Is there a childcare down the street, around the corner, or right next door? Well if so knowing how to market & advertise your daycare business is mission-critical. Here are several ways to stand out in a crowded daycare market.
Do you wonder how to stand out in a crowded daycare market? Well, in my area there are approximately 12 home child cares in the neighborhood.
Yep, I said 12!
With that level of saturation, I need to try to find ways to stand out constantly. But just how do you do that?
We are all child cares offering the same or similar services. How can you get people to sit up and take notice of your business and not the business next door?
Well here’s the good news, it is possible. So today I want to talk about how to stand out in a crowded market.
How to Stand Out in a Crowded Daycare Market
Business Card
I am always a bit surprised when I meet a provider who doesn’t have a business card. Having a business card is just standard right?
While that is true, your business card should stand out from the stack of other business cards. How? Well, you need to create an awesome business card on purpose.
Resist the temptation to include everything including the kitchen sink, filling the front and back of the card with lines and lines of text.
Instead, pay attention to what it looks like. Is it readable? Is your business name front and center, big, bold, and bright? Be sure to include points of contact like your phone number, website, and email. You would be surprised by how many people forget at least one of these.
Give good thought to how your business card looks. It will represent you long after you have handed it out.
TIP: Resist the urge to overbuy your cards. Instead, order the minimum so that you can update or upgrade your business card in a year or so.
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Website
Do you need a website? Well yes, you do! And the good news is nowadays there are so many ways to get a website up and running in a matter of minutes and most are low-cost or FREE.
The point is you don’t have to worry about investing in a custom-designed website if you are just getting started or don’t have a huge budget.
Here are some important things you will want to have on your website so that prospective clients can get a feel for your business even before they call.
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Marketing Material
When I first started my business I created flyers to convey information about my childcare program. The information I might forget during a tour.
I simply used my word processor to create a standard text-only 8 x 10 flyer explaining the different offerings my business provided. Over the years, I upgraded these simple flyers into glossy flyers, rack cards, and brochures.
Although some of the information was revised a bit, I basically just recreated the same simple flyers into one that looked more appealing and business-like. You know, the same way a little lipstick can brighten up your face.
But, why do all this to create flyers and brochures, when this is probably information you will review with a parent on your tour?
Good question!
The fact is most parents will likely visit more than just your child care before deciding on enrolling. How cool would it be if you had handouts that they could take home with them to review after the tour, say when they are trying to compare the different child cares they visited?
If they have more than just your business card they will have the information to recall and actually review when making their decision. As a matter of fact, consider creating a Marketing Kit for your childcare.
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Many Services
Do you know how Target stores now have groceries, clothing, home goods, sundries, etc. all in one store? Well, that is a smart business strategy to offer many items in an effort to pull in as many diverse consumers as possible.
You can do the same thing with your childcare!
I am a big fan of offering many different services. If your childcare offers more services, you can attract more clients. Try offering more than just the standard full or part-time status.
Is there a market for off-hour care? Maybe consider offering that instead of the usual childcare hours and see if there is a need you can capitalize on. You might just be able to corner the market on a needed service.
If no one else is doing it, maybe you should.
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Blog
This one kinda goes along with your website. As a matter of fact, it’s pretty standard to have a blog on your website nowadays. So I would encourage adding a blog to your childcare site.
Why is having a blog on your website important?
Having a blog is a really effective way of not only communicating with current clients but also representing authority to prospective clients as well.
You can use your blog to promote what you do at your child care, and community events as well as share child development industry information. Writing a child care blog shows you are committed and passionate about your profession, so much so you want to share.
Extras
What else can you do to stand out in a crowded market?
You probably know that word-of-mouth can be a very powerful resource for growing your childcare business. But how do you continue to keep the buzz going about your business?
Sometimes it can be the little things you do that will encourage people to talk up your business to co-workers, friends, and family.
Here are a couple more things you can do to stand out in a crowded market:
Follow up – After a tour, consider sending a follow-up email to that family you would love to have at your childcare. Remind them of what they saw when they visited. Point out some of the highlights of your childcare and why their child would grow and thrive in your care.
Birthday Cards – I send birthday postcards to children that are current and former clients. It’s a simple, oversized postcard that just says “Happy Birthday” from your friends at the childcare. While it’s just a little thing once a year, I know if I received that for my child who didn’t even attend anymore, I would probably be inclined to refer that business to a friend or colleague looking for childcare.
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How to Stand Out in a Crowded Market?
There are several things you can do to stand out in a crowded market. Each one is designed to set your business apart from the rest. They can show how much more your child care has to offer a potential client as opposed to the child care down the street.
2 Responses
Marketing and enrollment
YES D! Thanks for the comment!