Promoting your Parents Plus Programmes

A key challenge in running a Parents Plus Programme is getting enough parents to attend. You may have an excellent group ready to run, but your parents simply don’t know about it. Below are some tips for trained facilitators on how to spread the word about the Parents Plus Programmes in your service and getting the parents knocking on the door to attend.

You will also find lots of promotional resources in the Member’s Area of the website. You must be logged in to access these extra resources. You can login here or if you haven’t already, you can register here for this private Member’s Area.

Prepare your Message

Prepare your key message and plan how you will spread it in an easy, cost effective way.

• Ensure any publicity for your programme includes essential details, e.g. venue, date, times and contacts, topics covered and sign up criteria.
• Always include a clear point of contact for parent’s queries and sign ups.
• Make a flier which is printable and which is also legible in the various digital platforms (available to download from the Member’s Section on the website here once you are logged in).
• Put together different versions of text about your programme which can be circulated through emails, cover letters, texts, social media. Include a link or attachment to a poster or further information. Make sure the message is consistent and has a clear call to action.
• Use free sites like www.canva.com to create images for social media, posters, fliers etc. There are some images, fliers and posters already available to share and download in the Parents Plus Member’s Area here.

Communication Tips

Advertise early. Spread the word well in advance of the dates as this gives busy parents time to plan and make arrangements to attend.

Have a clear call to action. Any communication about your Parents Plus Programme should include your attendance criteria (e.g. age of their children, where they live), what commitment is involved (e.g. time and cost), course topics and contact details for queries.

Link with other community groups and agencies. Ask them to share and circulate your information further and to print and display your posters.

Link with Parents Plus. Parents Plus has established a quality brand that many parents, referrers and agencies are familiar with and seek access to. Ensure Parents Plus is in the title of all advertising and include the logo and website address so referrers and potential attendees can learn more. Further information is in the Parents Plus Advertising Guidelines in the licensing agreement which you can view here.

Engage through social media

• Put details of your event on your website
• Add as an event on Facebook
• Tag other local businesses, community groups in your posts and tweets
• Use your local hashtags
• Include images and links in your posts
• Share information with us and we can share on the Parents Plus social media channels. Email johnh@parentsplus.ie with details.

Make attending attractive!

Further information is available in the ‘Recruiting Parents’ section in your Parents Plus manual and is replicated in a checklist document below or which is available for download  here.

Promoting Parents Plus Programmes – CHECKLIST 

Checklist of Actions which can be completed to help promote your groups to parents.

People who use your services Have a clear point of contact for parent queries Invite previous Parents Plus graduates to promote future courses (by writing an endorsement for fliers, speaking at an information evening) Hold an Information meeting to share the course ideas and explain what is involved. Use ten minutes of another client meeting (e.g. 10 min morning meeting in school) to show introduction video/slideshow about Parents Plus programmes. Send reminder texts with course details, sign up deadlines etc, (attach image of poster)
Agency and venue Display information on noticeboards/doors of your agency. Place information on a sandwich board or easel outside the building. Have fliers available at reception Include information in your agency newsletters and mailshots Make sure all your agency colleagues (whether they are the point of contact for interested parents or potential referral agents) know the details of your programme- when and where it is on, who it is suitable for and contact details Display information at your course venue (if it is different from your own agency base) Use your agency’s website and social media platforms to promote your group
Other agencies and potential referrers Ensure potential referral agents have the information they need to give to parents, at least the contact name and phone number Family Doctors/Schools – distribute fliers and poster with a cover letter, including clear information on who the group is open to
Wider community contacts School/preschool newsletters and texts Local businesses e.g. preschools, creches, chemists, Supermarket noticeboards/set up an information stand at busy time Library noticeboards Centres where parents visit GAA, other class/music venues Parent and toddler groups/cuidiu/men’s groups Local radio announcements and shows Local newspaper listings Church/parish newsletters and notices Councils and local representative newsletters and social media platforms Solicitors
Parents Plus can help Include your agency and contact details on the parents page at parentsplus.ie Contact Parents Plus with details of your upcoming course, so we can let others know about it through: www.facebook.com/parentspluscharity and www.twitter.com/parents_plus