5. The New Nature of Communication
• These networks are changing our lives, making
communication faster & the forming bonds easier.
• Though, it is not without consequences.
• Through such networks one can
provide countless others with
access to professional & personal
information, blurring the
boundaries between what is public
& private.
6. Proposal
• Though this ease of access to information characterizing
social networks is why they are so recommendable.
I propose that:
• Social media can be incorporated into the workplace for
communication improvement among employees &
consumers, specifically at summer camps.
7. Uses:
1. Counselor Orientation
2. Camp-wide communication and collaboration
3. Keeping parents in the loop
4. Camp marketing
5. Maintaining camp interest
8. 1. Counselor Orientation
• Camps can create a new network or utilize an existing
one such as Facebook or Twitter.
• Individuals who have previously worked as counselors
at a camp can provide necessary insight into the camp’s
true nature.
9. 1. Counselor Orientation
Benefits for counselors:
• Increased knowledge of & confidence in their role
• Gaining a better grasp of daily goings on at camp
• Greater efficiency:
• Counselors would spend less time adjusting &
more time improving performance.
10. 1. Counselor Orientation
• Experienced camp counselors could share experiences
& give advice regarding difficult situations.
• They could troubleshoot, discussing various ways to
handle conflicts.
11. 1. Counselor Orientation
As last summer was my first experience as a camp
counselor, engaging in these discussions would have
been helpful.
12. 2. Camp wide communication and
collaboration
• These forums can evolve into long-term, collaborative
discussion boards for the camp as a whole.
• New counselors would be making positive connections
to which they could return to for further assistance as
camp continues.
13. 2. Camp wide communication and
collaboration
• All employees could come up with games, new field
trips, or guest entertainers to invite.
14. 2. Camp Communication and
Collaboration
• Summer camp is all about fun & it is important that
campers stay actively engaged to have a positive
experience.
15. 3. Keeping parents in the loop
• Though, it is not merely the experience of the campers
that matters.
• The opinions of the parents are the defining factor as
to whether a child is sent to camp.
• Social media could also be
used to target the parents,
who may wonder what their
kids are up to at camp.
16. 3. Keeping parents in the loop
• Websites like Pinterest could be used to send parents
images of the activities their kids are involved in.
• It would give them peace of mind to know their kids are
safe & having fun.
17. 3. Keeping parents in the loop
• However, there could be
consequences to such
information sharing.
• Tension between parents & the
camp can result when parents see
images of their kids doing things
they don’t allow.
18. 3. Keeping parents in the loop
Solutions:
• Monitoring camper
behavior as much as
possible
• Carefully selecting the
photographers who take
the pictures.
19. 3. Keeping Parents in the Loop
• Directors must weigh the positive and negative effects
of such media.
20. • Camps can also utilize social media to create greater
awareness about their camp.
• This marketing strategy can ultimately lead to increased
enrollment and hence, greater profits:
Social media Profits
4. Camp Marketing
21. 4. Camp marketing
• When camps create their own social network, they are
also:
• Building respect in the community &
• Producing a forum where they can control the
accuracy and quality of the information
22. 4. Camp marketing
• Are they a camp that
targets a particular age
group?
• Do they focus on
sports?
• They can go about establishing a brand for themselves
by telling the public what they are all about:
23. Jennifer H. Selke, Ph. D. contends in her article for
Camping Magazine:
• When camps do not have such a database, there can be
inaccuracies in the way others portray the camp.
• Counselors may create camp pages on Facebook or blog
about their experience without camp awareness.
• Some may find out about the camp through such
unaffiliated social networks.
4. Camp marketing
24. • Creating a camp network can solve this problem.
• On a camp network, directors can control who uses the site
and monitor the visibility of what users say.
4. Camp marketing
• Parents will be able to:
• Obtain reliable information
• Engage in useful
discussions
25. 4. Camp marketing
• Selke also emphasizes the importance of staying
relevant. She recommends:
• Facebook chats or creating a page that parents can
like to receive information about the camp.
• Starting a blog that parents can follow for updated on
the camp.
26. 5. Maintaining Interest
• Nancy Shenker asserts in her article for Camping
Magazine:
• Utilizing social media also keeps parents interested.
• In the off-seasons, parents can be made aware of plans
for the upcoming summer.
27. 5. Maintaining Interest
Shenker also advocates using
for getting information out to parents
• For this is one of the most popular networks out there.
can also be used as a platform to share
snippets about camp.
28. Shenker states that:
• Getting the word out there will get parents talking
about it with others, leading to a growing number of
families who are interested in camp.
5. Maintaining Interest
29. Conclusions
Applying social networks to the summer camp business
promises benefits in the areas of:
1. Counselor competency,
2. Camp creativity,
3. Parent peace of mind,
4. Increased camp enrollment, &
5. Extending interest in the camp.
30. Conclusions
Though, along with these benefits come new challenges.
• How does the camp know counselors will use the
network responsibly?
• They may have to monitor the network utilized.
• Conflicts between parents and the camp may arise:
• Parents may see or hear of their child engaging in
activities they disapprove of.
31. Conclusions
• However, if most camps resemble the one at which
I worked, I believe camps provide a safe and fun
environment.
• Therefore, the benefits of social networking should
outweigh the challenges faced.
32. Thank you
• Thank you for taking the time to consider my proposal!
• If you would like to discuss social media strategies
further, please feel free to contact me at: (567)843-
****.
Emma Krieg
33. Works Cited
0 SELKE, JENNIFER H.1. "Social Marketing: Where Should You
Start?." Camping Magazine 84.6 (2011): 36-39. Education Source. Web.
11 July 2013.
0 SHENKER, NANCY. "THE 24/7/365 Camp Community: SITTING AROUND
THE ONLINE CAMPFIRE." Camping Magazine 85.5 (2012): 28-
31. SPORTDiscus with Full Text. Web. 11 July 2013.
Images:
0 Curren, Erik. "Camp Alleghany Blog." Curren Media Group. Curren
Media Group, 1 Sept. 2012. Web. 13 Aug. 2013.
<http://currengroup.com/2012/09/camp-alleghany-blog/>.
0 Ensign, Marc. "Just Because You Can Have a Facebook Page Doesn’t
Mean You Should." MarcEnsign. Marc Ensign, 30 July 2013. Web. 13
Aug. 2013. <http://www.marcensign.com/just-because-you-can-have-
a-facebook-page-doesnt-mean-you-should/>.
0 Web log post. Social Maximizer: Professional Social Bookmarking
Service. Social Maximizer Blog, n.d. Web. 14 Aug. 2013.
<http://blog.socialmaximizer.com/>.
