As a child care professional, trust is a central element of your business. Parents are searching for a provider that will care for their children when they cannot. This is a big deal!
Before parents could Google your center in just a few seconds, you had more control over the information parents could access about your center. Now, your website, Google business listing, social media platforms, industry directories and review websites all offer parents a glimpse into your business before picking up the phone or scheduling a tour.
This is a big list of places where a single upset parent can leave a nasty review and damage your ability to gain the trust of new families. However, this big list can also work to your advantage! Build trust online using these digital marketing tools and tactics:
Accurate Contact Information Online
According to BrightLocal, “80% of consumers lose trust in local businesses if they see incorrect or inconsistent contact details or business names online.”
Eighty percent of consumers amounts to a lot of parents who no longer trust your business, just because your business name, phone number or address weren’t correct online. In an industry centered on trust, it’s essential to do all that you can to ensure families feel safe in your care. Update your daycare’s listing on Google, Yelp, Care.com and any other search result you see when Googling your center’s name.
Professional Social Media Profiles
A fun, kid-centric voice is appropriate on social media, as long as you remain professional too. High-quality images, proper grammar, important center events and updated contact information give parents a good idea of what to expect while also building trust.
Is your child care business active on more than one social media channel? Make sure your logo, about section and contact information, are cohesive across all platforms. If a social media account exists for your center on a platform you no longer use (and don’t see yourself using again in the future), delete the account. Parents may be left wondering about why your last Tweet is from 2014 instead of earlier this week.
Well-Crafted Search Marketing Ads
Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, a negative mention of your daycare ends up on the first page of Google’s search results. This could be from a particularly disgruntled customer, from before you took over the business or even thanks to a competitor. Over time, your positive efforts to build trust will displace this type of result.
For now, search marketing can serve as a solution. Search ads appear at the top of search results pages and can steal some of the clicks that a negative link would have received. These ads can be extremely targeted based on keywords, online behavior, and demographics.
