As we all stay inside bundled up in our blankets, trying to stay warm during these chilly winter months, camp directors and counselors are left with the task of keeping the camp spirit alive during the off-season. Social media is a powerful tool for maintaining connections, engaging campers, and building excitement for the upcoming summer.
However, we know that coming up with content can be extremely daunting–especially if you don’t know what photos to use or what to caption your posts! If you’re feeling short on creativity, don’t fret. We’re sharing some summer camp social media ideas for the off-season that will keep your audience engaged and get parents and campers alike excited for this next summer!
Summer Camp Social Media Ideas to Post
#ThrowbackThursday
While #ThrowbackThursday may not be what it used to be, the idea is still a fun one to share on social. Encourage campers, staff, and parents to share their favorite camp memories through photos and stories. Rather than use the typical #throwbackthursday, create a dedicated hashtag for these pictures to make it easy to track and share across platforms. If you use WaldoPhotos, many of your camper’s photos will have your branding on them, too, making it easy for other interested parties to get to know your camp (and see how much fun the campers have every year).
Recommended Reading: Growing Your Camp’s Brand Awareness & Enrollment
Camp Challenges and Contests
Engage your community with interactive challenges and contests. From talent shows to scavenger hunts, these virtual events bring campers together and allow them to showcase their creative sides. Encourage participants to share their entries on social media using specific hashtags. Not only is this sense of community a good reminder about what makes your camp so special, but doing so also extends your camp’s reach as participants share their submissions with their own networks.
Spotlight on Camp Alumni
Take a trip down memory lane by featuring camp alumni on your social media pages. Share success stories, accomplishments, and how their camp experience influenced their lives. This helps your audience get a better understanding of the long-lasting impact of your camp and helps create a sense of tradition. If you want to make it consistent content, consider creating an “Alumni of the Month” series or hosting monthly virtual interviews with notable camp alumni.
Virtual Campfire Nights
Who says you can’t enjoy a campfire while all being away? Host virtual campfire nights instead! Use Instagram or TikTok Live to gather campers and staff for storytelling, sing-alongs, and sharing memories. Encourage participants to wear their camp gear and create a virtual campfire atmosphere.
Behind-the-Scenes Sneak Peeks
Give your camp community an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the off-season preparations, whether that’s maintenance work, new activities being planned, or the general hustle and bustle that goes into getting ready for the next season.
Recommended Reading: Camp Marketing for Beginners
Themed Social Media Takeovers
We mentioned sharing insight into your alumni, but hosting themed takeovers is another excellent way to add variety to your social media content. Allow different camp departments or staff members to take over your social media accounts for a day or week. This provides a unique perspective and allows followers to connect with various facets of camp life. Themes could range from “a day in the life of a counselor” to “behind the kitchen scenes.”
Interactive Polls and Surveys
One of the most critical aspects of social media is engagement, and it can be challenging to get, unfortunately. That’s why polls and surveys that involve your community in decision-making processes can be so beneficial. Seek input on potential program additions, ask for feedback on past experiences, or let campers vote on their favorite camp traditions. This not only helps campers feel like they’re a part of shaping the camp’s future, but it also allows you to boost your engagement and get more eyes on your content. That’s a win-win for everyone involved.
Virtual Camp Tours
Use Instagram Stories, Facebook Live, or pre-recorded videos to showcase different camp areas, facilities, and upcoming improvements. This keeps the camp at the forefront of everyone’s minds and builds excitement as people can see firsthand what awaits them this summer. This can also be extremely beneficial in convincing those who are on the fence about coming to camp this year to commit and sign up.
Camp-themed DIY Projects
Encourage creativity and craftiness by sharing camp-themed do-it-yourself (DIY) projects. Whether it’s making friendship bracelets, tie-dye shirts, or camp-inspired recipes, provide step-by-step guides and encourage followers to share their creations, then repost them as they come in!
Countdown to Camp
Lastly, build anticipation for the upcoming summer by starting a countdown on your social media platforms. Use creative graphics, teaser videos, Reels, TikToks, Stories, and daily posts to mark the days until the next camp season. Encourage campers to share their own countdowns, creating a collective excitement that will carry into the camping season.
Final Thoughts
Though camp season may seem far away, there’s still so much you can do in the off-season to strengthen connections, create a sense of community between campers, staff, and the camper’s families, and build excitement for what’s coming up.
As mentioned earlier, using WaldoPhotos for your photo management can make finding the right photos during the offseason a breeze. Waldo’s custom tagging and search features will allow your staff to tag the best photos for social media, email, website, and print marketing throughout the summer. Then, you can easily track them down during the off-season. Not to mention, all the photos uploaded to Waldo can be automatically branded with your camp’s logo so that all social posts by you and your team and the camp families will have more marketing value on social media. To learn more about getting the most marketing value from your photo and video with Waldo, you can book a demo here!
