Empty beds aren’t free. An unused cabin, an open retreat weekend, or a phone that isn’t ringing represents the capacity your camp built, but isn’t using.

Mark and Carl challenge one of the biggest barriers to camp growth: treating marketing primarily as a cost to control instead of an investment expected to produce a measurable return. The issue isn’t spending more for the sake of spending. It’s learning to test intelligently, track results, invest more in what works, and stop funding what doesn’t.

Mark recommends thinking about marketing investment in relation to the revenue you want to achieve, using 10–12% of target gross revenue as a starting benchmark. They also unpack why fixed budgets can work against growth, why experienced marketing leadership matters, and why most camps need an “air traffic controller” coordinating specialists rather than expecting one marketing employee to do everything.

Carl’s Quick Camp Marketing Tip makes measurement simple: ask every new inquiry, “How did you hear about us?” Record the answer consistently and use those patterns to make better decisions about where your next marketing dollar should go.

Keywords

camp marketing, camp growth, marketing investment, marketing ROI, camp marketing budget, camp enrollment, retreat bookings, lead tracking, camp capacity, marketing strategy, nonprofit growth, camp leadership

Sound Bites

“Empty beds aren’t free.”

“Good leadership doesn’t just protect resources. It puts them to work.”

“Test. Keep track. See what works. See what doesn’t.”

“What are we afraid of?”

Hosts

Mark P. Fisher, Inspiring Growth
Carl Lefever, Improve & Grow

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More than half of a typical camp website’s traffic can come from Google searches, and for some camps, that number reaches 80% or more. That makes one question critical: When parents and retreat planners search for what you offer, can they actually find you?

Senior SEO Specialist Scott Rehnberg of Improve & Grow explains camp SEO without the technical overload. He breaks down how Google understands your website, why dedicated pages for priority audiences matter, how your Google Business Profile affects visibility, and what camps can do to influence recommendations from ChatGPT and other AI search tools.

Scott also shares what progress can look like over 30 days, 90 days, and six months, and why impressions and clicks only matter if they ultimately lead to inquiries, bookings, and registrations.

Carl’s Quick Camp Marketing Tip: “Google Your Camp Like a Guest Would” gives you an immediate visibility check. Open an incognito browser and search your camp’s name, “summer camps near me,” and “Christian retreat centers near me.” Then try similar searches in ChatGPT. Look at who appears, what information search engines are using, and where your camp’s online presence needs work.

Keywords

camp SEO, summer camp marketing, Google search, search engine optimization, ChatGPT search, AI search, Google Business Profile, organic traffic, retreat center marketing, camp registrations, Google Search Console, camp website

Sound Bites

“It's not a trick.” — Scott Rehnberg (19:45)

“If people can understand it, Google's more likely to understand it.” — Scott Rehnberg (20:26)

“Sometimes the off-site things you do can give a lot of credibility to your website.” — Scott Rehnberg (27:22)

“Your SEO is the work you're putting into your house to make it more valuable.” — Scott Rehnberg (46:59)

Hosts

Mark P. Fisher, Inspiring Growth
Carl Lefever, Improve & Grow

Guest

Scott Rehnberg, Improve & Grow

Chapters

00:00 Why SEO Matters for Camps
02:09 Quick Camp Marketing Tip: Google Your Camp Like a Guest Would
15:51 Scott’s Camp Story
19:07 SEO, Explained Simply
24:28 Getting Your Camp Recommended by ChatGPT and AI
30:29 Why Camps Don’t Show Up in Search
35:33 Common SEO Problems for Camp and Retreat Websites
40:19 What Actually Moves the Needle With SEO
46:00 How Long Does SEO Take?
50:10 Measuring Impressions, Clicks, and Conversions
55:32 Three SEO Actions Camps Can Take This Week
57:38 Closing: Building Your Camp’s Growth Plan

If you’re enjoying the podcast, be sure to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes.

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Most camp websites unintentionally make it harder for visitors to take the next step. A homepage has to introduce your ministry, answer questions, and guide visitors in multiple directions. A landing page has one job: help the right visitor take one specific action.

Oscar Quesada, CEO of Lifedge Marketing, explains why focused landing pages consistently outperform general website pages for camp registrations, retreat bookings, and facility rentals. He shares the framework his team uses to build pages that remove confusion, build trust, and improve conversions.

You'll learn what separates a landing page from a standard website page, the biggest mistakes camps make, and the key elements every high-converting page should include, including clear messaging, testimonials, FAQs, pricing, compelling calls to action, and social proof. Oscar also shares a real-world example where a targeted landing page and modest Google Ads campaign generated more than $100,000 in retreat bookings.

Along with the incredible insights from Oscar, Mark encourages camp leaders to price confidently as costs increase while rewarding loyal families with meaningful early-bird incentives. Registering campers before they leave camp, or shortly afterward, can improve retention, strengthen cash flow, and help families commit before they begin comparing other camps. As Mark reminds listeners, "The best time to sell next summer is this summer."

landing pages, camp websites, camp marketing, retreat center marketing, website conversions, Google Ads, Christian camps, camp registration, facility rentals, SEO, website optimization, Lifedge Marketing

"The best time to sell next summer is this summer."

"The right message, to the right audience, at the right time."

"People need to understand what you do in the first 10 seconds."

"Marketing is a bunch of experiments."

Mark P. Fisher, Inspiring Growth

Carl Lefever, Improve & Grow

Oscar Quesada, Lifedge Marketing

• Lifedge Marketing Website >
• Landing Page Best Practices Guide >

If you’re enjoying the podcast, be sure to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes.

Have a question you'd like us to cover?

Click here to record your question >

Want Help Growing Your Camp?

Click here to schedule a call >

Music licensed through Soundstripe.

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