Not having a solid marketing foundation for your childcare center can lead to a host of problems—low enrollment, decreased revenue, and getting lost in the crowd. Families today are researching online, comparing options, and expecting instant, personalized responses. If you’re not actively and effectively marketing your program, you’re going to lose prospective families to the competition.
So, how to increase enrollment in childcare? You need a comprehensive approach that includes content marketing, personalized communication, multi-channel engagement and consistent outreach. Let’s look at four proven marketing strategies for childcare centers that will help you attract new families, fill open spots and retain them long term.
1. Build Your Content Machine
A strong content machine is the foundation of any good lead-nurturing strategy—and a key way to increase enrollment in preschool.
Today’s families want helpful, personalized and trustworthy content. Blog posts, video tutorials, downloadable guides and parent newsletters all work together to establish your childcare center as an expert in early childhood education.
Why Content Matters?
- It builds brand authority and trust.
- It nurtures prospective families at different stages of the enrollment journey.
- It improves your search engine visibility.
Types of Content that Work Well
Blog posts (e.g. potty training tips, developmental milestones, preparing for preschool)
- Event promotions (e.g. back-to-school cook-offs, open houses)
- Center updates and family spotlights
- Videos of staff, activities and daily routines
Use Data to Measure Performance
- Page Views: How many unique visitors are reading your content?
- Traffic by Channel: Are they coming from organic search, social media or email?
- Time on Page: Are they staying long enough to consume the message?
- Bounce Rate: Are they leaving quickly or exploring more?
- Top Posts: Which content is getting the most views?
Email about a back-to-school cook-off
Investing in your content machine means you’re reaching families early in their decision-making process—positioning your center as the obvious choice.
For more insights, check out our best practices for childcare marketing to build a content strategy that converts.
2. Send Relevant, Personalized Messages
In today’s digital-first world, families expect tailored experiences. 75% of consumers are more likely to engage with brands that offer personalized communication. So, when thinking about how to increase daycare enrollment, personalization should be at the top of your mind.
Use a CRM for enrollment to segment leads and send customized messages based on:
- Child’s age or classroom level
- Location or center type
- Program of interest (e.g., full-time vs. part-time care)
- Lead source (organic search, referral, social media)
- Parent behavior (site visits, email engagement, etc.)
This allows you to create personalized drip campaigns that guide prospective parents through the enrollment journey. For example:
- Send educational blog links based on a child’s age group
- Promote relevant program schedules to families based on location
- Use reminder emails to follow up on missed tours or incomplete registrations
Consider marketing automation or using a parent engagement app to make this process seamless and automated—freeing up time for your staff and ensuring no lead falls through the cracks.
Take the next step by exploring our feature for personalized campaigns with a childcare CRM.
3. Use Multiple Channels to Stay Top of Mind
Marketing your childcare center means showing up where families are—email, social media, search engines, and beyond. If you only use one channel, you’ll miss out on key engagement opportunities.
Email Marketing for Childcare
Email is one of the most direct ways to communicate with leads and enrolled families. But to get the most out of it, you need to go beyond monthly newsletters.
Email Marketing Tips
- Segment your audience: Group recipients based on interest or lifecycle stage.
- Personalize your messages: Include names, program info, and tailored content.
- Track performance: Measure open rates, click-through rates, and conversions.
Fill enrollment spots with ease by considering an email marketing tool – specifically built for the childcare industry. With LineLeader, you can create automated drip campaigns that adapt to each family’s behavior. Whether it’s a welcome series, a tour reminder or a re-engagement email, your messages will land at the right time.
Example drip campaign
Social Media Marketing for Childcare
Social media like Facebook and Instagram help you build a community and reach new families. The key is consistency and engagement.
Facebook Marketing Tips:
- Use videos and visuals to increase visibility
- Run ads targeted by location, interests and age range
- Engage with comments and respond quickly to messages
Instagram Marketing Tips:
- Share behind-the-scenes photos and stories
- Share parent testimonials (with permission)
- Parenting tips and early learning content
You can also cross-promote with email to re-engage families who’ve engaged with your content before. Want to dig deeper? Check out our resource on social media best practices for your childcare center.
4. Communicate Consistently to Guide Families to Enrollment
Timeliness and repetition are key to conversion. According to industry research, the likelihood of enrolling a new family drops 21x if you respond in 30 minutes instead of 5.
Consistency across channels builds familiarity and trust. That’s where “The Rule of 7” comes in—a family typically needs to hear about your center 7 times before they’re ready to enroll.
How to Apply the Rule of 7?
- Use the same branding in all messages (email, SMS, ads, tours)
- Repeat your value proposition (safety, learning, fun, flexibility)
- Automate nurture campaigns across channels
- Create 5-10 automated workflows that cover inquiry to post-tour follow-up
Examples of Touchpoints
- Initial inquiry confirmation
- Personalized tour invitation
- Digital brochure or video walk-through
- Reminder to complete enrollment forms
- Testimonials from other parents
Want to streamline communication? Use our parent engagement software to keep families in the loop throughout the enrollment journey.
Use Childcare Enrollment Software to Simplify the Process
Still managing enrollment through spreadsheets and sticky notes? There’s a better way. Modern childcare enrollment software helps you digitize and automate the entire process—from lead capture to billing.
With LineLeader, you can:
- Speed up registration with digital forms
- Automate your tour scheduling process
- Reduce manual work with automated billing
- Get insights with data analytics in enrollment management
You’ll save hours of admin time, reduce human error and deliver the seamless experience parents expect. Learn more about improving enrollment with childcare software in our comprehensive guide.
Check out our NEW guide for an enrollment and marketing strategy that works.
Boost Enrollment with Smart, Strategic Marketing
Knowing how to increase enrollment in childcare is more than just tactics, it’s about building relationships with families and providing a responsive, high-quality experience at every stage.
By combining a strong content strategy, personalized communication, multi-channel visibility and consistent follow-up, your childcare business can grow sustainably—even across multiple locations.
Ready to see how LineLeader can simplify the process and transform your childcare enrollment?
Schedule a FREE demo and discover how our tools can support your childcare center’s success.
