Do You Keep Advertising?

[Country Kids]

I'm curious how many of you keep advertising even if you are full? I'm totally full right now and with this group will be for the next 3-4 years? I love all the cute ideas everyone has for advertising but not sure if I should invest the money into advertising since I'm full and honestly see me staying that way till this bunch all start school.

[daycare]

Originally Posted by Country Kids

I'm curious how many of you keep advertising even if you are full? I'm totally full right now and with this group will be for the next 3-4 years? I love all the cute ideas everyone has for advertising but not sure if I should invest the money into advertising since I'm full and honestly see me staying that way till this bunch all start school.

I always do just to keep my business known.
I dont advertise that I have openings, I just post my fliers around town and on CL
As well as MANY other places.

[harperluu]

I probably wouldn't have an paid ad out if I was truly 100% full (I currently have a M,W,F opening for 1 preschooler and 1 schoolager which I fill with drop-in kids for now), but I would continue to market your child care for times when someone leaves unexpectedly or your next opening comes up.

[Country Kids]

How do you handle calls though? If I saw fliers around and ads on Craigslist constantly, I would think that the person had openings? Do you ever have a person keep calling because they keep seeing your ad and take that as having an opening?

[daycare]

In the past i just let them know that I am currently full, however, I would love to add you to our waiting list. Im not really sure when I will have another opening and spaces fills up extremley fast, so I will contact you as soon as I have a spot open up. I love to do contact via email and our website, can I get your email address and best phone number to reach you at.

also I only post where its free

[Crazy8]

not really any paid advertising or even craigslist, etc. but my website is always out there and I update on my FB page, etc. I rarely have a child not stay with me till they go off to school so I have a general idea of when I'll have openings, etc. Of course anything could happen but I just don't invest any time in advertising if I don't have the openings and I don't really keep a waitlist since by the time I'll have openings they'd probably be settled in somewhere else.

[Michael]

Originally Posted by daycare

I always do just to keep my business known.
I dont advertise that I have openings, I just post my fliers around town and on CL
As well as MANY other places.

Especially since the search engines sometimes take months to index your advertisement again. If you have a prominant listing DO NOT take it down. It makes more sense to keep your advertisement high in the search results. Easier just to turn down spot requests.

[daycare]

OMG soooo true. I have been signed up for several sites for my daycare through search engines as well and it has taken several months for them to come up. Some still don't come up and ones where I made errors in spelling or verbage, still are coming up incorrectly. I have tried to change but talk about taking forever. I thought the government was slow....lol

great point Michael.......

[Michael]

Originally Posted by daycare

OMG soooo true. great point Michael.......

That's why I get paid the BIG bucks

[lilrugrats]

I always "advertise" because there are those little spots that could possibly be filled, or I have a list of names of people who need daycare, and if something happened tomorrow to one family I could have back ups. I am always honest when i advertise, like on fb or my website i will say just morning slots for monday and wednesday open.

I do offer drop in care, and find that I can fill all the little slots by always keeping my eyes and ears open to anyone who may need times like this. Have a great group of drop in kids that I email at the beginning of each month with openings and they "take" what days they need.

Advertising is basically word of mouth and friends of friends, so keeping full is my goal!