So, you have run great camps, it’s been a great experience, it’s been hard but rewarding and you learned a lot in the process.
Now to start the process all over again…..
Attending recruitment events, running online campaigns, events to promote etc…..
It’s important to attract new families. If you aren’t then you won’t be in business much longer…
So how can you do all this without the heavy feeling of having to start all over again?
Most camps operate on tight budgets and must be very capital efficient, so you have to spend your money wisely and get the best return on investment.
Founders of Camptree faced these same issues in their camp in Switzerland. They analyzed what was working and realized ‘word of mouth’ was their most effective channel. It had the best R.O.I. and you only pay when it performs (with an incentive) so you don’t have to risk money upfront, and it doesn’t take any time or effort!
So, they focused on their “bring a friend program” and put a system behind it.
They doubled registrations, reduced their marketing costs and saved time.
How?
1. Ideas to make camp referrals worth it!
Offering cash or merchandise in return for referrals has been proven to be effective. Incentivize families to bring their friend to your camp.
2. Have incentives go both ways for all families involved.
Both receiving a reward is less self serving and is more effective than just one way.
3. Organize Referrals Easily for Families
By showing families you are keeping track of who they are referring is a good motivator for them to bring more friends.
4. Stay on top of communication with families.
Be clear consistent and communicate clearly with families.
An online portal or referral dashboard helps families see where they stand.
5. Summer Camp Marketing Tips
Promoting your camp program through the year through social, email, banners, footers can keep bringing results.
We managed our program manually the first year and it was a lot of work to track and reward, so we built a system to manage it for us which got us more enrollments and saved us time.
We started offering it to other camps so they could benefit and they got some great results too. If you want to find out how your camp can benefit head to www.camptree.org.
Check out how easy it is to use with Regpack:
Benefits for Regpack Users:
You will receive a free onboarding experience worth $300! Simply mention you are a Regpack client to claim the discount!
Find out more go to www.camptree.org
Get more camp marketing tips in our guide to summer camp marketing here.