Your program is unique, one of a kind & you want to stand out. Simple. No two childcares are alike and it is a must that your target audience sees that...
You aren’t wrong, but let’s expound on the bigger picture and take a step back. Yes, no childcares are alike BUT, there are still many different ones to choose from. Before you jump into marketing your childcare, you must look at your branding. Branding consists of the impression, or look & feel of a company. It’s your identity! Your target market must be able to clearly identify and associate your company with your industry. If you aren’t tech savvy or knowledgeable on design, you may consider having a professional design your logo, website, and other marketing materials that will represent your business.
My biggest struggle with marketing was figuring out where & how to market.
I first created my Daycare's Facebook page since I was already an active user and had significant amount of friends then started working heavily on my website. This to me is the most important asset of your business because it's where you have all of the information for your program. Be detailed here! Now is your chance to get everything on the table! Your website is the first thing parents look at when deciding on whether or not to initially contact you. Make this as detailed and animated as possible. Make people want to view your services! Add pictures, contact information, etc. I took on the challenge of offering my program to multiple regions therefore most of the parents that lived outside of our region held an interview with me over the phone and were also impressed that they pretty much could read all about us on our site. This helped them feel much more comfortable and trusting of my company and affiliates.
Whichever programs you offer, make sure to include those also so parents know exactly what to expect from your business as a whole. It doesn't hurt to mention future goals you are working towards. Be personable yet professional. Provide a backdrop of who you are at first sight!
I invested time into getting a separate business phone line and creating additional social media pages. I couldn't stand the idea of clients AND family contacting me at the same number. I'd suggest to separate the two unless you can handle it. I did this right away to ensure new clients were addressed accordingly when they called and to encourage professionalism. Now, it will take up some of your time but what better way to get yourself out there besides using the major platforms people are already on such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Go for it. My website and Facebook alone brought in 60% of my new clients. I accomplished this by posting CONTINUOUSLY in local and state groups where parents were looking for childcare. You'll also want to post and advertise your page each day to gain & retain exposure. Yes, everyday make an effort to take at least 30 minutes to 1 hour to blast your brand! If this means each hour you are sharing and updating a post so be it. It's tedious but a requirement if you want people to get familiar with your business.
Understand with marketing there's always a cost but there's several avenues available to effectively get the word out without breaking the bank. Use word of mouth! Utilize the clients you have right now, they can vouch for you when it comes to sending referrals! Nothing feels better than calls rolling in from referrals. That confirms your audience is sharing great things about you! Additionally, you are establishing a trustworthy brand in your community. Flyers continue to work well no matter what stage you’re in with business. This shows your audience that you’re local. Again as mentioned previously, search engines work wonders! These include your company/website being listed on Google, Bing, etc. The more search engines your website is listed on, the higher the rank. You want to make sure you use specific keywords on your site that your audience is using to search for the services you offer. The key is to show up on results when customers search for your service!
Another technique that has worked for us is digital billboard marketing. That’s right! We got a design rotating on multiple billboard locations to drive traffic from travelers and day-to-day traffic on highways. Now this may be costly depending on the company you decide to use for your advertisement however, it is absolutely worth it when it comes to making sure your company stays ahead of the childcare marketing game!
Advertise Special Deals & Reviews!
Offer incentives such as half off a week of tuition or half price for enrollment. Something that will catch parents eyes because let's face it, everyone loves when they have a chance to save money! You could ask the clients you have now to send some referrals, write you reviews and in return offer a small token of appreciation. Frankly, reviews for many people aren't important to broadcast but you'll notice many new clients want to know what others are saying about you before they make a decision. Don't be afraid to ask your current and previous clients to submit a review about your services. Add this as a section on your website and social pages for potential new clients to see!
There's so much to do with marketing. It'll get hard and sometimes it may feel like you're not getting anywhere but keep going! You may not see the results but I promise you they are there- A lot of this requires patience. No one said this business would be easy and honestly if it was so easy, everyone would be doing it. Do your research on your community to find out what the need is for childcare in your area. Learn the demographics and specific needs you're willing to accommodate and start there with marketing your childcare business.
You may be wondering...
“How long does it take to get results after doing this?”
It’s easy to assume that there is a 1-2-3 step by step guide that leads to sucesss but the truth is there isn’t. Hypothetically, if you have a great program that stands out and a well thought out marketing plan, you should see significant increase of traffic to your business. The goal is to convert that traffic into sign ups. You must be willing to put in the work. A successful project isn’t just put together. So many business owners want to see results but are not willing to put in the work. Are your systems in place? Are your expectations as a company clear to your customer? If you have employees, are the proper systems for HR and employee training delegated? These are only a few things to think about that contribute to the foundation of your childcare. You must have a solid foundation before any of the above mentioned can be achieved.
Begin working on your dream today!
