YOU HAVE A MISSION
WE HAVE
TECHNOLOGY
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TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Camp Marketing
Are You Investing Your Marketing Budget Wisely?
Choosing A Software Partner
8 Key Features
Spotlight
Ferncliff Camp
Strategic Camps Checklist
Simple Changes To Impact Your Bottom Line
Camp Management
3 Ways The Right Software Can Grow Your Camp
Online Marketing
Does Your Camp Website Pass The Test?
Spotlight
Headfirst Camps
3 Ways To Build Loyalty, Referrals And Revenue
Top Reasons Camps Spend Marketing Dollars
Online Registration
5 Software Features For Online Success
Spotlight
Cherokee Retreat Center
Services for Parents: Photo, Video, News and Email
1. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Not what do “you” think per se, but have you posed the
question to your camp families? If your camp does not
conduct a post-camp survey with your camp families and
staff—the simple answer is YOU don’t know! A well-worded
survey is a powerful tool to better understand what your
camp families think—and more importantly—are likely to say
to others about your programs, staff and facilities.
Additionally, a post-camp survey can help uncover areas of
potential weakness, as well as identify areas for potential
growth. Whether building on strengths or overcoming
weakness, awareness is the first crucial step a camp can
take before investing wisely to position their camp fo
long-term success.
Your camp management system should allow you to easily
create and automatically send a professional HTML to
every camp family with a link to your survey shortly after
each camp program ends.
MARKETING
ARE YOU INVESTING YOUR MARKETING BUDGET WISELY?
As a camp administrator, you probably wear a multitude of hats from fearless leader and guidance counselor to savvy marketer.
As your camp’s Chief Marketing Officer, ask yourself these 3 questions to determine if your camp is spending the
budget wisely:
2. HOW DID YOU LEARN ABOUT OUR CAMP?
Ok, so you ask your new camp families this question, but
are you tracking the answers? Perhaps they are discovering
your camp through your Web site, a camp directory, flyer,
newspaper or through a referral from another camp family
or staff member.
Successful camps are committed to asking and tracking the
source of how families and campers are learning about their
programs. In order to have the greatest impact, your camp
must know the answer to decide where to invest
next year.
Your camp management system should help you not
only track prospects and send automated reminders, but
it should help you identify and track referral sources to
analyze your return on investment (ROI) for each marketing
dollar spent.
3. ARE WE INVESTING OUR MARKETING DOLLARS IN
THE RIGHT PLACE?
Now we arrive at the all-important question at the heart
of the matter. Remember, all marketing tactics employed
by your camp should be assigned a cost value. This is the
easiest, most straightforward way for you to quickly calculate
your camp’s ROI for each marketing dollar spent. What
many camp administrators ultimately discover, despite their
years of experience, is that their camp is not allocating their
marketing budget or staff resources in the areas that will
yield the greatest results to grow and competitively position
their camp programs for long-term growth.
ACTIVE Network has been a camp technology leader for
the past 12 years, serving more than 2,000 camps with
online registration and camp management solutions. Get
more campers. Manage operations efficiently. Build an
engaged community.
Visit www.ACTIVEcamps.com
CAMP
Questions your post-camp survey can help you
discover:
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Why do your repeat campers return each
season? Or, why are you losing repeat
campers?
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How many friends do they tell or invite
to camp? Who would they invite to camp
next year?
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What were the favorite/least favorite activities
and experiences?
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What do parents think about their child’s
experience? Would they recommend your
camp to their friends and colleagues?
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What changes could your camp make to
improve the camp experience next year?
CHOOSING A CAMP SOFTWARE PARTNER:
8 KEY FEATURES
1. Online Camp Registration and Payment Options
The ability to provide parents and campers with the
convenience of registering when and where they want,
24 hours a day, has become an expected convenience.
Additionally, features like automated email confirmation
receipts and auto-bill reminders provide timely
communications that your camp families will certainly
appreciate. The ideal camp software offers simple editing
tools for use by non-technical staff so you can easily create
customizable Web registration forms that match the look
and feel and your Web site.
2. Program Management
Easily manage program dates, capacities and locations;
administer cabins, bunks, groups and activities; and add
new programs quickly and easily to your custom online
registration form. Your software solution should provide
comprehensive program management, as well as custom
reports, rosters, and statistics to streamline administration,
and allow for seamless integration with online registration,
forms, donations and payments.
3. Staff and Prospect Application Management
Easily manage staff and prospective information through a
centralized database. Choose a camp software solution that
allows prospective staff to apply online in a customizable
application, tracks applicants and hiring statuses, schedules
interview dates and times, and records interview notes
and applicant history. Additionally, look for a system that
recognizes when a new prospect registers and alerts staff
to follow-up promptly.
4. Online Camper Accounts
Enhance customer service capabilities by enabling
your camp families to securely process payments, view
balances, and print statements and invoices online from
the convenience of their home or office. Look for a camp
management system that can readily accept credit cards,
debit cards and electronic checks, as well as one that can
apply discounts and coupon/promotion codes
automatically without a lot of fuss.
When selecting a software partner for your camp, it’s important to consider your options carefully as the camp
management software you choose will become a cornerstone to your camp’s operational efficiency. So what features
should you look for to determine the ‘right’ software for your camp?
5. Merchandise and Camp Store
Sell products and equipment during online registration
and collect camp store deposits. To capitalize on additional
revenue streams, look for a camp software system that
accepts stand-alone sales, as well as sales during online
registration. This will allow your camp to sell excess
merchandise year-round. The software should also allow
parents to put money toward a camp store account and
record camp store purchase history, accessible through
the online camper accounts.
6. Photo and Email Services
Value-added services like photos and emails connect
parents and campers. Look for a software solution that
allows your camp to easily upload photos to share with your
campers and their family and friends. Next, look for an email
service that streamlines the sending and receiving of letters
between campers and their families without the need for
additional staff resources.
7. Marketing Solutions
Increase registrations through targeted email offers,
increased communications, effective online advertising,
and participant rewards and incentives. Your camp software
partner should be a marketing partner that will assist you in
maximizing the success of your online registration to drive
participation, retention and referrals.
8. Additional Bonus Features
Look for a camp software partner that does more than just
registrations; look for a technology partner that can offer a
wide variety of solutions to grow as your camp needs grow,
from online donations and conference center registrations
to custom Web site design and Web content management
tools.
Ideally, you should select a comprehensive solution partner
that streamlines all aspects of your administration, offers
you the ability to view and analyze participant and revenue
data, delivers real-time reports for efficient accounting, and
increases camper sign-ups and retention through effective
marketing and increased communication. When it comes to
taking care of your campers and best serving their needs,
don’t settle for anything less.
Choosing the right camp software partner will
increase camp efficiencies. For more information about
ACTIVE Network camp management technology, visit
www.ACTIVEcamps.com.
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www.CampRegister.com
Ferncliff Camp
Ferncliff's Advice for Using Technology to Build Camp Programs:
1. Offer online registration
Build the registration cost into the total cost of camp so that nothing is taken from your bottom line.
Parents will pay the extra fee just for the convenience of knowing their payment was received, their
children are accepted into a camp, and they can pay with a credit card.
2. Consider a hosted software option
to alleviate any vulnerability of your online systems. You’ll rest easier knowing your data is safe and
secure with a trusted vendor that is required to meet protocols that guarantee the protection of
private data.
3. Take advantage of technology
It just makes sense to let ACTIVE Network automate the processes, so
we can focus on programs rather than spreadsheets and databases.
Most camp directors come into this line of work not to enter data, but
to roast marshmallows, work with our campers, and make decisions
more quickly in the best interest of the kids.
4. Don't be intimidated
Learn the basics of your new software, get it going, and use
more features over time. You don’t have to dive in all at once.
Once you start, there’s a good chance you won’t ever go back
to manual, paper-based registrations.
Little Rock, Arkansas
Founded in 1998
Annual Participation: 700+
Web site: www.ferncliff.org
“We’ve seen double-digit growth over the last couple
of years since implementing the online registration
system. Our parents are pleased by the convenience
and we’re able to focus on what’
s most important: our
Ferncliff Camp
Strategic Camps Checklist:
Simple Changes to Impact Your Bottom Line
Regardless of your camp size, your camp management software
can be instrumental in improving operational efficiencies and
profitability in four strategic areas:
1. Improved Cash Flow
Open and promote registration earlier
Offer flexible payment options and discounts for early
registration
Seek online donations during registration
Utilize auto-bill feature to collect account balances
2. Cut Unnecessary Expenses
Use online registration to cut data entry hours and related
expenses associated with mail-in registration forms
Increase your marketing efficiency by tracking referral
sources and investing your marketing dollars accordingly
Send automated email confirmations and welcome packets
(PDF files) online to eliminate hefty printing and
postage costs 3. Build Retention
Use your camp management system to create an automated
prospecting process to drive next season’s enrollment
Include a link to your Prospect/Inquiry Form on all outbound
communications to campers, alumni and prospects
Nurture relationships by using the auto-birthday email
feature to send personalized messages throughout the year
Encourage referrals with Invite a Friend technology
4. Identify New Revenue Opportunities
Consider commissioned-based Photo, Video, and Email services Build an integrated online/offline donation program
Extend day camp offerings with Pre-Care and After-Care options Transition to a non-refundable or sliding fee for cancellations
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www.CampRegister.com
Camp Management:
3 Ways the Right Software Can Grow Your Camp
1. A Dollar Saved Is A Dollar Earned
However, if you invest that same dollar and it yields a greater return—then you have spent your dollar wisely. A Web-based camp management solution will save on the costs associated with printing and mailing brochures, including design services, paper, ink, envelopes and postage. Your system should allow you to use built-in email tools to send electronic flyers and brochures to targeted audiences with personalized messages. Replacing traditional post-and-mail methods with a Web-based solution will ALWAYS yield a higher return. Bonus--no more late-night envelope-stuffing parties.
2. Time is Money—Stop Wasting It
The adage that your employees are your greatest resource cannot be overstated. Many camps continue to spend countless hours mailing registration packets and reminder cards, processing mail and faxed–in registration forms, and entering data into spreadsheets or other legacy systems.
Consider the hours your camp spends managing your current registration process. Consider the savings a Web-based camp registration and management solution can offer by allowing camp families to securely submit their registration and payment data real-time into a centralized database. Remember whether a dollar or an hour—invest your resources where they can yield the greatest return for your camp.
3. The Name of the Game—Convenience
Imagine you are a busy parent balancing your job, family, household and, oh yes, budget. You are comparing two camps offering similar
activities, facilities, and overall cost. One camp offers online registration and credit card payments—the other does not. Which camp do you think this busy parent is likely to choose?
Successful camps understand the value a robust online registration and camp management system offers busy camp families, from the secure 24/7 online registration and automatic email registration confirmations to the auto-bill payment reminders and online family account access.
“...we can now email a PDF file
instead of relying on a paper form”
“Our promotions are done through targeted emails. It’s far less costly
for an email to bounce back than for a stack of letters to be returned.
Plus, our parents like knowing immediately if their children are in our
camps.”
1. Easy Navigation
Usability and overall organization of your site is paramount to creating a positive first impression, rather than one of frustration. Most importantly, make it easy for camp families to register online. Don’t force them to search your site or even to send an email or make a phone call. Highlight updated session dates, rates and descriptions, and prominently feature a Register Online or Register Now button to encourage action.
2. Relevant Content
Your site should offer content on your overall camp experience in addition to program costs and dates. Have a newsletter, photos
or video? Post them online. If not, post notes submitted by happy campers and parents. To gather prospect details, add a “Request Brochure” button. This allows visitors to easily request additional information and provides your camp the ability to follow up with the prospective family in the future.
3. Kid-Friendly/Family-Focused
Given that youth are growing up with computers in the classroom and at home, they are likely viewing your camp Web site and ultimately influencing their family’s decision about your camp. Consider posting survey or poll questions, fun facts, and of course, videos of campers in action to entice and excite your most important visitors—your prospective campers!
4. Professional, Fun and Competent
Poor grammar, typos or lack of content and photos may portray your camp as amateurish or second-rate. Your Web site is your camp’s resume and the first step towards “getting the interview”. Make it count.
ONLINE MARKETING:
DOES YOUR CAMP WEBSITE PASS THE TEST?
5. Welcoming and Engaging
Your Web site must be informative, and ideally, interactive. Take advantage of Web content management tools that allow you and your staff to easily post videos, photo galleries, surveys, message boards, calendars and contests that will engage new prospects, referrals and returning campers alike!
With the proliferation of the Internet, the importance of your camp Web site cannot be emphasized enough.
More than ever, camps administrators are beginning to recognize the advantages of using technology, along with marketing best practices, to create an engaging online presence to excite soon-to-be campers.
ACTIVE Network offers custom Web design and
hosting services to ensure your camp Web site attracts
prospects and showcases your camp to drive interest
and registrations. Our intuitive “point and click” content
editing tools allow your staff to expertly update your Web
site without technical expertise or an experienced Web
master. For more information, visit
www.ACTIVEcamps.com
Today, with easy access to the Internet, and the popularity of search tools like Google and online communities like Facebook, your camp prospects are likely “tuning in” to the Web to checkout your camp, your competitors and what others are saying about you online.
Your camp Web site is the one of the most powerful online tools for marketing your camp to families. If your camp Web site is not updated with relevant content, call to actions (CTAs), and engaging information about your camp programs, it may be costing you more than you know—future campers! Below are 5 best practices to ensure your camp’s Web site is geared to impress first time visitors, prospects and returning camp families:
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www.CampRegister.com
Headfirst Summer Camps
Headfirst's Advantages to Taking Camps Online
• We use online camp registration for all of our programs and about 99% of our parents use this
to sign up their kids. Registration integrates with our website, making it convenient and easy on
campers and staff. I can’t imagine using anything else—it’s easy and really cuts down on our
paper-work.
• We can collect online donations, which has been great. Electronically we are able to collect
more money because it’s easy for parents to add a donation to their “cart” as they check out for
registration.
• We also sell merchandise online, so again, parents can just add a t-shirt or hat to their carts at
checkout.
• Parents and campers can log in to the system whenever they want to
update personal information or make changes. The online camper
accounts really save the staff time.
• Our seasonal employees apply for the counselor positions through an
online staff management module, which helps us manage our hiring
process.
• The email communication center is probably the favorite feature of
our staff. We use it to send occasional newsletters and updates
to our campers. Plus, when campers register, they receive an
automatic confirmation email. We use it constantly.
Washington, DC. Bethesda, MD.
McLean, VA.
Summer Campers: 7,000+
Web site: www.headfirstcamps.com
“We were previously using a custom-made database that was
just not functioning the way we needed it to
. With thousands
of campers to get signed up
, we didn’t want our counselors
to have to worry about paperwork. W
e wanted something that
would automatically process registrations and mak
e it easy for
us to manage the administrative workload.
WAYS YOUR CAMP CAN BUILD
LOYALTY, REFERRALS AND REVENUE
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1. Offer Payment Plans
Offer parents the ability to pay for your camp programs over an extended period of time.
This will make it easier for families to register earlier, while allowing sufficient time
to budget appropriately.
2. Offer Special Discounts
Provide your veteran camp families with early bird, multi-sibling or “bring a friend”
discounts. Rewarding your repeat campers with a discount, in addition to providing
a great camp experience, is a sure-fire way to build loyalty and referrals for your
camp programs.
3. Offer Registration Earlier
Provide your camp families the opportunity to sign up for next summer’s programs when
their child’s excitement is at its peak, Not only are you able to generate/distribute your revenue
over the off-season, you are also collecting data earlier for your own budgeting/forecasting purposes,
allowing you to make timely strategic investments and business decisions.
With ACTIVE Network, Camps, you can easily automate your payment plans to offer parents up to 12 months to
pay in full, as well as easily process discount codes to recognize returning camp families and build referrals. For
more information on ACTIVE’s powerful features, visit
www.ACTIVEcamps.com
Top Reasons Camps Spend Marketing Dollars
Whether your camp is large or small, effective marketing is key for any camp to successfully grow and
prosper over the long run. The top four tactical reasons camps spend dollars on marketing and
promo-tion is to:
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Raise awareness about the camp’s mission, programs, and availability
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Create interest and desire to experience its programs
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Drive desired actions, such as requesting additional information, registering or
making a donation
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Build lasting relationships and referrals
“[ACTIVE's camp technology] has absolutely translated to additional revenues for Ferncliff. I’m much
more involved in registrations now than ever before. We used to fly by the seat of our pants when it
came to marketing. Since I can now monitor registrations daily, I can beef up marketing efforts for a
specific camp if needed, understand which programs are the most popular, and even make fast and
informed decisions about adding another camp session at the last minute.”
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www.CampRegister.com
If you’re still using paper mail-in registration forms, it may be time to reconsider given the convenience and overall efficiencies online registration provides both your camp families and your staff.
First, online camp registration empowers your camp families to complete the process when and where it’s most convenient for them. Second, your registrants receive an automatic confirmation email as an electronic record of their transaction. Third, you receive a confirmation of the registration in your database and all without any data entry required by your staff. Here are five key software features to look for in your online registration solution:
ONLINE REGISTRATION:
5 SOFTWARE FEATURES FOR ONLINE SUCCESS
1. “Invite a Friend” Marketing Tools
Peer-to-Peer marketing is cheap and extremely effective—others may call it Word-of-Mouth (WOM) advertising. No matter what you call it, make sure your online registration solution has the ability to allow your registrants to “Invite a Friend” during the registration process. The tool should automatically send a personalized email to the invitee notifying him or her that the inviter has registered for your camp programs and is sending this personal invite to join in on the fun. The email invite should always include a link directly to the registration form to make it easy and compelling for the invitee to sign-up right then and there.
2. Customizable Camp Registration Forms
Look for a solution that offers customizable registration forms to match the look and feel of your camp’s Web site. Your camp registration form should be readily available on your site, so consistent branding is important. Also look for a provider with an unlimited number of online camp forms for everything from camp registrations and staff applications, to volunteer background checks, surveys, and more. Collect and manage each of your customized forms in a single camp management system to streamline administration.
3. Automatic Confirmation Emails.
Provide customers a sense of security and reliability with automatic confirmation email receipts customized by your camp. Once a camper is registered, your registration software should automatically and immediately generate a confirmation receipt to be sent to the registrant, including all of the registration and bring-list information that you would normally include in a confirmation
packet. This allows registrants to feel comfortable that their registration was successfully processed, while saving you time and money on typing, printing and mailing confirmations.
4. Centralized Database Integration.
Expect seamless integration of your online registration data with your camp management software. Once a camper is registered via your customized online form, the data should automatically update your centralized database to reflect the new registration and to record the payment in real-time.
5. Email Communication Tools.
Look for an online registration solution that offers built-in HTML and text email tools that allow you to create and schedule professional emails, including reminders and birthday wishes, as well as one that offers filtering tools to easily segment your database and send targeted messages by age group, programs, participation levels, etc.
Choosing the right online camp registration solution
will increase camp efficiencies, reduce heavy staff
workloads, increase registrations and improve your
customer service capabilities. For more information on
ACTIVE Network’s powerful features, visit
Cherokee Retreat Center
Cherokee Retreat Center's Tips for Camps Evaluating Online Registration:
1. Consider It
Most parents already do their shopping online. An online registration system opens the doors to a lot of
new approaches to get people signed up and in your camps, in addition to improving the effectiveness
and consistency of your communication with families.
2. Capitalize on the Extras
An online registration system can offer a lot of value. There are great tools available, including mail
merge and email notices, to help you do more than just process online transactions.
“We changed everything, including our registration process, and we
’ve
been increasing our attendance by double-digits ever since
.”
Services for Parents: Photo, Video, News and Email
With camp serving as such an influential time in every child’s
life, invite parents to feel like they’re part of the camp
experience, even when they’re hundreds of miles away.
Our Services for Parents will benefit your camper
community in the following ways:
1. Enhance and extend the camp experience.
2. Build referrals within your community.
3. Generate additional value and revenue.
As an additional revenue stream, look for a camp photo
service provider that shares revenues with your camp
for all photo merchandise purchased.
For more information on Services for Parents,
visit www.ACTIVEcamps.com
Cartersville, Georgia Annual Participation: 350 Web site: www.cherokeeretreatcenter.org13
www.CampRegister.com
Whether large or small, day or overnight, no camp escapes the challenge to stretch budgets to yield the greatest overall impact towards your camps mission. To this end, camps rely on the talent and resourcefulness of their staff—as they should—and strive to perfect tried-and-true processes season after season.
The biggest challenge your camp may face is overlooking how best to introduce and leverage technology. If your camp is committed to investing in long term growth, camp management technology is a key area that can affect your level of service, responsiveness, competitive position and ability to grown your camp programs successfully year after year. Change is hard but it usually pays off! Break down and address each of the four steps:
1. Awareness/Acknowledgement:
First, your camp staff and board have to be willing to entertain an open mind and you may have to be ready to refute the old adage “if it’s not broken don’t fix it.” The question to ask is not “what’s broken” but rather “where can we improve.”2. Information/Review:
How much did you spend last year on marketing and promotion? What was the cost per new camper? Where was the most money invested and did it yield the greatest results? Where could your camp reallocate funds to yield even better results and impact to the bottom line?These are powerful yet simple questions—however, even if your camp management system provides you with the data, your camp must be willing to review and analyze the information to glean where and how even small changes could add up to make a big impact.
3. Setting Goals:
A word to the wise: “a goal not written down is merely a wish.” Not sure how best to get started? If you don’t have a mission statement, start there first as a unified vision is important for any organization. Next, create or update your camp’s SWOT (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats) analysis. Ideally, involve your board, staff, and others stakeholders in the process. Next, you’re ready to define the top 3-10 SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Action-Oriented, Realistic and Timely).4. Action Plan:
“Planning without action is futile; action without planning is fatal.” Your action plan is your roadmap to success and where you break each goal down into manageable projects. This is literally where you define the “who, what, when and how” for each project. Your action plan defines expectations, accountability, required resources and allows you to monitor your progress an ultimate success towards each define goal.These are powerful yet simple questions—however, even with the data, your camp must be willing to review and analyze the information to glean where and how even small changes could add up to a big difference.
PROMOTIONAL/PRINTING COSTS - Hard Costs
How many:
_______ Program catalogs or full color brochures are printed annually? _______ Brochures/flyers mailed annually?
_______ Registration and confirmation packets mailed annually?
_______ Waiver /medial release forms and follow up mailings sent each season?
_______ Stationary/forms/printing supplies (e.g. registration forms, ink cartridges, mailing supplies)?
REGISTRATION/STAFF COSTS - Soft Costs
Indicate the hours spent weekly handling:
______ Fielding inbound calls, questions and registration follow up?
______ Manually entering registration data into a spreadsheet or software program? ______ Deposit/account reconciliation?
______ Pay reminders and collection follow up? ______ Spent tracking down balance due
Each dollar spent here can not be spent there—and every hour spent doing this can not be spent doing another task. Bottom line—finding ways to streamline, automate and better leverage your limited resources allows you to save time and money on administrative tasks so that you can spend that time where it can make a better impact toward your camp mission.
