I am a summer camp alumnus, having attended Sharon County Day, Dedham Country Day, and other day camps as a pre-teen; Camp Wingate Kirkland on Cape Cod during my formative years from 1986 to 1990, and as a counselor-in-training the following summer in the New Hampshire woods at Camp Yavneh.
I think it is awesome that progressive summer camp directors recognize the power of the internet — and the wonder of social media — to boost fundraising and recruiting efforts; share photos and videos with other campers, alumni, and parents; and revolutionize a new social marketing format of the traditional summer camp website.
It is for these reasons I would like to award and showcase YMCA Camp Ernst in Burlington, Kentucky, which will receive a complimentary copy of “The Social Media Marketing Book” by Dan Zarrella.
Here is what program director Elizabeth Cochran wrote last week amid a field of 13 contestants to win this free book.
I am a summer camp director and am anxious to increase our camp’s marketing reach through social media outlets. I have been following the camp marketing world for a while and was just at a conference last week saying, “Why doesn’t someone write an updated book on Social Media Marketing?” Imagine my surprise to find it here–and if I win I will definitely sing a camp song for you.
Congrats Eli!
You can learn more about the camp by visiting myycamp.org.
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Learn more about Ari and AriWriter by visiting 
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
THANKS SO MUCH!
Can’t wait to get the book and get back to you with what things we can do at camp:)
What’s your favorite camp song?
eli
Campfire songs, of course! Stuck in my brain is the Christopher Robin song by Kenny Loggins, and S&G’s Mrs. Robinson. Cat Stevens too.
Social media has definitely opened up the whole world to getting their message out there and for groups and people to network.
A great post on camping and the site given has some fab resources.
Thank you
It’s great to see that social media can contribute in many sectors, even summer camps.
Facebook Page, Youtube, Twitter.. everything to get the publicity going for mass exposures. Very exciting discovery to me. 
Stumbled and hopefully people will learn to smartly incorporate social media in their efforts.
@wchingya
Social/Blogging Tracker
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This is great, Ari. I went to summer camp for 9 years (as a camper and a counselor) – 2 months every summer in the north woods of Minnesota. It was and remains to this day, the most phenomenal and formative experience of my life. I became me at camp – and I still have best, best friends that I made when I was 8. My camp is also active in social media – the Facebook community is blow your mind huge and productive. (And my designer and I just redid their site). Check them out: http://www.kamaji.com
Again – thanks for shining the spotlight on CAMP.
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Michelle and Ching Ya: Are you both former campers, too?
Julie: That’s awesome that you gave back to the camp community after receiving its benefits for so many years!
Sadly no. We don’t have that when I was younger; it looks so much fun! I’m not a urban kid but not so country either. lol.. but it’ll be great to experience nature once in a while.
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I’m glad they got the book. Sounds like they deserve it..
Plus if I had won it would have put so much pressure on me to actually take some action..
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I hated summer camp. lol Perhaps if it was actually my idea and not forced to go because my older brother loved it, it may have been a whole new experience.
I do know how good it is for thousands of others though, so it’s awesome to hear that they can spread the word so much further and easier now.
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…and I bet your older brother never heard the end of your hatred, eh?
Nope, didn’t waste my time. No bother, shortly after that we stopped speaking altogether; not ’cause of that of course. lol
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I had both loved and hated camp, it was a strange experience for me, or maybe I was strange, who knows, my kids loved camp!
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Sounds like an effectively run summer camp. Many companies don’t even understand or utilize the power of social media, so great job Eli