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PR Press Box: Technology Trends — Making
the Most of Your Web site
Camp and technology has always been one
of those love/hate relationships. While
most would agree that camp is no place
for a cell phone, they also would agree
that families are depending on the Internet
for a majority of their camp research.
While touting that camp provides an opportunity
to unplug and connect with nature, camps
also put a lot of work into Web sites,
social networking sites, and e-Newsletters.
It's critical — if you don't
have a presence on the Internet, you don't
exist — as far as many of today's
families are concerned.
Recently, several American Camp Association
(ACA) camps participated in a Google AdWords
project with the University of Indianapolis.
As part of the project, students evaluated
current online marketing, outlined a strategy,
ran a three-week advertising campaign, assessed
the results, and provided camps with recommendations
to further develop online marketing.
Google AdWords ads
are displayed along with search results
when someone searches Google using designated
keywords. Participants can choose the
exact content placements of the ad, or
contextual targeting will match keywords
to content. Google provides a variety
of ad formats, including text, image,
audio, and video ads, and allows participants
to track ad performance using reports.
To find out more about Google AdWords,
visit the AdWords
home page. |
In the class presentations, the students
gave some interesting feedback including:
- First Impressions — Photos are
great for a home page, but it is important
to remember that Google searches text.
If there is no text, then there is nothing
for Google to search. In contrast, too
much text can overwhelm visitors. The camp
home page may be the first impression families
have of your camp.
- Timeliness — Web sites should
be updated regularly. In March and early
April some camps still had 2008 registration
information listed instead of 2009. Families
searching for a camp may get frustrated
and move to the next search result.
- Keep it simple — Some of the student
groups suggested that camps keep it simple,
and clearly state who they are and what
they do in their Web copy. Think about
who would be searching for your Web site
and why — what words would they use?
Is there a target or key word that you
are not fully taking advantage of?
In all, the project results were very interesting.
The student groups were able to learn real-life
skills in search engine optimization and
provide valuable insight into how a consumer,
with little or no camp knowledge, would search
the Internet. This cooperative effort was
an excellent opportunity for ACA camps to
participate in a meeting of the young, techno-savvy
minds.
It is important to have balance in all things — and
technology is no exception. Camps with a
Web presence are now exposed to a global
audience. With careful thought and evaluation,
a camp's Web site is one of its best
external public awareness efforts. It is
possible to maintain a "technology-free" place
for children and adults, while maintaining
an informative, useful Web site and taking
advantage of current technology. Ultimately,
it's a win/win situation for everyone.
Because
of Camp…™ PSA Sees Success
in First Month
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