We know that a lot of childcare programs are struggling to keep their program full.
Daycare Time Solutions marketing team has come up with 5 of our best tips and strategies to help you market your childcare business for the year 2022.
Before you begin to market for your business you must understand what kind of client you are actually looking for. A lot of childcare providers are running into headache after headache because they are desperate to fill their vacant spots. So, they are willing to accept any client into their program. Remember this, " All clients are not your clients"
1) Define your market
Take out a piece of paper and write these questions down, and the answer them.
a) Who is my ideal client?
b) What do they do for a living? Are they blue-collar or white-collar workers?
c) What kind of places do they attend?
d) Do they have one child or more than one?
e) What hours do they work?
f) Are they new parents?
g) Are they single parents?
h) Are they heading back to work after staying home for years?
*Remember it is ok to make sure a client is a good fit for your program.
2) Identify your strengths and weaknesses as a childcare program.
Be honest with yourself. I know we all like to think that we have it all together, and in many areas we may. However, as a business professional we have to be able to identify where we are so that we can improve, grow, but most of all clearly highlight our business to our potential clients.
This is very important because as a business you have to be able to stand out from the other programs in your area providing a similar service.
3) Branding
Who is your program? Yes, you read that correctly! I said who is your program? Does your program have its own personality? Does it clearly represent your values, beliefs and standards? Does your home or center stand out as a childcare, or does it blend into the neighborhood?
4) Embrace social media
Social media is not going anywhere. Social media is more than just a tool to gain exposure; it has become a necessary part of business operations. You can use social media to promote your services and connect with 1000's of potential clients.
Does your business have an online presence? Be sure that your brand is identical on all platforms. I hear a lot of providers say, "Oh I am just a small in-home childcare, so I really don't think I need a social media presence". WRONG that is exactly why you need an online presence. As consumers before we purchase a product we go online and do our research, and guess what your potential clients are doing the same with your program.
We recommend, at least, you post an engaging post every day, pictures of some of the activities that you are doing each day with intentional content, etc. If a potential client views your page, it should give them an idea of what your program is about.
5) Last, but definitely not least Tell People who you are
-Consistently tell people who you are! You're amazing at what you do, but one of the reasons you may be struggling to get people through your door is because no one is aware of who you are or what you do.
"Marketing doesn't have to to be complicated. It's all about the Strategy!"