How Do You Advertise?

[MG&Lsmom]

Just wondering what everyone does to advertise their daycares. Or do you mostly rely on word of mouth?

I've heard that Craigslist can be dicey and I looked into some print ads in our local newspapers, but they are really pricey. I looked up on this site to see if anyone in my area is even listed and there's one. I'm thinking about putting a sign on my van. No traffic on my street so a sign out front won't work.

Hit me with some good ideas. ::

[laundryduchess@yahoo.com]

My referral service is great but mostly word of mouth. Ive kept my dentists, pediatricians, and eye doctors kids, o that helps too.

[WImom]

Craigslist, care.com and a local mommy's board. So far I've gotten calls mostly from Criagslist. (none from care.com)

I'm also putting my business cards into little treat bags for trick or treat this Sunday. I'm sure nothing with come of that but I guess it gets the word out so you just never know.

[MG&Lsmom]

Craigslist, care.com and a local mommy's board. So far I've gotten calls mostly from Criagslist. (none from care.com)

I'm also putting my business cards into little treat bags for trick or treat this Sunday. I'm sure nothing with come of that but I guess it gets the word out so you just never know.

I never thought of putting a business card in trick or treat bags! I could put a sign out just for then. It's going to be the first really cold Halloween since we moved here 5 years ago, so I was thinking about putting out hot coffee/tea for the parents. Now you have my wheels churning!

[Michael]

Don't forget about Daycare.com : https://daycare.com/php/start_new_signup.php

[MommyMuffin]

I have put up flyers at the community mailboxes, grocery stores, post office, doctor office will not let me neither will the library, craigslist, resource and referral, care.com, daycare.com, sign on my van, sign in my yard, cute bags with candy and buisness card stapled to outside of bag, pass out cards to friends and family, asked 2 providers I know to send clients my way if they are full.
Most of the calls come from craigslist, 1 from my sign in my yard and 1 of my husbands friends. I did get 1 call but did not show for interview from resource and referral. I'm not sure what else to do...but I 'm gonna keep at it!! Good luck !
I plan on getting a bigger sign for my van, putting signs up in a different neighborhood, putting up signs at the local community college...when I get around to it that is.

[tenderhearts]

I use craigslist and link my website to it. I also have business cards and I have given some to my kids pediatrians office which is in my area and other places. Also when you search daycares in my area I'm on all the search engines which is really nice. No one in my area well maybe 1 here and there use the newspaper, most everyone uses craigslist. Or if you have a resource and referral they list it as well.

[Abigail]

Can you go to your local elementary and preschools to advertise? Go to your local colleges and just look around for a free student board to hang up a flyer. Our city has many colleges and you can just walk right in and blend in while carrying a few papers, tacks, and tape. I'm sure elementary schools would let you hang something up because they might know that some SA kids need a place to go.

I've heard of many people doing the business cards on Halloween and I think that is wonderful! I wouldn't want a sign in my yard just because of safety reasons, but on the car might be okay. See if you have a community board at your local mall and grocery stores.

[MarinaVanessa]

I post on craigslist, have a website, added my daycare to google maps, yahoo business, yellow pages etc. There's lots of free advertising you can do online and the more places that you post your ad on the higher the placement in google you get. For example when someone googles the name of my city and the word daycare my daycare comes up on the map.

Let's not forget about Halloween!! Tape your business cards to "good" candy, not the cheap stuff or to some crayons or mini tubs of play-dough etc. and pass them out at Halloween. This is the only day of the year that your target client comes to YOUR DOOR!! Magnets work well also but are more expensive, but then again they're tax deductible!

[kidkair]

My greatest clients found me by word of mouth, walking down the block, looking up the list of daycares, and business cards handed out during Halloween. The ones I have termed found me from Resource and Referral and walking down the block.

[booroo]

for doctors office... what I did... was... I took a business card and taped it to the inside front and back cover for 5 childrens books and donated them to the office waiting room... did for the dentist too.... I got 1 kid from that... but alot of people liked it and thought it was a great idea...

[momofboys]

for doctors office... what I did... was... I took a business card and taped it to the inside front and back cover for 5 childrens books and donated them to the office waiting room... did for the dentist too.... I got 1 kid from that... but alot of people liked it and thought it was a great idea...

Awesome idea!~

[MG&Lsmom]

To be honest I've gotten cards for other things in my kids candy bag and I was a bit turned off. So I polled a couple of my mommy friends about the business card with the candy thing. All but 1 out of 8 said they'd be unimpressed. 1 said she wouldn't care either way. I will put a sign out for them to see, but not in the candy.

I know that this town's schools no longer allow flyers unless it's school related. The Scouts can't even send out anything. Since I drive to preschool everyday the car magnet will get seen. I figured I'd paper the grocery stores, Walmart, and anywhere else with community boards. There are a couple of restaurants I know of that have them. And my friend who used to care for my two oldest is full and will be referring calls to me. I listed on CL and got two emails already. So it's a start!

Thanks for all the help!

Oh and I love Vista Print! Made up 2 car magnets, business cards and a yard sign. Won't be here in time for Sunday obviously, but I'll improvise.

[DCMomOf3]

I go by word of mouth. I have never gotten a family any other way.

I suggest informing the teachers at the local elementary schools as well. They come in contact with a lot of families.

[MyAngels]

In our town we have a couple of large companies that have their own internal listing of local daycare providers, but you have to either ask to be put on it, or put on it by a current employee. I have also given an incentive to current parents when they refer me out to someone who actually enrolls. I decided to start doing this when a couple of my parents told me they were not referring me out because they were concerned that if the new kids turned out to be problematic it would make them look bad :confused:. I used the resource and referral service when I first started out, but most of the time now I fill a spot before the current child leaves, so I haven't had much contact with them for a few years.