Marketing

[Guest]

Like others I have lost over 50% of my register as they all move on to 'big school'. Low birth rates and a total lack of good marketing have left me with a very low intake, so;

 

HELP, I need some good, not too costly ( if not totaly free) ideas on how to market / advertise my preschool.

What I've done so far.

 

I am putting a story to the media about our recent Ofsted.

I have leaflets in local health centre's

I gave out 170 leaflets in our local primary school for holiday club provision and got no response at all

Word of mouth.

 

As you can see, not much activity on the promoting my service front.

 

I need inspiration, please.

 

Peggy

[Guest]

Hi Peggy.

 

Does your LA have a website on which you could advertise? We have one and I find all sorts of things on there from job vacancies to adverts for various provision. It is free to advertise on our one. Might be worth looking into?

 

Also there is the age old method of shop windows? You could maybe keep the costs down by encouraging the children to make the posters/cards for you .

 

Do you have a website/page? Maybe you could make one if not, but I'm not sure how much that would cost as I have never done it.

 

Open days? We once dressed up as children, freckles, bunches in the hair, clinging to teddy bears and wandered up and down the high street handing out leaflets. It was quite good fun, if a little cold!

 

I can't think of anything more at the moment and these are probably no good anyway, but I will give it some more thought and if I come up with anything else, I'll get back to you.

 

Good luck, hope it works itself out!

[Guest]

What about a large banner outside playschool.

We have posters up in the local library/Tesco/Spar/post office

We have a free "whats on"column in the local paper

Dont know how much would cost, but what about on the buses

or putting leaflets door to door

[Guest]

Open days? We once dressed up as children, freckles, bunches in the hair, clinging to teddy bears and wandered up and down the high street handing out leaflets. It was quite good fun, if a little cold!

 

Thanks Clare, My daughter likes this idea, she's always wanted to be a St Trinian

 

Thanks Rosina, just reading ideas like yours ( which I've thought of before, but never got around to) refreshes my inspiration.

 

Peggy

[laura]

My mums pre-school is in a similar situation as yours Peggy. We always do an open week at the end of the summer term and we had only 2 new people come. That was after leaflets at all the toddler groups and at the school.

Anyway we are also trying to think of a big 'push' for the new school year. We have a local advertising magazine that goes out once a week so we thought we'd do a big add in their. We may have a Saturday open day as we did this one year and it was quite successful.

I have also been building a website. Try freewebs. I have been using it and it is really easy. I've just cut and pasted most of our prospectus in it. You can't have too many page (6 i think) but its been enough for me. You can also add photos. You can upgrade it by paying if you want. When its finished we will then use the local magazine and make a big thing of the website.

HTH

Laura

[Guest]

Also, do you get free magazines that go out to parents? Can't remember what ours are called, but they are free and you can pick them up in most libraries, schools, pre-schools, nurseries etc. Might be worth looking into although again, I dont know about costs.

 

I'd have nerver have thought of the bus idea, Rosina! That's a good one!

[Running Bunny]

Peggy,

 

Two marketing ideas we recommend to providers are the vacancy postcard to put in shop windows, doctors,dentists, soft play areas, sports centre etc... (see attached for a basic idea, but feel free to add clip art and jazz up the layout)

 

Postcard___generic.doc

 

The other idea we promote is to get parent testimonies and put them in a folder or create a portfolio of the services that you offer with pictures of the layout and activities and ask if it can be left in the reception area of the local school for parents to see.

 

A website is also a good idea as already suggested as many parents will go to the internet before doing any face to face visits.

 

RBx

[Marion]

Do you have contacts with local schools we include names of recommended local child care providers in our FS brochure.

[Guest]

Peggy If I lived any where near you I would be shouting from the rooftops about how knowledgeable you are and how all preschool children MUST attend your nursery as a vital part of their learning journey!!

Sorry that is not very productive advice but though I would add it as I couldn't think of any mind-blowing ideas of promotion.

[Guest]

I think we all go through this at some time, i know we certainly have, every thing costs so much to do. In our little town charity groups are able to have tables with items on it for sale in the high street. Could you theme a table top like "cakes" and have adults dressed up eg "The queen of hearts" "The ginger bread man" etc to give out flyers. Balloons always get the children to come over. Could parents/ friends help provide items for sale or man the table for you?

[Guest]

Hi The only suggestion I can make, which is too late now, is to start registering much earlier. With a single entry point to school, Spetember is always going to be difficult so I try to have children registered by Easter so I know where I am and can then advertise for any additional children I need. I have found the best way is to use you existing parents to 'spread the word'. In Spetember I will be starting to work towards next September. Does that make any sense?

[Inge]

Chill,

 

that sounds good until put into practice...we have tried this method and find inbetween times parents register somewhere else as well and do not turn up without telling you.. all projected income/plans go completely out of the window ..have called some in the past and they totally deny actually registering with you, even if you have a form and telephone number etc, (we must have been telepathic !!)

 

our best ads have been in shop windows and doctors and dentist surgeries, bwbeinbg a charity I get committe to go to all in walking distance and other than word of mouth these are the most effective. along with getting health visitors on side.. we have several recommendatins this way! In our case newspaper ads ans yellow pagfes so far have had no impact on numbers (we ask all aprents how they learnt about us and most say from the poster / notice outside as they went past on the bus!!)

 

Inge

[Guest JPH]

If you go on to the "zero14plus" website, they have a free marketing guide that you can access. Might be something useful for you there. Good luck.

[Guest]

Good luck with this Peggy

 

My friends nursery had a time where they were low on numbers so they designed a poster and put it in the staff car windows (and that of parents who agreed). The intake rate was high on that alone and cost hardly anything.

The posters were eye catching and since staff generally travelled(within reasonable distance) to work the posters were seen by many.

 

Dawn

[Posy]

Hi Peggy,

Could you offer to do a storytime or fun morning at your local library?

Don't know if that's any help at all, or even if it is allowed!

Barb

[Guest]

Thank you all for your great ideas.

 

Posy- Our local library displays our art work, as for storytelling, good idea considering the lack of skill of the librarians at story time ( that's another subject though!!)

 

Dawn- Daughters new (old) car is on our drive, unfortunately she failed her 1st driving test yesterday . I shall put posters in my windows though, great idea. ( Once I nearly bought a bright Barbie pink jeep, wish I had now, certainly noticable :wacko: )

 

JPH-Thanks, great site.

 

Inge- I shall get info in all local shops, we are based in a cul-de-sac, so no passing trade, so to speak.

 

Chill- as Inge say's most parents that book a place, move without a word. I do have a 6 mth old on my 'list' ( we take from age 2 yrs), just need a few more. I have instructed all current parents to have more babies . Maybe I should have a big party for the adults, lots of seductive music, free flowing alcohol, then a baby boom in 9 months ) See how desperate I am :rolleyes:

 

 

Lesley- I am a private provider, so can only have 'stalls' type fundraising events within my own group, but not in the public domain. I appreciatte the tip about balloons and will use them when dressed as a school girl walking down our local high street.

 

shirel- THANK YOU

 

Marion - one parent has told me she got information from my local school, not sure how, so I will contact them and see if we can have a mention in their prospectus. I am also going to do the same in local estate agents.

 

RB- Thanks for the postcard idea- shall definately use that. I've thought of having a website, in fact a parent who designs them spoke to me about it at end of term. My only fear is that if they are not kept up to date, they can then become 'negative' promotion. I have a promotional folder, but it is at preschool for visitors to see. Maybe I could use photo's to make one for the school.

 

Clare- Thanks for the reminder about 'Parent News', mind you, we can't give ours away, parents just don't want them and they mainly get used for laying on wet floors in the preschool :unsure:

 

Laura- have you got the link to 'freewebs'?

 

Thanks everyone

 

Peggy

[laura]

Hi Peggy,

Freewebs is

 

http://members.freewebs.com/

 

Laura

[Guest]

Thanks Laura, although I must admit, even though I'm quite ok with computers ( on my home ground) I do find the idea of building a website rather scary. I shall take the bull by the horns so to speak, and get on with it soon.

 

Peggy

[Guest]

Peggy

I have an advert with Yell.com, and have just changed to Thomson as they have more links to search engines. they cost £19 a month. then I have a large poster in my closest doctors that costs about £170 for a year and a small ad on appointment cards at our closest Gym. have also had advert on doctors appointment card. they are through a company called me Medical Media. I think its as much word of mouth as well, and keeping your self in the public eye. When I put out leaflets I offered a free session to people that came with the leaflet and registered. It did cost us anything as we offer a free session any way to any one who registers.

I know that some of local schools allow groups to leave brochures. Also I have "befriended" 2 or 3 of my local health visitors, shown them what we do on assessments, have tried to impress them as much as possible and they recommend an awful lot of parents to us. Good luck with the recruitment drive, let people know how nice and friendly you are and they should come in in droves!!

Steph

[laura]

it's actually really easy on that website peggy. there is a tutorial to show you what to do. The actual format is quite basic but today i discovered i could add photos to the pages so that jazzes it up a bit. Just need to get some photos sorted now and ask parents permission. And you can have more than 6 pages (not sure how many yet). I also added a link today to our ofsted

If you want i could pm you the address for what i've done so far, just to give you an idea of what it looks like

Laura

[Guest]

Hi laura

I would be really interested in it too as I would like to set up a web site for pre-school. I would be really grateful if I could have a look at what you have done.

Linda

[Guest]

it's actually really easy on that website peggy. there is a tutorial to show you what to do. The actual format is quite basic but today i discovered i could add photos to the pages so that jazzes it up a bit. Just need to get some photos sorted now and ask parents permission. And you can have more than 6 pages (not sure how many yet). I also added a link today to our ofsted

If you want i could pm you the address for what i've done so far, just to give you an idea of what it looks like

Laura

 

Yes please Laura

 

Peggy

[Marion]

This one promises a professional web site in 5 mins.

Must say the results look good but have never used it.

http://www.communitykit.co.uk/sitebuilder/home.ikml

 

There are free templates on Microsoft Office site you can use with Word or Publisher

[laura]

Hi Linda and peggy

I have emailed you the link. If you don't get it let me know. My computer has just gone a little weird on me

Laura

[Guest]

This one promises a professional web site in 5 mins.

Must say the results look good but have never used it.

http://www.communitykit.co.uk/sitebuilder/home.ikml

 

There are free templates on Microsoft Office site you can use with Word or Publisher

 

 

Thanks for the link marion, unfortunately I'm in the private sector ( but don't make a profit, barely cover costs). However, I'm sure it will be very, very useful for charitable and voluntary community groups.

 

Peggy

 

Hi Linda and peggy

I have emailed you the link. If you don't get it let me know. My computer has just gone a little weird on me

Laura

 

 

Thanks Laura, looking good.

 

Peggy