Social media marketing is an important strategy for any business. And building an online presence is specially crucial for childcare centers. The more people that are aware of your business and the services you offer, the more children you will have enrolled.
When your center has a strong social media presence, parents can be well-informed and know what they’re getting when they enroll their children in your center. If you’re building your online marketing presence for your childcare center from the ground up, it may seem like a daunting task. If you’re not sure where to start, here are some quick tips to help you out:
1. Set Specific Goals
It’s not advisable to merely join a social media platform just because “everybody else is on social media”. You need to create specific goals that outline why you want to build an online presence for your childcare center, it’s up to you to determine what your goals are.
Think about what you hope to achieve via social media. Is your goal to increase exposure for your childcare center? Are you trying to increase enrollments? Are you hoping to build a sense of community and share your values with parents online? Is your aim to keep lines of communication open with both current and prospective families?
As you determine your goals, you also have to make sure they’re “SMART” – specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound. So for example, if your goal is to increase enrollment, you need to determine how much of an increase. By when do you hope to see this increase? And what strategies are you going to implement to help you achieve these goals?
2. Identify Your Target Audience
Different people respond to different types of messages, so it’s important that you have a clear understanding of who your target audience is. Because your target clients are parents who are looking for daycare, you want to make sure that the content of your social media profiles appeals to them.
Take time to find out which platforms they frequent most And understand the types of content they want to see.
3. Choose Your Platforms
When you start to build your social media presence for your childcare business, make sure you don’t spread yourself too thin across all available social media channels. You don’t have to achieve instant fame on every platform. Instead, think about which platforms will be most effective in terms of reaching your target audience.
As a child care center owner, it may be wise to start building your social presence on Facebook and Instagram, as these are the two most widely used channels in the world. If your target parents also spend time on Pinterest, then you might want to consider creating an account there, as well.
4. Optimize Your Social Networks
Optimization is a must if you want to stand out on social media. You can optimize all of your different channels with a few simple steps. First, ensure that all links to your website and other official accounts work properly. Your profiles should include thorough and accurate information about your center.
Be sure to include your location, contact information, and hours of operation, among others. More importantly, be sure to highlight what makes your preschool different and special. Social media is a great way to tell the world about what you offer!
5. Post On A Regular Basis
People want to see fresh, new, and exciting content. Be sure to offer new content on a regular basis. Create content that will appeal to your audience, which should include topics that resonate with your brand and are also informative and entertaining.
Incorporate different types of content. In addition to posts that are informative and engaging, don’t forget to also share photos of those adorable kids at your center. Parents love seeing their little ones in action! You can also post video content on your pages as well.
As always, stay true to the brand image of your center because this will help establish credibility on social media channels and with parents who are seeking child care services online.
6. Engage With Your Audience
It’s vital that you are not just attracting followers, but actually building relationships. You can foster these relationships with parents and families on social media by engaging and interacting with them. Make sure they know that you care about what they have to say and are willing to listen.
Social media is a great way to reach parents who are looking for childcare services. In order to obtain the best results, you need to be proactive about building your presence on social media channels and have an effective strategy in place.
Here at LCCM, we can help you, the child care owner, create and maintain your web presence, dominate business directory listings and search engines in your market, generate enrollments through paid advertising opportunities, and put your center on the map. Contact us for more information!