by Kanel Suos, KidsCamps Account Manager
It's way out of my budget...
My newspaper ads work fine...
I don't need to be online...
It's not worth it...
These are just some of the apprehensions keeping some camp owners from marketing themselves online. If your camp does not have an online presence, you could be losing out on campers. Here are seven reasons why your camp needs to be online.
- Quick Connections - On the Internet, there is virtually no wait time when connecting to your customers and/or clients. Gone are the days of answering hundreds of calls and waiting for camper inquiries in the mail. If a parent wants to send their child to your camp, they can just send an email or submit a form faster than you can say "Hello, we are assisting another camper, can you hold?"
- Manage Your Company Image - In this Internet age, if your company doesn't have an online presence, you may be taken less seriously by potential customers. Camp directories like MySummerCamps & KidsCamps as well as Facebook and Twitter are all online tools to help you give your company an image your customers can know and trust.
- Cut Costs - With so many online tools available now, there are many ways you can build your online presence without having to break the bank. Building a Website or advertising in a camp directory doesn't require a big investment.
- 24 Hour Storefront - You go to sleep, but the Internet doesn't. You could be collecting submission forms and emails from interested customers at 3 in the morning.
- Tracking/Statistics - With the availability of tracking tools like Google Analytics and other useful online apps and widgets, you can interact with customers and quantify your performance instantly.
- Reach the World - Nothing in the history of business has changed the game more than the Internet. Only there can a small camp in Tennessee reach the same customers as a large multi-national camp company. Talk about leveling the playing field!
- Everyone is Online! - You can't afford not to be there. If you embrace the Internet and use it to market your business to its full potential, you shall reap the rewards. And for those who still shun the Internet as some fad or as an unreliable marketing tool, we have just one question for you: Are your closest competitors online?
Does your summer camp program create a positive impact on your community or the world at large? If so, you could qualify for a grant from 
As leaders in the camp marketing industry, 