This document provides 10 tips for effective preschool marketing: 1. Promote your preschool's unique advantages to parents such as location or technology resources. 2. Address parents' key educational concerns like academics, safety, class size, or language through events. 3. Develop a clear mission statement and ensure all staff can articulate your preschool's key messages. 4. Communicate often with the community through various methods to become the first choice for parents.

1. Genius Aulad
10 Tips for Effective Preschool Marketing
Compiled from the world wide web and restructured by Mohd Haffiez bin Mohmad Nazri

2. #1 Brag a Little!
• Share your preschool's unique advantages with parents up front! Is your
school centrally located in the community? Is your preschool committed
to keeping student resources and equipment on the cutting edge of
technology? Those benefits can set you apart from other preschools and
help convince parents you have something special to offer their child.
Begin by making a list of “bragging rights” (the most impressive aspects
of your preschool), then work backward by thinking of ways to promote
these points. For example, if you have a location that is located centrally
in the community, why not make location of your preschool the focal
point of your entryway? An interactive map would be a great way to
accentuate and advertise such a unique benefit point to potential
parents.

3. #2 Address Concerns!
• What are the key educational concerns of parents in your area? Academic
excellence? Preschool safety? Class size? Language? Your qualifications in these
areas will be the main reason parents choose your preschool over other private
and public preschools. Since the decline of English language is a hot topic these
days, why not address the subject head on—instead of allowing it to be
whispered about and worried over. Host an English language camp at the
beginning of each school year so these issues can be discussed in an open
forum and parents can be invited to be a part of the environment and culture.
Events where parents can communicate concerns and staff can answer
questions are invaluable occasions for attracting new families. Welcoming
prospective families shows just how open and accessible your preschool truly
is.

4. #3 Say It Well!
• Does your preschool have a mission and vision statement? Does every staff
member know and have a heart for these statements? Your mission and vision
should illustrate the passion of your preschool and be purposefully concise in
order to be easily understood by both students and parents. Once you have
identified your critical benefit points, make sure you and your staff can
articulate them clearly.
A mission and vision statement can become prophetic—the more one reads
and understands it, the more focused one can be in living out the words. Post
the statement on the wall of the office and in the front hall. Include it in
advertisements and on the bottom of your letterhead. Above all else, make sure
every decision and action taken by your preschool is filtered through the words
of your mission and vision statement. These key messages will become part of
who you are as a preschool and help build your reputation.

5. Vision and Mission
• Vision: To create future scholars who help the world for a wonderful
world to live in for everyone.
•
• Mission: To attain the most reputable preschool institution embracing
on Genius Aulad learning concept and method which are Islamic
based, English language emphasis, fun academics and lessons
beyond classroom.

6. #4 Say It Often!
• Communicate often with your community and let the people around you know
the great things you’re doing, not just during your enrolment drive. Frequency
in your message—through a variety of communication methods—is the most
important strategy towards becoming the first name that comes to mind when
Islamic education is mentioned in your community. If your preschool goes out
on something like humanitarian aid drive, for example, why not send out press
releases about this drive to television stations, radio stations, community
publications, and Islamic publications? Include this good news in your monthly
newsletter, on your web site, and as a voice message on your
telecommunications system. In addition, print a banner to display outside your
school. It will not only make students proud of their academic success, it also
communicates to passersby that your school is active and doing well—thereby
increasing your chances of reaching new families.

7. #5 Get Ready, Company’s Here!
• The quality of your facility is under scrutiny, especially since parents are typically
paying extra for their children to attend a private preschool. Parents need
visible proof their money is being well spent. Ideally, your facility should have a
clean, welcoming, professional look. Make sure your main office—the place a
parent’s visit usually begins—is neat and orderly, since this sets the tone for the
rest of their experience with your school. The children’s area should be cheerful
and inviting, with obvious attention to cleanliness and safety. Fresh paint once a
year (especially in the bathrooms) and regularly cleaned floorings are
trademarks of an inviting facility. However, proper signage is also vital,
especially if you are meeting in a commercial building. Parents should be able to
enter the school and immediately find the classrooms, office, and bathrooms. If
your facility is organised, friendly, and inviting, parents will assume your
preschool is too.

8. #6 Schedule Tours!
• A tour is typically the first opportunity new parents have to interact with your
preschool and students and can also be the most influential factor in selecting
your preschool. So don’t leave this important and strategic marketing
opportunity to chance! By scheduling regular tour times, you can make sure the
best parts of your preschool are ready to showcase. You may have a really
great playground, but it is clearly not as dynamic if you can’t pass by when kids
are playing on the equipment and interacting with one another. Try to feature
a variety of classroom activities including academics, creativity, and technology.
Finally, make sure there is a comfortable place available for you and your
visitors to sit and discuss the school’s benefits after the tour. Giving parents
your undivided attention and a little hospitality can be the foundation for a
positive ongoing relationship.

9. #7 Leave Your Mark!
• Presenting yourself properly and with excellence is one key to winning the trust of incoming parents. A well-planned and executed preschool
identity is one facet of being awarded this trust. From business cards to memos, pamphlets to logos, your school’s written communication
—both internally and externally—is important to attracting new parents.
Make well-designed handouts available (on quality paper stock) which clearly explain your history, educational philosophy, admissions
policy, staff and administration bios, etc. Everything that leaves your office or is used in the office should contain your logo and contact
information (don’t forget your web address!) as well as any slogan or tagline your preschool utilises. A great logo might include your
school’s mascot, a geographical landmark near the school, or an artistic representation of your preschool’s name.
Even though you may send out specific communications to prospective families, remember: Allah works in mysterious ways. Any document
that has your preschool’s name on it can be a point of entry for a new student. For example, a woman visiting a new friend’s home for
coffee might notice a child’s report card hanging on the refrigerator. The woman may first be impressed by the personal comments of the
teacher, showing how much time and energy is being invested into the student. Then she notices your logo on the report card and decides
to contact the preschool about enrolling her own child. The outcome of such a situation could be entirely different if the report card looks
dated, doesn’t contain your logo, or isn’t built to be an informative tool of communication.

10. #8 Facebook Marketing is Vital!
• In today’s technologically savvy world, a Facebook page is an essential promotional tool, as well as a
great way to build community within your preschool. In many circumstances— especially with new
families moving into the community—Facebook is the first place a parent will begin their search for
quality educational institutions. Your Facebook page should accurately reflect your school’s
demographics and facility and be informative enough for parents to assess if a visit is worth their
time. Contact information should be prominent, and the page should be up to date in information,
technology, and style. Avoid long download times that frustrate visitors and remember: Less is
more. You are better off having a clean and classically designed one-page site with a simple photo
and contact information, than a flashy, complicated site that is difficult to manoeuvre and contains
broken links. An ideal Facebook page might have staff profiles, a list of extracurricular activities, a
list of educational programs, as well of lots of photos of your preschool in action. (Note: Please be
cautious about the use of students’ names and photos on your site. There may be Internet users
who do not have pure intentions.)

11. #9 Campaign for Enrolment!
• To boost enrolment, it is vital to execute a strategic marketing campaign that will
raise public interest. Your enrolment campaign should begin in June onwards
and should include multiple approaches to get the word out (Leave Your
Mark!). A direct mail postcard campaign is a wonderful way to personally invite
families in your community to learn more about your preschool. The postcards
should have an “offer” (free tour, gift, information booklet, etc.) and have an
easy way for someone to respond. But don’t worry about including all your
information on that one card. The point is not to generate an enrolment from
the card, but to get a qualified contact. To compliment the direct mail
campaign, place a banner in front of your building, ads in your local parent’s
magazines, and start a referral campaign with incentives for existing families.

12. #10 Word of Mouth!
• The best form of advertising and promotion is word of mouth. Give parents and
students a preschool they can be proud of. They will be your best marketers
when they believe in what you are doing. This is where the excellence of your
reputation and Islamic values will make you shine. Make sure to gather any
positive comments you get from parents and students and include these
testimonies in ads, flyers, and on your Facebook page. Case studies of students
who have improved grades or behaviour are an invaluable way to prove the
impact your school can have in a child’s life. Keep these studies in a binder in
the front office with photos and examples of each child’s work. These are the
tangible results new parents need to make an informed decision to enroll their
child in your school.