Help with Wording Craigslist Ad

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  • AuntTami
    Daycare.com Member
    • Oct 2014
    • 891

    Help with Wording Craigslist Ad

    Sorry in advance that this is so long...

    I've been up and running since August, but currently only have 1 full time kiddo, and the two part timers I had both up and quit week before last.

    SO! I'm back to having my nose to the grind stone trying to get my other two spots filled up and it's seeming to be an impossible task for some reason! For that reason, I've decided to broaden my hours some and offer weekend care if needed as well as after hours depending on the situation/days/hours needed. I thought that might help get some people in here, but it hasn't worked so far.

    I have fliers up, and I talk about my daycare at every possible opportunity. I blast my information all over facebook and all over the daycare groups in the area etc.

    That being said, can you help me edit/rewrite my craigslist ad? Maybe I'm doing something TOTALLY wrong here...



    Heres my current ad as it currently reads:


    I currently have two full or part time openings for my in home daycare located in (my town) for ages 6 weeks and up.

    INFANTS WELCOME!

    CHRISTMAS SPECIAL: If enrolled by Christmas(December 25th) receive 1 FREE week of care

    I am located approximately 3 blocks from the Elementary School. Before/After school care is available. Please contact me to discuss rates.

    Hours are 5:30am-6:00p.m. Monday-Friday, however, care outside of these hours/days can be discussed and arranged.

    Rates are $30 per day for part time care(3 or 4 days per week) or $135 per week for full time(5 days per week) per child.

    All meals, snacks, and beverages(milk, juice etc) are provided except baby food and formula

    Very small group size(3 children max) means I have ample time to spend with each and every child, teaching them and helping them learn to grow as individuals, but my group is large enough that there are ample opportunities for peer socialization as well.

    Lots of daily activities including outside play, walks in the neighborhood, crafts, sensory play, trips to the Children's Museum, field trips etc.

    My goal is to not only provide a safe, loving, nurturing environment for your children, but to also teach them new things and help them learn and develop into educated, well rounded children!

    Please contact me soon to set up an interview.
    I look forward to hearing from you!
    Tami

    My Philosophy:

    As a family child care provider, my goal is to provide a safe and happy place for children where they can learn and grow physically, emotionally, intellectually, and socially at their own pace. I believe children learn through play and benefit from a structured yet flexible schedule. Activities will be offered which stimulate sensory motor development, language development and social interaction. The development of the child as a whole is a one of my major goals. I believe a child learns best when interacted with, and through hands on activities. We (me included) may get pretty messy some days, but I believe that the best way to teach a child is to get down and dirty with them. You will often find me on the floor playing with children, covered in paint, or play-doh (depending on what the activity of the day was), but you will also see huge smiles, and pure happiness on the children's faces. I strive to make my daycare a fun place for them to learn. I want all of the children that come here to enjoy coming, and enjoy learning new things every day in a stress-free, fun environment. There will be plenty of time for sit down learning in the school years to come so, many of our activities, although educational, seem purely fun to the children.
  • jenboo
    Daycare.com Member
    • Aug 2013
    • 3180

    #2
    Bullet points!
    This is way too much reading. I totally skipped reading the philosophy.

    Comment

    • Unregistered

      #3
      Originally posted by jenboo
      Bullet points!
      This is way too much reading. I totally skipped reading the philosophy.
      Me too. I read everything until the philosophy section too.

      Comment

      • Shell
        Daycare.com Member
        • Jul 2013
        • 1765

        #4
        Agree with pp's. My most successful Craigslist as is three short sentences. I actually don't put my hours or rates, just that I'm offering enriching activities and all meals, have lots of great indoor and outdoor space, and general location. I've gotten five fantastic families from this particular ad- whenever I tweak it, I get responses from people looking for cheap, not quality. Just my opinion, but I wouldn't offer free/discounted because that's when you get the types that want something for nothing. Quality families are willing to pay for quality care. Any time I have wavered on rates/hours when feeling desperate for enrollment, it backfired! Play up your location to the school and the fact that you have infant openings- two great features! Good luck!

        Comment

        • TheGoodLife
          Home Daycare Provider
          • Feb 2012
          • 1372

          #5
          Originally posted by jenboo
          Bullet points!
          This is way too much reading. I totally skipped reading the philosophy.
          That's EXACTLY what I did as well! I read everything up to that point. Maybe have your full philosophy in something separate to give during or before an interview, but not your ad. Just a short summary or a few bullets. Other than that, looks good!

          Comment

          • Heidi
            Daycare.com Member
            • Sep 2011
            • 7121

            #6
            Tami, have you set up a website?

            If not, do so. I got mine on webs.com for free.

            Then, you can do your bullet points and direct them to your website for more info.

            If you have some kids to "borrow" to play in your space, do so. Ask a couple friend's kids to be models for your website.

            I will PM you my website. It's nothing hugely fancy and I actually can't find the password to update it, but I do get calls off of it because people do a search for (my town) "childcare" or "daycare", and I am the only one in the county with a website.

            Comment

            • LysesKids
              Daycare.com Member
              • May 2014
              • 2836

              #7
              I do a basic CL ad... AND no philosophy. I also don't give out my #, but refer them to my website for more info. If they like what they see, then they send me their contact info via my website. I call them first... no # or info given, no interview. Why waste my time when my website does my marketing for me (I have policies, fees & everything else they might need to know on it)

              Saved myself a lot of wasted time; if they don't like my policies/fees, they don't contact me ... easy peasy

              Comment

              • AuntTami
                Daycare.com Member
                • Oct 2014
                • 891

                #8
                Originally posted by LysesKids
                I do a basic CL ad... AND no philosophy. I also don't give out my #, but refer them to my website for more info. If they like what they see, then they send me their contact info via my website. I call them first... no # or info given, no interview. Why waste my time when my website does my marketing for me (I have policies, fees & everything else they might need to know on it)

                Saved myself a lot of wasted time; if they don't like my policies/fees, they don't contact me ... easy peasy
                I've never added my philosophy before and my previous ads weren't succeasful so it was just a "hey let's try it" type thing..same goes with the free week. I've only had 1 full timer in here since I started in August. I'm desperate. Christmas is coming, hubby is about to be switching jobs, and honestly I just can't make ends meet the way things are. I LOVE daycare and I love my job but if I can't do *something* to get enrollments, I'll have to go back to working outside my home and I DONT want to do that.

                I *do* have a website, in fact I spent a pretty good amount of money on it but I can't figure out how to design it so it sits with only minimal information on it because it frustrated me so badly.

                Comment

                • TheGoodLife
                  Home Daycare Provider
                  • Feb 2012
                  • 1372

                  #9
                  I would suggest changing your free week to something like, "one free week discount after the first 3 months" that way you don't get someone, use you for a free week, then leave. I do that for my free week for clients, they all get a free week after their first 6 months of care. I would only do free care for long-term families, if at all!

                  Comment

                  • AuntTami
                    Daycare.com Member
                    • Oct 2014
                    • 891

                    #10
                    Originally posted by TheGoodLife
                    I would suggest changing your free week to something like, "one free week discount after the first 3 months" that way you don't get someone, use you for a free week, then leave. I do that for my free week for clients, they all get a free week after their first 6 months of care. I would only do free care for long-term families, if at all!
                    That was actually my plan. I considered putting (restrictions apply) but I wasn't sure about that. But the one free week will be given after the 4th week of enrollment. So week 5 would be free.

                    Comment

                    • TheGoodLife
                      Home Daycare Provider
                      • Feb 2012
                      • 1372

                      #11
                      Originally posted by AuntTami
                      That was actually my plan. I considered putting (restrictions apply) but I wasn't sure about that. But the one free week will be given after the 4th week of enrollment. So week 5 would be free.
                      I wouldn't advertise that, just put that detail in the contract. I had that in a few craigslist ads, which is where I get all my families from for the most part, but never had anyone inquire... so I won there! I really think my current teacher family came in on an advertised free-week ad, but since they've never brought it up, I'm not going to It's the same DCM that has asked how much she owes each time she or I take a short week (paid days off)- always the same rate, read the contract

                      Comment

                      • LysesKids
                        Daycare.com Member
                        • May 2014
                        • 2836

                        #12
                        Originally posted by AuntTami
                        I've never added my philosophy before and my previous ads weren't succeasful so it was just a "hey let's try it" type thing..same goes with the free week. I've only had 1 full timer in here since I started in August. I'm desperate. Christmas is coming, hubby is about to be switching jobs, and honestly I just can't make ends meet the way things are. I LOVE daycare and I love my job but if I can't do *something* to get enrollments, I'll have to go back to working outside my home and I DONT want to do that.

                        I *do* have a website, in fact I spent a pretty good amount of money on it but I can't figure out how to design it so it sits with only minimal information on it because it frustrated me so badly.
                        Who is the website thru? I bought my dot com years ago when GoDaddy still gave 5 pages free instead of one; I never let it lapse because of that. Believe me, I get a lot of info & pics into those 5 pages , and it's easy to update.

                        Comment

                        • lovemykidstoo
                          Daycare.com Member
                          • Aug 2012
                          • 4740

                          #13
                          Originally posted by Heidi
                          Tami, have you set up a website?

                          If not, do so. I got mine on webs.com for free.

                          Then, you can do your bullet points and direct them to your website for more info.

                          If you have some kids to "borrow" to play in your space, do so. Ask a couple friend's kids to be models for your website.

                          I will PM you my website. It's nothing hugely fancy and I actually can't find the password to update it, but I do get calls off of it because people do a search for (my town) "childcare" or "daycare", and I am the only one in the county with a website.

                          Would you mind PMing me it too? I would love to make a website! Thanks!

                          Comment

                          • AuntTami
                            Daycare.com Member
                            • Oct 2014
                            • 891

                            #14
                            Originally posted by LysesKids
                            Who is the website thru? I bought my dot com years ago when GoDaddy still gave 5 pages free instead of one; I never let it lapse because of that. Believe me, I get a lot of info & pics into those 5 pages , and it's easy to update.
                            My webpage is through ipages, it's an actual dot com as well. Www.little-sprouts-childcare.com It's designed through Wordpress which was supposed to be "simple" but it took me 3 weeks to figure out how to put the information up their that I have and it doesn't look anything close to what I want it to look like so I've kind of set it aside since it makes me want to cry knowing I spent over $100 to have it hosted for 2 years and there's nothing on it

                            Comment

                            • LysesKids
                              Daycare.com Member
                              • May 2014
                              • 2836

                              #15
                              Originally posted by AuntTami
                              My webpage is through ipages, it's an actual dot com as well. Www.little-sprouts-childcare.com It's designed through Wordpress which was supposed to be "simple" but it took me 3 weeks to figure out how to put the information up their that I have and it doesn't look anything close to what I want it to look like so I've kind of set it aside since it makes me want to cry knowing I spent over $100 to have it hosted for 2 years and there's nothing on it
                              I hated trying to figure out wordpress so I dropped it the first week... to much hassle, Godaddy was easier so I kept it up. my website is www.tirnanogplaycare.com; it costs me renewal of the dot com every few years and that's it.

                              Comment

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