Camp technology often forces camps to change the way they work to fit the software. The team behind The One App took the opposite approach: learn how camps actually operate, then build technology around them.

Michael John Stanley (MJ), Alan Brown, and Lindy Pinkerton share how that process began with visits to 10 camps and expanded into conversations with roughly 60 camps, plus real-world beta testing. What emerged was a consistent problem: camps were stitching together registration systems, spreadsheets, calendars, contracts, emails, whiteboards, and staff knowledge just to keep operations moving.

Their response centers on what Lindy calls the Five C’s: contracts, calendars, communications, CRM, and coordinating. The conversation gets practical about guest-group registration, knowing who is actually on property, communicating between departments, coordinating meals and facilities, and giving staff access to the information they need without burying them in another complicated system.

Mark’s quick marketing tip also tackles WIIFM—“What’s In It For Me?”—and why camp marketing should focus less on what your camp has and more on what those features make possible for campers, parents, churches, and retreat groups.

Keywords

camp technology, camp management software, camp operations, camp registration, guest group registration, camp CRM, camp communication, operational efficiency, camp management systems, retreat center software, sustainable camp growth, The One App

Sound Bites

“Camping found me.” — MJ

“You’re basically running a city at a camp.” — Alan Brown

“Everything is fragmented.” — Lindy Pinkerton

“Get staff out from behind the desk and out doing mission.” — Alan Brown

Hosts

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

Guests

Michael John Stanley (MJ), The One App
Alan Brown, The One App
Lindy Pinkerton, The One App

Resources

The One App — Learn more or schedule a demo.

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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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