Product, Price, Place, Promotion. It's Marketing:101.
The missing 5th "P" that you need to consider - Parents.
If you're doing a great job, parents are recommending you to their friends and family. If you're not getting referrals yet, don't worry. We have tips to improve your approach and enhance your marketing for your in-home daycare business.
What do parents think about when selecting a child care provider?
Set yourself apart from your competitors by providing examples of how your service has higher quality. Do you meet an unmet need, like 24 hour care, or organic meals for children? Are you able to provide examples of trust through social validation and referrals?
Here's one parent's tweet on the topic of referrals.
Unless I get a referral from someone, I won't trust to put my kids in daycare.
— Kaylah (@Selfmadee_93) June 6, 2016
Improve your marketing skills with:
If you have an account with daycare baby, you can publish a free profile page that is designed to optimize your information. Plus, emphasize your quality through verified achievements and social recommendations on your own webpage.
Getting a degree in (or related to) child care is highly valuable to parents. If you have a bachelor's degree, it's probably seen as carrying more weight than an associates degree, and certainly more valuable than only a high school diploma.
If you're at a point in life where an advanced degree is not an option, the next best bet is to have a track record of experience, with people who are willing to recommend you. That might mean that you've worked in a daycare facility and colleagues will recommend you to parents, when you decide to start your own in-home daycare. Plus, find ways to continue your education through online certifications, or weekend courses such as the CDA (Child Development Associate).
Don't underestimate education and experience, as these are two important factors in verifying a care provider's quality.
This daycare provider is getting a CDA
Next Is Working Towards My CDA So I Can Become A Director Or A Owner Of A Daycare , I Love Kids Moe 😌
— ❤️ (@MsRosee_) January 15, 2014
If you have a premium account with daycare baby, you can share your degree information and have parents post their recommendations to your profile page through a simple Facebook button.
Cost is a consideration for most parents. If you are just starting out, you may not be able to charge as much as someone with 20 years of experience. But you'll still need to charge a reasonable rate to stay in business and make a living for yourself.
Knowing what your rates are depend on how valuable you are seen to parents, how many parents are looking for care, and what others around you are charging.
Call daycare centers in your area to learn what rates are around you, and price yourself according to your experience and level of care quality.
Rates can vary a lot between states and from in-home to daycare centers
It costs over $16K a year to put your kid in daycare in NYC, and it's not getting cheaper. https://t.co/MEGwi04Bri pic.twitter.com/sAV9L0TfBm
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) November 10, 2015
Trust is probably one of the most important factors in taking care of children. Do any convicted criminals live in your home? Do other parents recommend you? Would people be willing to endorse you publicly online?
All of these trust signals should align, or parents may become concerned and look elsewhere.
A very big part of this is also the in-person interview. The way you present yourself and your care will give parents a gut feeling, positive or negative. Dress nicely, speak clearly, have documents prepared and you will begin to convey trust.
Most parents are comparing you with at least one other provider that they will interview. Think of this as a job interview. Each time it will become much easier, when satisfied parents recommend you, or decide to bring a second child to you in the future.
Our tools provide an easy way for you to look polished in your web marketing, and be seen in our local area search listings. Get our free printable tear-off flyer (DOC) to post around town and drive people back to your web page. Sign up today for free to get started.
Download this editable Microsoft Word document and customize with your contact information. Then post it or pin it up around town and let people tear off a tab across the bottom to contact you.
