You’ve worked so hard to get ready for this summer and it’s almost game time! But don’t take your eye off the ball. Now is the time to focus on marketing Summer 2022.
This must sound crazy. Some of you are still registering campers for this season. However, if you don’t plan ahead for next year, you will miss opportunities.
The best time to reenroll campers is when they still have summer on their minds. Since there are no visitor days this year due to COVID, you will not have the chance to engage parents mid-summer, in-person. That does not mean you can’t start planting seeds about next year. Go over and above this year communicating with parents. Make sure they are getting personalized notes from staff and extra photos of their children. Send a few additional emails to keep them in the loop. Your customer service will go a long way and entice families to come back for more!
Towards the end of your summer sessions, roll out an early bird campaign. Offer a discount and get campers registered for next year as soon as they get home this year. Make sure to give them a deadline to sign up, and then open up your registration to the public. The sooner you enroll campers, the less stress you will have next spring.
Use your time now to build your campaign. Determine, your session dates and rates. Create all of your emails and social media in advance. Send campers home with info to remind parents to register. Develop a direct mail piece and get your digital brochure for Summer 2022 designed. Don’t forget to update your email lists and change the information on your website. Plan all of these strategies in advance so you are organized and prepared.
We realize many of you may not have extra time to devote to this work. That is why we created Campfire Creative Marketing. Think of us as your Chief Marketing Officer. We handle all of your marketing needs from concept to completion. We are an extension of your staff. However, we cost a lot less then it would to hire someone with our expertise.