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Clicks don’t equal conversions—here’s why preschool marketers get it wrong. I reveal why chasing high CTR can mislead campaigns, and what metrics actually drive enrolments.
Preschool owners in Singapore often tell me: “Our ads are doing well—we’re getting a lot of clicks.” But here’s the problem: a high click-through rate (CTR) doesn’t always translate into filled classrooms.
In fact, I’ve seen preschools spend thousands on Facebook and Google campaigns chasing clicks, only to end up with lukewarm leads who never show up for a school tour.
Why? Because clicks are a vanity metric. They make your report look good, but they don’t necessarily connect to what really matters—confirmed enrolments.
👉 I’ve explained this in more depth in my piece on why cheap leads cost you the most in the long run.
CTR measures how many people click your ad after seeing it. On paper, it looks like a strong engagement metric. But in education marketing—especially in Singapore’s crowded preschool sector—it tells only half the story.
• Parents click out of curiosity. Not all clicks represent serious intent.
• Ads with gimmicky hooks inflate CTR. Think “Free Trial” or “Limited Time”—great for clicks, poor for long-term conversions.
• CTR ignores the journey. Parents might click, but enrolling their child involves trust, multiple touchpoints, and reassurance.
As HubSpot notes in its marketing performance benchmarks, businesses that obsess over clicks without aligning them to customer journeys risk “optimising for the wrong outcome.”
Connect with our expert team to transform your enrolment process with proven digital marketing strategies that deliver real results.
Connect with us! →If CTR isn’t the north star, then what is? For preschools, the true conversion funnel should look like
Not all leads are equal. A parent who fills out your enquiry form with an accurate phone number is worth more than a vague click.
School tours are the strongest conversion signal. Parents who book a visit are usually in “decision mode.”
This is the ultimate metric. A healthy campaign optimises beyond CPL to track actual cost per enrolment.
👉 I cover this in detail in how to track cost per enrolment, not just CPL.
Let me share a real story.
A preschool client in the East Coast was running Meta ads with a CTR of 3.8% (well above average). Their cost per lead was just $12, which looked like a bargain. But here’s the catch:
• 80% of these leads never picked up the phone.
• Only 12% showed up for a tour.
• Final enrolment cost: $1,250 per student.
After refocusing the campaign on remarketing and enrolment-based tracking (instead of just CTR), results improved:
• CTR dropped slightly to 2.1%,
• CPL increased to $28,
• but Cost Per Enrolment fell to $460.
That’s a 63% reduction in real cost.
👉 This mirrors insights from case study: tuition centre scaling with remarketing, where targeted remarketing turned “clickers” into committed parents.
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In Singapore, average CPCs for education ads can range from $2.50 to $7.00 depending on the platform. In high-demand areas like Bukit Timah or Novena, competition pushes costs even higher.
Parents here are cautious decision-makers. They want to compare curriculums, facilities, and reviews before committing. That means clicks alone can’t shortcut trust-building.
Many agencies still report on CTR because it’s an easy metric to “prove success.” But as I wrote in the hidden reason agencies push vanity metrics, this often hides poor bottom-funnel results.
Parents and preschool marketers often ask these common questions about CTR, leads, and benchmarks.
Not necessarily. Your ad might be catchy, but unless it leads to confirmed enrolments, it’s just noise.
No. CTR is useful as a diagnostic metric (e.g., ad relevance), but it should never be the main goal of your campaign.
Check if they provided a working phone number, booked a tour, or followed up after a call. High-quality leads show engagement beyond a click.
Based on experience and Google Ads benchmarks for tuition centres in Singapore:
CPL: $25–$60
Cost per tour: $80–$150
Cost per enrolment: $400–$800
• Forbes recently highlighted that “marketers who prioritise conversion-based KPIs are 60% more likely to see long-term growth.”
• Semrush Blog also points out that focusing on CTR can “inflate ad spend with low-quality engagement.”
• Locally, Marketing-Interactive reports that education is among the top 3 industries in Singapore where advertisers overspend on vanity metrics.
By aligning your campaigns with cost per enrolment, you avoid the trap.
Use CRM systems or even Google Sheets to tag enquiries that actually turn into confirmed tours.
Most parents don’t enrol on the first click. Remarketing ads (covered in case study: tuition centre scaling with remarketing) remind them to book a tour.
Parents in Singapore prefer direct communication. Use click-to-call and WhatsApp CTAs.
As I wrote in the $10,000 lesson I learned about tracking the hard way, cheap CPL can actually cost you more in the long run.
Clicks are not kids in classrooms. If you’re a preschool marketer in Singapore, the metric that matters is cost per enrolment.
By refocusing your ad strategy, you’ll not only save money—you’ll actually fill your classes.
👉 Related reading:
• Facebook lead costs for preschools explained
• Why SEO is underutilized in the education sector
• MOE & PDPA rules every education marketer must know
• Top 10 education marketing mistakes in Singapore
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