Yesterday I had an encouraging conversation with a camp owner in the Bay Area. He asked me some very intelligent questions as he was on the cusp of choosing a marketing agency for his summer camp.
Our conversation was insightful and reminded me about why and how we do things at Grow My Camp. There are a handful of good summer camp marketing agencies out there. So what makes Grow My camp unique?
We recognize the patterns of marketing summer camp
Summer camping is a unique business. When it comes to marketing our summer camps, it’s vital that we know the ebb and flow of the camp season. This dictates when and how we communicate to our existing and prospective camp families. For instance, it’s crucial to give your families an opportunity to re-sign up for camp as soon as a camp session ends. Why? Because your campers and families have just experienced the best of camp and can feel, touch, and taste it. Not doing this leaves time and room for reasons not to sign up for camp, even if those reasons are bad or unrelated. There are dozens of other opportunities throughout the year when we need to be intentional about what and how we’re communicating.
We have run and grown our own successful businesses
Having run and grown your own business matters. One thing both Kyle and I are grateful for is that we have a entrepreneurial perspective. We get customers, cash flow, and all the things associated with keeping your summer camp business afloat. We have both had the opportunity to grow our own businesses (Camp Huawni, Apex Fun Run, Affair Recovery, Rinehart Racing) from infancy. We love partnering with camps and seeing them succeed.
We want you to see your ROI
What did you spend on marketing this year and how many tuition dollars did it generate truly? You should know this number. We believe in making data-driven decisions, which is why our clients get monthly and annual reports outlining all that’s happening in your sales funnel, including your ROI. Thanks to technology and a little extra work on our end, you can know this number and see whether your efforts are worth the cost.
When we recognize and act upon marketing opportunities unique to camping, take into consideration how our marketing efforts affect our business, and track what is actually happening with our marketing spend, we can make great strides towards a healthy and growing summer camp.