How to promote a nursery school and attract more families

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The best way to promote a nursery school is to make it easy for local parents to find, trust, and contact you.

Effective nursery marketing should combine online visibility, local promotion, parent recommendations and a clear follow-up process. Promoting a nursery school doesn’t have to rely solely on paid ads. Free and low-cost community marketing can also help settings attract enquiries, build local awareness and stay front of mind with families.

In a competitive, high-pressure childcare market, nursery schools need to remain visible to local parents and carers. Families may compare several settings before making a decision, so your marketing needs to show what makes your nursery school safe, welcoming and right for their child.

Let’s see how to build trust and visibility through digital marketing, online promotions, nursery open days, print marketing and a clear nursery marketing strategy.

How can nursery schools promote themselves online?

For many families, the search for childcare starts online. Parents usually search for nurseries near them, read reviews, check websites and compare different nursery schools’ social media pages before deciding where to enquire.

Have a strong website

Your website is one of the most important parts of this journey. It should clearly explain who you are, where you are based and what you offer. Parents should not have to search for basic information such as your location, age ranges, opening hours or how to get in touch.

A strong nursery school website should include:

• Nursery school location
• Age ranges cared for
• Opening hours
• Session options
• Clear photos of the setting
• Room information
• Parent testimonials
• Ofsted information, where relevant and current
• Clear enquiry buttons
• A simple way to book a visit or contact the nursery team

Focus on local SEO

Local SEO helps families nearby find your nursery online. When parents search “nursery near me” or “nursery in [your town]”, local SEO helps your setting show up.

Optimising for local SEO means keeping your Google Business Profile up to date, using local keywords on your website and making sure your contact details are consistent across online directories.

Be active on social media

Social media is a great way to build trust. It gives families a glimpse of what a day at your nursery is like for their child. You can share activity ideas, staff updates, parent tips, open day reminders and moments from nursery life.

These posts don’t have to be super polished or overcomplicated. Share authentic, simple, useful and consistent content that shows the personality of your setting.

Use email marketing to stay connected

Email marketing is probably one of the most underrated marketing channels for nurseries. It can help nursery schools stay connected with families who have already shown interest. For example, you could send open day invites, enquiry follow-ups, funding updates, newsletters or reminders to book a visit.

For more ideas, read our digital marketing guide for early years settings.

What print marketing strategies work for nursery schools?

Print marketing still works well for local nursery promotion, especially when it’s targeted, clear and connected to a wider nursery marketing plan. It can sit alongside digital activity and help reinforce your message in the local community.

For nursery schools, print materials can help build visibility in the local community. Parents may see a poster at a baby group, pick up a flyer in a café or take away a brochure after visiting your setting. These physical touchpoints can raise awareness and serve as a reminder for families to enquire later.

Here are a few family-focused spaces worth displaying your flyers and posters:

• Local libraries
• Family-friendly cafes
• Soft play centres
• Community boards
• Children’s centres
• Baby and toddler groups
• Local events
• Relevant local businesses, where appropriate

Make sure your print materials are simple and easy to act on. Here are a few things to include:

• Nursery school name
• Location
• Age ranges
• Key benefits
• Contact details
• Website
• QR code
• Open day details, where relevant
• A clear call to action

Adding parent testimonials or short review snippets to your print material can help build trust. A short quote from a happy parent can make your marketing collateral feel more personal and reassuring.

Referral cards are another useful option. Current parents can pass them on to friends, family members or local parent groups, helping your nursery school reach families through trusted recommendations.

Nursery brochures can be especially helpful for open days, tours and enquiry packs. They give parents something clear to take away and can help them remember what makes your nursery school different. If you’re creating or refreshing your print materials, you may also find our upcoming nursery brochure guide useful.

How can you promote a nursery school for free?

Free promotion can be a practical starting point if you don’t have the budget for marketing collateral or a fancy website. The best place to begin is with your existing families.

Happy parents can be powerful advocates for your nursery school, especially when they share their experiences through reviews, testimonials or word-of-mouth recommendations. It’s free marketing for your nursery, and it works well because it’s built around peer recommendation, local visibility, and community relationships.

You can encourage free promotion by asking happy parents to leave Google reviews or provide short testimonials for your website, brochures or social media. This helps prospective families see what others value about your setting.

Word-of-mouth referrals are also important. Parents often ask friends, family members and local groups for childcare recommendations. A strong parent experience can naturally lead to more conversations about your nursery school.

Social media can also support free promotion. Share useful early years ideas, simple home-learning activities, settling-in tips, staff updates and nursery reminders. These posts can help families see your expertise and understand your approach.

Where allowed, you can also share useful content in local parent groups. The key is to be helpful rather than overly promotional. For example, a post about preparing children for nursery, choosing childcare or supporting transitions may be more useful than a direct sales message.

Local partnerships can also help your nursery school reach more families. You could build relationships with:

• Libraries
• Baby groups
• Children’s centres
• Cafes
• Family activity providers
• Local schools
• Community organisations

Free downloadable resources can also be effective. A childcare checklist, settling-in guide, nursery visit questions sheet or funding reminder can give parents something genuinely useful while introducing them to your setting.

How can hosting an open day promote your nursery school?

An open day helps parents experience the setting before making a decision. It gives families the chance to meet staff, see the rooms, understand routines and ask questions. While websites, brochures and social media are all useful, many parents want to visit the nursery school in person before registering their child.

Open days build trust because parents can experience the setting’s atmosphere. They can see how practitioners interact with children, how rooms are set up and whether the nursery school feels safe, calm and welcoming.

A successful open day can turn interest into enquiries by helping parents feel more confident about the next step. It gives your team a chance to answer questions, explain your approach and show what makes your nursery school different.

To promote a nursery school open day, use a mix of channels, such as:

• Website updates
• Social media posts
• Email invites
• Parent sharing
• Local posters
• Flyers
• Google Business Profile updates
• Community group updates, where allowed

Open days work best when they are easy to book and easy to understand. Parents should know when the event is happening, who it is for, what they can expect and how to register their interest.

For more guidance, read our blog on planning a nursery open day.

Why do nursery schools need a marketing strategy?

Nursery schools need a marketing strategy to stay visible, communicate their value and support occupancy goals. It also helps connect your channels and maintain a consistent approach.

Random social posts or one-off flyers can help in the short term, but they are less effective than consistent, planned nursery marketing. A strategy helps your nursery school understand who you want to reach, what you want to say and which channels are most likely to drive enquiries.

A good nursery marketing strategy helps you attract the right families, keep messaging consistent, plan content in advance, and connect online and offline promotion. It should also help you:

• Track where enquiries come from
• Improve follow-up
• Support open days and occupancy goals

Marketing should not feel separate from the parent experience. Every touchpoint matters, from the first Google search to the first enquiry, tour, follow-up email and registration process.

A nursery marketing strategy should cover:

• Target audience
• Local competitors
• Key messages
• Marketing channels
• Budget
• Content plan
• Open day activity
• Review and referral approach
• Enquiry process
• Follow-up responsibilities

A clear strategy can also lead to more enquiries, but those enquiries need to be managed well. If parents enquire and do not receive a timely response, interest can quickly be lost.

This is where eyenquiries can support nursery schools. eyenquiries helps settings manage the enquiry pipeline from parent interest to enrolment, including visits, waitlists and registration. This helps teams stay organised, follow up consistently and give parents a smoother experience from their first enquiry onwards.

What are the best nursery marketing ideas to start with?

If you are just starting to promote your nursery school, focus on practical steps that make your setting easier to find, trust and contact. Use this checklist as a simple starting point.

You don’t need to do everything at once. Successful nursery marketing is consistent and trust-led. Start with the activities that make it easier for parents to discover your nursery school, understand your offer and take the next step.