Sell Out Your School’s Summer Camp With These 5 Marketing Strategies

I’m diving into one of my favorite topics: school camp promotions and strategies. You might be wondering why I'm delving into school camps – well, in the world of marketing, it's all interconnected! Selling your school's programs includes selling your summer camps too. Crafting a robust camp marketing plan is crucial to ensure your camp is a sold-out success. So, if your marketing or admin teams haven't started on this yet, now's the time to dive in.

As we approach the new year, it's prime time to start thinking about how to fill up your summer camp roster. Summer camps aren't just about fun; they're golden opportunities for schools. They bring in extra revenue beyond tuition fees, establish a pipeline from camp to school enrollment, engage the wider community, and boost your school's brand visibility. Plus, let's face it – camp enrollments often play a significant role in a school's financial stability amidst fluctuating student enrollments and tuition.

Enrolling campers consistently year after year can indeed be a challenge. That’s why we’ve created this resource for you! Now's the month to focus on camp promotion, and I'm about to reveal five rock-solid methods that have proven effective in ramping up camp enrollments:

1️⃣ Priority Enrollment Periods

Launching a designated week-long enrollment window, usually during your camp’s first month of sales, exclusively for current students and previous camp attendees is a game-changer. It creates that all-important sense of urgency among parents, nudging them to secure their child's spot before the general public rush. Starting in January with priority enrollment (if that’s your camp’s launch month),, coupled with an irresistible promotion, is a surefire way to get people signing up pronto.

2️⃣ Strategic Promotions During Launch

The secret sauce to a successful camp launch? Sell, sell, sell during that first month! We've partnered with numerous schools to drive up sales by offering compelling promos – like multi-session discounts in January (if that's when your camp kicks off). This entices parents to book multiple sessions upfront, ensuring your camp fills up fast. Leading with your strongest promotion ensures people know that the early bird catches the worm. Ideally, camps should aim for around 50% of their sales during the launch month, leaving a few months to fill up any remaining slots.

3️⃣ Spotlight Your Best Programs First

Highlighting your top-notch, diverse, and engaging camp programs right from the get-go significantly impacts enrollment rates. Showcase those programs that are well-crafted and brimming with exciting activities. As the enrollment period progresses, keep an eye on available spots and strategically promote those still open. This approach maximizes the initial excitement and maintains interest throughout the enrollment phase.

4️⃣ Harness the Power of Parents

Parents are your biggest allies when it comes to promoting camp programs. They're passionate advocates and influential voices for your school's camps. Engage them by encouraging referrals and word-of-mouth promotion. Offering incentives like discounts or rewards for successful referrals not only motivates parents to spread the word but also fosters a sense of community and appreciation for their support.

5️⃣ Use Social Proof

If you're not already collecting parent and camper testimonials each year, now's the perfect time to start. Why? Because these testimonials can be showcased on your camp website, social media, and various platforms. Encourage parents to leave reviews on camp review sites too. Every bit of social proof helps in reassuring prospective camp families that your camp is the place for their child.

Implementing these strategies can supercharge your camp enrollment rates, ensuring your camp programs continue to thrive and attract eager campers. Here’s to an amazing summer camp enrollment season!

🏫 Small schools are unique. They face different challenges than larger schools, and having a community that understands these challenges is an important part of maintaining our passion for this meaningful work. Our FREE Small School Leaders monthly meetup is the perfect place to find the support and connection you've been looking for! 💬 

Put us on your calendar TODAY 👉 https:// www.easyschoolmarketing.com/leaders 

And if you would like to do a deeper dive into all things Small School, then you may want to check out our Small School Solutions Annual Professional Development Tailored to Small Schools! 

Learn More 👉 https://www.easyschoolmarketing.com/solutions

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