Locally based businesses like childcare groups and nurseries need marketing. Traditionally childcare was recommended by word-of-mouth and childcare providers relied on referrals from existing happy customers. That’s changed with parents’ increased use of online channels like social media and Google.
The childcare market has also expanded in the UK with 62,000 Ofsted registered providers offering 1.5 million children places and 13,400 private providers offering 707k children places (Savills). It is an essential service. Every parent wants their child to be happy and settled. Life is busy enough without fighting to get children to attend school every day. And a good start in education sets a child up for life.
TL;DR
Reviews improve conversion
Traditionally childcare providers were a primary source of enrolment for daycare centres. Parents talked to others and recommended the nursery their child was at, if they were happy with the service. Now, there are many more options available to parents. And, as I have noted, parents are looking online for childcare that will keep their children happy and educate them at the same time. Brand reputation is paramount.
Simple things like good reviews can increase conversion significantly. Negative reviews have a high impact, and they can spread quickly on WhatsApp, text messages or on social media.
Research says positive reviews (3*-5*) improve click-through-rates by 25% and 82% of people read reviews when looking for a local business (Wordstream). Nowhere are reviews more important than for local businesses with a finite pool of customers to fish in.
Facebook ads for childcare
Strategy is key to making Facebook ads work for childcare businesses. Ads need to be engaging and encourage parents to take action to secure childcare places as early as possible. Building brand awareness in the local social media community and retargeting visitors who have engaged with the content and website can reduce costs and improve enquiries.
The same applies to Google Ads for childcare. Ads need to be optimised to make the best of the brand reputation and the experience of the childcare teams. Specifically targeted ads with optimised landing pages will improve the return on ad spend.
Which brings me neatly onto SEO, the often neglected marketing method for childcare providers.
SEO for childcare
A well built website will market your business 24/7, 365 days of the year. It needs to look professional and reassuring, and showcase your experience and reviews from happy customers to build trust. It also needs to work well and be technically sound – fast, with no broken links and accessibility problems.
In addition to technical optimisation, an SEO content strategy and backlink building plan is needed to keep your website on page one of search engines when parents are searching for childcare. Childcare is highly competitive and there are a lot of other providers competing for the top spaces. A localised SEO strategy can help your business to stay ahead. Also make sure you are listed with the search platforms that rank highly in your area.
Social media for childcare
Increasing engagement on social media exposes your childcare brand to more potential customers. This requires engaging content, using tactical strategies like user generated content (UGC), and engaging your local community. Advertising can supplement this but the core of your social media content matters. It needs to be targeted and creative. It needs to appeal to your potential customers and engage with them. It needs to reflect your ethos e.g. if you are a Montessori school and show your nursery produces happy children.
Positioning your childcare brand
The childcare sector is competitive and the positioning of your childcare brand is paramount to increasing enquiries. This is relevant whether you are a single nursery run by a private owner or a national childcare provider. What is your local reputation? What makes your business stand out from the rest? What are your competitors offering that you might need to consider e.g. breakfast clubs.
This is a critical but challenging marketing essential. It will feed into all the other aspects of your marketing from emails to websites, social media posts to ads. Review it regularly and listen to existing customers! They are your best source of information because they have already bought into your brand.
Marketing budgets for childcare providers
Marketing budgets vary greatly depending on the size of your operation. Whatever your marketing budget is, the activity will need to be tailored to make the best of it. That includes regularly reviewing the effort vs return of every marketing activity that you run, on or offline.
Marketing your childcare provider
Build trust with prospective parents over a period of time through marketing activities. Be clear about what you offer, what the cost is and the benefits. Be transparent with ratings and testimonials. Through marketing and building brand awareness, you will be top of mind when the time comes for parents to consider childcare.
