Tried-and-True Best Practices for and from Summer Camps
Team Buy-in and Training
Getting your senior team on-board early is very important. Whether they will work directly with your app as contributors or act simply as app users, you’ll want to train your team before you launch to parents.
Staff that is usually hands-on with parent communications via phone, email and other touch points will without a doubt LOVE using your app to simplify their work flow.
It’s a good idea to clearly define the roles if you are planning to have several app contributors. For example, the photographer uploads photos and videos, the social media coordinator publishes camp news, the camp director updates the calendar and manages messaging. Regardless of who does what, you will also want to designate your “App Champion.”
Responsibilities relating to your app might include:
1- Marketing the app to parents
2- Publishing fresh content to the app (news, calendars, photos, etc.)
3- Scheduling and sending notifications to app users
Expert tip: Remember to inform all your staff about the app. And why not use your app for staff communication as well?
App Announcement & Launch
Announce your app as exciting news for the camp. And it IS exciting – it’s a definite WOW and COOL factor! Here are some examples of fun outreach tactics:
• Start a count-down to your app going live D-Day.
• Run a contest, for example: “Everyone who logs in the app on mm/dd/yy gets a ______ (fill-in the blank, free camp t-shirt, credit for the snack bar, etc.)”
• Use a tag line such as “Don’t miss the inside scoop! Get our <> app today!” – get it printed on eye-catchy items like staff t-shirts or ice-cream coupons…
Expert tip: Make a short video of the app and show as a teaser before the official launch date (you’ll be able to use this for marketing your camp to new parents, too!).
On-going Awareness Generation
Ensure every piece of print collateral and digital content has a call to action to direct parents to download your app.
Include your app icon and app store links on/in:
• your camp registration confirmation
• the footer of your camp email signature
• your website
• social media posts
• etc.
Expert tip: Highlighting screenshots to showcase app features will immediately drive interest and anticipation.
Drive Adoption Purposefully
Send an email specifically talking about your app:
• Why it’s important for parents to have it
• What type of information will be shared via your app
• Where to get it with links to Google Play and the Apple App Store
• How to register and login *Re-send the email as needed, throughout your season (for example June 1, July 1, August 1)
Expert tip: Go cold turkey! Don’t duplicate your work. Inform parents that the app is it – it will be your main channel of communication during camp. No more flyers or long emails (that don’t get read)…
Nurture Engagement
Send regular updates using “mobile push notifications” on a consistent basis - at least 2x week. Push targeted and relevant info out to parents.
Why not just use email?
Mobile notifications are read within a few seconds of receipt versus hours for emails. This messaging method is perfect for friendly reminders, newsflash of content loaded to the app, last minute quick updates, and special offers.
For example:
• “New photos uploaded in the app Beach Day album”
• “Reminder tomorrow is Tie Dye Day for K Camp – bring a white T!”
• “Campers are on their way back from museum field trip - running 10 minutes late! See you soon.”
• “Early bird camp registration now open. Save lots of $$$ for next summer!”
Publish daily camp news. Parents craaave to hear stories about camp. Benefits of sharing camp tidbits everyday are HUGE! For one, your news can serve as a conversation starter for parents - instead of asking their child “how was camp today?” (to which the answer will surely be no more than 3 words) they can say “tell me about archery…” Another benefit is showcasing all the amazing programing you’ve worked so hard to plan for all year; parents will love to see it all – it will really validate their decision of choosing your camp. And last but not least, some parents want to relive their camp days so badly – every news bit is like a whiff of fire roasted marshmallows…serve it up daily!
Sending regular updates and publishing daily news nuggets will make parents feel more connected and informed. And as a result, calls to the camp office will decrease while parent satisfaction will increase.
Expert tip: Targeting your push notifications ensures your messages are relevant for your users, making them much more likely to engage.