In today’s fast-paced digital world, people are spending less time looking at the real world, and steadily more time at their screens. Whether you’re a fan of it or not, social media has proven itself to be a great way for people to stay connected. It is doubly true and effective when it comes to daycare centers in a multitude of ways. If you're considering taking your childcare business to the next level, you have to harness the power of social media. That’s what we’re going to (briefly) discuss, and if you’re a daycare owner looking to make the most out of social media, you’ll want to read to the end.
Why Use Social Media?
Using social media nowadays is essential for early childhood education to promote your daycare center, nurture existing relationships you have with parents, and encourage them to refer your services to friends and relatives.
Additionally, sharing more information about your services and behind-the-scenes footage of what happens at your daycare center helps build brand awareness and generate leads. These leads turn into potential new prospects that might eventually convert to new long-lasting customers.
How to Make the Most of Social Media for Your Child Care Business
Select Platforms & Create Accounts
The very first step is to select the platforms to use. Given the number of platforms available today, that might seem like an overwhelming task. The idea is to decide who your target audience is, where they spend time on the internet, and what type of content they are interested in. For day care centers, parents, and potential customers: they will most likely be interested in groups with other parents, as well as visual content. The best places to start in this case are Facebook and Instagram.
Make Sure All Your Accounts Are Up-to-Date
Once you’ve selected the platforms to use, you need to set up your accounts. Upload a bio, profile picture, description of your services, name, address, and operating hours. Make sure all your information is correct and consistent across all platforms.
Strengthen your new accounts by populating the pages with several pieces of content. This will show viewers that you are an existing business rather than the new kid on the block. If you’re aiming to seem more credible, you can never go wrong with sharing certificates and licenses that you’ve earned.
Determine Types of Content & Post Frequently
Avoid creating accounts and neglecting them, and make sure to post consistently, so viewers can see that your business is open, operational, and actually accepting customers. A great way to show your expertise is by requesting reviews from current parents. Word of mouth is powerful and parents need a little push when it comes to their children.
Several types of content you can share on your social media accounts include
- Educational posts, such as informative tips and how-to’s about childcare, parenting, learning, reading, writing, peer pressure, bullying, and more.
- Fun and entertaining posts like trivia, puzzles, memes, bloopers, and animated content
- Behind-the-scenes posts of children learning and playing at the center, given the parents’ approval first
Community Management
Offering an excellent customer experience doesn’t stop offline. It’s just as important online to respond to inquiries as soon as possible; sometimes parents turn to social media to leave feedback or ask questions. You want to paint yourself and, by extension, your daycare as a friendly, reliable and helpful entity with which their trust belongs. This extends to your moderation activities, problem-solving, conversation and more on your social platforms of choice. Consider relaying the task of community management (and social media entirely) to a dedicated employee or agency (if you can afford it). But when you’re just starting out, it’s fairly simple to keep your ship floating on your own.
Going Beyond Social Media
A website is an owned channel that’s essential for any serious daycare business owner to have. On it, you can showcase your expertise by offering resources, sharing and creating blogs as well as industry news. Increase your search engine ranking by perfecting your website’s content and creating it specific to your niche. You’d be surprised how many potential customers can find your business listing through a simple Google search.
If you are not online these days, you are definitely missing out on sharing news and updates with your current audience and potential new customers. Now is the time to start growing your online presence and reaching out to them.
