Babysitting can be a very successful business as long as you do it responsibly and make a name for yourself. When you offer quality babysitting services, then you’re sure to be one of the top choices for parents in your neighborhood.
However, if you only babysit for a few families and want to expand your services, then you need to work on your promotion efforts. There are many ways which can help you get the word out in your area.
Share flyers around the neighborhood
This is one of the easiest and most effective ways of local marketing. Create some attractive babysitting flyers and print out enough copies to share in the area. Put them on people’s porches or mailboxes, depending on where you can place these flyers without trespassing.
Make sure these babysitting service flyers have your details, a short brief of your experience, your contact details, and what timings and days you offer. Use templates from tools such as PosterMyWall to make this process easier and just enter your details in a decent existing template. Apart from sharing physical copies, you should also post them online.
Spread the word in local forums
The people living in your area probably have at least some presence on services such as Nextdoor. These forums are localized and let people share information and flag concerns regarding various issues in the area. So, they offer the perfect platform for you to promote your babysitting services.
Share the flyers you made here, and also participate in discussions about childcare and child safety. People might even be asking about babysitter recommendations on these apps, so you should be ready to reach out to them and become the top choice in the neighborhood.
Post your services on social media
Similarly, people often look for recommendations and assurances about childcare and babysitting services on social media. So, join local parent groups and other similar pages on social media platforms to reach your audience.
You should also regularly post about your babysitting services on social media, and have your own page. You can even set up a calendar tool on these platforms that let people book their babysitting slots with you. This way, you can streamline the whole process and market your services to a larger audience.
Ask for referrals
Sometimes, word of mouth and referrals are the best marketing method. This is especially true for high-trust work like babysitting. Parents are more likely to hire you if people they know have had positive experiences with you.
So, don’t be afraid to ask your existing clients to refer you to their friends. Print out a few business cards and leave them with these clients to give to their friends and family. Referrals not only make new clients feel safe, but also give you more assurance of your own safety as a babysitter. You can even offer package deals or discounts to people who refer you to others.
Set up a babysitting website and blog
When someone types ‘babysitting services in xyz area’, your name needs to pop up on the first page. So, you need to cultivate a strong online presence. Set up a website with a booking page, your contact details, and a description of your services. You can also share customer testimonials on this website.
In addition, you should establish your expertise by posting blog articles regularly as well. These can be about common babysitting concerns, what to look for when hiring a babysitter, or any other relevant topic. Your website and blog will help you show up on people’s Google searches more often.
Partner with local daycare services
Daycares are not your competition. This is because they usually offer services till a certain time, while babysitting is needed more often for evenings and nights. So, you should contribute some services to nearby daycares, and in turn, have them recommend your babysitting services to their clients.
This will also showcase that you are experienced in childcare. So, partner with your local daycares, and get some marketing in return. You can even talk to parents picking up their children from daycare, and let them know your availability for babysitting when the kids are not in daycare.
Volunteer in local events
Your local neighborhood probably has various events throughout the year. You should participate in these and distribute your flyers to people attending. In addition, you can even offer a small babysitting area with some activities, so that people can enjoy some parts of the events without worrying about their children.
This will establish your trust and expertise in the neighborhood, and help you get in touch with more prospective clients. You should share your contact information and also strike up conversations with parents in the area, and let them know about your babysitting services.
To sum up, there are many ways to market your babysitting services in your locality. These methods are usually quite low-cost, so you should get started right away.
