Marketing Ideas for Preschools: 5 Ways to Boost Enrollment in an Uncertain Climate

The world of child care has changed and what worked for boosting enrollment in 2019 just won't cut it in 2021. 

From the impact of the pandemic to the millennial parent boom, ECE leaders need to step out-of-the-box to truly understand parent needs. And after such a whirlwind year, that needs to happen fast for centers to bounce back stronger than ever. 

But with 17% of parents delaying sending their kids to preschool, the main challenge for ECE providers post-2020 is to find ways to alleviate parent concerns.

“As teachers and administrators it’s our job to reach out and remind parents of the multitude of benefits that early childhood education offers children,” explains ECE expert and Founder of No Time for Flashcards, Allison McDonald.

So, if you’re looking for the inside scoop on parent motivation, top marketing ideas for preschools post-2020, and actionable tips to boost center enrollment, get ready. This go-to handbook will answer your top preschool marketing questions in 2021+.

How to increase enrollment in preschool with a fresh approach to marketing

ECE marketing is like building a school—it all starts with a solid foundation. 🏫

You need a strong marketing strategy before you can add the colorful splashes families love.

Not sure where to start? These 5 core concepts will help you revamp your marketing strategy and boost enrollment from the ground-up.

#1. Know your audience

Before you dive into your sparkly new marketing process, you need to know who you’re talking to, where they are and how to connect with them.  

And with over a million millennials becoming moms each year, it’s no secret these folks are rewriting the rulebooks on 21st century parenting, and marketing.

Here’s what millennial parents prioritize today:

• They look for parenting support via tech: From online parenting forums to social media groups, millennial parents are pretty tech-heavy when it comes to connecting with their peers. In fact, a whopping 73% interact with each other more digitally than they do in real life.

• They expect businesses to be online: 97% of consumers use the internet to find local businesses, including educational facilities. In other words, your website is the first port of call for most parents.
  

• They are anxious about safety: In the middle of a pandemic, it’s no surprise to discover parents are concerned about the health and safety of their children at child care. Using tech to reassure them is a great way to connect on their level. (Psst! Check out MomentPath’s new Health Check Moment for the perfect solution to alleviate parent health and safety fears).
  

• They’re a conscious generation: From the clothes they wear to their choice of child care, millennials are a values-driven bunch. According to Deloitte Millennial Survey 2020, nearly 75% said the pandemic has made them even more community conscious. Reflect these needs in your ECE biz, and the numbers are sure to follow.

Key takeaway: With this tech-savvy group of parents on your hands, your online presence is more important than ever.

#2. Use technology to make your marketing more transparent

In an uncertain world, parents are looking for child care that shines above the rest—waiting for them to come to you is not the path to take.

Instead, take the proactive approach to show parents exactly what you value and why they should trust you with their children.

From paid ads to personalized webinars, there are a million and one ways to reach out to tech-savvy parents. Here are a few ideas:

• Virtual school walk-throughs: Welcome new parents into your school from a distance with a virtual open day. Pre-record short videos to show how your classrooms operate, live-stream a tour of the buildings, or even sit down for a virtual coffee date via group video chat to get to know parents even better.

• FAQ webinars: Make a list of the questions parents most frequently ask and then schedule a live webinar to answer them in-depth. Parents can even engage in the conversation while you talk, making it feel like an in-person conference.
  

• Social media ads: Now that you know exactly who you’re talking to, you can use that information to filter social media ads by age and location, and make sure the right folks see your brand.

Key takeaway: Use virtual and digital tools to mimic in-person marketing touchpoints and tell potential new parents all about your child care brand.

#3. Lead with your preschool’s unique values 

There’s no doubt millennial parents are all about conscious living, and that’s exactly what they expect from child care providers too.

Guy Falzarano, founder of Lightbridge Academy, is one ECE leader who knows values-driven marketing works. “Our first center had a capacity of 100 children and we had 54 children starting on the first day. It just took off. Our values were just so well-received within the community,” says Guy.

Two decades and 133 centers later, Lightbridge Academy’s values-driven marketing is still bringing massive growth—and it’s all built around a mission of equality inspired by the community. 

“When we started up, there was a lot of racial and social unrest going on in our community,” explains Guy, “I decided that I wanted to have a business that met two main requirements. One requirement is it was not gonna be a bureaucracy. It was going to be a happy environment. And second is we wanted it to welcome everybody. Our concept was: everybody is welcome under the rainbow.”

Guy’s primary motivations acted as the foundation of their company values—and they continue to use their unique concept to attract parents today.  

“Our core values are based on a concept called the Circle of Care. The Circle of Care is made up of five stakeholders, with the child in the center, and the four stakeholders around them being the parents, employees, owners, and the community. You need everybody to be treated equally, and parents love that,” says Guy. 

Key takeaway: Build a strong marketing strategy around the things you and your community value most. Those are the things that will set your center apart.

#4. Streamline your center’s marketing communications

For many early learning professionals, trying to keep parents in the loop throughout a global health pandemic revealed some clear gaps in their marketing systems.

Choosing the right message, then deciding whether to send that message via email, text, messenger app, etc. can feel like a full-time job in and of itself.

But the truth is you only actually need these two tools for great preschool marketing:

1. All-in-one marketing platform: There are a ton of marketing tools out there to share beautiful branded communications, but the trick is to choose one that does it all. Customization is the name of the game, so choose a smart marketing system like Mailchimp or Marketing360 that allows you to build branded communications to wow new parents. 
   

2. Child care management system: A great child care management tool will boost parent-teacher communications with built-in messaging, easy access billing info and real-time insights into day-to-day activities. The right platform will integrate with your CRM and other enrollment systems to make sure every email, text and message is relevant and personalized.

Key takeaway: Opt for all-in-one tools to streamline your communications and reduce weighty admin time. 

#5. Tap into your team’s marketing ideas

After such an eventful year, most people are done with change. But as an ECE leader, it’s your job to set your teams up for the right kind of change—the kind that will build resilience and boost employee morale when they need it most.

And when it comes to a marketing overhaul, that means getting everyone on the same page from day one.

Here’s how it’s done:

• Prepare your teams for change: Let your teams know what changes are coming by outlining exactly what to expect via streamlined, easy to understand communications. This is also a great time to invite them to like, follow and share any new social media channels you’re adding to the marketing mix.
  

• Ask for teacher insights and feedback: Teachers are on the frontline and know your families better than anyone. Get them on board with your marketing revamp from day one by asking them for parent insights or general feedback. They may have that perfect new idea you never would have thought of yourself.
  

• Put employee wellbeing at the heart of your marketing decisions: Your teams have been through a lot, so expecting them to do extra work probably won’t go down too well. Make sure your new marketing strategy works for employees and not against them.
  

• Use tech to share your marketing news: As with your external communications, a streamlined platform is the best way to make sure all your employees get exactly the same info at exactly the same time.

Key takeaway: Help your teams get a hold on new changes by involving them in the process from day one.

Amplify enrollment with new and improved preschool marketing ideas

With parents hesitant about sending their children back to preschool and numbers in classrooms still unexpectedly low, child care marketing is anything but cut-and-dried.

But boosting enrollment is still possible with the right tools and a strong digital marketing strategy.

“If the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent shutdowns have shown schools and early childhood education centers anything, it’s the need to quickly adapt their practices to digital platforms,” says ECE pro and founder of Professor Patty Cake Consulting, Dr. Erica Vernold Miller.

The key is to put the human at the heart of everything you do (including your marketing!) and the rest will follow.