Marketing your Early Years setting

Why spend time marketing your Early Years setting?

Of course, you didn't get into Early Years to learn your social media from your SEO, but marketing is an essential activity for childcare providers.  Every interaction, from word-of-mouth referrals to staff wearing uniforms, is a form of marketing. Ben explains that providers who rely solely on one channel, such as word of mouth, risk limiting their inquiry flow and occupancy growth.

Increase occupancy: Early Years marketing strategy

Ben recommends creating a marketing plan for your setting, built on SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis, and using SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) objectives.

Ben explains that you should treat the plan as a living document, with regular evaluation of your marketing efforts over time.

Consider how you utilise:

• SEO and search engine rankings
• Word-of-mouth
• Traditional marketing methods (such as leaflets, open days, or adverts in the local press)
• Local businesses, local community groups, and events
• Social media (paid and organic)

SEO and Google search visibility

Ben reveals that a survey of 61,000 parents showed that search engines, particularly Google, were the most common way that parents find childcare. Therefore, SEO and Google presence are the highest-impact digital marketing priorities for providers.

The data showed that 55% of parents only look at the top three Google results, so you've got to put the work in to appear in that top three.

Social media in the Early Years: realistic expectations and myth-busting

Social media plays a supporting rather than leading role in generating childcare inquiries, so it isn't a primary way you'll increase occupancy. In fact, Ben explains that, on average, only 8% of inquiries originate from social media.

Ben explores common myths around social media marketing, such as:

• Are hashtags no longer relevant on Facebook?
• Do you have to post something every day?
• Can you measure social media ROI?

Ben recommends posting four times per week as a realistic and effective cadence.

Local and low-cost marketing for nurseries

Early Years providers with limited budgets or in low footfall locations should consider these low-cost local marketing tactics:

• Community Facebook groups
• Events framed around community value
• Signage partnerships
• Referral arrangements with estate agents. For example, a new housing development being built could bring more families into the area, and you want them to think of your setting first!

Ben explains that you've got to identify where your target audience is and tailor outreach accordingly.

Staff recruitment can be a marketing challenge

Recruitment requires the same creative thinking that you apply to parent-facing campaigns to boost your occupancy rate. Given the Early Years recruitment crisis, Ben recommends that providers move beyond standard job boards and instead explore platforms such as TikTok, Facebook ads. You could do some market research as to how other local settings attrract staff too.

It's a good idea to try:

• Creative job titles
• Showing off the unique selling points of a role in your setting
• User-friendly application flow