Enrolment Boost Research Results Reveal Educational Approach Increases Centre Leads by 60% Amid Market Oversaturation

Mornington, Victoria--(Newsfile Corp. - June 4, 2025) - Enrolment Boost, Australia's childcare-specific marketing agency, today released findings showing that educational marketing strategies have increased direct leads by 60% for childcare centres struggling with decision paralysis in an oversaturated market. This approach comes as the sector faces unprecedented challenges, with approximately 14,835 childcare services nationwide, including around 9,369 long day care centres competing intensely, particularly in metropolitan suburbs.

The Australian childcare sector has transformed rapidly, with a 15% increase in centre-based childcare services in the last five years alone, resulting in significant oversupply in some suburbs. Martin Niedenfuhr, founder and CEO of Enrolment Boost, explains, "When you've got a lot of decisions, you get what's called decision paralysis. Parents first have to conclude they actually need childcare, which is now harder due to current economic pressures. Then they're confronted with this oversaturation, making it very difficult to decide who to choose."

Traditional marketing focusing on centre visibility is proving insufficient in this competitive environment. Centres using generic "we exist, book a tour now" messaging are experiencing diminishing returns, especially with the national average occupancy rates declining and reaching historic lows in early 2024.

Enrolment Boost's data identifies two distinct market segments needing targeted approaches: a "ready to enrol" segment (approximately 3% of the market) and an "information gathering" segment (approximately 37%).

"What we need to do is shift from solely focusing on immediate enrolments to really nurturing the information-gathering audience by educating them first," Niedenfuhr states. "When we adopted an educational strategy, we saw direct leads increase by approximately 60%."

This educational approach emphasises informing parents about early learning benefits, childcare subsidies such as the Child Care Subsidy (CCS), Kindy Funding, Start Strong programs, and developmental advantages backed by research. With childcare fees rising due to economic pressures, clear and informative messaging has become crucial in alleviating parental cognitive dissonance and facilitating decision-making.

The investigation found successful centres employ strategies such as:

• Building trust through educational rather than purely promotional content
• Addressing economic-related concerns directly and transparently
• Establishing reputation and demonstrating service quality before extensive marketing efforts
• Utilising authentic video content showing real educators in real environments
• Engaging proactively with local community businesses and organisations
• Prioritising Facebook and Instagram for information-rich content

"Childcare is a high-entry-level service with significant emotional and financial barriers," explains Niedenfuhr. "Informing parents reduces cognitive dissonance, positioning your centre as a trusted authority rather than just another option."

Digital marketing's role remains crucial, with authenticity surpassing production value. "Parents prefer seeing genuine, everyday moments rather than heavily branded content," Niedenfuhr highlights. "Authenticity is key to engagement."

For centres overwhelmed by market saturation, Enrolment Boost recommends fundamentals such as enhancing social proof through reviews, capturing authentic educator interactions, and addressing reputation proactively before investing in specialised marketing.

"The era of 'build it and they will come' is over," concludes Niedenfuhr. "Today, successful childcare marketing revolves around educating parents on the critical role childcare plays, long before they step into your centre."

About Enrolment Boost

Founded in 2019 by Martin Niedenfuhr, Enrolment Boost is Australia's only marketing agency purpose-built for the childcare sector. With over a decade of specialised experience at the intersection of marketing and early learning, Enrolment Boost helps childcare providers grow with confidence through tailored, results-driven strategies grounded in deep sector knowledge and parent psychology. The company works with major providers, as well as independent centres nationwide. Enrolment Boost is headquartered in Mornington, Victoria.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/253499