If you are in the child care business, you know that the little ones under your care and their doting parents are your top priority. Keeping mom, dad, and their kids feeling happy, safe, and secure is the cornerstone of your business, and it takes a lot of effort. Between all of your responsibilities, you may find yourself wondering how you can take your child care business to the next level.
If you’ve found yourself having similar thoughts, you’re not alone! You work tirelessly to provide the best service to your loyal and adorable customers. Navigating the child care and daycare industry in today’s world can be tough, but leveling up your business doesn’t have to be.
First of all, market to the right audience
The very first step in expanding your business is to take the time to understand who your customers are. Yes, you spend the most time with the tots in your care, but your customer base truly lies with their parents and families.
What can we learn about the modern parent, and how can it help you expand your child care business? To start, did you know that 90% of the childbearing population is a part of the millennial generation? At first glance, this may not seem like game-changing information, but the implications are massive.
The millennial generation has an extremely active digital life. Technology plays a huge role in the way they communicate, search for information, and make decisions. Catering and marketing to millennials can do big things for your daycare business. So, how can you start?
Increase enrollments and keep families informed with expert advice and all the tools you need, in one place.
Establish your social media presence in 5 steps
Establishing a distinctive online presence will make you appealing to the millennial parent. One of the most surefire ways to establish yourself online is through social media. The prospect of diving into the social media scene may seem daunting or time-consuming, but it doesn’t have to be! Social media done right can create big returns for your business without breaking the bank or tying up precious time.
If you’re ready to break into social media marketing and reap the benefits of appealing to the modern millennial parent, read on to discover essential tips on social media marketing for child care and daycare businesses. In this article, we’ll cover these five key points:
- Getting started
- Picking platforms
- Creating content
- Understanding daycare social media policy
- Next steps
Understanding not only the concepts but the effects of social media marketing for child care can help you draw in more valuable customers and generate more revenue. Read on to gain valuable knowledge about social media marketing tips that will create a major boost for your business.
1. Getting started
It’s common for business owners to feel overwhelmed by the prospect of marketing on social media. You may feel unfamiliar with social media culture or confused by different marketing options. Maybe you’re already highly active across social media, but you lack tangible results for your business. The best way to get started with social media marketing is to narrow your focus. Choose one platform and spend time developing your social media skills there.
The perfect place to get started with social media for child care is Facebook. Facebook is the world’s most widely used platform, and it’s easy to understand and navigate. You probably already use it in your daily life! Being familiar with the tools of Facebook will put you on the fast track to connecting with prospective families and even new employees.
Facebook is also a fantastic tool for posting enrollment ads, job openings, and engaging content that will appeal to parents.
An essential element of social media presence is identity. Take the time to deeply develop a Facebook identity that reflects the unique personality and values of your child care business.
2. Picking platforms
While Facebook is a great launchpad for your social media marketing, you will eventually want to expand your presence to other platforms. Once you are confident in actively posting on Facebook, start exploring other mediums to connect with prospective families and grow your daycare business even more.
Each social media platform has its unique personality and audience. Take the time to pick a few platforms that are best for your target audience and your business. Common social media platforms used by child care businesses include:
- Facebook. As the most commonly-used platform, Facebook is a powerful resource for quickly spreading content. Though you’ll need to compete for attention with posts from friends, family, and local and global headlines, Facebook can help drive enrollment with easy engagement and a high-traffic newsfeed.
- Instagram. Instagram is the most visually-driven platform and is a great way to give customers a peek into what is happening with your child care business. Instagram provides easy engagement in the form of liking, commenting, and sharing posts. Increasingly, Instagram can also be a great place to post content about helpful resources for parents.
- Linkedin. LinkedIn is the most professionally-driven platform. It can be a formidable tool for connecting with other businesses as well as keeping up to date on trends in child care and daycare.
- YouTube. YouTube is a dynamic platform that exclusively hosts videos. Entertainment and educational value are key when it comes to success on YouTube. YouTube is the perfect place for a virtual tour or child safety guide.
- Pinterest. Pinterest features boards with selections of ideas or upcoming trends. It is a great way to drive traffic to your website or other social media channels. It is also an excellent platform for driving traffic to blog posts and other resources.
3. Creating content
Now that you know each social platform has its unique qualities and strengths, it’s vital to create unique content that’s a good fit for each channel. You can — and should — follow the same concept or theme across platforms, but you should tailor each post to suit the channel.
Once you’ve settled into the platforms that work best for you and feel confident in how to use them, it’s time to analyze the type of content you’ll create.
Being intentional and consistent in your content can have a huge impact on engagement and connections online. Here are a few helpful questions to ask yourself before you post:
- Does this post align with who we are? Creating an identity for your business is key. Posting content that reflects the unique qualities and values of your child care business will help you connect more effectively with your customers.
- Does this post encourage a conversation? Engagement is a powerful tool for connecting with customers and driving traffic to your website. The perfect post is one that invites customers to like, share, or comment on it.
- Will this post create a sense of community? Creating a sense of community between customers is essential. “It takes a village” is a sentiment that resonates with many families. If you can create a village through your social media presence, you’ll increase the sense of community tied to your business and boost customer loyalty.
- Will this post foster a connection? If a post connects with just one lead, it can be counted as a success. Social media is a powerful resource for making lasting connections with your families.
4. Understanding daycare social media policy
Say cheese…but only if mom or dad approves! A clearly documented social media policy is a must-have!
Child care professionals must understand a few important issues around child care and social media. Naturally, many parents are protective of their children. In today’s world, this protection extends to social media. It is never acceptable to post a picture of a child without his or her parent’s express permission.
If you’re planning to use photos of your facilities in your social media presence, you must develop definitive social media policies and share them with all current and prospective parents.
Be clear and be specific with parents about your marketing and social media policies. Protect your customers and protect your business by taking the time to develop a comprehensive, transparent policy.
5. Next steps
With the right tools, social media marketing can be fun.
Social media should be used to boost awareness about your child care business, encourage action from prospective customers, and promote engagement with current customers and their families. Stay focused on your business goals and let the special qualities of your unique daycare shine on social media!
Now that you know why social media marketing for child care is so important, how can you get started developing your online identity? What key elements should you focus on to maximize your daycare’s potential?
If you’re ready to take a deeper dive into the best online marketing strategies for your child care business, download Constant Contact’s free child daycare marketing guide. Equipped with our guide, you can take the first, confident steps on your social media marketing journey.
Get started today! A brighter future for your child care business is just around the corner!
