Daycare Flyers and Postcards

One great method of promoting a service business such as a daycare center is through the use of flyers and postcards. In this article we look at daycare flyers and postcards and why they can be such great marketing tools. We also discuss some flyer design considerations and some effective ways of distributing them.

Great Things about Advertising Flyers

You can make your own flyers on your home PC by using word processing software such as MS Word. You can also find a great number of free flyer templates online that you can modify into your own daycare advertisements. Flyer advertising is low cost if you design them yourself and you only have to consider printing or photocopying expenses. However, if you are looking for a more professional flyer design or want to get postcards made up then you will probably want to involve a graphic designer.

There is a general trend that is moving towards postcards as many daycare owners realize that people are more likely to keep a smaller advertisement than they would with a larger flyer. If you do go with full sized flyers consider attaching your business card to add a professional touch and to give the prospect something smaller to keep for future reference.

Don't listen to people who tell you that flyer, postcard or door hanger advertising is no longer effective as many service businesses across the country are still having success with this method. You only need to get a very small response rate to justify the expense so why not test this advertising method out for your daycare and see how well it works.

Designing Daycare Flyers

Focus on coming up with attention grabbing headlines as this will determine if your advertisement gets read or is immediately thrown in the garbage. Don't put your business name in the headline but rather let your prospects know what your daycare business can do for them and how it can solve their problems. Make a special offer or say something to arouse their interest and pull them into reading the entire ad.

Call your viewers to action right away by encouraging them to call you immediately. Time sensitive offers are one way to provoke quick action.

Unless it will cause a hassle for you when it comes to printing flyers or postcards you may as well use both sides. The rear side can include more detailed information.

Double check for spelling mistakes and other errors before you go and print thousands of copies. Include all the information that customers would expect to find such as your daycare name, your services, opening date, location and contact details. Keep the design simple and uncluttered and use bullet points to set information out clearly. There is no need to mention your daycare prices in your advertising.

You will need one flyer or postcard for pre-launch promotion, one regular one for the long haul once you are in business and possibly some for special promotions as they arise. Don't hesitate to test designs to find out which ones produce the most leads for your daycare business. Look at what businesses in other industries are doing to get some inspiration.

Distribution

If you have some kind of targeted mailing list or database then flyers and postcards can be posted to the people on this list. Otherwise door to door distribution is still one of the most effective methods of mass distribution. Handing flyers to people face to face can also work well. Before you hit the pavement though you must check with your local post office as some area have ordinances that forbid unsolicited mail.

Once your daycare service is open for business and you have some customers you can then ask some of the parents to pass your daycare flyers on to some of their friends that have children of their own.

Many local organizations and businesses will have notice boards where you may be able to post your promotion for free. Think about places that the mothers of young children would visit and try to get exposure in those places. Just remember to ask for permission before you do so and have a variety of sizes available so that you have something that will fit the available space.

Consider doing some joint promotions with other businesses that target the mothers of young children such as a store selling baby clothes and supplies. If you both put in a good deal of effort into getting the flyers or postcards out there then your exposure will be spread over a larger area.

Placing flyers on the wind shields of cars is still a common practice in some areas. Think twice about doing this though as a lot of people find this annoying and you could get your daycare in hot water if this practice bothers people and your flyers end up scattered all over the road.

Flyer and postcard marketing can be a cheap and effective way of launching and growing your child daycare business. Get your daycare off to the best possible start by fully exploring the opportunities that this advertising method has to offer.

Additional Articles

How to Advertise a Daycare - Methods and Examples

Daycare Advertising Ideas and Tips

Effective Daycare Websites - Design Tips and Content Ideas