A Complete Guide to Social Media Planning for Summer Camps

October 22, 2025

Social media is no longer optional for summer camps—it’s the lifeline that connects you with your community! It reaches families, campers, staffs, and keeps your alumni and camp community engaged year-round.

Parents find camps on Instagram and Facebook, teens discover opportunities on TikTok and YouTube, and alumni reconnect through throwback posts, online groups, and fundraising drives. 

Social media offers your camp year-round visibility.

Harness it to build awareness, drive engagement, and showcase your camp's mission. 

Picture these key moments: 

• A parent and child see your ad or video while watching YouTube. The child shows interest and the parent starts researching your camp. 
• After meeting your camp team at a local event, a parent later spots a targeted registration ad from your camp on Facebook and clicks. 
• A parent scrolls Instagram, sees an image of your campers having fun and thinks, “I want that for my child.” You gain a follower. 
• A college student watches a fun “day-in-the-life” counselor video and applies to join your staff. 
• An alumnus sees a throwback album on your page paired with a donation appeal and gives back to your camp. 

Those scenarios don’t happen by accident—they’re the result of thoughtful social media strategy. It's time to think of the moments you want to deliver and start planning!

Why Camps Can't Ignore Social Media in the Off-Season

BroadbandSearch reports found that on average, North Americans spend 2+ hours a day on social platforms—making social media one of the best ways to connect with families, attract staff, and keep the camp spirit alive year-round.

Regular, audience-focused posts aren’t optional—they’re essential. Parents shop year-round for opportunities for their children and their children dream of next summer year-round too!

7 Steps to Start Building Your Social Media Strategy

In this guide, we’ll cover seven important steps you can take to build a successful social media plan for your camp. 

The good news? You don’t need a Gen Z social guru on staff to succeed. Plus, you likely already have the content and resources to make it happen.

With the right strategy (and this guide), you’ll learn how to: 

✅️ Craft content that engages every camp audience. 

✅️ Repurpose what already works. 

✅️ Build campaigns that last beyond the summer. 

From camp branding basics to off-season engagement, this guide will help you launch a winning social media strategy. 

1. Create a Social Media Foundation for your Camp

Photo Waivers & Privacy Policies 📷
Sharing real camper photos is the best way to build excitement—but always secure signed photo waivers first. Waivers protect your camp legally and give parents peace of mind by explaining how photos will be screened and used. 

Privacy laws can vary greatly in different cities, states, and countries. Seek professional legal advice about best practices when creating photo waivers and agreements. 

 iCampPro helps camps collect important forms and waivers online!

👉 See Camp Registration & Forms Best Practices for more information.

Link Your Website & Social Media Accounts 🔗
Think of your socials as the “entrance” and your website as the “helpful front desk” of your camp. The majority of your social posts should direct your audience back to registration, applications, blog posts, or other detailed information about your camp. 

Camp Branding Consistency ✨ 
Think of your socials as the “entrance” and your website as the “helpful front desk” of your camp. The majority of your social posts should direct your audience back to registration, applications, blog posts, or other detailed information about your camp. 

SEO & Search Value 🔎
Camp Facebook pages, Instagram profiles, and YouTube videos often appear in Google search results. Keeping them current and optimized with both shorts and long-form content helps families find you more easily. For SEO, include your camp’s location and physical address on your social profiles to help with “near me” and city or state searches. 

For more on establishing your camp's brand identity, website, and SEO...

👉 Check Out How to Build Your Camp’s Online Presence.

2. Match Your Camp Audience to the Right Platform

As a general rule, different generations use social media in different ways. Combine this with the specific features each platform excels at, and you start to see a strategy form. 

Parents (Decision-Makers): 

• Facebook → Best for announcements, testimonials, events. 
• Instagram → Perfect for visual storytelling with reels, registration reminders, and parent-focused posts. 
• YouTube → Address concerns and curiosity with facility tours, safety explainers, FAQs and About Us style content. 

Campers (Future Campers, Past Campers, & Teens): 

• TikTok & Instagram → Participate in challenges, post reels, and take campers behind-the-scenes during camp prep and ongoing projects. 
• YouTube → Post day-in-the-life videos and activity highlights. 
  

Potential Staff (Leadership & Seasonal Staff): 

• LinkedIn → Ideal for recruiting leadership positions, posting about job opportunities or descriptions, and explaining hiring processes. 
• Instagram & TikTok → Attract younger staff like counselors with “day in the life” content or post inspirational staff stories. 
• YouTube → Post staff testimonials, video photo albums, and highlight  workplace culture. 

Community Building Opportunities: 

• Private Facebook Groups →  connect with parents, partners, & alumni about camp business. Run polls, share ideas, and lock down details.
• LinkedIn Groups → connect with current and former staff to boost long-term retention and satisfaction.
  

BONUS: Platform Power Tips for Social Media Beginner

A single picture can be creatively dispersed across all your platforms. But to really use social media effectively, you need an understanding of what each platform does best. 

• TikTok – Video content under <30 seconds, use trending sounds, tap into challenges. 
• Instagram – Video reels target to target reach (more eyes); Stories best for engagement (more action). 
• Facebook – All post types. Optimal for hosted groups, events, and targeted ads. 
• YouTube – Ideal for longer storytelling, playlists, and sharing testimonials. 
• LinkedIn – Highest impact with recruitment and leadership content. 

3. Social Media Post Ideas for Camps

When coming up with ideas for social media posts, it’s important to match your content to the season and what’s going on in your audience’s life. Let’s break it down!

Explore 🍂 Fall Content Themes With:

• Campers & Guardians:
  Share summer memories, “miss you” notes, and encourage back-to-school success. 
• Businesses & Partnerships:
  Position camp as a venue for team retreats; pitch sponsorships for financial planning. 
• Camp Staff:
  Reflect on the summer, spotlight staff stories, and launch recruiting efforts. 
• Alumni:
  Host reunions, share a roadmap for the year, and invite their involvement. 
  

Explore ❄️ Winter Content Themes With:

• Campers & Guardians:
  Promote registration. Highlight a camp’s warmth, community, and character building.
• Businesses & Partnerships: 
  Showcase sponsorships, donation matching options, and promote spring workshops. 
• Camp Staff:
  Send holiday greetings or care packages to nurture loyalty. 
• Alumni:
  Rally support for scholarships, year-end fundraising, and volunteer help.
  

Explore  🌱  Spring Content Themes With:

• Campers & Guardians:
  Build excitement with countdowns, highlight school and community outreach, and push those last open spots. 
• Businesses & Partnerships: 
  Final call for summer sponsorships; promote group experiences before summer. 
• Camp Staff:
  Feature staff spotlights, offer pre-season training highlights, and boost hiring efforts.
• Alumni:
  Invite alumni to be summer prep volunteers and share ways to mentor or give back. 
  

Explore  ☀️  Summer Content Themes With:

• Campers & Guardians:
  Share real-time camp magic with photos, activity updates, and camper highlights. 
• Businesses & Partnerships: 
  Spotlight active sponsors, explain the community impact of camp, and identify late-season partnership opportunities.
• Camp Staff:
  Celebrate behind-the-scenes efforts, employee spotlights, and wins. 
• Alumni: 
  Post throwbacks, encourage alumni visits, and build excitement for annual reunions. 
  

4. Create Clear Calls to Action with Your Posts

Every post should guide your audience to a next step.

For the best results, make the purpose of your post obvious and easy to act on.

Add a Link to Follow 

Links are the simplest way to drive action—connecting people directly to your website and resources. 

• Register Now – After making the case for why camp is the best way to spend a summer, give them a one-click path to sign up. 
• Apply Now – Show off why working at camp is amazing, then point potential staff to the application. 
• View More Testimonials/Reviews – Share a testimonial or review page geared toward camper or staff recruitment. 
• Join Our Community – Build your groups on Facebook or LinkedIn by inviting people to join. 
• Learn More – Share details about programs, blog posts, or important documents. 

⭐ Pro Tip:  Use a link shortener to keep posts clean and simple. 

Close with Callouts 

If your goal is engagement or reach (and your account already has an active following), use action-driven prompts: 

• Like/Follow – Great to gain followers or get engagement for an extended social campaign with multiple posts. 
• Tag or Mention – Invite followers to tag your page or a friend in response to your post. Perfect for challenges and storytelling campaigns. 
• Leave a Comment – Spark conversation by asking a question, prompting guesses, or encouraging story-sharing. 
• Share This Post – When promoting an event, goal, or challenge, ask your audience to help spread the word. Combine with a link for added impact. 

⭐ Pro Tip: Reinforce your callout in the graphic (e.g., “Tag a friend you’d go to camp with!”) to boost engagement. 

 For additional inspiration on crafting engaging social media post content...

👉 Read Tips to Engage Campers & Parents from our Camp Marketing series!

5. Balance Fresh Creations & Repurposed Content

Consistency matters more than volume. Even one post per week can work if it’s intentional. Set a schedule you can commit to at least seasonally. 

• Create fresh content – Post something fresh and unseen at least every few weeks to make it more difficult for your followers to tune you out. 
• Leverage existing assets: Repurpose your blog posts, newsletters, videos, photos as short post topics. 
• Encourage user-generated content: Ask families to tag or caption camp photos and join contests or challenges. 
  

6. Create, Schedule, & Post Your Social Content Like A Pro

Plan and create your social media content in advance.

Use a tool to schedule posts weekly, monthly, or quarterly—then adjust as needed for real-time events and ideas. Use themes like #MotivationMonday or #ThrowbackThursday to create consistency and keep planning simple. 

Review post metrics after one week to measure your audience's response. Each quarter, identify 2–5 top performing posts and either repurpose them in new formats or model new posts after them to maximize results.

7. Use AI Tools to Boost Your Creativity

AI won’t replace your efforts to build a comprehensive social media strategy. It won’t write more consistently than your own voice.

But Generative AI can help you brainstorm and improve on ideas. It’s ideal for helping you explore topics, organize your thoughts into plans, and saves time in creating first drafts. 

Try using AI to: 

• Generate trending post ideas. 
• Repurpose uploaded blogs, newsletters, or photos into multiple posts. 
• Build storytelling campaigns for parents, campers, and staff. 
• Map out a posting calendar tailored to your goals. 

🔐 Important Data Security Reminder:  Never upload sensitive info (like rosters, financial data, or personally identifying information and images) into free AI tools. Always check how your data will be used before using a new tool. For safer options, consider paid AI tool accounts with stronger security and features. 

Feel like you could use a little more help with using AI for camp?

We’ve got you covered!  👇Click below to access our guide to AI for camp leaders. 

Conclusion: Start Creating a Social Media Plan for Your Camp!

With a thoughtful strategy, your camp can use social media to: 

✅️ Reach parents where they scroll.

✅️ Create moments of action.

✅️ Recruit high-quality staff. 

✅️ Boost registrations with urgency and social proof.

✅️ Stay top-of-mind year-round.

✅️ Build a thriving community of families, staff, partners, and alumni.

Pair these tactics with your camp’s broader marketing and business goals, and you’ll create a social presence that sparks excitement, earns trust, and drives growth. 

So grab your calendar, a camera, and your creative thinking cap and get started on crafting a plan to share your camp’s story year-round on social media! 

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