Advertising?

[CountryRoads]

What do you guys do to advertise when you have a spot open?

I don't do Facebook. I did put an ad on Craigslist. I live in a super small town and have never had to advertise before!

I tried word of mouth through my daycare moms the last time I had a spot open, and it did not go well. They didn't pass the word along and I even had one dcm who would tell people I was full because "you wouldn't want to watch their kids anyway."

Flyers? Newspaper?

Any ideas?

[Alwaysgreener]

I have a website that gets posted by others when some is looking for DC on fb. Most of my interest comes from the state site or fb.
Their is one baby store that allows me to leave flyers but any other local store has banned them.

This is what I did was create a fake account on fb. Jane doe. Then lock it down to private. Then create a fb page for my DC, (set the contact us up with your email or phone number, I used my website)
Fb also has a page app (I have it on my old tablet) that only lets you access your page but not your account.

[Ac114]

All of my advertising is done on Facebook. It’s the new age and this is how most people look for child care as well. You can make a Facebook that’s just for your daycare and advertise when you have openings.

[CountryRoads]

All of my advertising is done on Facebook. It’s the new age and this is how most people look for child care as well. You can make a Facebook that’s just for your daycare and advertise when you have openings.

I figured I was going to have to break down and do a Facebook!

So, I can do one just for business? I definitely don't want a personal one.

[Cat Herder]

I figured I was going to have to break down and do a Facebook!

So, I can do one just for business? I definitely don't want a personal one.

From my understanding, if you have a disgruntled client, you can't delete their posts on a business page. I think you can disable comments completely, but then they just keep reporting your page until it gets shut down.

I have not experienced it, but that was a topic of discussion in several training sessions.

[CountryRoads]

From my understanding, if you have a disgruntled client, you can't delete their posts on a business page. I think you can disable comments completely, but then they just keep reporting your page until it gets shut down.

I have not experienced it, but that was a topic of discussion in several training sessions.

Gotcha. I think I will do a page set up as a personal one - but for my daycare. I literally only want it for advertising. I have a different method of communicating with parents, so I don't plan in posting anything as far as pictures of kids, closures, etc.

[Cat Herder]

Gotcha. I think I will do a page set up as a personal one - but for my daycare. I literally only want it for advertising. I have a different method of communicating with parents, so I don't plan in posting anything as far as pictures of kids, closures, etc.

That is what I did. At the request of my clients. Mine is my main communication platform for photos, education resources, curriculum sharing, toy reviews, product recalls, community events, etc. Saves me almost all paper.

It has been great. I only have current and former clients, their families, my assigned mentor and my licensor on it. Saves a lot of time and effort.

[Ariana]

Can a business FB page advertise though? I have to keep my personal account so I can advertise in local daycare and mom groups. I don’t think you can post AS a business know what
I mean? You can use your personal account to post your business account. I also learned that you can’t have a business account without a personal account. God knows I have tried!

Some people name their personal pages business names but apparently when FB finds out they delete them.

[knoxmomof2]

Craigslist has been my greatest source. I advertise on 1 general Facebook group for my area, but haven't gotten much from it. There are so many though with yard sale and specific areas of the city that it would require so many posts and I just haven't been desperate enough yet.. Lol... I will take referrals from clients if I have an opening, but I don't ask for them because I honestly don't want to have affiliated DCPs. If you tick one off, then you've ticked 2 off. I had 2 of my 4 DCMs band together after I changed my daycare entrance and after that I constantly had to deal with attitude from both if I put my foot down with 1. It was a mess. Luckily, they're gone but I want all of my DCPs to be strangers... Lol. It's easier that way.

[Alwaysgreener]

A business fb page can "like" some things and comment on other pages and I believe personal walls but not in groups or marketplace as fb page. (Marketplace does not allow advertisment)

You need to have a personal account (I use my dog's name and locked the account down) to create a fb page or group (a group takes two accounts to create.)

To clarify a page is for advertising businesses, hobbies or events. An account is where your wall and friends are. People refer to it as their page but it is an account. You must have an account to create a page or group or to post/comment. However, correct me if I am wrong (fb may have changed this) but you do not have to have an account to see a fb page (an advertisement) but you do to see a group or another person's account/wall.

So create a fake account, then the DC page. No one can see who owns the page, so no one will see the fake account but they can see who owns a fb group. And no one has ever tried to friend my dog.

[CountryRoads]

I ended up doing that! I locked a personal one down and created a business page. However, fb noticed "suspicious" activity and needed a picture of me for review. So, now my accounts are locked until further notice :dislike:

I ended up ordering some flyers and business cards from Vista print.

[Alwaysgreener]

I ended up doing that! I locked a personal one down and created a business page. However, fb noticed "suspicious" activity and needed a picture of me for review. So, now my accounts are locked until further notice :dislike:

I ended up ordering some flyers and business cards from Vista print.

Bummer
When I created mine, I used a picture of my dog. But now it has some image with words.

[Meeko]

Google.

If someone types in "daycare in (this town)"...I am the first thing that pops up with a link to my website.

I ask everyone who calls how they found me. The answer is nearly always "I just googled daycares in town" I get several calls a day...every day.

I am listed on the licensing website, but that's it. I no longer advertise anywhere else at all.

[Unregistered]

I like to know my current customers.
In the past, I advertised on Yelp, Facebook, Craiglist. I didn't enroll any of the people who came from those advertisements.
For me, it seems that customers coming here, recommended from current customers, are the best choice.