How to Create a Marketing Strategy That Attracts More Nursery Enrolments

In a competitive and fast-changing early years landscape, nurseries cannot rely on reputation alone. Birth-rate decline, shifting working patterns, new providers entering the market, and increased expectations from parents mean that every setting now needs a clear, evidence-based way of attracting families. A strong marketing strategy for nurseries is no longer a “nice to have” – it is fundamental to sustainability.

Yet many nurseries still rely on intuition, traditional habits, or outdated assumptions about what parents want and how they make decisions. Others invest sporadically in advertising without understanding their market, their positioning, or the long-term return on investment.

The nurseries that thrive, even in challenging demographic conditions, are those that understand one thing above all:

Successful marketing is a data-led strategic process, not a collection of tactics.

At MTM Consulting, we support nurseries across the UK to build sustainable enrolment by combining demographic analysis, market demand evaluation, competitor mapping, and behavioural insight. This article outlines how to create a marketing strategy for nurseries that not only reaches more families but converts more of them into long-term enrolments.

1. Start With the Data: Understand Your Market and Its Demographics

Every effective marketing strategy for nurseries begins with a simple question:

Who are the families in your market and how many of them are there?

Many nurseries base their decisions on assumptions such as:

• “There are lots of young families moving into the area.”
• “Parents here prefer private nurseries.”
• “We’re the only high-quality nursery nearby.”
• “Demand will pick up once the new housing estate is complete.”

These assumptions feel true but can be dangerously misleading.

Demographic Insight Is Non-Negotiable

A robust strategy must be rooted in evidence. Accurate demographic analysis allows you to understand:

• the number of 0–4-year-olds in your catchment
• population growth or decline
• the income profiles of local families
• the proportion of working parents
• the likelihood of take-up for funded hours
• the areas with the highest concentrations of your ideal families
• future shifts that will affect long-term sustainability

When nurseries skip this step, they risk overestimating their potential market or missing opportunities in nearby areas they had never considered.

Catchment Matters More Than You Think

Your catchment is not just a radius on a map. It is shaped by:

• travel-to-work routes
• car ownership
• public transport
• housing developments
• competition
• parent lifestyle preferences

MTM Consulting’s market-modelling work often shows that nurseries misjudge their catchment by several miles, either too narrow or too broad. Understanding your true footprint is essential if you want to target the right families, in the right places, with the right messages.

2. Identify What Parents Value Most — Not What You Think They Value

A common challenge for nurseries is the belief that “parents value everything equally”: quality of care, staff, facilities, curriculum, outdoor space, communication, and so on.

But MTM’s research shows this is not the case. Parents often weigh a few key factors much more heavily and these differ between demographic groups.  If you would like to learn more about the values that different demographic groups respond to, please download our MTM Nursery Persona Information Pack using the form below:

This is where data-led insight matters. Through structured parent surveys, competitor mapping, and attitudinal segmentation, you can answer:

• What are the top decision-making criteria for parents in your area?
• What are the deal-breakers that prevent families enquiring or enrolling?
• What emotional reassurance are families looking for?
• How do different groups of parents perceive your provision?
• Which strengths genuinely set you apart — and which are hygiene factors?

This insight becomes the strategic foundation of your messaging.

Crafting a Value Proposition That Resonates

Every nursery needs a clear value proposition, a precise articulation of:

“Why families should choose us instead of another local provider.”

A strong value proposition is:

• rooted in your market data
• aligned with what parents actually care about
• distinct from competitors
• emotionally compelling
• easy to explain and repeat

For example:

Weak: “We offer high-quality childcare in a safe, friendly environment.”
(This could apply to any nursery in the country.)

Strong: “We specialise in nature-led early learning with daily outdoor exploration, small group ratios, and a personalised key-worker approach — ideal for parents wanting consistent, nurturing care that prioritises their child’s confidence and curiosity.”

Your value proposition becomes the backbone of your marketing strategy for nurseries — guiding every message, every advert, every webpage, every tour, and every parent interaction.

3. Align Your Capacity, Pricing and Offer With Market Reality

A surprising number of nurseries create marketing strategies without considering one crucial element: capacity and financial modelling.

But your ability to attract more families depends on:

• whether your local market can sustain your FTE targets
• whether your pricing aligns with your demographic segments
• whether funded offer structures match parent demand
• whether session patterns fit modern working patterns
• whether you are communicating the right elements of your offer at the right time

For example, a nursery in an area with predominantly part-time working parents may struggle to fill full-day sessions.

A nursery in a younger urban area may see higher demand for extended hours and wraparound care.

A nursery positioned in an affluent commuter belt may benefit from a premium offer aligned with lifestyle expectations.

Data removes the guesswork.

4. Your Website Is Now Your Most Important Marketing Tool

Before a parent ever calls you, books a tour, or sees your setting, they visit your website.

If your website fails, your enrolment pipeline suffers — no matter how strong your provision is.

An effective marketing strategy for nurseries requires a website that is:

Clear

Parents should immediately understand:

• who you are
• what you offer
• what sets you apart
• how to enquire

Human

Parents want to see:

• mages of staff and children (used sensitively)
• testimonials from other parents
• your values in action

Structured for Conversion

This includes:

• clear calls-to-action
• simple enquiry forms
• tour-booking options
• live chat or quick contact buttons

Optimised for SEO

This is essential for reaching families who do not yet know your name. Search queries like:

• “nurseries near me”
• “best nursery in [town]”
• “private nursery places [region]”
• “[town] childcare options”

drive significant traffic. Optimising your website ensures you appear where parents are looking.

5. Content Marketing: The Secret to Building Trust at Scale

Parents do not choose a nursery instantly. They need reassurance, familiarity and credibility. Content marketing — blogs, videos, guides, parent stories — nurtures families over time.

Content should be driven by your insight into what your market cares about.

Examples include:

• “How to prepare your child for nursery: a parent guide”
• “What high-quality early years education really looks like”
• “The role of outdoor learning in early childhood development”
• “Understanding the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)”
• “The emotional journey of starting nursery: what parents need to know”

Search engines reward valuable, helpful content — and so do parents.

6. Paid Digital Advertising: Highly Targeted, Highly Measurable

Google Ads, Facebook/Instagram campaigns, YouTube pre-roll and localised display ads can be powerful if used strategically.

The key is targeting.

With the right demographic insight, digital campaigns can pinpoint:

• specific postcode areas
• households with young children
• lifestyle segments aligned with your offer
• families using childcare search terms
• parents within commuting distance

This is where demographic modelling from MTM, in conjunction with partners Lykke Digital,  gives nurseries a competitive edge. Instead of broad campaigns, you invest in the exact audiences most likely to convert.

7. The Enquiry Journey Matters More Than You Think

You can have the best marketing strategy, but if your enquiry process is slow or inconsistent, conversions will suffer.

Parents expect fast, warm, personalised responses. A strong process includes:

• enquiry acknowledgement within minutes
• clear next steps
• tour options offered promptly
• automated follow-up that feels personal
• timely reminders
• consistent tone and messaging
• seamless handover from marketing to the nursery manager

Every touchpoint shapes trust and trust drives enrolment.

8. The Tour: Where Decisions Are Made

Marketing gets parents to the door. The tour converts them.

A great tour is not about showing parents “everything.” It is about reinforcing your value proposition.

This includes:

• staff who are confident in articulating your USP
• clarity around curriculum, care, routines and communication
• a warm welcome
• evidence of children engaged and thriving
• opportunities for parents to ask questions
• reinforcing emotional reassurance at every stage

Tours should be structured, intentional and aligned with your marketing messages, not improvised.

9. Measure, Refine, Improve: Data Creates Better Decisions

Strong nursery marketing is cyclical. You should continually track:

• website traffic
• conversion rates
• enquiry channels
• demographic trends
• competitor behaviour
• tour-to-enrolment ratios
• retention and churn
• parent satisfaction
• lifetime value

This is how you shift from reactive marketing to strategic enrolment management.

And it is how the most successful nurseries stay ahead even when demographics are shifting around them.

Conclusion: Data Is the Foundation of Every Successful Nursery Marketing Strategy

A strong marketing strategy for nurseries is not built on guesswork. It is built on:

• demographic insight
• market understanding
• accurate catchment mapping
• clear value proposition
• a strategic digital presence
• an optimised enquiry journey
• consistent parent experience
• ongoing measurement

When nurseries combine these elements, recruitment becomes predictable, sustainable and aligned with long-term financial health.

This is the approach MTM Consulting brings to nurseries across the UK, helping leaders see their true market, understand their families and make confident decisions that strengthen enrolment year after year.

FAQs: Marketing Strategy for Nurseries

1. What is the most important element of a marketing strategy for nurseries?

Demographic insight. Without understanding your true market, every marketing decision becomes guesswork. Accurate data informs messaging, pricing, capacity planning and targeting.

2. How far should a nursery’s catchment area extend?

It depends on local travel patterns, demographics and competition. Many nurseries either overestimate or underestimate their catchment. Market modelling provides clarity.

3. How can nurseries stand out in competitive areas?

By articulating a clear, evidence-led value proposition rooted in what parents actually care about — not generic statements about “high-quality care.”

4. Do digital ads work for nurseries?

Yes — especially when demographic data is used to target specific households and postcodes. This prevents wasted spend and drives higher-quality enquiries.

5. How often should a nursery update its marketing strategy?

At least annually, with regular reviews of demographic changes, enquiry trends and competitor activity. Marketing is not static, it must evolve with the market.