Parents and Social Media

While the kids are at camp it is really important for parents to feel that they are safe and looked after. Before the age of the internet parents relied on snail mail report cards or some other form of updates from the counselors. Now with email, blogs and social media platforms camps can keep parents up to date regularly and help them experience camp a little from the outside. The campers are there to be without their parents for a few weeks, but that does not mean that the parents are not still totally concerned with what is going on.

The idea of two-way communication on social media is something that can really benefit the camp during the off-season. However, it also allows for videos, photos and highlights to be posted straight to the parents in a one-way manner. By keeping the camp Facebook page up to date with photos or news of the day, camps can keep the parents involved without any direct contact. Of course when things need to be discussed personal emails or phone calls are always an option, but in general social media can be a great way to keep parents in the loop. Depending on the style of your camp daily posts may not be practical or necessary, but weekly is a good idea. Camps still need to maintain closed contact for keeping parents up to date with specific details about their children, but posts on Facebook or Twitter could include things like sports days or hikes that are heading out that day.

By documenting the summer through social media, camps once again have the opportunity to form a database and wonderful resource for prospective campers. Using hashtags can help keep the photos, information, and updates in order and easily searchable and accessible. Seeing how the camp maintains contact through the summer, and almost seeing a first hand account of the summer, could really help families make the decision to send their child to your camp.

Singing in the Mess Hall
Photo credit: Caroline Meyer