Paid social media can provide enormous benefits to your preschool business.  In fact, social media marketing may be one of the most cost-effective ways to advertise, because it allows the subscriber to target a demographic.  For your preschool business, this is crucial because it can focus only on people who are likely to become customers.  This greatly increases the chances of a conversion.  Some of the more popular social media sites are Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Digg.

Define

What exactly are paid social media ads?  In most cases, these are paid advertisements on social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or Digg.  This type of social media marketing has garnered a lot of attention in the last few years as these sites have seen an explosion of users.  In the four just mentioned alone, it has been estimated that there are over 700 million users.  What’s more — these sites allow advertisers to target their audience which increases the likelihood of a customer clicking on the ad.

Uses

The best way to use paid social media ads is in conjunction with the social media itself through creating a dialogue with potential clients.  For one thing, your preschool business can monitor these interactions, identifying keywords that can be used in the actual ads.  Used in this way, social media can also be used to increase name recognition and increase subscribers or potential leads.  Be aware though, that ads placed on these forums should avoid an actual sales pitch as this annoys customers.

Cost Effective

One of the biggest reasons to use paid social media ads is that it is one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies.  For your preschool business, this means access to a large potential client base and a way to target that base.  Plus when compared to other forms of marketing, it has a relatively low cost.  Depending on the social media marketing the cost could be as low as $.40 per million.  Other venues might be more than $1.00 per million.

Increasing Audience

With so many users, the potential to generate leads is tremendous.  Once upon a time, social media was considered to be just for teenagers, but that is certainly no longer the case.  Adults have found their niche here as well using services such as Facebook and LinkedIn.  Even news outlets are using social media which is drawing more fans every day.  As a result, a preschool business needs to seriously consider how to maximize this access to its community.

Target Audience

Perhaps more than any other form of marketing, paid social media ads allows a preschool business to target the audience.  For example, Facebook and LinkedIn use the profiles of its members including their ages, gender, location and other such facts to target ads to those members.  For a preschool, this eliminates wasted time and money spent on demographics that are not likely to become customers.

As a result, your preschool business needs to seriously consider investing in paid social media ads.  They are cost-effective, improve brand recognition, and allow the preschool to target the audience.  Certainly, traditional forms of advertising are more costly and do not allow the business to target an audience or even track the results as social media marketing does.

The power of social media such as Facebook and Twitter should not be underestimated for your daycare center.  Not only are they effective marketing tools, but they also allow your daycare to engage parents on a completely new level and help to foster a real sense of community.  Those two things alone may make the use of social media invaluable.  Add in the millions of visitors to social media sites and it is easy to understand the potential visibility your daycare center can generate.

Marketing

Your daycare center can use social media as an inexpensive and cost-effective marketing tool.  The use of Facebook and Twitter are both free to use and only require the time involved.  For example, your daycare can post promotions on Facebook or offer savings discounts to followers on Twitter.  Posting informative articles or tips can also help establish your daycare center as a leading expert and authority in your field.

Prospective Clients

Besides promoting your daycare, these social media tools can also be used to generate prospective clients.  Consider it a modern-day word of mouth phenomenon.  Someone looking for a daycare might post on Facebook their need, and one of your parents might be able to refer them to your page.  Twitter can also generate leads by catching references to daycare centers in your city.

Creating a Sense of Community

One of the biggest advantages for a daycare center that uses social media is the sense of community.  This may be more important in this industry than in any other because parents want to feel like their child is being left with family.  With Facebook or Twitter, parents can engage with your staff and each other.  They can share news or simply tell funny stories.

Improving Communication

There is also an improved sense of communication for the parents.  Social media such as Twitter allows parents and your daycare center to communicate in almost real time, improving the responsiveness of the center.  Also, the brevity and ease will increase sharing the little things such as a cute story, making the parents feel as if they were a part of their child’s day.

Eye on the Competition

Since approximately 57 percent of all Americans now use some kind of social media, it is a good bet that the competition might be using it too.  On Twitter, day care can follow the competition and learn what is new.  Perhaps they are updating playground equipment or have implemented the latest “hot” curriculum.  Knowing this could help your center respond in kind, or with your own innovation.

So if your daycare center has not yet discovered the many benefits to using social media, you definitely need to try out these amazing tools.  Your center will have access to free marketing and potential customers and may discover or create a true sense of community with your parents.  As an added benefit, an eye can be kept on the competition, which just might provide a distinct edge.

Google Places, also called GMaps or Google Business is a service offered by Google that lets business owners create free listings. It is virtual real estate for business owners. Customers find local businesses easily and business owners get the word out about the products and services they offer. Clients visit businesses and then write about their experiences. Reviews are important because they drive more business. Follow this step-by-step guide to get GooglePlaces reviews for your daycare business.

Step #1: Enhance Your Google Places Listing

Google Places lists most local businesses by default, without the business owners input. However, it is possible to improve your listing by adding a more descriptive explanation. It is worthwhile to enhance your daycare business profile. Add more than just the basic elements provided by Google and you are more likely to get reviews. More information about your business invites customers to interact with your listing. As a result, more parents are compelled to write a review.

Step #2: Give the Customer Something

Now that you have enhanced your daycare business listing, drive the customer towards writing reviews. Offer them something! Create coupons that appear right on your business listing. Google Places even has a setup for creating mobile coupons. This is perfect for parents who are on the go looking for a listing. This is a great way to share discounts or special offers with potential customers. It is as easy as creating the coupon and adding it to your listing.

Step #3: Actively Promote Google Places reviews on the GO

Google Places reviews are even easier to get now that Google has a new application called Hotpot. Customers can write reviews before they even leave your daycare business! Hotpot is accessed directly through the phone, finding local businesses that are close to the mobile device. There is also the option of sending personalized emails to your clients who have Gmail accounts in a profile. Send a link to the review page and thank them for taking the time to write a few nice words.  

Step #4: Ask Your Best Existing Customers to Write a Review for You

This is actually a very easy, straightforward solution to getting Google Places reviews. Ask customers who tell you how pleased they are with your daycare business to help you. Most people who receive great service are happy to write glowing reviews. They just need to be asked. After all, when people find good deals, bargains, exceptional service, etc., they love to tell others about it. Just make sure you provide easy instructions for them to follow when navigating Google Places looking to write a review.

As an internet marketing tool, a quality website can have several benefits for your daycare. Not only is a website cost effective and convenient, but it can establish expertise and help maintain and establish relationships with current and potential clients. It can also be used to run promotions and attract new clients.

Cost Effective

When compared to other forms of marketing, creating and maintaining a website is one of the most cost effective and efficient. For the most part, cost is limited to a small monthly hosting fee. Furthermore, it is extremely flexible and can be changed easily. Other forms of advertising are costly to change and tend to quickly become outdated. A website on the other hand can provide your daycare with on-going form of marketing.

Customer Convenience

This is an age characterized by instant gratification and a website can fill that desire for parents. When they start searching for a daycare, they do not want to have to wait for their questions to be answered. They also like perusing a website in the privacy of their home and at their convenience. A website can provide a parent with most of the information necessary to make a decision, including answers to frequently asked questions and even registration forms.

Establish Expertise

A website can also be a powerful internet marketing tool by helping your center to establish a reputation of expertise. Posting informative articles and useful tips can help convince parents that your center is knowledgeable and competent to care for their child. When it comes to choosing a daycare, this is one of the critical factors for most parents.

Creating Relationships

Along with establishing expertise, a website can also help maintain and create relationships with current and potential clients. A website can enhance communication for parents by posting upcoming events or menus for the month. The website can also attract clients with informative articles for which the parents may opt-in to newsletters. Automatically, your daycare then has the name of a potential client that can be targeted for marketing.

Internet marketing

A website is central to any internet marketing campaign. First, it helps your center to establish a web presence and carefully chosen SEO (search engine optimization) terms can help drive potential clients to the site. A website also allows your daycare to present their services and costs in the most appealing light. They can even run promotions and advertise events designed to pull in possible new parents.

As a result, your center must put considerable effort and thought into producing a quality website. It can attract new clients with the convenience offered and the useful information available. It can also help maintain a positive relationship with current client through communication, which can be a solid referral point for some parents. Furthermore, it is a valuable marketing tool for promotions.