Childminders Club: Advertising and Branding

[KatieMaChristmas]

OK - so I'm on a big advertising kick for January I have 10 'days' to fill.

A very kind mum at school has just drawn me a 'logo' with a tree on it and a squirral eating a nut in the middle.

This is 'cos I use Childminding @ Walnut Corner as my trading name (not sure about the legalities of this).

I am also setting up a Before & After school club and a holiday playscheme - I thought to call this Squirrals @ Walnut Corner (BTW Walnut Corner is the name of my house), but I'm concerned that this will only appeal to the Mums and the kids will be embarassed.

I am also going to push occasional minding - I was origional (earlier in the year) going to call this "Katie Pop-ins" after very helpful suggestions from Mumsnetters - but now wonder whether I should 'Brand it' like the others? - But I can't think of anything

Any thoughts/ideas anyone??

how many days work would you have to do to raise £400

You need to think how targeted will the appointment cards be .. personally I would've thought that it would go to too wide a target audience .. not just parents but senior citizens, children, singletons

for £400 you could probably take out a series of adverts in your Families magazine or do a targeted leaflet drop or have long-term advertising in your local library (ours is 75p a week so that would be 10 years of advertising for the same price)

HTH

to truly know what its worth you need to know how many patients on the register and whether they can tell you what percentage are your demographic .. eg parents with children aged from 0 to (whatever age)

the 40,000 cards will not go to 40,000 individuals remember

Sorry KM - they are the vacancies I have

2 f/t now plus 2 f/t within a year

(I have 2 f/t plus 4 p/t currently.....but I know nursery is approaching)

Twiglett lots to think of.....I'm hoping that the antenatal care will be my primary target

and the surgery is in the slightly more affluent area than we are in

What is the Families magazine?

oke doke then I think it may be worth it

because if you have enquires and can then offer places then that is worth doing

But if you have enquires then cant give them a place then no it isnt

I guess they wont let you put up one of your posters

what about bounty bags?

someone here worked for them I think

or what about advertising in the red/blue folders for anti natal notes?

families magazine

don't know if it covers your area .. but they tend to be everywhere there's post-natal / young children in our neck of the woods

No Twiglett - they aren't in my area...never mind....still no decision.

£4 a week is nothing if I get 1 F/T but it's a H*ll of a lot if I don't.......

I have decided against this idea....The HV uses a drop in and the antenatal have their own card.....so no babies really get appointment cards - generally if they see the Dr the phone on the day.

So there was not much point

Never mind

have you thought of a refer-a-friend scheme?

ie if a friend takes up a f/t place then the parent will get a free day's childcare?

Quite honestly if a Mum referred a friend for a F/T place they would get a lot more than a free day......but I think you're right I should make that very clear to them.

Thanks