Summer is around the corner and parents are actively looking for summer camp spots to engage their kids. So, whether you are an educator or run a community center where you organize a range of fun summer activities for children, you should market your services effectively. Google ads summer camps are a great help in this regard. They increase your visibility, make you stand out in the competition, and even allow quality lead capture. 

If you are wondering how to run Google Ads summer camp campaigns, keep reading! We will discuss all the steps for setting up your Google ads.

How to Set Up Google Ads Summer Camps? 

Did you know that the American Camp Association estimates that nearly 26 million children attend some form of camp each year? So, to capitalize on most of this number, the following are the tips that you must follow to successfully set up your Google ads summer camp campaigns: 

Choose “Switch to Expert Mode” 

Firstly, you should create a Google Ads account by going to ads.google.com. Follow the on-screen instructions to create your ads account, and when you reach the Choose Your Goal step, skip it and click on “Switch to Expert Mode.” 

The Expert Mode gives you access to all the platform’s features and functionalities, and you have complete control over your ad campaign. You can optimize your ads according to the unique needs of your target audience to achieve maximum results. 

Select Your Campaign Type 

Another important thing that you need to do is to select the type of your Google Ads campaign. Here are the options that you can explore in this regard: 

• Search: Search ads actually appear in text form on Google search engine results when people search for summer camps or services related to yours. 
• Discovery: Discovery ads are those that show on Google users’ feeds on YouTube, Gmail, and Google apps. They are quite good if you want to target a new audience who aren’t actively looking for your services but might get hooked and purchase them. 
• App: If you have a dedicated app for your summer camps services to get parents onboard, you can promote it via app ads. These ads are displayed on Google Search, Google Play, YouTube, and the whole Google Display Network. 
• Video: Video ads, as the name indicates, are short videos that appear on YouTube and other Google video partners. You can use them to display different aspects of your summer camps to your target audience, such as kids playing fun games or having story time. 

Set Your Ad Schedule 

If you have done enough research on your audience, you would know that they are active at a particular time. So to engage them with your ads and increase the chances of clicks and impressions, you should set your ad schedule accordingly.

For that, go to the “Show More Settings” option and select your start and end dates and times.

Know that the time you set for your ads will be according to your time zone. If you are targeting an audience from a different time zone, you should do the math and set the schedule considering that. 

Dedicate Specific Budget 

While it’s natural to spend more at the start of your Google Ads summer camps to get excellent results, you should be very mindful of your budget.

Generally, it’s a good idea to spend 10% to 20% of your revenue on ads. However, if your ads bring in more results than expected, you can gradually increase the budget. 

Create a Specific Landing Page

Most summer camp businesses make one mistake: directing prospects directly to their homepage or registration page. While this may seem effective in some scenarios, we suggest creating a dedicated landing page for your Google Ads summer camp campaigns.

On the landing page, use bold colors and clear typography to capture attention immediately and make the content easy to read. Tell your audience why your summer camps stand out.

For instance, you can mention the activities you will organize to engage kids and how they’ll impact their emotional and physical health. Be very clear about what you offer, and don’t try to be overly salesy so parents can better connect with your services. Most importantly, include a call-to-action (CTA) at the end to guide your audience in taking the next step!

Add Your Keywords 

Keywords are indeed the lifeblood of your Google ads summer camp campaigns. These are terms and phrases that your ideal audience enters in search engines to find your services. 

You can easily find them using tools like Ubersuggest, Semrush, and Google Keyword Planner. 

Don’t just rely on short-tail keywords as they are more generic. Rather, also incorporate long-tail keywords in your ads copy and landing page for high ads specificity. Some good examples of long-tail keywords for your summer camps ads are:

• Summer Camps for Building Social Skills 
• Summer Camps in Florida 
• Improving Kids’ Physical Strength with Summer Camps

Leverage Ad Extensions 

If you are running Google search ads to attract an audience towards your summer camps, you should also add additional assets, aka ad extensions. They provide prospects with additional information about your services, whether it’s contact details, reviews, or location. Let’s look at the different extensions you can use for your Google ads summer camps:

• Location Extension: Includes your business location, map, and even the distance between the audience and your summer camp. 
• Sitelink Extension: Takes the ideal prospect to different pages on your website, whether the homepage, registration page, or others. 
• Contact Extension: Share your phone number or Gmail with the audience so they can contact you for further information. 

Conclusion 

Setting up and managing your Google ads summer camp campaigns can sometimes feel like an additional burden, especially when you have a small team to organize summer camps. In such a situation, Mike Ncube becomes your savior. With over 15 years of experience under my belt, I’ve been helping businesses of all sizes establish their digital presence through Google ads, making them stand out from competitors.