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Winter Campfire - Great Video from Camp Onondaga

Creating great summer camp videos doesn't have to be a complicated production - it just needs to connect emotionally with viewers. Onondaga, a residential camp in Ontario, posted this great Winter Campfire video that really connects.

What Does Onondaga's Video Say To Potential Campers?

  • Onondaga people think about summer camp all year long
  • Onondaga has spirit and is a fun place to be
  • Onondaga staff talk directly to campers and if parent's watch, that's ok, too
  • Onondaga draws leaders from across the country
  • Onondaga values children's voices
  • Onondaga is full of multi-talented staff

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Check out the Winter 2011 Campfire! Thanks so much to everyone for all your help. We can't wait until we are all together up at Dukes this summer!

10 Things Every Camp Should Do on YouTube

Marketing your summer is a stressful business these days. As we compete with more and more summer activities it is much harder to set ourselves apart.

Families choose camp (and hopefully your camp) by relying on two strong factors to make the decision: a referral from people they respect and an emotional connection to the camp, it's programs, and it's people.

Video is a strong mechanism to reach those families on both factors.  By creating a great camp video (many, preferably) you give your current camp community something that they can pass on to their friends.  Something that they can use to refer your program to them.

By creating great, intentional camp videos you also show families a bit of yourselves.  Families need to feel comfortable leaving their children in your care, and it is hard to hide who you really are in the medium of video.

10 Things Every Camp Should Do on YouTube

  1. Educate.  Don't use video as a bullhorn to just tell people how great you are.  Teach parents how to choose a good camp, show them how to prepare their child so he/she does not miss home, explain your No-Cell-Phone policy.
  2. Appeal to kids.  You can't go wrong by imagining you're Sesame Street.  Keep the videos short, engaging, full of song and kid-focussed.
  3. Tour a sleeping area.  Parents will feel more comfortable sending their kids to you if they know what it is like inside your cabin/tents (also see #6).
  4. Keep it short.  Video watchers will give you 60 - 90 seconds of uninterrupted viewing before they start to get bored.   If you want them to make to the end of your 3 minute video you better be really letting your awesome out.  Anymore than 3 minutes and they're gone.
  5. Show us your WHY.  You want camp clients who feel passionate about the thing that makes your camp different than the other 15 000 camps in North America. Make sure they know what your WHY is. HINT: it's not your new speedboat.
  6. Show off your food.  Parents want to know where their kids will sleep and what they will eat.   Show off your food and you are farther ahead than 99% of the other camps on YouTube.
  7. Interview your counsellors. Kids who have been to camp will want to see people they know ("Hey! Watch this video of my counsellor from last year!") and new parents want to see who will be looking after their children.
  8. Plan ahead.   I have been using this awesome YouTube video from Camp Ouareau to illustrate this point.   You have 2, maybe 3, months to capture all of the video (and photos) that you will need for next year. Make a list of the shots you want and make it someone's job to complete that list.
  9. Know your keywords. Keywords are those words that people use to search Youtube.   By including good keywords in your description and video tags you will draw in more parents who are looking to make a summer camp purchase.  Check out the YouTube Keyword Tool.
  10. Support your community.  Interview staff or families who are doing stuff outside of camp.   Think of it as karma.

Stay tuned to CampHacker for more information in the coming months about using YouTube for effective summer camp marketing.   I'll spend some time and go into detail about these 10 ideas .

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5 NEW Tips for Social Media Marketing Your Summer Camp - Part 3

How do I use social media to market my camp?

On January 29th, 2010, Travis presented his 5 NEW Tips for Social Media Marketing Your Summer Camp to a packed room at the Ontario Camps Association conference.   The presentation is full of practical tips for camps who are looking for immediate actions that they can take to improve their online marketing campaigns.

5 Tips

The five tips include (click here to watch the AWESOME! introduction):

  1. Tell visual stories
  2. Love your alumni
  3. Be a better blogger
  4. Remember your "call to action"
  5. Make the most of your Facebook Fan Page

**Please note: some of these posts are password protected but will become open to anyone to read in the next week or so.  If you would like early access to CampHacker.org content then sign up for our newsletter (it's free).

Summer Camps need to understand and use effective social media marketing techniques. This is part three of a six part series. art 1 - Introduction http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M87-fJItLXw Part 2 - Tell Visual Stories http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK6hDrLB6LM Part 3 - Love Your Alumni http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB16eOn8ht4 Part 4 - Be A Better Blogger http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gShUqd2Je54 Part 5 - Remember Your CTA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLYRhuVZXP0 Part 6 - Make the Most of Facebook Travis Allison from Walking Maverick Consulting - 2011 Ontario Camps Association conference.

Tip 2 - Love Your Alumni (part 3 of the series)

Coming next week: Tip 3 - Be A Better Blogger(part 4)

If you are interested in ways that your camp can improve your social media marketing strategy please fill in the form (click here) for a free 15 minute consultation.  You can also call (519.532.7366) or email Travis (travis@walkingmaverick.com).

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