There’s no denying that Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms. Not only that, but it continues to grow. By October of 2021, it’s estimated that Instagram will have over 1 billion users. This is one of the many reasons why Instagram is the perfect marketing tool, especially if you run a summer camp.

Taking into consideration that virtually everyone in your community checks Instagram in some form or fashion, it’s beneficial to have a presence on the platform. Whether you’re sharing updates about your camps or action shots from your classes, the platform can help you grow an audience! 

With summer camp around the corner, try incorporating some quick tips and tricks into your Instagram strategy to help promote your camps. Check out 3 ways you can below. Looking for more support to jumpstart your camp? Check out our ultimate guide to starting and running a kids camp.

1. Include a bio link

Instagram is an effective marketing tool, but you’ll have to work a bit to have it convert leads. Unfortunately, Instagram doesn’t support clickable links on their posts. However, you can include a clickable link in your bio.

Posting an image can serve as a call to action. It’s common for many accounts to end their captions with the message “head to the link in our bio for more information”. While you can’t click on an image to go to your website, if you add your URL to your profile bio, customers can easily get to your site. When you’re posting images about your summer camp, try including links to your sign up page in your bio!

Once your business account reaches 10,000 followers, you can start posting clickable links on your story. This way, you’ll be able to convert more leads.

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2. Don’t forget the hashtags

Hashtags are one of the foundations of Instagram success. This is how users will find your profile. If your audience wants to find a summer camp, they may also search for hashtags such as #summercamp or #summercampforkids.

So whether you’re hosting in-person camps or virtual summer camps, try tagging your posts with the corresponding hashtags. While this doesn’t guarantee signups for your camps, it’s a great thing to do if you’re trying to get parents or families to discover your programming. 

You should also find other hashtags that relate to your niche. For example, if your summer camp is heavily based on science-related activities, use the hashtag #sciencecamp to attract young scientists. Community and localized hashtags are also effective for summer camps.

Hashtags not only let your users find your content, but they also help your audience share your content. Users can easily DM your content to family and friends or they can upload your posts to their story for their followers to see.

Try to avoid using too many hashtags because this can look spammy. 3-4 hashtags per post is a good amount to include.

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3. Post frequently

With users scrolling through their feeds at a rapid pace, posting frequently ensures you will keep your audience engaged. While a follower of yours might miss a post one day, they’ll catch it the next. In the Instagram attention economy, posting consistently ensures you’ll get eyeballs on your content. However, there are some considerations to make first.

First, there’s no rule on how often you should and shouldn’t post. The recommended advice is to post once per day on average and not to post more than three times a day. But if you only post a couple of times during the week, you’ll still be able to engage your audience.

The most important thing is to post high-quality and relevant content. Great examples for overnight summer camps include pictures of the camp and campers, Instagram takeovers, testimonials from past campers, and any updates you can share. And don't forget to post Instagram Stories, as well! Use our guide that's full of Instagram Story ideas for businesses and includes examples and templates.

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Do you need more help managing your summer camp?

If you’re running a summer camp, promotion is key to success. However, you’ll need help managing and taking registrations for your camps! That’s where we come in. Get started today.