How to Use ChildcareCRM Forms to Track Your ROI

Not sure of the ROI of your child care marketing dollars? Read on.

Not sure of the ROI of your child care marketing dollars? Read on.

We all know ChildcareCRM is a fantastic tool for guiding potential families through the enrollment funnel. By thoughtfully setting up drip campaigns, you can deliver the right message at the right time while ensuring NO ONE falls through the cracks.

Hopefully, you have all that set up and have already increased your conversion rate from initial contact to enrolled. If not, 2C happens to have a package deal for that! Just contact us and we’ll help build it all out for you.

But, I digress…

As cool as all that is (along with all the other features it has), you can also track where your child care leads are coming from, where they are in the funnel and, therefore, what your ROI on any given lead source is.

Most of us know about the “Lead Source” field and that we’re supposed to ask “Where did you hear about us?” to every lead that contacts us.

That’s great. Don’t stop doing that. But…

The issue with leaving it up to the parent to tell us where they “came from” is that they’ll answer “Google” 98% of the time they’re not answering “so-and-so-friend referred me.” Right?!?!

While referrals and Google searches will, most likely, remain your bread and butter lead sources (I explain how leads actually wind up at Google in THIS FREE WEBINAR), what if you’re running a Facebook campaign and want to know what your ROI for the ad is?? Hmmmm?

Again, it isn’t likely that the parent is going to tell you they clicked on a Facebook ad. It does happen, but don’t count on that for figuring your ROI.

Also, the most info Facebook gives you is that someone clicked the ad and, if you have your Facebook pixel set up to track conversions, they submitted a form.

Figuring out what happens after that person contacts your child care center is up to you.

Luckily, ChildcareCRM can help with that!

Here’s what you do:

For any digital ad (or backlink), any form on your website or any event you’re attending (with your handy tablet for form collection, of course):

1.     Create a campaign in your CRM under the Marketing Tab. Name it something you’ll recognize later as related to a specific ad, etc. and don’t forget to enter the cost of the ad/event/whatever you’re tracking.

2.     Create a form and link it to that campaign.

If you’re using this form at an event, you’re pretty much done here.

3.     For any digital ad (Facebook, Instagram, AdWords, etc.) have the ad click through (link) to a landing page that has the corresponding form on it. When someone submits the form, they will enter your CRM as part of the specified campaign.

PRO TIP: If you’re using WordPress, the Gravity Form plug-in works really well with ChildcareCRM forms and looks slick!

4.     Run a Campaign Report after all your leads have had a chance to either enroll or…well, make the wrong decision. Assuming you have your center’s pricing entered, the CRM will TELL you what that ad’s ROI was!

Boom. Done. Easy Peasy.

Obviously, this method only works for online forms and event forms. There are ways to track incoming calls to a degree, but you still have to ask how they heard of you – even though they’ll most likely say “Google.”

How do you use ChildcareCRM to track your ROI? Do you know where your money is going? Do you have a different method? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below.

Until next time – Be Well. Be Happy. Shape Minds.

-        Tom