I need 300 committed camp families
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It’s all about kids today
This post originally appeared on Write From Camp →
A 3x/week Substack from Jack Schott and Doug Norrie about running a modern camp.
Real examples. Zero (Legit 0.0) brochure talk.
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Like 15 years ago, Kevin Kelly wrote this essay that still hits today when thinking about basically any connection-based business.
1,000 True Fans.
The idea: an artist or a band doesn’t need gajillions of followers.
They need 1,000 people who love them enough to drive across the country to see them play.
1,000 people willing to pay $1,000 each. Boom. A million-dollar business.
Not at all easy, but the math works.
For K&E, that number isn’t 1,000.
It’s 300 families.
For your camp, it’s some other number, but it’s likely lower than you think.
The Fan Math
Our camp holds roughly 300 kids.
That’s about 220-240 families, depending on siblings (which we definitely hope they have).
If 300 families truly love us (not just like us, but LOVE us), we’re done. Ship it. Camp is full.
Word of mouth handles itself. Families return year after year.
Camp is gonna camp, and everyone wins.
We don’t need to convince 1000s of people. We need to make the right few hundred feel unbelievably good about their choice.
Camp Marketing Camp Shmarketing
Most camp marketing tries to appeal to everyone.
Website says nice words, but let’s be honest, we all mostly sa things like “building confidence” and “making memories.”
Instagram with smiling kids doing activities. Brochure listing every single offer.
None of it is wrong. It’s just probably not specific enough to make anyone fall in love.
Marketing to everyone might end up mattering deeply to no one.
The Shift We Made
❌ “How do we get everyone to love us?”
✅ “How do we make the RIGHT 300 families love us?”
Totally different question. Totally different marketing.
Now we’re trying to get ridiculously specific about what K&E does best. Not what every camp does. What we do.
We’re writing weekly newsletters about K&E summers and why they matter. Going all-in on “Summer Matters”. Avoiding generic updates and more about why 7 weeks here isn’t just a good choice, it’s THE choice.
And doubling down on being small by design. Website update coming
Building an Ambassador Program entirely around families who already love camp, have loved it for a while, and want to help others feel the same way.
Asking for very specific feedback through surveys, because when people tell you what they value, they recommit to it.
Every single touchpoint reinforcing the idea → you made the right choice sending your kid here.
What This Means for Your Camp
Most camps probably don’t need more marketing.
They need deeper connection with the families already there.
Pull up the camp website right now. Read the homepage.
Does it speak to everyone? Or does it speak to YOUR people?
If a family who already loves your camp read it, would they feel something like, “Yeah, that is EXACTLY what camp is about?
Would they think “Hell yes! This is EXACTLY why we chose this place.”?
Most camp websites could swap logos, and no one would notice. See the issue?
300 families need to know they’re part of something specific.
Something that fits them. Not something that fits everyone. To be honest, we are still struggling to really clearly articulate this.
Where to start?
Make a list of your 10 favorite camp families. The ones you hope return every year. The ones who get what you’re about.
Now ask yourself: when was the last time you told them specifically why you love having them at camp?
Not a form email. An actual message that shows you see them.
That’s where this starts. Making your true fans feel like true fans.
Because if 300 families love you, you don’t just fill camp.
You build something that lasts.
You got this,
Jack & Doug
PS: We’re pumped about what’s already going up on Write From Camp.
3 posts a week, real camp examples, stuff to use right away.
Here are a few free posts to see what we mean started:
→ Sell Camp Without Sounding Like You’re Selling
→ We Gave Away Hoodies to Fill Camp
Plus a 14-Day Free Trial with this Substack Link
That’s a lot of camp!
Get my newsletter every week.
It’s all about kids today
Jack Schott
Summer Camp Evangelist