When spring arrives, parents start to really believe summer is coming. March is one of the biggest months for camp booking, so make sure you are ready!

Spring Scheduling

• Publish your camps (we’re not joking!!): If you have not already, you need to have your camp listings published as soon as possible. Make sure you include final camp dates, sample schedules, and all of the other important information that parents need to know. Parents have been researching and making decisions all winter, so you need to be sure your camp is on their list. 
• Show you are in demand: Let parents know that your camps are filling up. Include that information in your listings and emails so parents know spots are limited. With Sawyer, in a few clicks you can enable a waitlist to keep track of interested customers when your camps fill up.‍
• Keep track of your waitlists: As your waitlists fill, keep track of who is interested in which camps. If your waitlist gets large enough, you can consider opening another session of that camp. At the very least, you will know which camps are most popular so you can plan to run more of those next year.

“Waitlists are helpful because we can really see in real time the demand for our camps. In some weeks, our camp waitlists are up to 70 kids! It shows us the potential of what could be possible.” —Oh! Canary

Spring Admin Work

• Hire counselors and staff: Make sure your team is secure and get started on onboarding so that everyone knows what to expect when summer rolls around.
• Build safety plans and protocols: Parents trust you with their precious children and it is your job to keep them safe. Summer camp safety procedures and plans are the best way to know you are doing the most to keep everyone safe.
• Train your counselors: Proper camp counselor training is one of the best ways to keep your campers and staff safe over the summer. With the right plans and agenda, you can keep your counselors engaged and learning during onboarding and throughout the summer.

Spring Activity Planning

• Write lesson plans: Once you have your curriculum outlined, it is time to write summer camp lesson plans for your activities. Lesson plans are important to keep both instructors and campers on track throughout the session. 
• Gather supplies: Review your lesson plans and activities: What do you need to make this summer the best one yet? Make sure you stay organized while getting everything you need.

Spring Marketing

• Stay top of mind: While customers are primed to make a purchasing decision, it is so important to stay on their mind. Post frequently on social media and engage with your prospective and current customers. Vary your posts to include photos and videos from last summer, testimonials and reviews, instructor bios, and more.
• Offer referral bonuses: According to a study by Impact.com, “86% of consumers said recommendations and reviews are important in their purchase decisions.” Encourage families to refer friends to your camp and reward them when they do! 
• Lean into urgency: As you get more bookings, focus on the limited remaining spots in your email marketing subject lines, social media posts, and other forms of communication with parents. Be as specific as possible so parents know that the clock is ticking. Similar to early bird offers, “last chance” messaging can persuade parents to act fast. 
• Get excited: Camp is almost here! Bring the excitement into your email and social media marketing by counting down the days and posting photos of you and your team getting ready for your campers. You can even send digital or physical welcome packets with personalized letters, stickers, social media frames, and more to encourage campers and their families to spread the excitement.‍
• Interact with families: Connect with your campers and their families on social media to get them in the camp mindset. Use Instagram Stories to ask questions, run polls, and more, then share the responses to create a sense of community before the summer begins.

“We’ve found that using a multi-channel approach makes a real difference in driving registrations. We combine email announcements, widget banners, and discount codes to reach both new and returning families.” —Mr. Dave Music