automation (like Hootsuite), and you’re good to go! Each post should also feature a link to your sign-up page, so anyone whose interest is piqued knows exactly where to go.
Are you thinking about summer camp for your kids, but aren't sure where to start?
Don't worry—we've got you covered. Here are some ideas about ways to generate interest for your camp (without even leaving your couch):
Hold a Facebook LIVE Stream for interested parents to see what the campground is like in real-time, and answer questions from the comments feed. Hype it up before it goes live, then plug early registration at the end of the stream.
This is a great way to drum up interest and generate leads without having to gather everyone together in person!
We all know that when it comes to summer camp, the best selling point is all of the experiences that you offer. You can’t beat a good sunset canoe ride or a session of arts and crafts! That’s why we recommend making sure your camp capitalizes on these experiences with 360-degree panoramic photos.
Facebook and Instagram both have built-in support for 360 photos, which can be super cool on mobile (move the phone around like it’s your window into the scene!). Many consumer cell phones can take 360 shots nowadays, so go find a cool spot in camp and show it off!
Your camp’s social pages are mainly followed by folks who are already in your community. That loyal group is your most valuable asset, but you’ve got to branch out to grow your base. Contributor blogs can augment your annual social media campaign. Team up with a popular summer camp resource site or directory, like the Camps With Friends, and contribute a blog that relates to your camp’s interests!
Camps With Friends has a built-in contributor program for just this reason. When you become a partner, we’ll give you a spot to post on our blog, and we’ll share it on our social channels for you. We’ll also add you to our mobile app, which gives you access to thousands of new parents in your area. So team up with us and set your outreach free!
Social Media for Youth Programming: A Realistic Guide to Reaching Your Audience 📢