if you can
TAKE YOUR AD CAMPAIGNS TO THE NEXT LEVEL
PETER ROSS 829 STUDIOS, Digital Agency / Marketing Consultancy
In general, when engaging in paid ad campaigns, camps are facing significant demand for prime keywords and a reduced supply of parents searching in this manner.
Peter Ross is the co-founder of 829 Studios and has helped 50+ summer camps refine their marketing strategies. When not thinking about summer camp, Peter consults for independent schools, universities, hospitals, associations, non-profits and publicly traded companies. He holds a Masters in Business Administration from Imperial College London and a Bachelor of Science from Boston University in International Relations.
GETTING STARTED WITH ONLINE ADVERTISING
{{ up request-for-information conSet version tracking between Google Analytics and CampMinder. {{ Reduce the number of required fields on the CampMinder request-for-information page. The lower the barrier to entry, the higher the lead-conversion rate. {{ up goal tracking within Google Set Analytics for prospective parents, current families, staff and alumni. {{ Automate basic Google Analytics reports to be generated on a weekly basis. {{ Determine your cost-per-lead and leads-per-camper ratios to determine budget/campaign effectiveness. If this checklist seems a bit confusing (or puts you to sleep), then it might be time to brush up on some of the free documentation provided by Google at support.google.com/adwords.
I
f you’re like most camp directors, you’ve probably dabbled a bit with Google Adwords, Bing Ads, or Facebook Ads. Whether you’ve hired an agency or made it your evening project, chances are you’ve noticed online advertising has become increasingly more expensive and difficult to manage.
Here are four strategies that can help your camp maximize its ROI with online paid advertising:
EXPAND THE MAP If you’re operating a
Paid ads can be a valuable tool for marketing your camp and generating leads. However, with more camps advertising online, the marketplace has become increasingly competitive. Several years ago, camps could buy a high-value keyword (e.g. “Sleep Away Camps”) in a desirable market (e.g. Greenwich, CT) for less than $1.00 per click. Today, due to increased demand, that same click costs more than $3.00. This means the same budget can only purchase a fraction of the traffic. At the same time, the number of parents using these high-value search terms has declined considerably. If you’re feeling particularly brave, go to google.com/trends and type in “[your state] summer camps.” It’ll show you the number of people who have been searching Google for camps in your state over the last 7-8 years. Searches like “New Hampshire Summer Camps” have seen nearly an 80% drop in interest, demonstrating just how much the supply of traffic (parents searching for such keywords) has declined in certain markets. In general, when engaging in paid ad campaigns, camps are facing significant demand for prime keywords and a reduced supply of parents searching in this manner. The market has matured and now requires more sophisticated strategies to stay ahead of the curve. We’ll get into some of the more advanced strategies momentarily, but before you proceed, make sure you’ve completed the “Getting Started with Online Advertising” tips. Without them, you won’t have a solid foundation to measure your investment and will likely end up wasting money. Even if you don’t want to try any of the advanced strategies, it’s wise to at least have these items squared away if you’re running paid online ads.
FOCUS ON YOUR COMMUNITY
For example, a Jewish camp might want to run paid ads over communities with a high percentage of Jewish families. This type of targeting will have a direct correlation to lead-conversion rates. Using the North American Jewish Data Bank, you’ll be able find the most populous Jewish markets to target across the United States. Isolating these markets in your ad campaigns will dramatically increase conversion rates – especially when combined with the next tactic.
camp in New England, you are already aware that states like Connecticut, New York and New Jersey historically have a high concentration of camp families. However, arming yourself with data from the US Census Bureau, you can expand your reach. Explore regions with a high percentage of New England transplants (e.g. Raleigh Research Triangle) or even small niche communities outside traditional camp cities. You can even target expatriates. By limiting your ads to English users and other suitable parameters, you’ll be able to isolate Americans living in Europe, Asia and South America.
MEASURE, ADJUST, REPEAT Maintaining an ad campaign is an ongoing process that requires frequent attention and is further complicated by the seasonality of the camp industry. If nothing else, make sure you review your paid ad campaigns on a monthly basis. Disable any source, adgroup, market, device or ad that is generating traffic which spends less than 2 minutes on your site or has a bounce rate in excess of 50%.
It’s easy to sign up for Google Adwords, target the Northeast, and use an obvious keyword like “Overnight Summer Camps.” In fact, it’s so easy, everyone does it. Take your ad campaigns to the next level by creatively targeting your key audience and thinking outside the box! Peter Ross www.829llc.com
FOLLOW THE MONEY As a for-
profit camp, if you’re going to spend money attracting users to your website, spend it wisely. Using US Census Bureau data, you’ll be able to isolate households with high median income. Integrating that data into your ad campaigns can dramatically increase your lead-conversion ratio.
The market has matured and now requires more sophisticated strategies to stay ahead of the curve.
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