Webinar Recap: Maximising Childcare Occupancy
This month, we hosted an exciting webinar on maximising childcare occupancy! After seeing numerous early years managers seeking marketing advice on social media, we knew we had to help. So, we teamed up with Ben Rolfe, founder of Childcare Marketing, to bring you valuable insights on using marketing strategies to boost awareness and increase your nursery’s occupancy rates.
In this blog, we’re sharing the key takeaways from the webinar. Get ready for actionable marketing tips, powerful tools to elevate your nursery’s marketing efforts, and ways to streamline enquiry management.
The leaky bucket syndrome
One of the standout concepts Ben discussed is the “leaky bucket syndrome.” This analogy is valuable for understanding where your business might be losing potential customers and how to patch those leaks.
Imagine your business as a bucket with holes. If these holes aren’t patched, water (or in this case, potential customers) will leak out. Here are some common “holes” you might find in your nursery’s marketing efforts:
Missed calls: are you tracking missed calls? Each missed call could be a lost opportunity. Ensure you have a system to monitor and follow up on missed calls to capture every potential customer.
Automated follow-up processes: implementing bespoke automated follow-ups can reduce stress and ensure no enquiry slips through the cracks. Automation can significantly improve your efficiency.
Visibility across channels: are you visible online? Besides social media, are you running Google ads? Ensure your nursery appears when parents search for childcare options in your area.
Social media usage: do you have active social media accounts? Regularly update and engage with your audience to build a strong online presence.
Marketing automation: use automation tools to power your marketing. They can handle repetitive tasks, freeing up your time to focus on more strategic activities. Many social media platforms offer their own automation for free.
Every nursery’s “bucket” will look different, but the first step is identifying where your gaps are. By addressing these potential leaks, you can significantly impact your occupancy rates. Here are a few practical steps to help plug those holes:
It’s essential not to rush into implementing every suggestion you read. Take the time to understand how each piece of advice fits into your overall strategy and ensure it aligns with your goals.
Standing out in a competitive market
Let’s face it, marketing is tough! Even with ten years of experience, Ben admits it’s still challenging, especially in a competitive market. If your nursery is in a town or city with many other childcare providers, standing out becomes even more crucial. So, how can you differentiate yourself from the competition?
Here’s the key: think about what makes your nursery unique. If you can’t pinpoint what sets you apart, you have nothing to compete with. Take a moment to identify and highlight the unique qualities of your childcare business. Is it your nurturing staff, innovative programs, or exceptional facilities? Whatever it is, make sure it shines through in your marketing.
Tracking and monitoring success
Implementing great marketing ideas is only part of the equation. The real magic happens when you track and monitor the effectiveness of your efforts. Without adequate data, even the best strategies can fall flat. Here’s what you need to focus on:
Consistency: avoid frequent changes in your strategy. Consistency is key to building momentum.
Patience: give your marketing efforts time to show results. Rushing to switch tactics can hinder progress.
Data and feedback: pay attention to data from your marketing campaigns and feedback from parents. This information is invaluable in fine-tuning your approach.
Maintaining momentum in your marketing journey
Ben highlighted that the initial six weeks of a marketing campaign can be discouraging due to slow progress. It’s common to feel demotivated if social media posts or paid ads don’t immediately generate significant engagement. However, marketing strategies take time to gain traction. Switching tactics too soon can hinder your progress.
Instead of overhauling your approach at the first sign of underperformance, allow your strategies to work and collect meaningful data. Marketing isn’t inherently difficult; it requires persistence and consistent effort. Momentum is key—premature decisions can disrupt your progress and make it hard to assess what’s working.
Marketing typically involves three phases: initial, middle, and acceleration. Most childcare businesses aim to reach the acceleration phase within six months. Realistic expectations and maintaining momentum through each phase are crucial for identifying effective strategies and areas for improvement.
Tracking your marketing efforts
Tracking your marketing efforts is essential. If you don’t already have Google Analytics installed on your website, now is the time to do it. This tool will help you monitor website traffic, understand user behaviour, and identify areas for improvement. Initially, the data might seem overwhelming, but it will provide valuable insights into your marketing performance over time.
Consistency is key, especially in an industry like childcare, where interest and demand can fluctuate throughout the year. Using a good enquiry management tool can streamline the process and reduce errors. Integrating such tools into your website will ensure that you capture and track all inquiries accurately, from initial contact through to registration.
For those running paid ads, it’s important to monitor the effectiveness of your campaigns. Track the enquiries generated from ads to determine their success. Paid advertising can be a quick win, but it’s vital to do it correctly and ensure that you’re getting a good return on investment. For instance, spending on Google ads can quickly elevate your visibility, but proper targeting and monitoring are essential to maximise results.
Ben gave an example of working with a client last month. They decided to spend £500 on Google ads for the month of June. By the end of that month, they had increased their annual revenue by £80,000. This means that their return on investment from the £500 spent was an astonishing £79,500. This example clearly demonstrates that when done correctly, marketing can essentially be free. The key lies in proper execution, monitoring, and analysis.
Search engine optimisation (SEO)
When it comes to SEO, many people view it as a complex, almost mystical art. However, Ben refers to it as a structured, methodical approach to improving your website’s visibility. SEO is about enhancing how well your site performs in Google searches. The better your SEO, the higher you’ll rank in search results, which directly impacts your visibility and the amount of traffic your site receives. Although there are actionable steps you can take today to start improving your SEO, mastering the topic requires a deeper dive.
Ben recommends starting with a basic SEO course online if you have the time. This will give you a foundational understanding and make a significant difference in your ability to implement effective SEO strategies. Rather than dissecting SEO into tiny parts, approach it as a comprehensive whole. Remember, results from SEO efforts can take up to a year to manifest fully, especially if you’re starting from scratch. If you find SEO overwhelming, consider seeking professional help as is an essential part of your marketing strategy and should definitely be included in your long-term plan.
Building a strong reputation
Reputation is another crucial element of your marketing strategy. A solid reputation enhances credibility and visibility, supporting the overall momentum of your business. The primary tool for building a reputation is Google reviews. While other platforms can be useful, Google remains the dominant platform for visible reviews.
Google reviews are important because they directly influence both your reputation and your SEO. An example of this can be seen in the Google My Business page, where customers can leave reviews and potential clients can read them. If you’re not actively collecting and managing reviews, you’re missing out on a significant opportunity to improve your reputation and SEO.
To leverage Google reviews, ensure you have a Google My Business page. You can create and claim your page through Google’s Business platform if you don’t have one. This is a straightforward process that will help you start collecting reviews and enhancing your business’s online presence. By keeping your profile updated and engaging with reviews, you’ll improve your visibility in Google search results and on the map.
To conclude
In wrapping up, one key element stands out above all: momentum. Ben touched on this all throughout the webinar, and it remains central to your marketing strategy. To truly see the results you’re aiming for, you need to commit to maintaining momentum with your marketing efforts. Focus on implementing your strategies and keep pushing forward for at least 12 months before making any significant changes.
By staying focused on momentum, consistently capturing and analysing data, and adapting your approach as necessary, you’ll set yourself up for significant growth and success in your childcare business. Ben’s tips offer a strong foundation, and to further support your efforts, we’ve introduced our new enquiries and onboarding module. This tool ensures you never miss a potential enrolment and keeps you connected with prospective parents and guardians, making sure no question goes unanswered. For a deeper dive into these strategies and to see how our module works, catch up on the webinar here.
Watch Now: Maximising Childcare Occupancy
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About the Author
Content Marketing Executive at Connect Childcare