Marketing your early childhood setting is an investment, not a cost

This article and podcast episode explore why marketing should be viewed as an investment rather than a cost, why profitability matters for sustainability, the role a setting's website plays in both occupancy and recruitment, and why social media needs a clear purpose. They also consider the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) and why, useful as it can be, it should support rather than replace human judgement, creativity and responsibility.

Read the article here:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/marketing-your-early-childhood-setting-is-an-investment-not-a-cost/

This episode is sponsored by Childcare Marketing Group

Childcare Marketing Group is a specialist marketing partner dedicated to supporting nurseries, preschools and early years providers.

Built by people who understand the childcare sector, CMG helps nursery owners and managers attract more children, recruit great staff and build stronger, more sustainable businesses. From websites, SEO and social media to advertising, video, reputation management and enquiry conversion, the group brings everything together under one joined-up approach.

At its heart, Childcare Marketing Group is about helping childcare providers stand out, tell their story with confidence and connect with the families and teams who are right for them.

To find out more and sign up to the wait list visit: https://childcare.marketing/uk

Our 2027 conference info & tickets:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/early-years-conference-2027/

Listen to more:

If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like:

· Sustainable business growth in early childhood, with Jordan Tully: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/sustainable-business-growth-in-early-childhood/

· Building a lasting early years brand, with Harry Mills: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/building-a-lasting-early-years-brand/

Get in touch and share your voice:

Do you have thoughts, questions or feedback? Get in touch here! – https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/contact/

Episode break down:

00:00 – Introduction
04:12 – Why early childhood settings need to prioritise marketing
05:31 – Marketing as an investment rather than a cost
07:56 – Why profit matters for sustainable early childhood provision
10:15 – Perception, leadership and valuing educators
12:15 – Marketing your setting as an employer
15:24 – What makes an effective careers page?
18:26 – Making enquiries and applications simple
20:15 – Social media: moving beyond likes to meaningful objectives
22:11 – Aligning marketing across different platforms
23:57 – Sharing educators' achievements on social media
26:25 – Using AI as a marketing tool
28:35 – Knowing your audience and using accessible language
30:20 – Building a clear and recognisable brand
31:18 – Why human creativity still matters when using AI
33:43 – Where should settings start when improving their marketing?
34:50 – Why your website should be the anchor of your marketing
35:42 – Organic website traffic versus paid advertising
36:50 – Marketing as an expression of your values and ethos
38:07 – Building a sustainable business and planning ahead
39:04 – Why successful settings still need to keep investing

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com