Childcare Marketing in Perth: The Complete 2026 Guide

Perth is one of the most interesting childcare markets in Australia. It has been the country’s fastest-growing capital, its metropolitan population now exceeds 2.2 million, and much of that growth is landing in new estates along a metro area that stretches roughly 130 kilometres from Yanchep to Mandurah. Families arrive every week from the eastern states and overseas, the mining economy supports household budgets, and whole suburbs are being built around young children.

Growth alone does not fill places, though. A family settling into Alkimos behaves very differently from a professional couple in Nedlands, a FIFO household in Baldivis or a newly arrived family in Girrawheen. Perth is car-dependent and intensely local, and it runs on Google Maps, Facebook community groups and word of mouth. The centres that do well here segment their marketing by suburb and by family type instead of running one generic message across the metro area.

This guide brings together ChildCare Marketing’s Perth research in one place: the local market, each growth corridor, the family segments that matter in WA, the channels that turn searches into enrolments, and a 12-month local area marketing plan.

Contents

• Perth’s childcare market in 2026
• Perth region by region
• FIFO, mining and defence families
• Perth’s multicultural families
• How Perth parents choose a centre
• Google Business Profile
• Your website: local SEO and conversion
• Google Ads across Perth suburbs
• Facebook, Instagram and community groups
• Tours, open days and waitlists
• Filling vacancies quickly
• Email, word of mouth and referrals
• Local area marketing and your 12-month plan
• Frequently asked questions

Perth’s childcare market in 2026

Growth and interstate migration

Two forces drive Perth’s growth: a strong mining economy that supports family incomes and state infrastructure, and steady migration from Victoria and New South Wales. Families moving to WA usually choose childcare at the same time as schools, which makes them unusually open to new centres and well-targeted local marketing.

• Melburnians chasing affordability are drawn to new northern suburbs such as Alkimos and Yanchep.
• Sydneysiders escaping congestion often head to eastern growth areas such as Ellenbrook and Brabham.
• Mining professionals are concentrated in the north and east, usually in dual-income households.

Many of these families have no local network to ask. They research online, join suburb Facebook groups within days of settling, and rely heavily on reviews.

Dual-income households and Child Care Subsidy

WA’s birth rate has run above the national average, and dual-income households (driven by mining, healthcare and professional services) make up most working families. They want long day care with extended hours, and often before and after school care too. Families already in the system understand Child Care Subsidy (CCS) and look for centres that make it easy. Families from interstate or overseas are often less sure. Clear CCS explanations, transparent fees and worked out-of-pocket examples lift enquiry-to-tour conversion in every Perth suburb.

Where competition is tight and where it is not

Competition	Example suburbs	Implication
High	Subiaco, Nedlands, South Perth, Joondalup	Mature markets with premium and budget operators side by side. You need a clear point of difference.
Moderate	Fremantle, Rockingham, Mandurah	Room for niche positioning: nature-based, Montessori-inspired or shift-friendly care.
Lower	Yanchep, Eglinton, Lakelands and other outer estates	First-mover advantage for centres that build visibility before competitors arrive.

Outer growth areas often have only two to four operators per postcode, which makes Google’s local map results far more winnable. For the national context on why occupancy is softening even in growing markets, see five structural drivers behind Australia’s childcare occupancy decline.

Perth region by region

The most useful thing a Perth centre can do is understand exactly who lives in its catchment. Each of the five broad areas below calls for different messages, channels and budgets.

Area	Key suburbs	Typical families	Lead message
Northern corridor	Joondalup, Wanneroo, Clarkson, Alkimos, Eglinton, Yanchep	First-home buyers, interstate arrivals, mining professionals	Welcome to the area, places available close to home
Eastern suburbs and Hills	Ellenbrook, Brabham, The Vines, Midland, Guildford, Kalamunda, Mundaring	Growth-estate families, gentrifying professionals, nature-focused families	Availability in estates; philosophy and nature play in the Hills
South-east corridor	Byford, Mundijong, Armadale, Harrisdale, Piara Waters, Haynes	Younger first-home buyers and upgraders	Affordability, community, transparent fees
Southern suburbs and Peel	Rockingham, Baldivis, Secret Harbour, Golden Bay, Mandurah	First-home buyers, tradespeople, naval and FIFO families, grandparent carers	Value, reliability, flexibility around shifts and rosters
Inner city and western suburbs	Subiaco, Nedlands, Claremont, Cottesloe, South Perth, Como, Victoria Park, Fremantle	High-earning professionals, academics, creative families	Curriculum quality, small groups, philosophy, lifestyle

Northern corridor: Joondalup to Yanchep

The northern corridor runs from Joondalup through Wanneroo and Clarkson to Alkimos, Eglinton and Yanchep, and has more than 200,000 residents. Alkimos and Eglinton have been among Australia’s fastest-growing suburbs, and Yanchep is developing as a master-planned family community. Families are typically in their late 20s to late 30s, dual-income, buying their first home and often new to WA. They want care within 10 to 15 minutes of home and start looking almost as soon as they settle.

• Community groups carry the conversation. New-resident groups in Alkimos, Eglinton and Yanchep discuss childcare daily. An independent centre that spends a few hours a week answering questions can out-position national chains.
• Search intent is immediate. Searches like “childcare Alkimos” or “preschool Yanchep” come from families who need care now. Lead ads with a new-family welcome and “places available”, and point them at suburb pages covering commute, parking and settling in.
• Settlement is predictable. Land is released in stages and settlement can take 12 to 18 months. Information packs for real estate agents, developer sales teams and builders put you in front of families before they move in.
• Diversity is growing, including Indian, Filipino, Malaysian and South African families, so inclusive messaging and representative imagery matter.

Eastern suburbs and the Hills

Eastern Perth is really three markets.

Growth estates (Ellenbrook, Brabham, The Vines). Ellenbrook and Brabham rival the north for growth, with regular estate releases and new schools bringing young families of tradespeople, mining workers and office professionals. The Vines supports more premium positioning. Lead with availability and community, and show nature play and outdoor classrooms. Eastern families respond strongly to outdoor imagery.

Heritage suburbs (Midland, Guildford, Swan Valley). Relatively affordable period homes, river access and a growing café culture attract young professional couples and renovators who prioritise developmental outcomes. Curriculum, arts integration and community connection resonate.

The Hills (Kalamunda, Mundaring). Bushland living attracts affluent, nature-focused families who value Montessori, nature-based and forest school approaches and will drive 15 to 20 minutes for the right centre. Lead with philosophy rather than proximity.

Beechboro, Bassendean and Middle Swan have substantial Indian, Malaysian, Chinese and European communities with active parent networks. Multilingual staff, festival celebrations and an inclusive curriculum build loyalty.

South-east growth corridor: Byford, Mundijong and Armadale

Byford, Mundijong, Armadale, Harrisdale, Piara Waters and Haynes form one of the country’s fastest-growing residential areas, and the Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale consistently ranks among WA’s fastest-expanding local government areas. Families are generally younger first-home buyers or upgraders from rental, often with one to three pre-schoolers and household incomes indicatively of $100,000 to $180,000. Byford and Mundijong attract semi-rural lifestyle seekers; Armadale and Harrisdale suit urban-focused families seeking affordability.

• Campaign by suburb. Run separate Google and Facebook campaigns for Byford, Mundijong and Armadale with their own copy and landing pages, and measure cost per enrolment by suburb. Clicks on “childcare Armadale” have cost 30 to 50 per cent less than equivalent terms in Como, Subiaco or Nedlands, with intent just as high.
• Write for relocating families. Articles on school catchments and early learning pathways in Byford and Mundijong, playgroups for new Armadale families, or childcare costs for first-home buyers attract families six to twelve months before enrolment.
• Partner with property. Get into agents’ buyer welcome packs, offer a “new to [suburb]” pack with a virtual tour and CCS guide, and consider sponsoring estate events run by developers such as BGC or Satterley. Mortgage brokers who work with first-home buyers are another referral source.
• Nurture patiently. Relocating families often enrol three to six months after moving. A “moving checklist for south-east Perth families” captures emails early.

Southern suburbs and Peel: Rockingham to Mandurah

The southern corridor runs from Rockingham, Baldivis, Secret Harbour and Golden Bay to Mandurah and the Peel region. HMAS Stirling on Garden Island anchors local employment alongside FIFO and industrial work, and the culture is family-focused with strong community bonds.

Baldivis has become one of WA’s fastest-growing suburbs. House prices sit below the northern corridor, attracting first-home buyers and young tradespeople, with household incomes indicatively of $95,000 to $120,000. Value messaging works: subsidy transparency, flexible payments and quality without a premium price. Many searches include “affordable” or “budget”, so reflect that in your ads.

Rockingham is a secondary regional centre. Naval families value reliability, routine and easy base access, and often need extended hours for shift work. FIFO families need flexibility. Testimonials from defence and FIFO parents build trust quickly.

Mandurah needs two messages. Most families are young working households, including professionals who have moved from Perth for waterfront living and want progressive curricula, but a meaningful share of care involves grandparents looking after grandchildren two or three days a week. Use premium curriculum messaging on Instagram and Google Ads, and affordability and grandparent-friendly messaging in local Facebook groups.

Inner city and western suburbs

Subiaco, Nedlands, Claremont and Cottesloe are home to senior professionals, medical specialists, academics (UWA is in Nedlands) and established families, with incomes well above the metro average. They prioritise curriculum excellence, small groups and developmental rigour, and research extensively before touring.

South Perth, Como and Victoria Park attract dual-income professionals aged roughly 28 to 40, often with a first child, who value convenience near work as much as curriculum. Boutique sizing and a clear educational point of difference convert well.

Fremantle, White Gum Valley and Beaconsfield attract creative and alternative families who respond to Montessori, Waldorf, Reggio Emilia and nature-based approaches, sustainability, natural materials and community contribution.

Marketing here should be visual and lifestyle-led. Instagram usually beats Facebook for awareness: regular posts, twice-weekly Reels and daily Stories showing natural light, outdoor learning and small-group moments. Google Ads clicks cost more, but premium-ready families convert well, so cost per enrolment can still be competitive. Target philosophy-led searches such as “Montessori Subiaco” and use landing pages with real pedagogical detail and staff credentials. The most sought-after centres in Osborne Park, Scarborough, Leederville, South Perth and Como can carry waitlists of six to twelve months or more, which shifts the job to waitlist management.

FIFO, mining and defence families

Around 60,000 Perth residents work fly-in fly-out rosters, mainly in the Pilbara, the Goldfields and offshore oil and gas. Add the naval families around HMAS Stirling and you have a large, high-value segment with specific needs.

Rosters such as two weeks on and one off, two on and two off, or offshore rotations like two on and four off leave the at-home parent as a sole carer for weeks at a time, often while working part-time and unable to call on a partner for an emergency pick-up. Mining household incomes often range from $150,000 to $300,000 or more, so these families are less price-sensitive than most but very sensitive to reliability, communication and flexibility. They concentrate in Baldivis (near the Kwinana industrial area), Ellenbrook and Alkimos in particular, with others in Joondalup, Wanneroo and the outer south-east.

• Peace of mind on roster weeks: daily updates, photos and video for the parent who is away, and clear emergency procedures.
• Flexibility: booking patterns that can change with the roster, casual days and school holiday packages. If the answer to “can we change our days each roster?” is yes, make it prominent.
• Proof: a dedicated FIFO landing page, a simple visual guide to booking options, and testimonials from FIFO parents.
• Reach: contribute helpfully in FIFO family groups, target Meta ads using mining, FIFO, oil and gas and construction interests in your postcodes, and approach HR and Employee Assistance Program teams at employers such as BHP, Rio Tinto, Fortescue and Woodside about relocation resources, family days or a lunch-and-learn.

FIFO families often take three to six months to decide, and the community is small, so reputation and peer recommendation drive most conversions.

Perth’s multicultural families

Perth is one of Australia’s most multicultural cities, and communities tend to cluster in particular suburbs with their own networks and priorities. Treat this map as a starting point to test, not a rule.

Community	Notable concentrations	Common priorities
Indian	Balga, Girrawheen, Mirrabooka, Joondalup, Wanneroo	Academic strength, structure, school readiness
Filipino	Rockingham, Kwinana, Joondalup, Mandurah	Warm, family-like care
South African	Scarborough, City Beach, Yokine, Balcatta, increasingly the north and east	Familiar educational standards
Chinese	Dianella, Yokine, Balcatta, Morley, Applecross	Educational outcomes, early literacy
African (including Somali, Sudanese, Ethiopian)	Girrawheen, Koondoola, Balga	Safety, clear communication, a welcoming environment

• Translate the essentials properly: homepage overview, curriculum, fees and CCS, enrolment steps and forms, using native-speaking translators rather than machine translation.
• Explain the system visually: simple infographics on CCS, fees and enrolment remove a major barrier for newly arrived families.
• Show your community: multilingual staff, real families in your imagery and testimonials from each community.
• Go where trust lives: temples, churches, cultural associations, community newsletters, festivals and settlement services, with information sessions on childcare and school readiness.
• Plan culturally aware content around occasions such as Diwali and Lunar New Year, and have native speakers handle community group conversations where possible.

How Perth parents choose a centre

Most Perth parents start on Google, searching “childcare near me”, “[suburb] childcare” or “affordable childcare WA”. Next come word of mouth and local Facebook groups, where parents ask publicly for recommendations before contacting anyone. For broader principles, see our guide to marketing your centre to local Australian parents.

What Perth parents look for:

• Outdoor space: shade, nature play, water play and daily outdoor time come up more often in Perth than in other cities. It is your strongest asset in every channel.
• Educator qualifications and ratios, especially for families who have just relocated.
• Fee transparency: out-of-pocket cost after CCS, gap fees and sibling discounts. Include a fee breakdown in every enquiry response.
• Genuine sibling priority and flexible options such as part-time and casual days.
• A relaxed, honest tour. WA’s laid-back culture punishes high-pressure selling.

Once actively looking, many Perth families decide within three to four weeks: research in week one, tours of you and a competitor in week two, a decision in week three. It often goes to the centre that responded fastest and felt most welcoming. Reply to web enquiries within two business hours and offer a tour within 24 hours. For interstate and overseas families, a one-page CCS guide with worked examples, plus a personalised estimate in your enrolment pack, is an easy differentiator. A two-step enquiry (short online form, then a friendly call) suits parents who want to start without pressure, and connecting it to your CRM automates confirmations and reminders.

Google Business Profile

Perth is car-dependent. Parents search on their phones between home, work and school, and your Google Business Profile is what they see first in Maps and Search. For most centres it is the single most important marketing asset. Our standing guide explains why every centre needs a Google Business Profile in 2026. Applied locally:

• Complete every field: your legal name with no keyword stuffing, an address and phone that match your website and directories exactly, a primary category of child care centre or preschool, hours including holiday variations, age groups, and a 750 to 1,000 character description covering your philosophy, outdoor program and suburb.
• Photos: aim for 25 to 35 covering outdoor spaces, nature areas, rooms, educators with children (with consent), meals, events and your entrance. Add new photos at least monthly, and weekly in competitive growth areas. Shoot modest outdoor spaces in early morning or golden-hour light.
• Reviews: ask after positive moments such as a successful first day, with a direct link and a personal note. Never ask in bulk or during a complaint. Reply to every review within 24 hours, and take negative conversations offline.
• Posts: announce vacancies, open days, term dates and outdoor learning highlights, each with one call to action. Post more often in peak enrolment months.
• Q&A: answer questions within 24 hours. If many are about fees or outdoor play, address those in your description.

Google ranks map results on proximity, relevance and prominence. You cannot move your centre, but you can control relevance through a complete, accurate profile and prominence through recent reviews, consistent details across the web, and fresh photos and posts. In outer suburbs with two to four competitors per postcode, the top three is realistic.

Your website: local SEO and conversion

What parents expect

Most parents research on their phones, often during school runs. Your site needs to load quickly on mobile (under three seconds is a sensible target) and be full of real photos of outdoor spaces and educators. A short video tour beats text. Lead with outdoor learning, educator qualifications and transparent fees. Essential pages are a homepage with a prominent “Book a tour” button, philosophy, a page for each room or age group with routines and educator names, fees and CCS with worked examples and a link to Services Australia, a short enrolment form, contact details with a map and parking information, and a gallery refreshed with the seasons.

Suburb pages and content

Parents search by suburb, not “Perth childcare”. Create a page for each suburb you genuinely serve (for example Applecross, Melville and Booragoon for a centre in the southern river suburbs). Give each one a title like “Childcare in [Suburb] | [Centre name]” under 60 characters, a meta description under 155 characters, a clear H1, and 1,000 to 1,500 words of genuinely local content on access, nearby schools and your program. Add LocalBusiness and FAQ schema. Publish at least one useful article a month, for example on what childcare costs in Perth after CCS, outdoor play spaces near your suburb, or getting ready for kindy and pre-primary in WA, and use Google Search Console to see which questions already bring parents to your site.

Links, technical basics and conversion

Earn links from relevant Perth sites: chambers of commerce, community directories, parenting blogs, early learning associations and local media. Make sure the site uses HTTPS, has an XML sitemap, passes Core Web Vitals, has thumb-friendly buttons and avoids intrusive mobile pop-ups. Google indexes the mobile version first. Let families self-book tours around the clock with a scheduling tool, then automate a confirmation with directions and parking, a reminder introducing the educators, and a thank-you with fee information within two hours of the tour. Track tour bookings and enquiries as conversions in Google Analytics 4. WordPress gives the most SEO control; Squarespace and Wix suit many single-centre operators. What matters most is mobile speed, easy photo and vacancy updates, and the ability to build suburb pages.

Google Ads across Perth suburbs

Google Ads puts you in front of families at the moment they search. Our guide on using Google Ads for childcare enrolment covers the fundamentals. For Perth:

• Keywords: “[suburb] childcare”, “[suburb] daycare”, “[suburb] early learning”, “best” and “affordable” variants, and vacancy terms like “childcare vacancies [suburb]”. Exclude low-intent research and job-seeker terms. Check volumes for your top five to eight suburbs in Keyword Planner.
• Structure: group campaigns by suburb cluster (for example Joondalup with Wanneroo, or Fremantle with South Fremantle), and add a remarketing campaign with higher bids for past visitors and a branded campaign to protect your name.
• Calls: most searches are on mobile, so add call assets to every ad and make sure someone answers. A missed call is often a lost enrolment.

Area	Indicative cost per click
Inner and western suburbs (Subiaco, Nedlands, Cottesloe, Fremantle)	From about $6–$10, higher for competitive premium terms
Northern growth suburbs (Alkimos, Eglinton)	About $4–$7
Mid-ring and eastern suburbs (Midland, Belmont, South Perth, Ellenbrook, Kalamunda)	About $3.50–$7
Southern and outer suburbs (Baldivis, Rockingham, Thornlie, Gosnells, Armadale)	About $2–$5

These ranges are indicative; check them in Keyword Planner before you build. Many Perth centres spend about $25–$30 a day to test one suburb, $35–$45 a day across two or three, and $50–$60 a day for multi-suburb campaigns once conversion data justifies it. Start small for four to eight weeks and judge results on cost per tour and cost per enrolment. Increase spend in January–February and in the push for next year’s enrolments from August and especially October–November. Scale back in school holidays and late December unless you have a live vacancy to fill.

Facebook, Instagram and community groups

Meta channels build familiarity before a family is ready to search, and they carry the community conversation that drives word of mouth. See also our guide to social media marketing for childcare centres.

Platforms and content

Facebook is still the main platform for Perth parents, and its suburb groups are where recommendations happen. Instagram is strong with younger parents and in premium inner suburbs. TikTok helps with awareness and educator recruitment. Build your content on Perth’s outdoor culture: nature play, WA wildlife and environmental learning, sun safety and water play, and your outdoor spaces through the seasons. Use real photos (with consent), because Perth parents spot stock imagery immediately. A workable rhythm is a strong photo most days, two or three short Reels a week, carousels for tours and tips, and Stories for behind-the-scenes moments.

Community groups: contribute, do not spam

Follow each group’s rules, since many ban business posts. Answer parents’ questions helpfully in the comments, keep direct posts to about one per group per month, and build relationships with admins. The most powerful post in any group is a genuine recommendation from one of your parents.

Meta ads

• Targeting: suburbs within your 8 to 12km catchment, with a separate ad set per suburb or cluster; parents of young children, with an age range wide enough to include grandparents; life events such as recently moved (powerful in growth corridors), expecting parents and new parents.
• Creative: 15 to 30 second Reels of outdoor play and a day in the room, carousels of three to five images, and genuine parent testimonials, refreshed with the seasons. Avoid indoor-focused messaging that undersells Perth’s outdoor lifestyle.
• Budget: roughly $20–$30 a day for a single suburb, $35–$50 for two or three, and up to around $60 for networks, split about 70 per cent to new audiences and 30 per cent to retargeting.
• Retargeting and lead forms: retarget site visitors, video viewers and abandoned lead forms with different creative from the first ad they saw. Native lead forms work well, but only if someone follows up within two hours.

Measure enquiries and tours from social, not just reach and likes.

Tours, open days and waitlists

A Perth-style tour

Start with a cuppa and ten minutes of conversation about the family. Walk the outdoor space first, let educators tell stories about children’s learning, and answer hard questions about turnover, ratios and fees honestly. Send families home with a fee schedule, CCS examples, the enrolment timeline and your sibling policy. Then follow up: a thank-you with photos within two hours, a “day in the life” video from their room on day three, a friendly call around day seven, and alternative start dates at the same rate if their first choice is full.

Open days

Perth’s summer heat suppresses attendance, so avoid December to February. March–April and October–November are the most comfortable times and line up with enrolment decisions. Weekday afternoons (around 3 to 5pm) suit working parents, and Saturday mornings suit everyone else. Create a Facebook event two to three weeks out with targeted ads, add the event to your Google Business Profile, and give waitlisted families early access. On the day, greet every family, capture contact details, child ages and start dates, run scripted tours of your strengths, have fee and CCS information ready, and offer private tour bookings on the spot. Waitlisted families deserve VIP treatment. Follow up within 24 hours, segmenting engaged families, browsers and no-shows.

Building and nurturing a waitlist

Families often start researching six to twelve months before they need care. Have a dedicated waitlist page that explains the process and typical waits, keep the form short (name, email, child’s date of birth, preferred start), and add a waitlist link to your Google profile, social channels and email signature. A lead magnet such as a guide to choosing quality childcare helps. Segment by age group, start date and source. Send a welcome series of about three emails over two weeks, then fortnightly or monthly updates, and a targeted alert when a matching place opens.

Filling vacancies quickly

January is the biggest turnover month in Perth as children move to school and families reorganise, and there is a secondary peak around May–June. Run campaigns in October–November and again in April so you fill places before they open. Work out your own annual turnover (departures divided by average enrolments) to size your marketing.

1. Day of the departure notice: Google Business Profile post with the room, start date and a call-now link; switch on or increase vacancy-focused Google Ads; email waitlisted families for that age group.
2. Next business morning: boost a vacancy post to parents within about 5km; email lapsed enquiries; tell your local family service contacts.
3. Days three to four: increase Meta spend, and share a helpful community post where group rules allow.
4. Day five onwards: review the offer with trial days, flexible patterns or a short-term incentive. If places regularly sit empty beyond two weeks, look at positioning, pricing and how you present online.

Lapsed enquiries are valuable because many were told “no places available”, and reactivating them costs far less than finding new leads. Local family resource centres, council family services and Department of Communities programs also refer families, so keep them supplied with a current fact sheet. To prevent vacancies, offer genuine sibling priority and discounts, check in personally at milestones such as turning three or starting school, provide flexible options so families reduce days rather than leave, and keep communication warm with weekly room updates. An empty place loses a full day’s fee every day, so a few hundred dollars of rapid-fill marketing is almost always justified.

Email, word of mouth and referrals

Despite the sprawl, Perth suburbs behave like villages. Parents cluster in playgroups, P&C associations, kindy committees, WhatsApp groups and neighbourhood networks, and a trusted neighbour’s recommendation usually decides the final choice. Advertising builds awareness, but word of mouth is what closes enrolments.

• Referral program: reward both the referring and the new family, scaled to your margins. Non-cash rewards such as sibling priority, guaranteed holiday program places or a fee hold during leave also work. Make sharing easy with cards or links, promote the program in enrolment packs and newsletters, and always ask “How did you hear about us?”
• Reviews: each month, ask families who have been enrolled for a few months and are happy for a Google or Facebook review. Feature the best quotes on your website and in your newsletters.
• Welcome sequence: a director’s welcome on day one, a settling-in check after the first day, photos and observations in week two, and a feedback request in week four.
• Monthly newsletters: centre news, learning highlights, parenting resources, family stories (with permission) and a referral call to action. Keep them visual and short.
• Enquiry nurture: sequences that explain your curriculum, CCS and fees, introduce educators and share testimonials. Segment by suburb, child age and start date.
• Vacancy announcements: segmented by age group and sent to waitlisted and past enquirers. Families who enquired months ago may now be ready.
• NPS surveys: a quarterly “How likely are you to recommend us?” identifies promoters (scores of 9 to 10) to invite to refer, and lets you follow up personally with unhappy families before they leave.
• Schools and P&Cs: sponsor fetes, offer talks on school transition, ask to be included on recommended-services lists, and build relationships with kindy and pre-primary teachers.

Local area marketing and your 12-month plan

Define your real catchment

Most Perth parents look within about 8km of home or work. That is the practical maximum in established inner suburbs. In middle suburbs 10 to 12km is realistic, and in outer areas like Baldivis and Rockingham families may travel 12 to 15km along major routes. Most Perth families work fairly close to home, so position on convenience near home, not “on your way to the CBD”. If you sit on the Mitchell Freeway, Kwinana Freeway or Great Eastern Highway, say so in your ads and profile. Record enrolment postcodes for six months to map where families really come from, and for your five nearest suburbs track competitors’ ratings, review counts, Facebook activity, pricing and keywords.

Offline presence still matters. Sponsor school fetes and community events, attend playgroups and early learning expos, and run letterbox drops within your catchment, weighted towards streets near employment hubs such as Joondalup Business Park, Midland, Rockingham and Fremantle. Use a unique QR code for each suburb so you can measure the response.

A 12-month Perth calendar

Period	What is happening	Marketing focus
January–March	Peak turnover and the main enrolment window; WA schools return in early February	Highest spend: vacancy posts, suburb Google Ads, outdoor-space carousels, email to waitlists and recent enquirers, autumn open day
April–June	Mid-year planning and a secondary turnover peak	Pre-emptive campaigns in April, Mother’s Day content, nurture for warm leads, mid-year placement keywords
July–September	School holidays, then planning for next year	Lighter paid spend; holiday program content, Reels and awareness, school-readiness content
October–December	Final enrolment push for next year	Peak Google Ads, retargeting, whole-list email, spring open day; December on retention and priming January

Plan the year’s budget in November, weight it towards the first quarter and the October–November push, and adjust for your own vacancy history. Reconciliation Week, NAIDOC Week and school holiday programs make natural content anchors.

Channel mix, budget and KPIs

A reasonable starting split is about 35 per cent Google Ads, 30 per cent Facebook and Instagram, 25 per cent SEO and Google Business Profile, and 10 per cent community and email.

Centre size	Indicative monthly spend	Emphasis
Small (20–40 children)	$200–$700	Google Business Profile and Facebook, minimal paid search
Medium (40–80 children)	$700–$1,400	Balanced across Google, Meta and content
Large metro (80+ children)	$1,400–$2,500	Full mix including video, SEO and community

Review these each month in a simple Google Sheets or Looker Studio dashboard: enquiries and tours by source and suburb, tour-to-enrolment conversion (if it is low, fix the tour and follow-up before buying more ads), cost per tour and per enrolment, email open and click rates, review count and rating, and how many days places sit empty.

Frequently asked questions