Top 5 Tips To Promote Your Early Years Setting To Parents

Running a childcare setting requires directors and managers to show a genuine interest in helping children develop, grow, and tap into their unique strengths and skills.

However, nurseries are also businesses, and as such, your vision needs to be supported by a solid marketing strategy. But why do you need to market your nursery? Find some of the reasons below:

• The research you undertake before creating your own strategy will offer you a better understanding of what parents want. This knowledge will make you more skilled in anticipating what they need, and as a result families will be drawn to your setting.
• Your setting will gain an advantage over other facilities with a smart marketing strategy since it’s a rapidly changing market. 
• Smart marketing strategies go beyond a sales perspective. They help in connecting with your customers and result in lasting relationships with families.
• The data-driven aspect of marketing strategies help in managing your business more efficiently as it eliminates guesswork.

1. Know what parents are looking for

Effective marketing is always personalised. If you want your marketing messages to reach parents in your local area, you’ll want to make sure you touch on relevant pain points or specific issues parents are experiencing towards childcare services.   

Do your research and:

• Talk directly with parents and find out their concerns, interests and anxieties.
• Listen to the problems they’ve had with childcare in the past.
• Understand what they expect from a nursery.

Then, tie this information into your setting’s mission and offerings.

2. Improve communication

Having open communication channels and being transparent about your objectives is an investment that pays off. Keeping this rapport with parents, results in valuable feedback that can help your setting improve and deliver what both your parents and children need.    

Remember to focus on two-way communication: let parents talk and express their concerns, and be good listeners. This in itself can become a huge selling point when word goes around parents circles in your local area. Speaking of which…

3. Find your unique selling point(s)

What do you want your nursery to be known for? If you can connect that to what parents in your area need, you can market your business as the best possible choice. And if your USPs resonate with parents, they will become your best ambassadors – word-of-mouth marketing is a wonderful thing!

4. Develop a reputation

You’re proud of the work you’re putting in to go above and beyond, and proud of the skills and value your staff bring to children’s growth potential. Don’t keep it all to yourself, instead maintain a high profile in person and online.

• Embrace social media and improve your online presence on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter to share your nursery business news and keep in touch with your wider audience
• Promote your setting via local newspapers and radio stations
• Join your local Facebook community pages or groups and be active

Partnerships and charity work also help when building a reputation and it’s an excellent way to support a great cause.

5. Engage and empathise

Early Years practitioners and parents have something very important in common: the desire to see their children thrive.

• Improving the way you communicate with parents is a must!
• Keep parents and families engaged by sending daily magic moments directly to the Parent App
• Reassure parents and give them peace of mind that their children are safe in your setting
• Always listen carefully to what parents and children have to say

Plan your marketing and communication strategies so they’re geared towards genuine engagement and take this opportunity to show empathy in every interaction – this will go a long way!