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In many parts of the country, schools have opened their doors to students while in other areas, the focus is primarily on distance learning. In both cases, many people are looking for the best caregiving option for their children. What better time for you to consider how to make your childcare center top of mind while parents are making their decisions. Advertising childcare centers is a challenge as you need to both reach the right audiences and gain the trust of parents. As the market continues to grow, it's expected to reach a value of nearly $520.4 billion by 2022. With so many childcare centers looking to maximize visibility and build trust among parents, it's important to stand out as much as you can with your marketing. While TV ads are helpful, many parents may not be watching TV while at home caring for their kids, so prioritizing digital marketing as well is important.
So, what is the best way to advertise a childcare center with digital marketing and stand apart from competing businesses? The following are some creative ways to get the best possible results from your marketing efforts.
Talk About the Protocol That Is in Place Right Now
Parents want to know that their children will be safe and that the staff knows how to maintain that safety. One of the most effective ways to establish trust with parents is to make it clear what protocols are currently in place. This could include general safety measures along with those pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic. You can show visuals of the interior and exterior of your facility, along with the measures being implemented. Being as transparent as possible can go a long way in encouraging parents to send their children to your establishment.
For example, you could have a web page that features images of your classrooms along with details about new regulations you are implementing. You could also create a video that includes images of the facility and staff while discussing what makes your facility safer than other options. Make it clear from the start what sets your center apart from others in terms of a consistently safe, healthy environment.
Develop a Digital Campaign That Is Targeting Parents
In addition to establishing an environment that will keep children safe and happy, you need to target the right audience. It's not enough to simply speak to parents—you should also try to get specific with the types of parents you're targeting.
A 2019 RegionTrack report found that the use of child care services for children under five primarily involves families with two parents who work full-time. The same report found that the second-biggest market was single parents who work 35 hours or more per week. A large segment of your audience could also be parents who are stuck at home and feel like they need a break from raising their children alone. You can offer the extra help that busy parents need when they feel overwhelmed. Based on your audience, you can figure out how to advertise childcare services using the right messaging and channels.
The key here is to empathize with your audience. Show that you understand how difficult it can be to raise a child without formal care. At the same time, place an emphasis on safety and health that further eases parents' minds. In the process, you can show how your facility can alleviate their stress by putting their children in the hands of caring, trustworthy staff.
Deploy an Email Campaign
A good email campaign will help nurture leads, building trust among parents until they're ready to enroll their children. When deploying these emails, you need to speak to what parents care about right now. It's also important to tailor campaigns to specific stages of the customer's journey.
One of the biggest concerns you need to address is safety in the wake of the pandemic. In your emails, provide educational materials and information about your center that establishes you as a knowledgeable authority. You could begin by sending informative articles and blog posts discussing current safety concerns for children in daycare. From there, you could send information about your center that shows how you work to provide a safe and healthy learning environment. You can also highlight the numerous benefits of enrolling children in your care over competing childcare centers. Some additional talking points could include the cost of enrollment, convenience of location, and other advantages.
The more you use email to establish trust with a wealth of information, the more you'll convince parents that your center is right for their children.
Offer Virtual Entertainment and Learning Opportunities
In addition to highlighting a safe physical space for children, you can develop a fun, educational virtual learning space. For example, you could create various digital assets and social media posts that educate children who aren't in school currently. Going the extra mile to provide quality education and entertainment to kids at home can further gain parents' trust. Virtual events can be a great way to engage both parents and students while promoting your childcare center.
One way to make it easy for children to learn is to host Facebook Live storytimes, which you can use to connect with your audience through storytelling. Common Ground Child Care Center is one example of a center that hosted an engaging series of storytime videos, in which staff performed lively readings of their favorite children's books.
If you want to reach busy parents who are currently managing their own care, it’s important to target them through multiple platforms. Digital marketing is often the best way to reach these audiences. From building a good website and video ads and deploying an effective email campaign to offering virtual learning experiences, there are many ways to get creative with your marketing efforts. When advertising childcare centers, working with a media partner can help your campaigns thrive. A dependable partner will be able to help you identify the best opportunities and truly stand out with a winning campaign.
