Parent communication is a rising concern among camp professionals across multiple parts of the camper journey. From registration to navigating camper health and emergencies, camp directors need to ensure communication is open, transparent and seamless. There's a myriad of ways in which camps can communicate with parents, but which one is the right one? The answer: all of them! You can choose one method of communication or even pick and choose multiple. Either way, the important part is getting communication to parents in an effective way and in a timely manner. Read on to learn the options you have to get the word out to parents throughout the camper journey to determine which approach(es) work for you.
Email
Easily send out communication to parents via email in the form of newsletters or regular updates. Make sure to include pertinent information on the subject at hand and other ways in which you and your staff can be contacted, as well as any photos and videos from camp that parents would love to see.
If your organization is using a helpful camp management solution that includes email tools, you might also be able to set trigger-based reminders at key points during camp to easily inform parents about specific dates and events they can attend and participate.
SMS
A quick and efficient way to communicate with parents before, during and after camp is via text messaging. It's extremely likely that your participants' parents will have a smartphone and will be able to be easily reached via text message. Try to keep texts brief and to the point, and if you need to go into great detail, perhaps send a link from bit.ly in the message to a newsletter or announcement that provides more relevant information. Don’t forget, you can even include videos and images in text as well, including flyers!
There are plenty of great text messaging services out there that allow you to send individual and mass text messages to the parents and guardians of your participants. You might also find that a few camp management software providers also include SMS options within their software solutions.
Social Media
If your camp has a business page on Facebook or an Instagram account, then you know how vital social media is for sharing crucial information and updates with parents. With a social media page, camps can easily share photos and videos from camp, as well as registration links and information to future offerings.
Another great aspect about having a page for your camp on Facebook and/or Instagram is that parents can easily message you directly on any platform if they have any questions or concerns. Just remember, like with any form of communication, set boundaries. If you want to have communication channels open during business hours only (regardless of where the communication is happening), that's totally OK! You should decide what is best for you and your staff—and parents.
Phone
This may seem like a no-brainer, but calling parents of campers via phone is also an easy way to keep them informed about the goings-on at camp and throughout the camper journey. Instead of calling them individually, utilize software that does it for you and with a pre-recorded message that keeps parents updated. This can be done weekly or as often as you deem necessary—even as a reminder that registration for camp is coming up and to take advantage of early bird specials.
Camp & Class Manager Makes Communication With Parents Easy
Build stronger, more secure relationships with parents that benefit everyone involved with superior camp management software. Camp & Class Manager offers camp directors and staff the ability to easily send out emails, newsletters and texts to your participants' parents and guardians. Our all-in-one solution has everything you need to communicate while also streamlining operations, creating and managing waivers, growing your registrations with a mobile-friendly registration process and opening new revenue streams with the ability to offer merchandise. Connect with us today to see what Camp & Class Manager can do for your organization!
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