Digital Ads Readiness: What Every Child Care Center Needs to Know

Running digital ads can feel overwhelming: balancing budgets, targeting, creatives, and lead follow-up. At our recent “Are You Ready for Google Ads?” webinar, we welcomed Gwendolyn Guarino, a career digital ads marketer at Rose Marketing Solutions. With over 15 years of experience in the Google Ads and Facebook Ads platforms, Gwen shared some valuable insights to help child care providers succeed with digital advertising.

Here’s what we covered:

Why Ads Fail

Many child care centers run ads but struggle to see real results. Gwen walked us through the most common pitfalls:

• Weak landing pages – Sending traffic to a homepage instead of a purpose-built page confuses parents and lowers ad quality.

• Slow follow-up – Leads are lost if calls and forms aren’t answered quickly.

• Wrong audience targeting – Ads must be precise to reach the right parents.

• Poor creatives – Low-quality photos and videos don’t stop the scroll.

• Short-term thinking – Ads are a long-term game, not a quick fix.

The Five Pillars of Readiness

To avoid wasted ad spend and set campaigns up for success, Gwen introduced the five pillars every center should have in place before running ads:

1. Websites & Landing Pages

·   Mobile-friendly and fast-loading (80%+ of traffic is mobile).

·   Clear CTAs above the fold like “Schedule a Tour.”

·   Highlight your unique selling points (USPs).

·   Use plain program names (infant, preschool) and list starting tuition rates for qualified leads.

2. Lead Response System

·   Consider using a reliable, consistent CRM system to track every lead.

·   Respond to lead forms within two hours.

·   Answer phone calls before the third ring.

3. Enrollment Goals

·   Know your lead sources: Google = high intent but low volume; Meta = lower intent but higher volume.

·   Target specific age groups and parent personas.

·   Avoid broad “advertise to everyone” campaigns.

4. Creative Assets

·   Real, authentic photos and videos.

·   High-quality visuals that compete with other content in parents’ feeds.

5. Budget & Timeline

·   Google Ads: $1,000–$1,200/month, with at least a 90-day test period.

·   Facebook/Meta Ads: $500+/month, tailored to targeted promos.

·   Benchmark cost per lead (CPL): $70–$90.

Final Thoughts

Digital ads are not a “set it and forget it” solution. They require preparation, strategy, and patience. But with the five pillars in place, your school will be positioned to not just run ads, but to win with them.

We truly appreciate the time and wisdom Gwendolyn Guarino shared with our IKS Academy attendees!

---

Want to dive deeper? Watch the full webinar replay here.

---

Want to see how easy lead management can be with IntelliKid Systems? Jump into your self-guided demo today!