CATEGORY: email-marketingPublic SectorResources

Using email to recruit foster carer families

The decision-making process for someone considering becoming a foster carer can be anywhere from 3 months to 3 years. Throughout this time email can be used as an unobtrusive mechanism to remain in touch, ramping up and down in frequency based on behavioural triggers for example attending an event or not engaging with any emails for an extended period.

Within our Lorum Ipsum county council mock website you can see for yourself some of our best practice emails and experience an automated journey that can easily be recreated to support the fostering recruitment process, and in some cases increase the velocity of the decision making process whilst reducing resource stress in your team.

We see nurture programmes and drip campaigns in the private sector very frequently and they have a proven track record. And the fostering agencies, with whom you are competing are already employing many of these techniques.

"Any of Us" and Chloe's story

More than 80 local authorities have participated in producing “Any Of Us” - the short film that focuses on the idea that anyone who cares about people could potentially foster. Working with the team at CAN Digital, we have produced two supporting email campaigns that can be used in tandem with the film to raise awareness and interest in fostering or to nurture those already interested.  

The Any Of Us film is an emotive portrayal of a fostering. By offering further information at the point of having the watched the film, you can generate new fostering leads.  

Awareness - follow-up campaign

6,000 fostering households are currently needed in England. Chloe’s Story shows how any of these adults could be important to her future wellbeing. Learn more about the subtle aspects of the film that are representative of the children in need of a fostering household.  

Easy to consume information in short bursts over a sustained period is the ideal way to nurture potential new foster carers. Each email explains Chloe’s Story in more detail whilst offering the opportunity to learn more about fostering for your local authority.  

After confirming your details on this page, you will experience a GDPR-compliant double opt in process that results in an automatically triggered welcome email. You will then receive a sequence of further emails over the course of seven days. A real-world sequence would be sent over several weeks, but this version has been speeded up.

Nurture campaign

This series can be used after the initial awareness-based campaign, or as a nurture sequence for those that have been in the consideration phase for longer. Its objective is to build on the themes of Chloe’s story to highlight more specific information to assist the decision-making process. The CTAs encourage the recipient to examine practical considerations, deeper within the website and to take the next step and get in touch directly.

These emails are based around the sales concept of “objection handling” designed to address the concerns that are commonly part of the decision-making process for potential foster carers. Emotive, action-oriented language helps to nurture the recipient through the interest stage with CTAs that reinforce contacting the service directly – again using sales terminology – demonstrating buying behaviour. Their engagement with these emails can also be flagged for direct follow-up as they are showing that they are “warmer leads” closer to making a positive step towards becoming a carer.

The emphasis in this also moves from the focus on Chloe and her story to the recipient and how they could play a part in the story. Headings address the recipient directly to grab their attention and encourage them to identify and empathise with the situation. Questions are also used “What can you do” another tactic to engage the recipient, challenging them to consider the impact that they could have.

Fostering Recruitment Hub Webinar 23: Using email to encourage the next step

Watch our COO Dan Hare share our experience and best practice advice on using email to achieve foster carer recruitment objectives.

WATCH THE WEBINAR

Visit our Lorem Ipsum Council site at experience the fostering emails for yourself »