Childminders Club: ADVERTISING TIPS.....................

[HellyBelly]

Morning ladies

Some of the newer mumsnetters are in need of advertising help so I thought I'd start a new thread with the info from the previous one (to save scrolling).

The first list is for online advertising, below it are other suggestions. If anyone has any suggestions to add, please go ahead

TIP (online adverts)......

When advertising with descriptions, put your area but also mention surrounding local areas, like this for me:

.......in Spencers Wood, Reading (near Shinfield, Arborfield, Swallowfield, Three Mile Cross, Lower Earley etc.).......

This means that other areas will be picked up when people search on google and other search engines. All my business so far has been outside my own village so if someone is searching their area and say you are the village next door, as long as it's in your adverts, you should appear on the search!

Does that make sense???

BTW, most of these things take a little time to appear online so be patient

Some of these allows links to websites (IF you have one) for free, others charge and others don't offer it. Anyway, get yourself on as many as possible and you should find (given time) that you appear on things like searches on google.

I.e. if you put 'Childminder in Spencers Wood' (that's me ), you should see me listed loads!!

www.gumtree.co.uk
www.nannyjob.co.uk
www.scoot.co.uk
www.ukvillages.co.uk
www.britinfo.net
www.yell.com
www.118118.com
www.childalert.co.uk
www.practicalparent.org.uk
www.familiesonline.co.uk
www.nctpregnancyandbabycare.com
www.mumsnet.com
www.touchlocal.co.uk
www.netmums.com
www.askyourneighbour.co.uk
www.childrensdirectory.com
www.tinies.com
www.192.com
www.childminder-uk.co.uk
www.childcareindex.co.uk
www.thompsonlocal.com
www.childcareplaces.co.uk
www.childworks.co.uk
www.kyotee.co.uk
www.familyrapp.co.uk
www.babydirectory.co.uk
www.upmystreet.com
www.thelocalweb.net
www.babyworld.co.uk (can't advertise but can reply to requests for care)
www.justformumz.co.uk
www.ufindus.com
www.movethat.com (London)
www.village-links.co.uk
www.childcareresources.co.uk
www.earlyyearsonline.co.uk
www.simplychildcare.com
www.ufindus.com
www.vivastreet.co.uk

Other advertising ideas:

Posters/postcards (our CIS give out their proper postcards to use if helps) etc. in:

Newsagents
Post Office
Local Shops (one of mine lets me put business cards on counter)
Supermarket Notice Boards
Local Village Notice Boards (outside village halls etc)
Toddlers Groups
Pre-Schools
Library's
Staff Notice Boards (ask your friends if they have one at work)
Health Visitor
Dr's Surgery (mine doesn't have facility but some do)

Hellybelly - do you think I should do some business cards, website and a little brochure when I start advertising? It all sounds quite expensive.

Message withdrawn

Im in Leeds. To be honest Ive had 2 enquiries already and not anywhere near being registered but I dont want to be complacent because I think it will just be my luck to be up and raring to go and not get a single call!! After all the work Ive been putting into my OFSTED preparation I will cry!!!

Message withdrawn

Do you mean online with my own website or just put my name on some of these other sites.

Message withdrawn

oh ok cheers for that.

I wouldn't worry if you don't have loads of competition in your area then stick with the free stuff. I build websites anyway which is why I have one. Plus, my village is small and I wanted to get myself out further than just the local villages (I used to have 3 children who travelled a bit as they saw my advert in Asda and checked out website and decided they preferred me to other minders in their area). Looks like you'll do fine though. Business cards can be very cheap but I wouldn't say they'd work any better than the stuff on my list to be honest. Takes more time for that method to get you business.

Good luck with everything, good that you've had interest already! Don't know how that works as I couldn't advertise til I had certificate and no one knew I was registering. You must be doing something right

Agree with happymumof2 - netmums is another good one!

HTH

p.s. if you ever decide to get a website in the future, let me know as I do special rates for childminders and will add extra discount for mumsnetters

Its just because I take my dd to mums and tots and I keep chatting to cmers. but they sometimes forget im nowhere near being registered ( I was I thought nearer until OFSTED sent my form back because my kitchen extension hadnt been finished)and pass my details on to parents. Also I know a lady near by who runs a big cming service as my oldest daughter used to go to her.

That's good - I was working another business at the time I started registering so I never got to toddlers as mum until I stopped that and was pretty much registered! I must admit word of mouth does seem to be the best way!

Mobile advertising can work well...

My Car (with luck this link will work)

You may not want to go to this extent... certainly at first I only had an A5 sized paper sign stuck on the rear passenger windows.

Oh yeah, and some people here have signs in their window or a sign at the end of their garden, bit more like nursery. I personally don't but that coz I don't like my neighbours!

Another one I forgot (katymac reminded me) is phone NCMA (if member), tell them you want to take part in their care-4 advertising. They will register you and the following week you can advertise on www.childcareplaces.co.uk (reason have to wait til following week is because they transfer details from NCMA every Friday)

Happymumof2 - do you remember how much it cost to subscribe to simply childcare as it doesn't say on their website?

I think Simply Childcare was something like 16 First Class Stamps.

Just downloaded the BookingForm... it's now 18 First Class Stamps.

First class stamps are currently £30 per 100, so 30p each. So 18 of them costs £5.40 plus you need to send them in, so add another stamp - so total now £5.70 plus the cost of an envelope and printing out the booking form.

Nannynick - I love your advertising on car I would love to do same but as my son is the owner of 'our' car (and knowing what these boys are like with their toys) I don't think he would agree to this type of advertising on his beloved vehicle with quad exhausts ; I have been permitted to place A5 ads in the car .

nannynick i was just wondering how much it costs to do that to your car?

Love the car! I found a less visible, but cheaper option - Personalised Car Blinds

the sun shades are brillient. thanks. i will be ordering later today

Signwriting my car cost around £400, so it's not a low-cost option. You could also argue that it devalues the car, after all who will buy it when I come to sell it. Mind you, seeing the mileage I do, won't be worth much even as scrap by the time I sell it.

Children do notice it however - strange how many children at school know my name, yet have never actually met me! They see the car and say 'hi nick'.

bump

helly belly- how much does it cost to have a website??
you can email me at [email protected] if you dont wish to discuss it on here, thanks

I will email you with my prices and see what you think. Will probably do this in the morning as I'm off to bed in a mo!

nicki83 - I've just emailed my prices to you. Can you let me know if you don't receive my email. I forgot to list some sample sites for you to look at so I'll just list them here instead. They are quite similar in layout as this is what makes me be able to charge the cheaper prices:

mine
jennytots - wanted a sweetie theme
silvanaslitterascals
impsandangels - wanted lots of imp/devil and angel images
sunshines childminding - not live yet

These should give you an idea although I can do a completely different look altogether so just let me know if you want any further details

bump

Can you email me info on setting up a website please? [email protected]