10 Easy Social Media Campaigns Camps Can Do This Summer
Once the summer season starts, we all know it is incredibly difficult to think about anything else besides directly what’s in front of you. The following list is a compilation of social media campaigns you can run this summer, hand off to your social media director, or get on a calendar so you maintain your socials in the midst of the busy camp season! Shoutout to the participants from our Let’s Get Social webinar for putting this together! I have included the ways in which I would create the content, but of course, cater to your own skills. For example, any content designed for TikTok could be easily transformed into a graphic or a photo for Instagram if your camp doesn’t have a TikTok or you’re not ready to create videos.
1. Show off your camp menu
Assign your media director (or someone else if that’s your job!) to take a photo of your camp meals each day. At the end of the week, post a carousel post on Instagram and Facebook to celebrate camp food.
Caption ideas:
Shoutout kitchen staff
Why food matters at camp
Tell a story: what happens during meals at camp?
2. Meet the counselors!
Each week, celebrate a number of your staff! Use Canva* to design a graphic with each staff member’s face on it, and a fun fact or any information on them!
Love this example from Camp Ocean Pines:
*Did you know Canva offers non-profits the Pro version for FREE?
Level up!
Create a Tik Tok/reel to introduce staff! Here’s one fun idea from Rock Springs Ranch introducing their staff: watch it here!
3. Collaborate with other organizations and share the same post
Instagram now allows you to collaborate on posts in order for two accounts to share the same post which boosts engagement. Find an organization in your community that shares similar values, or an organization you’ll be partnering with, and create content that works for both pages to share. For example, here’s a post I created for The Summer Camp Society and Camp Stomping Ground to promote our upcoming Restorative Justice Conference to attract audiences from both pages. It’s kinda like 2 for the price of 1 deal?!
Allison Krabill note:
I think for camps not doing big conferences, this might look like collaborating with:
Agencies/associations
Organizations your staff are in
Local mom blogs
Rotary Clubs, etc. that helped provide scholarships or fund some part of camp
4. Camper quote of the week
Ask your staff to submit a camper quote they loved from the week into your mailbox, send you an email, or however you will be most organized to collect information. Use Canva to design camper testimonials and share your campers’ quotes. Quotes could have a theme or not! Love this graphic using a client testimonial from Transplaining for camps.
5. YMCA Camps: “Y Camp Wednesday”
For Y camps! Have a staff member or camper answer the question “Why camp?” Responses could range from silly two word responses, to more in depth responses of folks sharing why camp matters from them. Record responses and post to Instagram reels and/or Tik Tok.
Here’s a fun interview style Tik Tok from Camp Stomping Ground!
Allison Krabill note: Keep these videos and use Canva to easily make a quick video you can share with families and donors.
6. Preparing your campers and staff for summer
Create a video or visual with a list of things to pack, directions for how to get to camp, or what to expect! These kinds of posts not only share the hidden curriculum of camp, but create for great content that can be continually shared throughout your camp sessions, or even throughout multiple summer camp sessions.
Shoutout Camp Sloane YMCA for this packing video!
7. Cabin tours
In my role creating social media for Camp Stomping Ground, during the off-season parents were always asking more specific questions about what lodging at camp actually looked like. I always regretted not having more photos and videos of cabins, where campers would shower, and what cabin living was like.
Take 5 minutes one day to capture photos of cabin life and share on Instagram and Facebook!
8. Share your camp’s playlist
This one’s fun and easy! If your camp has a playlist, share to your Instagram and Facebook story with a link embedded for folks to join and follow along.
Allison Krabill Note: Turn it into a highlight so it’s always on your Instagram!
9. Alumni highlight
Similarly to #4, collect some quotes from alumni about why camp matters to them. Create a graphic to highlight quotes and share out. These can be great to drive registration, fundraising, and create awareness about your program’s mission.
10. Supporting staff
Catering certain content to staff is really useful. Whether it be posting a packing list for what they should bring, giving them a tour of their cabin so they know what to expect, or using social media to recruit staff fit for your program, designing content for our staff is important. Not to mention, campers, parents, and families love to see staff having fun just as prospective staff members do…
Here are a few fun ideas from camps sharing the staff experience on Tik Tok:
stay true to you
Overall, when it comes to social media, try to not get intimidated by all of the trends and funky features the apps have these days. Stay true to your branding and what comes easy to you.
Want more social?
Klee did a 90-minute webinar full of great tips. Buy it for $29 and watch it OR give it to your seasonal social media team. A huge thanks to Campminder for sponsoring the webinar and keeping the price low.
Okay, but want free stuff?
Klee has a number of free resources in our Free Stuff section.
