Summer Camps
North Carolina, USA
SEO Strategy, Paid Advertising
Camp Highlander, nestled in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, offers a memorable and transformative summer camp experience for children. With a diverse array of activities ranging from horseback riding and rock climbing to arts and crafts, Camp Highlander is dedicated to fostering personal growth and adventure in a nurturing environment. As a long-standing establishment, it prides itself on building lasting relationships and encouraging children to explore new challenges.
In the competitive landscape of summer camps, digital marketing plays a crucial role in reaching and engaging parents looking for safe and enriching environments for their children. As Camp Highlander faced increasing competition from camps like Camp Pinnacle and Camp Wayfarer, both of which had ramped up their digital presence, it became imperative to adopt a robust digital strategy. Effective digital marketing not only enhances visibility but also positions the camp as a top choice through targeted communication and value-driven content.
At 5K, we specialize in delivering comprehensive digital marketing solutions tailored to the unique needs of each client. With expertise spanning SEO, Google Ads, Meta Ads, and business growth strategies, our team is driven by a singular vision—to ensure that every marketing dollar contributes directly to profit. Our approach goes beyond surface-level metrics such as clicks and views, focusing instead on substantial business outcomes. For Camp Highlander, our mission was clear: revitalize their digital strategy to capture and convert more leads, thereby securing their position as a premier choice for summer camping.
Camp Highlander set forth clear and ambitious goals for their partnership with 5K, centered around two primary objectives:
With the digital marketing efforts spearheaded by 5K, Camp Highlander aimed to significantly boost the number of new campers registering for their summer sessions. By optimizing their online presence through targeted advertising and strategic SEO, they wanted to attract families seeking a premium camp experience.
Recognizing the value of repeat attendees, Camp Highlander also focused on re-engaging families whose children had previously enjoyed their camp experiences. The objective was to remind these families of the camp’s unique offerings and the positive impact it had on their children, encouraging them to return.
Camp Highlander’s target audience comprises a specific demographic:
Parents located throughout the eastern United States, with a particular emphasis on the Southeast. This region is strategically important as it houses a significant portion of the camp’s prospective and returning families.
Families with the financial capability to invest in a high-quality summer camp experience. These parents value not only safety and fun but also personal growth opportunities for their children.
Parents who are keen on seeing their children step out of their comfort zones. They are looking for a camp that promises more than just recreation; they want an environment where their children can try new activities, forge lasting friendships, and create enduring memories.
Prior to partnering with 5K, Camp Highlander faced several significant challenges that hindered their growth and visibility in the competitive summer camp market:
Camp Highlander found their growth plateauing, with results that were acceptable but far from the potential they envisioned. A critical challenge was the lack of clear understanding and transparency regarding the performance metrics of their digital marketing efforts. They struggled to identify why their results were not improving, which made it difficult to strategize effectively for future campaigns.
A substantial concern for Camp Highlander was the feeling of being underserved by their previous marketing agency. They felt like “just another client,” lacking the personalized attention and commitment they expected. This perceived indifference contributed to a growing frustration, as they desired a partner who would be genuinely invested in their success and eager to explore all possible avenues for growth.
While their results were moderate, Camp Highlander was aware of the untapped potential in their market. The previous agency had not fully communicated or capitalized on opportunities for expansion and improvement. This gap in proactive strategy and execution meant that Camp Highlander was not achieving its full market reach or impact, especially compared to competitors who were actively enhancing their digital presence.
These challenges created a pivotal moment for Camp Highlander, prompting their shift to 5K in search of a more dedicated, insightful, and results-driven partnership. The move was aimed at revitalizing their digital marketing strategy to achieve not just incremental improvements but substantial growth and market leadership.
“The 5K team is super organized, professional and creative. They are passionate about their work and their clients. I feel supported and that they are genuinely invested in our growth and success! Thank you 5K for what you do for our small business!”
CEO, Camp Highlander
To address the challenges faced by Camp Highlander and drive substantial improvements in their digital marketing performance, 5K implemented a multifaceted strategy focusing on search engine optimization, paid advertising, and additional support systems tailored to enhance overall marketing efficacy.
We introduced our proprietary PowerPages®, a highly structured and keyword-dense content format designed to rank as the authoritative source for specific topics. For Camp Highlander, we developed a PowerPage® centered on "North Carolina Summer Camp," enriched with relevant keywords and comprehensive information that prospective campers and their parents would find valuable.
Alongside the main PowerPage®, we created additional content focused on niche topics like "Summer Camp for Boys," "Summer Camp for Girls," and "Summer Camp for 8-Year-Olds," to capture a broader audience and address specific search intents.
Existing website content was meticulously optimized to improve relevance and user engagement. We ensured that all content met SEO best practices and was aligned with user search behaviors.
A targeted link-building campaign was launched to acquire backlinks from high-authority and relevant sites, thereby strengthening Camp Highlander’s organic search presence and authority.
We utilized a combination of search and display ads to target potential campers based on keyword searches and browsing behaviors.
This innovative campaign leveraged Camp Highlander's captivating imagery and videos to attract a precisely targeted audience, utilizing Google's algorithm to optimize ad delivery based on interests, demographics, and location.
On platforms like Facebook, we deployed strategically designed video and image ads to maximize engagement and lead generation. These ads were specifically targeted to reach audiences in selected states, with interests aligned with outdoor activities and summer camps.
The campaigns were optimized not only for awareness but also for lead collection, ensuring that the interaction with the content could seamlessly transition into tangible inquiries and registrations.
Dedicated landing pages were created to enhance the conversion process, coupled with comprehensive setup of all tracking mechanisms and conversion tools, including a custom reporting dashboard.
We employed tools like ClickMagick to track the quality and sales value of leads, enabling real-time feedback to ad platforms for further optimization.
Our team provided hands-on coaching to improve Camp Highlander’s use of their CRM system, Keap, and optimized their email marketing campaigns. We also directly assisted in refining their sales calls and follow-up procedures, ensuring a streamlined and effective sales process.
The strategic rollout of digital marketing efforts for Camp Highlander began in earnest in September 2023, with the primary aim of establishing a solid SEO foundation before the peak season for camp searches from January through spring. Paid advertising campaigns on Google and Facebook were launched in late January 2024 and continued through May 2024.
Initial efforts focused heavily on creating optimized content with PowerPages® and enhancing site-wide SEO. This shifted towards aggressive link building to boost domain authority as the peak season approached.
Targeted search and display campaigns were deployed, leveraging both broad and specific ad placements to maximize reach and engagement.
Regular tri-weekly meetings ensured that both Camp Highlander and the 5K team were aligned strategically and tactically. These sessions allowed for real-time adjustments and reaffirmed our mutual commitment to the campaign’s success, fostering a truly collaborative environment.
From the launch of the ad campaigns through the spring of 2024, a total of 698 leads were generated with an impressive ROI. The total ad spend was $21,297.33 across Google and Facebook, leading to an income of $119,527.50 from these leads alone, equating to a return on ad spend (ROAS) of 5.61.
Since September 2023, Camp Highlander's website began ranking for 398 new keywords, with an overall increase in organic traffic by 17%. Notably, 17 target keywords reached the first page of Google, signifying a strong upward trend in search engine visibility.
The collaboration has been highly productive and warmly received by Camp Highlander, leading to significant improvements in their sales processes to accommodate the increased volume of leads. The owner, Melissa Fitzgerald, praised the 5K team's professionalism and commitment, underscoring the personalized and results-focused approach that has characterized this partnership:
“The 5K team is super organized, professional and creative. They are passionate about their work and their clients. I feel supported and that they are genuinely invested in our growth and success! Thank you 5K for what you do for our small business!”
The tangible financial results from the digital marketing efforts underscore the effectiveness of the targeted strategies in both paid and organic channels. The substantial increase in revenue from the leads generated through paid ads, alongside organic growth, highlights the strategic success of the campaign.
In conclusion, the combined efforts in SEO and paid advertising not only revitalized Camp Highlander’s digital presence but also substantially enhanced their business outcomes. This success story demonstrates the power of a focused digital marketing strategy and a collaborative client-agency relationship.
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