25 Childcare Marketing Ideas You Can Start This Month

1 day ago

5 min read

Updated: 1 hour ago

You don't need a big budget or a new agency to get more families through the door. Most of the best childcare marketing ideas are small, practical jobs that make your centre easier to find, easier to trust and easier to book.

Below are 25 ideas, grouped so you can pick a few for this month. If you want the bigger picture first, read our guide to childcare marketing strategies, or see how our childcare marketing services put it all together.

Before you start: pick your gap

Every idea works better when it's aimed at something specific. Write down which rooms and days have vacancies over the next three months, and which start dates you can offer. "Two nursery places on Fridays from February" gives every idea below a clear job to do.

Quick wins you can do this week

1. Update your vacancies on Starting Blocks

Starting Blocks is the government site where families compare services. Your fees and vacancies come from what you enter in the CCS Provider Entry Point (through PRODA or your software), by age group, and changes can take 24 to 48 hours to show (Starting Blocks). Put a weekly reminder in someone's calendar.

2. Refresh your Google Business Profile photos

Add current photos of each room, the outdoor area and the front entrance. Our Google Business Profile checklist covers the rest of the profile.

3. Publish a Google post about a real vacancy

Business Profile posts come in three types: updates, offers and events, and you can add a button that links to your website (Google Business Profile Help). Posts older than six months are archived unless they have a date range, so keep them fresh.

4. Put your NQS rating where parents can see it

If your service is rated Working Towards, Meeting or Exceeding, you can request the official rating logo through the National Registers (ACECQA). Make sure every mention matches your current rating, because a false or misleading statement about it is an offence.

5. Make "Book a tour" the easiest button on your website

Check it on your phone. If it takes more than one tap from the home page, fix that first.

6. Answer every Google review

Thank families for kind reviews by name, and reply calmly and helpfully to critical ones. Future parents read the replies as closely as the reviews.

Ideas that build trust with parents

7. Introduce your educators

A short bio and a friendly photo of each room leader (with their permission) helps parents picture who will care for their child.

8. Write a "typical day" page for each room

Parents want to know what happens between drop-off and pick-up: meals, rest, play and learning. Spell it out room by room.

9. Explain your fees in plain English

Show your daily fee, what's included and a simple note on how the Child Care Subsidy works. Families compare fees on Starting Blocks, so make your own site just as clear. Our post on how parents choose childcare covers what else they look for.

10. Add a virtual tour

A 360° tour lets a nervous parent look around at 10pm on their phone, then book the in-person visit. See our virtual tours and the guide to using virtual tours to boost enrolments.

11. Get photo consent sorted before you post

The Privacy Act treats an identifiable photo as personal information, and the OAIC recommends getting express consent and taking particular care with children (OAIC). A clear consent form at enrolment makes every social post easier.

12. Ask for reviews the right way

Ask every family, not just the happy ones, and never offer a discount or gift in return. Google prohibits incentives, selectively asking for positive reviews and pressuring people to review while on your premises (Maps content policy).

Ideas for your local community

13. Run a "stay and play" morning

Invite local families for an hour of play in your outdoor area. The Department of Education allows free site visits and trial periods (Department of Education).

14. Partner with local primary schools

Ask about sharing school-readiness tips at a kindy information night, or offering a transition-to-school session.

15. Connect with maternal and child health services

Ask whether you can leave information about your nursery room or join a local parents' group event.

16. Pitch a story to your local paper

ACECQA offers free media release templates for services rated Working Towards, Meeting or Exceeding (ACECQA). A new rating, a garden project or a community event can all make a good local story. Get parents' consent before any photo of a child is published.

17. Join local Facebook groups as yourself

Be helpful in suburb and parents' groups, follow each group's rules about promotion, and share events rather than ads.

18. Check your street appeal

Clean signage, a tidy entrance and a visible phone number or website still matter to families driving past.

Online ideas that bring enquiries

19. Create a page for each suburb you serve

Write real local detail, such as nearby schools, parks and travel routes, not a template with the suburb name swapped. Our local SEO guide shows how.

20. Run a small Google Ads campaign for one room

Target searches like "long day care [suburb]" and send clicks to a page about that room, not your home page. More in our guide to Google Ads for childcare centres.

21. Test Facebook and Instagram ads for a new room or start date

Social ads reach local families before they search. Name the room, days and start date in the ad. Our Facebook ads guide walks through it.

22. Post short videos parents actually want

A 20-second clip of the sandpit, lunch being served or a calm rest room says more than a stock photo. Keep children's faces out unless you have consent.

Ideas that turn enquiries into enrolments

23. Reply to every enquiry the same day

Families often enquire at several centres. Give one person the job of replying. Our guide to turning enquiries into enrolments covers the full process.

24. Follow up after every tour

Send a short thank-you the same day with next steps and the start dates you discussed, then check in again a few days later.

25. Check your referral offer is allowed

Cash, vouchers, gift cards, devices and other gifts to encourage enrolment are banned, and this can include offers to enrolled families that encourage another family to join. Marketing merchandise worth up to $30 is allowed (Department of Education). Thank referring families warmly instead.

How to choose which ideas to start with

Pick three: one quick win, one trust builder and one idea aimed at your biggest gap. Give each an owner and a date. If you want to turn them into a proper schedule, use our 90-day childcare marketing plan template.

Frequently asked questions

What are some low-cost childcare marketing ideas?

Updating your Starting Blocks vacancies, refreshing your Google Business Profile, replying to reviews, adding educator bios and running a stay-and-play morning cost little or nothing beyond staff time.

How can I promote my childcare centre locally?

Keep your Google Business Profile current, build suburb pages on your website, partner with local schools and health services, join local parents' groups and pitch stories to your local paper.

Can childcare centres offer referral rewards?

Be careful. The Department of Education bans cash, vouchers, gift cards and other gifts to encourage enrolment, and this can include offers to enrolled families that encourage another family to join. Check the Department's advertising guidance before running any offer.

Want help putting these ideas to work?

Maximize Marketing helps childcare centres across Australia fill vacancies with websites, local SEO, Google and Meta ads and virtual tours. Book a free chat with our team or see how our childcare marketing services work.