I asked my friend Doug to make camp marketing easier

Nov 21th, 2024

“Jack, it’s the same thing I told you.”

This is what my friend Doug told me while we were talking about a camp that reached out for camper recruitment help.

It was right before he outlined a blueprint for camp marketing.

See, these last six months, I’ve spent a ton of time figuring out what The Summer Camp Society could be and how to build a more sustainable business. In August, Doug called me.

He was a long-time camp pro/ year-round program director and business owner, now working in email marketing and consulting.

A lot of advice I get is “sell more, sell more, sell more,” and I don’t want to. He helped me hone a message, focus, deliver real value, and remind folks (you) that I do staff training. Reply “Jack let’s talk training” to this email ;)

My training bookings are waaay ahead of previous years.

He constantly thinks about online content, runs a writing agency, and loves camp. Check. Check. Check.

I asked him to share advice for camps. He did, and it’s the same advice he gave me. Here ya go. 👇

Want to know the strategy for marketing camps, or really anything?

Steve Martin, The Jerk himself, has the answer. And you don’t need an archery disaster like the one below to make it happen.

In Born Standing Up, Martin discusses his first appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Super timely, I know, but stay with me here.

Dude was positive his standup comedy life would change the first time he went on. Celebrity doors would open. Fame and fortune incoming. Nope. Nobody cared.

Second appearance? Not a needle mover. Third through tenth bookings, some club owners kind of noticed, sort of. A few more fans at his shows. More Tonight Show gigs, but still kind of nothing.

It was on the 16th time (16th!, this is years folks) with Johnny Carson (as famous as it got) when Steve Martin finally broke through and a stranger on the street recognized him.

All she said was, “Yuck.”

Consistency Beats the One-Hit Wonder

Decades later, the world has sped up, and there are more channels, but the lesson is the same.

In messaging and marketing about and for your camp, consistency is crucial. Without it, there’s frustration, a feeling of lost time, rushing to catch up, scrambling, one-off attempts at random things, and worst of all, you might find yourself saying, “Such-and-such (proven method) doesn’t work for MY camp.”

And that’s the worst mistake to make because when you keep showing up and showing up in different places, people notice.

Slowly. Surely. They begin to trust you. Feel like they know you. And that’s when the magic (in this case, the enrollment) happens.

Thankfully, there are ways to make this consistency part of your camp’s DNA, and it won’t take a late-night talk show or arrow through the head to do it.

#1. Commit to a schedule

Creating a consistent schedule is the backbone of successful marketing, camps included. Don’t expect your audience to recognize or trust you if you post one week and then go dark the next three.

Jack and I talk about and work on this all the time.

It can’t be just heading to the keyboard with a thought or a lightbulb idea when the moment strikes.

Pick a schedule and cadence that works for you—and stick to it. Unflinchingly.

Start small: one newsletter a month, a social post a week, texts to parents each season (yes, this counts as content). Make it manageable and sustainable. Mark it on your calendar and treat it like a commitment you can’t break. And don’t break it.

#2. Show up on different channels

Marketing isn’t a one-size-fits-all activity. Parents and campers consume content in different ways (duh). Some love scrolling through Facebook or Instagram, others want that quick and personal email, and some might even listen to a podcast while sitting in traffic or on the treadmill.

No need to guess the exact one everyone will love. Because that’s not possible.

Choose at least three different channels to focus on. Don’t spread yourself too thin—but give parents options for how they can interact with your camp.

Experiment with short videos on Instagram, email campaigns for announcements, and even podcast episodes that dive deep into the camp experience.

Don’t get too down if no one “shows up” the first few or the first many times. That’s normal. Track what works and double down where you see engagement.

Gathering data only works when you have the data. And you only get the data by getting out there, making mistakes, trying new things, and continuing to show up.

#3. Find your authentic voice

Speaking, posting, texting, emailing, or podcasting should never feel forced. If it does, everyone will know. Believe me.

Parents and campers want to know the real you. The real staff. What you and your camp are all about. The ideas you stand behind, what drives your program, and how you think about time spent during the summer.

It’s the same way they want to know the counselor their camper will spend a day, week, or month with.

Write like you speak. Share stories that matter. Talk about the features, sure, but include the funny moments, the challenges, and how you overcome them. This latter part is crucial because it’s real, and authenticity is magnetic.

When parents feel they know you, they’re far more likely to trust your camp with their child.

If you feel like you’ve been showing up and it’s still not working, remember: Steve Martin made it through 15 Tonight Show appearances before someone even recognized him—and they still said, “Yuck.”

I think we can agree that it worked out for him in the long term.

Stick around and show up long enough for people to see your camp’s value. And eventually, they will.

It’s Jack again.

Thoughts on what Doug said here? More questions about what it would look like for your camp?

Just reply, “Jack, let’s talk marketing!”

You got this,

Jack