Marketing in Childcare
In today’s competitive childcare market, effective marketing is key to standing out.
What is Marketing?
Marketing is commonly confused or misunderstood across various industries, let us help clear things up a little; essentially marketing comprises of activity that makes your brand visible, creates demand and impacts sales.
The Oxford dictionary definition states that Marketing is:
“the activity or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising.”
Marketing is vast, and with today’s technology it easy to get lost, from events and flyers to digital campaigns and social media, choose the right channels to promote your brand and resonate with the right people.
So how does it work in childcare?
First define your audiences and create a marketing plan, what are your goals and what steps do you need to take to achieve them?
A nurseries audience might include:
The Children – Many nurseries and childcare businesses often forget one of their main audiences – the children in their care. Consider how to share news and information in a child friendly and age appropriate way to keep little ones in the loop!
Existing Families – Ensuring your current families are informed is key to ongoing engagement, positive reviews, recommendations and upsell opportunities. A monthly newsletter or creative social media content can help to form easily accessible comms.
New Families – Key to success is securing new families across your settings, reach out to them with relevant content, offers, news and set yourself apart from the competition with an enhanced customer experience.
Your Team – The beating heart of the business, without a quality, valued and engaged team it isn’t possible to maintain your high standards. Consider team perks, rewards and surveys to build loyalty whilst creating demand for new recruits and upskill paths.
Local Media – Often with a large reach, local media opportunities can share your messages and celebrations to new levels. This may be in print, digital or social platforms so build relationships with key contacts and provide regular press releases and updates that they will want to share.
Key Stakeholders – Consider investors, local councils, schools and senior team members to ensure they are included in the right updates at the right time. Often dedicated letters/emails can share results and updates and an annual meeting or regular briefing keeps relationships strong.
Once you have identified your audiences it is important to tailor content to suit their needs, with so many channels available it is crucial to select the right ones for the right purpose. Nowadays throwing mud and hoping it will stick is lost in a world full of noise, make each individual feel included, relevant and valued to build the foundations for long term success.
Talk to us to discover our services to support your plans, our free consultation is a great way to explore opportunities, quick wins and future goals.