The success any new child care center will be up to the quality of care provided and how much trust you build within the community.
The success of any new daycare largely depends on a good marketing strategy and establishing community trust. After receiving any required state licensing and necessary accreditations, the next steps are advertising your center name and incentivizing enrolment.
Get Connected
Busy parents do much of their shopping via the web and tend to prefer companies that offer technology driven self-service options like online account maintenance, integrated mobile apps, and messaging capability. Start by creating a website that is easily navigable and offers relevant content about your care center and what it offers. Help drive traffic to your site by publishing articles that current and prospective parents will find interesting or informative.
Clients that actively visit your website and use the features you provide are more likely rate or review their great experience at your new facility. As enrolment grows, consider developing a mobile app for parents to stay connected with the center.
Incentivize New Enrolment
The most obvious way to get new enrolees interested is by advertising promotional rates or special offers. In areas where competition is minimal, this tactic may work well to get your new center up and moving. In more populated areas where daycares compete heavily with one another, forming community partnerships can significantly boost interest in a new child care facility.
Hospitals, city and county governments, and chambers of commerce are increasingly interested in partnering with child care providers to offer daycare services for their employees. In some cases, tuition can even be deducted directly from an employee’s payroll. Working out an agreement that guarantees high enrollment numbers can help ensure the longevity of your business.
Network with Other Professionals
Professional networking is a huge part of getting your name out in the community. Get in touch with realtors and property managers that will pass out your card to new residents and tenants in need of child care. Reciprocate by offering to put their cards up on a bulletin board in your center. Leave brochures in the main offices of schools that your center provides daily transportation for. Reach out to nearby homeowners’ administrations about placing ads in their monthly newsletter or purchasing a quarterly list of new homebuyers.
Ultimately, the success any new child care center will be up to the quality of care provided and how much trust you build within the community. Marketing is crucial to getting your business off the ground, but a great daycare is built on the faith of parents and guardians that depend on you to keep their children happy and safe.
What marketing strategies have worked best for your child care center? How have they changed or evolved over time? Join the conversation on Facebook.
