Recruiting Summer Campers for 2021

17 Jul

So far, very little of 2020 has gone as planned, especially for the camp industry. It's likely the 2021 recruitment season will similarly find us full of twists and turns. Camps are going to need to adapt and radically rethink the way they approach recruitment, retention, and planning for the summer.

Zoom Fatigue

I sure am tired of zooms and I imagine you might be too. Imagine how many Zooms camp families have been on in the last few months. How are you going to attract potential camp families for an online info session? What is going to make this info session interesting, interactive, and enticing? Selling camp virtually requires an entirely new routine and ecosystem. Maybe you offer an activity for families, like slime making. Perhaps you find a way to fill a need for families–and within the activity, you embed your short “about camp” pitch. Whatever your routine, find a way to draw people in that will not inspire further Zoom fatigue.

Narrative of Registration Experience

What is the ideal experience you want your families to have from the moment they inquire about camp to the moment they get off the bus at camp? What are the unique touchpoints with them?

Touchpoints may be an individual welcome phone call, a monthly email, a mass email series on getting ready for camp, a pre-summer orientation, or any other interaction whether digital or in person.

Will they have all the information they need to 1) decide to attend camp and 2) be ready to send their kids?

Describe your ideal registration experience in detail, and create two or three fictional camp families that closely match your audience. Put your mind in the head of those families.

Can you find the inquiry form on the website?
Is it easy to upload vaccine records?
Does the packing list make sense to a first-time family?

If not, what changes can be made?

If you do not have easy reference answers for FAQs that parents will be asking, prepare your own internal document of “Recruitment Answers” so that your whole team can be on the same page. You know parents are going to ask you questions related to COVID-19 and your health & safety practices. Have those answers ready to go in order to inspire confidence in your potential or returning families.

Customer Service

Never miss an opportunity to create Raving Fans out of your existing population. Set reasonable expectations with families, and don't just meet them–exceed them. Make sure they know who to talk to with questions about different topics. If a parent has a medical question that you can’t answer, tell them you need to talk to your camp doctor and will get back to them within a specific amount of time. Find out the answer, and get the information to your families within that time. If you can't get the answer for some reason, give them an update. This may seem obvious, yet timely follow-through can be an easy way to wow families.

Refer back to your registration experience narrative. Families will feel confident in your camp if you have answered all their questions before they even need to ask them. By taking care of their needs, setting expectations, and providing a top-notch camp experience, you can create Raving Fans.

Parents and guardians are trusting you with their most precious commodity: their children. Earn their trust. Show them you can handle this important task by hitting a home run on smaller tasks.

ABC: Always Be Closing

This is the season to revisit your system of lead management and follow up.

What happens when someone inquires about attending?
Does someone check-in and follow up with them?
How many touchpoints do you need before they register?
What will it take to close the deal?

Data-Based Decisions

Your registration system (be it CampMinder, CampBrain, CampDoc, Bunk1, etc.) is a wealth of information on your families. This data can be used to track your retention and allow you to do micro-targeting in your recruitment. Knowing how many of your campers are returning from a specific school, bunk, or city can help you focus your efforts and messaging. Use the vast amount of data available to you!

Raving Fans

Your fans will help do the recruitment for you next season, and they want to help you! Their first-hand experience and honest opinion are invaluable to improving. Find out if they're willing to talk to prospective families who want to hear from other families. Ask if they can invite their friends (and their friends' kids) to an info session. Consider creating a referral incentive program.

While much of the future is uncertain, adapting tried-and-true strategies for a new era will allow you to drive your recruitment and meet your goals. No matter what is happening any given month make sure you are using data to drive decision making, and providing top-notch customer service. Retain your existing camp fans and families, and bring new ones in to make summer 2021 the summer we all need!

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Ari Polsky has over 6 years of experience as a camp professional. He is available to consult and help your camp think about and improve the following areas: