Please Help I Need Marketing Advice

[Unregistered]

Hello every one I am a new Family home care provider in MD. I just got my license 4/15/2013.
I have posted ads on Craigslist every other day since and have gotten 2 calls out of the calls 1 interview that did not go well and several scam artist emailing me saying they are from out of town and will be moving to the area and want to send a cashier check of $300 or more to secure their position. Can Some one please tell me what has worked best for you. Do you pay for ads online daycare listing or local news papers like the penny savers. Do you have a sign in your yard or magnet sign on your car. Do you get your client just by word of mouth.

[Starburst]

Hello every one I am a new Family home care provider in MD. I just got my license 4/15/2013.
I have posted ads on Craigslist every other day since and have gotten 2 calls out of the calls 1 interview that did not go well and several scam artist emailing me saying they are from out of town and will be moving to the area and want to send a cashier check of $300 or more to secure their position. Can Some one please tell me what has worked best for you. Do you pay for ads online daycare listing or local news papers like the penny savers. Do you have a sign in your yard or magnet sign on your car. Do you get your client just by word of mouth.

Have you tried care.com? Have you tried putting up posters on local bulletin boards (coffee shops, kids stores/salons, doctors offices {OB/GYN, Pediatrician offices or maternity wards})? Do you have a local Child Care Recourses and Referal office? Do you have a website with pictures and information about you and your daycare? If you do want to get a yard sign or car magnet they have some on vista print. Around Halloween you can make business cards and tape them to pieces of candy.

Here are some other marketing suggestions:

http://www.simplydaycare.com/daycare-marketing.html

Please consider becoming a forum member (it's free). I am the group monitor for 'The Provider's in Training' social group for new family child care providers on this site. We share ideas and help each other out. We also ask questions or for opinions on things we are too shy to ask to the public group.

[rmc20021]

Don't give up on Cl...that is where I've gotten 90% of my clients. I have a daycare facebook as well as a web page. I have gotten one call from my webpage. One call the came from the child care referral service through DHS. Anything else has been word of mouth.

I'm in a small low economic area and it's taken me a year and a half to be where I want to be...still working on weeding out part timers to fill with full timers but it's getting there.

[melilley]

I agree with pp. All of my families have found me through CL and I have not advertised on anything else. I opened in January of this year and I am now full with 4 full time (well one is my son) and 2 part time children (I can have 6 altogether). It took about 2 months for my first family and my last family started 2 weeks ago. Don't give up, keep posting on CL!

[Blackcat31]

Hello every one I am a new Family home care provider in MD. I just got my license 4/15/2013.
I have posted ads on Craigslist every other day since and have gotten 2 calls out of the calls 1 interview that did not go well and several scam artist emailing me saying they are from out of town and will be moving to the area and want to send a cashier check of $300 or more to secure their position. Can Some one please tell me what has worked best for you. Do you pay for ads online daycare listing or local news papers like the penny savers. Do you have a sign in your yard or magnet sign on your car. Do you get your client just by word of mouth.

I think each area of the country is different.

For example yard signs are not permitted in some cities so I would definitely check with your city ordinances first before placing a yard sign.

Craig's List has been great for some and many ONLY use CL. In my area, NO ONE uses CL for advertising and I would never place and ad on there.

Some providers use their local Child Care Resource & Referral to get clients while others use ideas such as business cards, flyers, web-sites and or word of mouth.

Again, it simply depends on how your community communicates.

Here are some other threads on advertising:

https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.php?tag=advertising+ideas

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I have never gotten a client from Craigslist. All of mine have been word of mouth or from the postcards I initially mailed out announcing my daycare (targeted marketing on vistaprint to those with children ages 2-4).

[MarinaVanessa]

I use word of mouth, magnets on my van (just got a client last week from my nephews preschool because her DD goes to his class and she saw my magnet), hand out business cards like crazy, tell my friends and family and they tell their friends and family, craigslist, google directories, care.com, and I have a website which I list in my google directory.

I think the majority of my calls are from people that google for child care near their area because of a combination of my free basic listing in the google business directory (have to list your address) and the link to my website. They google, see my daycare, see the link to my website which has all of my information and go to it, read the info and then call me for an interview. The more they know about you the better the chance you get of having them be more interested in you and call.

I have also had luck with craigslist by making a cute flyer and attaching it to my ad. You have to make it stand out. For example, here's mine:
My current CL Ad

And yes, you will get ALOT of spam or fraudulent emails but just ignore them. If you aren't sure if it's legit or not just email them and tell them that you only accept american personal checks or cash. If it's fake you won't hear from them again .

[NeedaVaca]

I use Craigslist and that's where I get all my clients for the most part. Would you be interested in sharing your ad? Maybe there are some wording issues we could help you with.

If people use CL a lot where you live you might want to tweak the ad. If people don't use it then PP gave some good suggestions. Library bulletin boards would be a good place too.

[Unregistered]

I use Craigslist and that's where I get all my clients for the most part. Would you be interested in sharing your ad? Maybe there are some wording issues we could help you with.

If people use CL a lot where you live you might want to tweak the ad. If people don't use it then PP gave some good suggestions. Library bulletin boards would be a good place too.

This is the Ad I posted. I am very open to your sugestion. Please feel free

LICENSED FAMILY CHILDCARE 1st week Free (Clinton, AAFB, Brandywine, Campsprings)
* Accepting Infants, Toddlers and Preschoolers Now ! must register by May 6th 2013

CALL Sara at 240-318-2333

Princr Georges County Licensed

* Hours
Monday -- Friday
6:30 AM - 6:00 PM

Full Time
under 2 year $180
over 2 years $140
add $15 unpotty trained


CPR Certified
First Aid Certified
T&B Test
Background Checked Up


USDA Food Program
Hot Food Program Serving Healthy
Breakfast, Snacks & Lunch

Care For Ages 0 To School Age
Preschool Program For 3 & 4 Year Olds


* Education activities include but are not limited to Reading, Writing, Drawing, Singing, Dancing, Building Blocks, Arts & Crafts and Rhymes.
* Opportunities to experiment with various art materials such as paint, crayons, paper, play dough, scissors, &
* Basic skills (alphabet, colors, numbers, animals, shapes, letters, etc.)
* Activities are open ended and child directed
* Story Time
* Nap Time/ Quiet Time
* Indoor & Outdoor play depending on the weather
* Separate play pens for infants & cots for toddlers
* Hand washing after toileting & before meals & snacks
* Toys are within children's reach, well organized & easy for them to play

DID YOUR BABYSITTER CANCEL ON YOU LAST MINUTE??? DON'T WORRY JUST CALL Ms S. 240.318.2333

ANOINTED HOME DAYCARE IS THE ANSWER!!!!

FEEL SAFE AND SECURE KNOWING YOUR CHILD IS IN GOOD HANDS

CALL 240.318.2333

[Unregistered]

I use word of mouth, magnets on my van (just got a client last week from my nephews preschool because her DD goes to his class and she saw my magnet), hand out business cards like crazy, tell my friends and family and they tell their friends and family, craigslist, google directories, care.com, and I have a website which I list in my google directory.

I think the majority of my calls are from people that google for child care near their area because of a combination of my free basic listing in the google business directory (have to list your address) and the link to my website. They google, see my daycare, see the link to my website which has all of my information and go to it, read the info and then call me for an interview. The more they know about you the better the chance you get of having them be more interested in you and call.

I have also had luck with craigslist by making a cute flyer and attaching it to my ad. You have to make it stand out. For example, here's mine:
My current CL Ad

And yes, you will get ALOT of spam or fraudulent emails but just ignore them. If you aren't sure if it's legit or not just email them and tell them that you only accept american personal checks or cash. If it's fake you won't hear from them again .

You Ad and website is very inspiring I am going to create a website and hopefully that will help.

[Happy Hearts]

I use word of mouth, magnets on my van (just got a client last week from my nephews preschool because her DD goes to his class and she saw my magnet), hand out business cards like crazy, tell my friends and family and they tell their friends and family, craigslist, google directories, care.com, and I have a website which I list in my google directory.

I think the majority of my calls are from people that google for child care near their area because of a combination of my free basic listing in the google business directory (have to list your address) and the link to my website. They google, see my daycare, see the link to my website which has all of my information and go to it, read the info and then call me for an interview. The more they know about you the better the chance you get of having them be more interested in you and call.

I have also had luck with craigslist by making a cute flyer and attaching it to my ad. You have to make it stand out. For example, here's mine:
My current CL Ad

And yes, you will get ALOT of spam or fraudulent emails but just ignore them. If you aren't sure if it's legit or not just email them and tell them that you only accept american personal checks or cash. If it's fake you won't hear from them again .

Great work, Marina. However, I must mention that you have 'piece of mind' in your ad. It should be 'peace of mind'. Normally I wouldn't mention it, but, as it is an advertisement, it is an error that should be rectified.

[Cradle2crayons]

I get most of my families from a poster at the local small family owned grocery store... I put the pull off strips on it with my number and made the poster very colorful...

On the other hand, I got my special needs family because THEY posted an ad on cl and I answered it. I do have an ad on CL though, and a website as well. My families loved my website. I sent them there for info and pictures after they first called me.

What about putting up a flyer at local apartment complexes??

[MarinaVanessa]

Great work, Marina. However, I must mention that you have 'piece of mind' in your ad. It should be 'peace of mind'. Normally I wouldn't mention it, but, as it is an advertisement, it is an error that should be rectified.

OMG, thank you soooo much. I used word to type it up but because it only catches spelling errors and not always grammar I totally missed it ::

Going to change it RIGHT NOW!!

Thanks again, spelling and grammar errors in advertisements are one of those things that bugs me too.

[sarahhardy2711]

This is the Ad I posted. I am very open to your sugestion. Please feel free

LICENSED FAMILY CHILDCARE 1st week Free (Clinton, AAFB, Brandywine, Campsprings)
* Accepting Infants, Toddlers and Preschoolers Now ! must register by May 6th 2013

CALL Sara at 240-318-2333

Princr Georges County Licensed

* Hours
Monday -- Friday
6:30 AM - 6:00 PM

Full Time
under 2 year $180
over 2 years $140
add $15 unpotty trained


CPR Certified
First Aid Certified
T&B Test
Background Checked Up


USDA Food Program
Hot Food Program Serving Healthy
Breakfast, Snacks & Lunch

Care For Ages 0 To School Age
Preschool Program For 3 & 4 Year Olds


* Education activities include but are not limited to Reading, Writing, Drawing, Singing, Dancing, Building Blocks, Arts & Crafts and Rhymes.
* Opportunities to experiment with various art materials such as paint, crayons, paper, play dough, scissors, &
* Basic skills (alphabet, colors, numbers, animals, shapes, letters, etc.)
* Activities are open ended and child directed
* Story Time
* Nap Time/ Quiet Time
* Indoor & Outdoor play depending on the weather
* Separate play pens for infants & cots for toddlers
* Hand washing after toileting & before meals & snacks
* Toys are within children's reach, well organized & easy for them to play

DID YOUR BABYSITTER CANCEL ON YOU LAST MINUTE??? DON'T WORRY JUST CALL Ms S. 240.318.2333

ANOINTED HOME DAYCARE IS THE ANSWER!!!!

FEEL SAFE AND SECURE KNOWING YOUR CHILD IS IN GOOD HANDS

CALL 240.318.2333

Do you have pictures of your daycare areas, I know most of my interviews like to see pictures. Does the ad have an eye catching headline. I personally would try flyers at the library, local businesses or maybe make door hangers for neighbors or family friendly neighborhoods

[LK5kids]

I started in Dec. Of 2012 ( bad time of year but that is when the house we bought was finalized and purchased). I am in a fairly small town and really a lot of people know me from the job I had before I started child care.

I have put classified ads in the paper, signs around town- with the tear off strip, I have a magnetic sign on my car now, just put up a sign on my porch, child care facebook page and I have gotten calls from word of mouth.

I just filled my last part time spot by word of mouth. I will be licensed in about one month and then will have 2 more spots to fill. I plan to take a bigger ad out (local paper) and have an open house to fill those spots. Oh, and also call people on my waiting list.

I have filled spots and gotten calls from the classified ads each time I put them in. I also have a waiting list from these ads. Craigslist doesn't work around here. It's out of a city 60 miles away. I live in a very rural area.