Childcare marketing in Tasmania: the complete 2026 guide

Tasmania is not a smaller version of Sydney or Melbourne. It is a different childcare market with its own rules. The population is just over half a million, most families live in or around Hobart and Launceston, and the rest are spread across the North-West coast, the Huon, the East Coast and the West Coast. Reputation travels fast, Facebook groups carry enormous weight, and many centres still rely on word of mouth and a passive online presence. That is exactly why a centre that markets deliberately can stand out quickly here.

This guide brings together everything we have published on marketing childcare centres in Tasmania. It covers the local market and the families you are trying to reach, the sub-markets from Kingston to Burnie, and the channels that fill rooms: Google Business Profile, local SEO, Google Ads, Facebook and Instagram, community groups, open days, email, waitlists and referrals. It finishes with a local area marketing playbook and answers to the questions Tasmanian centre owners ask us most.

The figures here (cost-per-click ranges, budgets, review targets) are indicative starting points from our work in the state, not guarantees. Use them to plan, then let your own enquiry and enrolment data take over.

Contents

• The Tasmanian childcare market in 2026
• Who you are marketing to
• Hobart sub-markets: north, east, south and inner city
• Launceston and the Tamar
• Devonport, Burnie and the North-West
• Regional and rural Tasmania
• How Tasmanian parents choose a centre
• Google Business Profile
• Local SEO and your website
• Google Ads
• Facebook and Instagram advertising
• Facebook community groups
• A year of social media content
• Open days and tours
• Email, SMS and phone follow-up
• Word of mouth, referrals and reviews
• Waitlists and filling vacancies
• The Tasmanian local area marketing playbook
• Frequently asked questions

The Tasmanian childcare market in 2026

Tasmania is Australia’s smallest state by population, and childcare demand is concentrated in two cities: greater Hobart (around 240,000 people) and Launceston (around 110,000). Devonport, Burnie, Ulverstone and the smaller towns are secondary markets with very different dynamics.

Interstate migration has changed demand

The post-COVID sea-change brought a wave of arrivals. Tasmanians who left are coming home, and families from Victoria and New South Wales are relocating for lifestyle, housing affordability and space. Many are aged 25 to 45, some keep mainland jobs and work remotely, and they tend to expect high standards and respond to sustainability, outdoor learning and community values. They are also urgent shoppers: newcomers often choose care within weeks of arriving and have no local network to ask.

Fewer competitors, less marketing sophistication

Compared with Melbourne or Brisbane, relatively few Tasmanian centres market consistently online, so a well-optimised Google Business Profile, a clear website and a modest, well-run ad budget can deliver outsized returns. You will still compete with long-established not-for-profit and community services, government-supported services and, in regional towns, Family Day Care, some with lower fees. Differentiation matters more than price, and competition is rising as national providers expand, so the time to establish your position is now.

Where demand is tightest

Pressure is most visible in infant rooms (0 to 2 years), where waitlists are common, and in the years before school, when kinder and preschool places fill quickly. Outside school hours care in partnership with schools, and extended or flexible hours, are gaps in several areas. For the national context, see the five structural drivers behind Australia’s childcare occupancy decline.

Climate, buildings and the outdoors

Tasmania’s cooler climate makes undercover play areas, weatherproofed outdoor spaces and warm indoor rooms genuine selling points. Many Hobart and Launceston centres operate in heritage or converted buildings; position that as character and community roots, not a weakness. Parents also put a high value on nature-based learning, so bush walks, creek play, gardens and farm visits are differentiators mainland centres cannot easily copy.

Who you are marketing to

Generic messaging underperforms in Tasmania because the family segments are so distinct. Most centres draw from two or three of these groups; write for yours specifically.

• Relocating interstate families. Respond to testimonials from families who have already moved, clear CCS and enrolment information, and local area content. A “Moving to Hobart (or Launceston)? Your childcare guide” page is a strong asset.
• Public servants. Hobart is the government hub and Launceston has a sizeable state and federal workforce. They value reliability, governance and accreditation, and commit long term once enrolled.
• Healthcare and shift workers. Royal Hobart Hospital and the wider health system employ staff on rotating shifts who need early starts, late finishes and flexible bookings.
• University families. UTAS brings students, researchers and academics to Sandy Bay in Hobart and Newnham in Launceston. Postgraduate families need affordable, flexible care; academics respond to research-informed practice and educator qualifications.
• Creative, hospitality and tourism workers. Hobart’s arts sector, Tamar Valley wine and cellar door staff, Bruny Island ferry and tourism workers around Kettering, and East Coast towns such as St Helens and Bicheno all involve irregular or seasonal hours.
• Agricultural families. Huon apple and cherry growing and dairying around Wynyard and Smithton create seasonal peaks. Show you understand harvest and milking seasons.
• Multicultural and humanitarian-entrant families. Glenorchy and Moonah have growing communities, including Bhutanese and Somali families. Inclusion, multilingual staff, translated forms, culturally appropriate menus and partnerships with settlement services matter, and one satisfied family can become an ambassador to many.
• Cost-conscious local families. Tasmania’s median household income trails the national average. A plain explanation of the Child Care Subsidy, a clear daily gap fee and fortnightly or monthly payment options remove a major barrier.

Hobart sub-markets: north, east, south and inner city

Greater Hobart is compact, and most families choose care within a 10 to 15 minute drive of home or along their commute. Define your natural catchment (often around 8 km) and concentrate your marketing there. Commuter flow runs along the Southern Outlet and the Elizabeth Street and northern corridors, so centres near these routes should market drop-off convenience (“minutes from the Southern Outlet”); centres off the main routes can emphasise walkability or easy parking.

Area	Typical families	What to lead with
Glenorchy and Moonah (7010 and surrounds)	Working families, multicultural communities, social and affordable housing	Inclusion, affordability, CCS support, multilingual staff
New Town and Lenah Valley	Young professionals in a gentrifying heritage inner north	Play-based pedagogy, outdoor learning, qualifications
Eastern Shore: Rosny, Howrah, Lindisfarne, Clarence	Stable, middle-income families settling long term	Consistency, safety, school links
Rokeby and Midway Point	First-home buyers in new estates with limited childcare	Convenience, quick enrolment, flexible start dates
Kingston and the Channel (7050)	Young families, many interstate arrivals	Convenience, modern facilities, simple enrolment
Sandy Bay and Battery Point (7005)	Established professionals and academics	Educational quality, ratios, progress reporting
Huon Valley, Margate, Snug, Kettering, South Arm, Lauderdale	Lifestyle families, sea-changers, tourism and farm workers	Nature-based learning, flexibility, personal relationships

Northern suburbs

In Glenorchy and Moonah, advertise CCS eligibility prominently, offer translated materials, host playgroups and cultural celebrations, and build relationships with community leaders and settlement agencies. Facebook is the main digital channel for many families here. In New Town and Lenah Valley, families research extensively and expect transparency about learning philosophy and qualifications; high-quality photos of outdoor play perform well on Instagram and Facebook.

Eastern Shore

Rosny, Howrah, Lindisfarne and Clarence respond to consistency and community partnerships. Further out, Rokeby and Midway Point are growing quickly with new estates. Families there search urgently in their first weeks, so suburb-specific Google Ads (“childcare Rokeby”), new-resident Facebook groups, welcome packs and flexible first-month arrangements work well. Lift spend around the new year and school holidays, when families tend to move.

Kingston and the Channel

Kingston is the centre of Hobart’s southern growth, with young families, many from interstate, buying along the Channel Highway corridor. They decide quickly and are often decision-fatigued after a move, so keep enrolment simple and start dates flexible. Be visible in Kingston and Kingborough Facebook groups, partner with primary schools on transition programmes, sponsor playgroups, and run open days and playgroup sessions.

Sandy Bay and Battery Point

Hobart’s most affluent inner suburbs call for quality positioning: educator qualifications and development, ratios, learning outcomes, progress reporting, and polished photography and website design. Parents here research thoroughly before they enquire.

Huon Valley and the rural south

Huonville and the Huon attract lifestyle families and sea-changers; Margate, Snug and Kettering have tourism and hospitality workers on irregular hours; South Arm and Lauderdale are established peninsula communities. Relationships outweigh digital advertising here: attend community events, partner with schools and halls, offer short-notice bookings, and highlight nature programmes, farm visits and sustainability.

Launceston and the Tamar

Launceston (around 110,000 people) has grown more steadily than Hobart, and its digital landscape is less crowded. The economy has shifted from manufacturing towards services, government, healthcare, hospitality and tourism, and dual-income families are common. Families tend to value stability and genuine community connection over trendy messaging, and are loyal once satisfied. A cultural revival around the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (QVMAG), Cataract Gorge and the food scene is drawing younger families who respond to arts integration and outdoor learning.

Growth suburbs with young families and new housing include Newnham, Prospect Vale, Kings Meadows, Youngtown, Riverside and Ravenswood, plus the George Town corridor. These need acquisition-focused marketing similar to Kingston. Established areas such as Trevallyn and West Launceston respond better to reputation and retention.

• Google Ads. Launceston’s low cost per click (indicatively $1.50 to $4.00) is its biggest digital advantage. Target “childcare Launceston”, “kindergarten Newnham”, “preschool Prospect Vale” and “before and after school care Launceston” within 8 to 10 km.
• Google Business Profile. In a smaller market a fully optimised profile can rank at or near the top for most local searches.
• Facebook. Run separate campaigns for growth and established suburbs and engage in local parent and suburb groups.
• Community. QVMAG family programmes, Cataract Gorge events and the Launceston Farmers Market are natural places to meet families.
• Letterbox drops. Still effective in new-housing suburbs such as Riverside, Ravenswood and Youngtown. Use a trackable free-trial offer, drop during school holidays and ask real estate agents to include flyers in new-resident welcome packs.
• Schools and employers. Build referral relationships with primary and independent school principals, and market flexible hours to Tamar Valley hospitality employers.

Devonport, Burnie and the North-West

Devonport, Burnie, Ulverstone, Penguin and Wynyard form one connected region with trades and manufacturing households, agricultural and dairy families, and growing numbers of lifestyle migrants and remote workers.

• Devonport (around 25,000 people) is the Spirit of Tasmania ferry hub, bringing newcomers and workers on rotating schedules. Market flexible and short-notice bookings, provide “Welcome to Devonport” material to the visitor information centre, partner with employers and accommodation providers, and consider local radio such as ABC North-West.
• Burnie has diversified since the paper mill closed, bringing business owners, younger professionals and relocated families. Position as modern, professional and flexible, and connect with local business networks.
• Ulverstone (around 12,000 people) attracts lifestyle migrants who value environmental learning and will pay for quality. Lead with beach and reserve nature play, educator spotlights and learning stories.
• Wynyard and surrounds serve dairy and farming families who need seasonal flexibility.

Facebook groups dominate discovery here, and thoughtful comments in local threads often produce more qualified enquiries than paid ads. Google Ads competition is minimal (indicatively $1.00 to $2.50 per click), and $200 to $400 a month with a 15 to 20 km radius per town covers the region well. Your Google Business Profile is likely how most online searchers find you: complete every field, add at least 10 good photos and work toward 30 or more reviews.

Regional and rural Tasmania

In towns such as Queenstown, Huonville, Geeveston, St Helens, Bicheno, George Town and Smithton, populations are often 2,000 to 5,000 and marketing is mostly reputation. One unhappy family’s experience can travel through a town within days, and no advertising can outrun it.

Local economies shape demand: mining heritage in Queenstown, fruit in the Huon, tourism on the East Coast and agriculture in the North-West. Offer seasonal flexibility around harvest and milking, drop-in care for tourism workers, and holiday programmes aligned with local work patterns, and say in your marketing that you understand how local families work.

Family Day Care operates in most small towns and is often the familiar default, and government support for regional childcare is active. Rather than competing on price, explain what a centre adds: qualified educators, structured learning, socialisation with peers and reliable full-time care. Some centres partner with Family Day Care educators for holiday, backup or referral arrangements.

• Employ local educators; community members on staff are your best advocates.
• Join every relevant Facebook group, get to know the administrators and reply to messages within hours.
• Complete your Google Business Profile with 15 or more photos. In a small town a strong profile appears in almost every local search.
• Use Google Ads narrowly: indicative costs are $0.75 to $1.50 per click, and $150 to $300 a month within 15 to 20 km is usually enough.
• Sponsor school fetes, sports teams and community days, and turn up in person.

How Tasmanian parents choose a centre

The Tasmanian parent journey usually starts with a person, not a search engine:

1. Recommendation. A friend or relative names a centre, and a good recommendation often ends the search before it starts.
2. Google verification. The parent searches your name or “childcare [suburb]” to check your website, hours and reviews. Your profile and website must be complete and current.
3. Facebook group check. Many parents then ask a local group for opinions. These conversations are invisible unless you are in the groups.
4. Tour. Tasmanian parents generally visit fewer centres than mainland parents, so the tour is often your one chance.
5. Decision. Most decide within two to four weeks of enquiring.

Along the way they prioritise educator consistency (a smaller workforce makes turnover visible, so promote tenure and be open about changes), outdoor and nature play, fee clarity (a one-page sheet with weekly fees, the gap after CCS and what is included), and responsiveness: reply to every enquiry within 24 hours. For broader messaging advice, see marketing your childcare centre to local Australian parents.

Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile is the most important free marketing asset you have in Tasmania. Because fewer local competitors optimise their profiles, a complete, active one can reach the top of local results within months, and it is where parents land when verifying a recommendation.

Set-up checklist

• Claim and verify your profile without delay.
• Use your exact street address (not a PO Box), matching your website and listings.
• Choose a childcare or preschool primary category and add relevant secondary categories.
• List the suburbs you serve, and enter accurate hours including school holiday hours and closures.
• Write a description (up to 750 characters) naming your suburb and service area, what makes you different, and that families can access the Child Care Subsidy.
• Enable messaging so parents can contact you from search results.

Photos, reviews, posts and Q&A

Aim for 20 to 30 natural photos in the first year, refreshed seasonally: rooms during real activity, outdoor and undercover areas (with kunanyi/Mt Wellington or water views if you have them), named educators, local excursions, autumn leaves and summer water play.

Aim for at least 20 reviews in your first year and keep building toward 50. Send milestone and post-enrolment requests with a direct link, respond to every review within 24 to 48 hours, and handle concerns calmly and privately. Never offer rewards for reviews, which breaches Google’s policies.

Publish a Google Post every week or two. Tasmanian hooks include Mona Foma and the Taste of Tasmania over summer, cosy winter programming during Dark Mofo in June, and school holiday care. Answer common questions such as “Do you accept CCS?”, “Do you offer before and after school care?” and “What do you do outdoors in winter?” Our guide on why your childcare centre needs a Google Business Profile in 2026 covers the fundamentals.

Local SEO and your website

Search volumes in Tasmania are smaller, but so is competition, so well-targeted pages can rank faster than on the mainland. Ignore national terms and focus on suburb and city keywords you can win.

• Core terms: “childcare [suburb]”, “kindergarten [suburb]”, “early learning [suburb]”, “long day care [suburb]”, “before and after school care [city]”.
• Hobart: Hobart, Glenorchy, Kingston, Sandy Bay, Moonah, Claremont, Lindisfarne, Taroona, Battery Point, Margate. Launceston: Launceston, Newnham, Trevallyn, Kings Meadows.
• Long-tail and voice: “nature-based childcare Hobart”, “how much does childcare cost near Kingston”. Answer these in short, direct FAQ paragraphs.

Build a page for each core suburb you serve, with local imagery, testimonials from local families and travel times, and link them together. Add a “Moving to Hobart” or “Moving to Launceston” guide for relocating families, and helpful articles on topics such as subsidies explained, outdoor learning through a Tasmanian winter, transition to school, and preschooler outings such as Cataract Gorge. Each page needs a location-specific title and meta description, one main heading, descriptive image alt text and fast mobile loading. Keep your name, address and phone identical everywhere.

For local authority, seek listings in council community directories and business directories, earn links from school and community partners, offer guest articles to Tasmanian parenting sites, and pitch genuine stories to the Mercury, ABC Hobart or ABC North-West, and Tasmanian Times.

Google Ads

Google Ads reaches parents at the moment they are searching, and in Tasmania it costs noticeably less than in the mainland capitals because fewer centres bid. It is one of the fastest ways to fill a specific vacancy. For the mechanics, see how to use Google Ads for childcare enrolment.

Region	Indicative cost per click	Indicative monthly budget	Radius
Hobart	$2.50 to $6.00	About $500 ($15/day) to $900 ($30/day)	Your catchment, roughly 8 km
Launceston	$1.50 to $4.00	$300 to $600	8 to 10 km
North-West coast	$1.00 to $2.50	$200 to $400 across the region	15 to 20 km per town
Smaller regional towns	$0.75 to $1.50	$150 to $300	15 to 20 km

These are planning ranges, not quotes. Organise campaigns by geography: a Hobart centre might run Glenorchy and the north, Kingston and the south, and the city and Sandy Bay as separate campaigns with suburb ad groups. Kingston ads can lead with schools and the Southern Outlet; Sandy Bay ads with proximity to UTAS and educational quality. Bid more on high-intent searches (“childcare vacancy Kingston”) and less on broad research terms.

Many parents search on mobile and prefer to call, so use call assets, short headlines (“Vacancies available now”, “Book a tour”) and a fast suburb landing page with hours, CCS information and a short tour form. Lift budgets in January and through the October to December enrolment season, and trim them over July and August. Track forms, calls and tour bookings as conversions, review search terms weekly, and if your cost per enquiry climbs well above $100, fix targeting and landing pages before adding budget.

Facebook and Instagram advertising

Facebook use among Tasmanian parents aged 25 to 45 is high, Instagram is growing among younger parents, and Meta advertising is relatively inexpensive here. Expect more enquiries at a lower cost than Google but a lower conversion rate to enrolment, so run both where budget allows.

• Targeting: suburbs or postcodes (for example 7010, 7015 and 7016 in the north; 7000 and 7005 for the city and Sandy Bay; 7050 for Kingston), a 5 to 10 km radius, expecting and new parents, and families interested in moving to Tasmania (“New to Hobart? We’re here to help”).
• Budget: around $10 to $15 a day per priority suburb, $15 to $20 for high-growth suburbs, and about 20% of Meta spend on retargeting. Increase in January and before school terms; reduce over winter.
• Creative: real photos and video, not stock: outdoor play, named educators, local backdrops such as kunanyi/Mt Wellington, the waterfront or Cataract Gorge. Reels of 15 to 30 seconds work organically and as boosted ads. Add captions and refresh creative monthly.
• Lead ads: short tour-request forms inside Facebook and Instagram, followed up within two hours.
• Retargeting: install the Meta pixel and show website visitors ads that address hesitations about cost (“Ask how CCS works for you”), trust (“Meet our educators”) and timing (“Book a tour”), with a sensible frequency cap.

Our guide to social media marketing for childcare centres covers organic and paid social in more detail.

Facebook community groups

In Tasmania, Facebook community groups are where parents ask for and give childcare recommendations. The largest are the Hobart and Launceston mums and parents groups; there are also suburb groups (Kingborough, Sorell, Glenorchy and others), groups for working and preschool parents, and town groups across the North-West and regional Tasmania. Each has its own rules.

• Join every group that covers your catchment and read the rules.
• For two to three weeks, contribute without mentioning your centre: settling in, sleep, transitions, choosing care.
• Use your real name and, once established, be open about where you work.
• Thank people publicly when your centre is recommended; respond calmly to criticism and move it to private messages.
• Post once per genuine vacancy, specific and community-minded: “We have a space opening in our 2 to 3 year old room in April. Happy to chat or show you around.” Repeated pitches trigger moderation or backlash.
• Reply to comments within a few hours; group threads move fast.

Keep your own page complete, with an outdoor cover photo, correct hours and a “Book now” button. Post three to four times a week, reply to every message within 24 hours, and create a Facebook Event for every open day to share in your groups.

A year of social media content

Tasmania’s four distinct seasons give you a ready-made calendar. Build posts around five pillars: nature play, local wildlife (including Tasmanian devil education if you partner with a sanctuary), heritage and local culture, farm visits and harvests, and community stories. Give Facebook about 60% of your effort and Instagram Reels about 40%.

• January to March: beach days, water play, berry picking, local produce; Mona Foma and the Taste of Tasmania; back-to-school and new enrolment messages.
• April to June: autumn leaf hunts, cosy indoor learning, Easter and Mother’s Day (tag the local businesses you work with). Feeds are quieter, so lifting from three to four posts a week can improve reach.
• July to September: calm winter content, sensory play, snow on kunanyi/Mt Wellington; spring wildflowers in September with next year’s enrolment woven in gently.
• October to December: summer adventures, open days, enrolment announcements and capacity updates, backed by targeted Facebook ads in October and November.

Tag the farms, libraries, museums and visitor centres you visit; they often share your posts.

Open days and tours

In a relationship-driven market, open days are often the most effective way to turn interest into enrolment. Spring (October to November) is the strongest window; autumn (April to May) also works. Avoid July and August where possible, when cold weather and school holidays reduce attendance. In Hobart, Salamanca Market Saturdays put families in an outing mindset.

Promote hyper-locally: Mercury community listings, ABC local community pages, Hobart and Launceston City Council noticeboards, your Facebook groups and a Facebook Event. Ask current families to share it.

Make the tour unhurried and personal. Allow 45 to 60 minutes, tour families individually, have educators greet them by name, offer a tea or coffee, and hand over a one-page fee and CCS sheet before they leave.

Email, SMS and phone follow-up

Tasmanian families research, visit, talk to friends and come back. Capture an email address and permission on every enquiry, tour and open day form, and use a free CRM such as HubSpot to segment contacts by stage: enquiry, toured, waitlisted, enrolled and past enquiry.

1. Within two hours: an automated thank-you and next steps.
2. Within 24 hours: a personal call from the director. In Tasmania a phone call still beats an email.
3. Within 48 hours of a tour: a follow-up answering outstanding questions.
4. One week on: a recap of what makes you different and an invitation to book or secure a place, then weekly check-ins until the family decides.

Send a monthly newsletter to current families and past enquiries with seasonal learning, educator interviews, testimonials and gentle mentions of upcoming places. Keep SMS for genuine vacancy alerts so it stays effective.

Word of mouth, referrals and reviews

Word of mouth is the strongest force in Tasmanian childcare, and it can be managed. It follows from service quality, educator stability and visible community involvement.

Parents talk about individual educators, so retention is a marketing asset. Invest in fair pay, professional development and a supportive culture; introduce families to educators early; publish educator spotlights; and celebrate long-serving staff.

A simple referral programme helps: a fee credit of around $50 to $100 when a referred family enrols and completes their first month, tiered rewards for repeat referrers, or a donation to a local school or charity in the family’s name. Frame it as “help us grow our community”, hand out referral cards, and ask every new family “How did you hear about us?” Keep referral rewards separate from reviews: rewarding referrals is fine, rewarding Google reviews is not.

Reviews are word of mouth made visible. A centre with 20 genuine five-star reviews will usually attract more enquiries than a slightly closer centre with none.

Waitlists and filling vacancies

In high-demand areas such as Sandy Bay, Battery Point, North Hobart and Trevallyn, some rooms have more demand than places. A well-managed waitlist supports premium positioning and lets you enrol families who fit your approach, but many waitlisted families drift away through silence or friction.

• Send a personal welcome with an honest estimate of timing.
• Share monthly learning stories and educator spotlights, and invite waitlisted families to open days and events.
• Be transparent about position, dates, fees and process.
• At the point of offer, make enrolment easy, give a personalised settling-in plan and introduce the primary educator early.

When a place opens, notify your waitlist and past enquiries by SMS and email, post once in relevant groups, publish a Google Post, and run suburb-specific ads for that age group until it is filled. In a tight market, retention matters as much as acquisition: newsletters, director check-ins and genuine interest in each child keep families enrolled and referring.

The Tasmanian local area marketing playbook

This brings everything together into an annual plan. Adjust it to your occupancy: a centre with vacancies needs more acquisition; a full centre should focus on retention, reviews and waitlist nurture.

Start with your catchment and competitors

Map the suburbs within a 10 to 15 minute peak-hour drive. Review your three closest competitors’ Google profiles, reviews, Facebook presence, fees and positioning. Survey current families about why they chose you, and write down your differences: qualifications, nature-based learning, flexible hours or specialist programmes. Many Tasmanian parents prefer locally owned, community-embedded centres, so say so if that is you.

Channel mix and budget

Channel	Share of budget and effort
Facebook community groups and organic posts	40%
Google Business Profile and local SEO	25%
Google and Meta paid ads	20%
Community presence and events	10%
Email	5%

• Hobart and Launceston centres: $400 to $1,200 a month across Facebook ads, Google Ads, content, email and tools, rising toward the Google Ads ranges above when you have vacancies.
• Regional centres: $150 to $400 a month, weighted to organic Facebook, events, email and tools.
• Starting from zero: $100 to $200 a month on Google Business Profile, organic Facebook, email and networking. Foundations before ads.

Quarterly rhythm

• Q1 (about 25% of annual spend): new-year enrolment push, summer community visibility, higher ad budgets in January.
• Q2 (about 20%): autumn open days, Mother’s Day content, fee transparency.
• Q3 (about 20%): lighter ad spend; email, educator spotlights and website work. Start next year’s campaign in September.
• Q4 (about 35%): peak open days, increased ads and group activity, personal follow-up, “last places” messaging in December.

Offline tactics that still work

• Letterbox drops: an A5 flyer with your best photos, vacancies and a free-tour offer to family-dense streets in priority postcodes such as 7010 Glenorchy, 7050 Kingston and 7005 Sandy Bay. A sustained programme can run around $1,500 to $2,000 a month; track it with a code.
• Schools: transition visits, enrolment evenings, fete sponsorship, principal referrals.
• Community: Salamanca Market and Botanical Gardens events in Hobart; QVMAG, Cataract Gorge and the Farmers Market in Launceston; sports clubs and playgroups everywhere.
• Referral partners: GPs, maternal and child health services, allied health providers, and large employers such as government agencies, hospitals and universities.

Metrics to track monthly

Enquiries by source; enquiry-to-tour and tour-to-enrolment rates; cost per enquiry and per enrolment; Google Business Profile views, calls and direction requests; Facebook engagement; email list growth; and occupancy by room, the number that matters most.

Frequently asked questions