Marketing is the process of getting people interested in your business. Market research ensures that your service meets the needs of your local community effectively, and it is important to review and reflect on this not just when you are first starting out, but at regular points in time as these needs can change, particularly in light of recent economic circumstances.

Marketing is also about advertising, and again this is not just an initial exercise when you are starting up, but should be a continual practice that is incorporated into your business on an ongoing basis. It can be surprising how many parents are unaware of Childcare available, even when based on school site! It is also about promoting the quality of what you do – reassuring parents/carers so that they feel more able to leave their children in your care.

To support you to effectively plan and market your Out of School Childcare Club, we have developed a host of resources for member Clubs.

Why is marketing important? Some useful information can be found in our guide here.

Creating and implementing a marketing strategy is an important part of any successful business. Find out how to develop a marketing strategy here.

When marketing your Setting, it is important to establish your Unique Selling Point. You should also keep in mind the benefits of having a professional image, for example with regards to email address usage, and telephone systems.

Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids’ Clubs recently developed a template to support Care Inspectorate Wales registered Out of School Childcare Clubs to market their provision, both for Holiday Clubs and those not offering Holiday Provision. We have also created a Financial Support Schemes leaflet to inform parents/carers about the financial assistance that may be available for them.

We have developed a useful flier to reflect on ways in which you could market your Club, and another great way to market your services (as well as enhancing the experience of current service users) is by creating a newsletter. We have a bilingual template here that you may wish to use, along with some top tips for writing newsletters.

With increased usage of social media platforms and a multitude of ways of marketing businesses online, we have also a pre-recorded webinar to provide a guide in terms of social media marketing, using Facebook and using Twitter as marketing tools, with lots of useful information.

If you would like a copy of this webinar, please email webinar@clybiauplantcymru.org

We have also developed a host of resources to support the Financial processes within your business – these are available on our members area.

For further tailored support on how to implement a marketing strategy for your business, please contact your local Childcare Business Development Officer or your Regional Office:

Cardiff Office info@clybiauplantcymru.org

Colwyn Bay Office info-nw@clybiauplantcymru.org

Cross Hands Office info-ww@clybiauplantcymru.org