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Parents in Singapore and across Southeast Asia are spending more time on Instagram than ever, and short-form video is dominating their feeds. For preschools and enrichment centres, Instagram Reels looks like a low-cost, high-impact way to reach millennial and Gen Z parents. But the question is—does it really work for enrolments?
In this article, I reveal why short-form video is a must for parent engagement, how schools can use Reels without blowing budgets, and the traps to avoid. I’ll also link this discussion to my other deep dives such as Facebook lead costs for preschools explained and Case study: tuition centre scaling with remarketing so you can see the bigger education marketing picture.
Meta’s internal data shows that 82% of parents on Instagram watch Reels daily. In Singapore, parents scroll while commuting, during breaks at work, or late at night. Unlike long-form YouTube, Reels delivers 15–30 seconds of quick impact—perfect for busy parents researching preschools or tuition centres.
A study by Social Media Examiner reported that businesses using Reels saw a 22% higher engagement rate compared to static posts. In the education sector, that engagement translates into more lead form clicks, campus tour bookings, and WhatsApp enquiries.
Compared to static Facebook ads or even Stories, Reels gives:
• Higher organic reach (Instagram pushes Reels to non-followers).
• Better CPM efficiency (in some preschool campaigns, CPMs dropped by 18%).
• Native storytelling—parents prefer authentic, short clips of teachers, classrooms, or children learning.
If you’ve already read my piece on Preschool ads: high CTR vs high enrolments, you’ll know clicks don’t always equal enrolments. Reels bridges that gap with content that builds trust fast.
Connect with our expert team to transform your enrolment process with proven digital marketing strategies that deliver real results.
Connect with us! →Parents in Singapore distrust polished stock videos. They want to see authentic teachers interacting with children. A 20-second clip of a phonics lesson feels more believable than a generic brand video.
You don’t need expensive production. Schools we’ve worked with used:
• Smartphones + natural classroom light
• Free editing apps like CapCut
• Teachers recording snippets during activities
This aligns with findings from HubSpot’s marketing blog, where 67% of marketers say smartphone-shot content outperforms studio-quality video on Instagram.
• Parent testimonials: Quick 15-second soundbites.
• Day-in-the-life: Morning routines, circle time, enrichment lessons.
• Teacher tips: 3–5 second parenting hacks.
• Events & celebrations: National Day, graduation, cultural festivals.
In preschool and enrichment campaigns using Reels placements:
• CPM (cost per 1,000 impressions): SGD $4–7
• CPC (cost per click): SGD $0.40–0.80
• CPL (cost per lead): SGD $12–25
This is consistent with our benchmarks from Google Ads benchmarks for tuition centres in Singapore and How to track cost per enrolment, not just CPL.
A Toa Payoh preschool tested Reels vs. standard image ads:
• Reels campaign CPL: SGD $14.80
• Image campaign CPL: SGD $21.40
• Tour bookings increased by 32% within the same budget.
This shows Reels isn’t just for “brand awareness”—it drives real leads and enrolments.
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Many schools only repurpose existing Facebook videos. This misses the point—Reels requires vertical-first, quick storytelling.
Singapore preschools must comply with MOE & PDPA rules every education marketer must know. Showing children’s faces without consent can land you in hot water.
High view counts don’t always equal conversions. Without proper conversion tracking for school enrolments, you’re optimising for vanity metrics.
SMEs in Singapore often fall into these traps because:
• Ad costs are rising—CPMs in education are among the highest in APAC.
• Cultural buying behaviour—parents rely heavily on peer trust, so authentic Reels content matters more.
• Resource constraints—many schools outsource to agencies that recycle generic content instead of creating parent-first narratives.
This echoes trends I discussed in Top 10 education marketing mistakes in Singapore.
According to Marketing-Interactive, short-form video is now the fastest-growing ad format in Southeast Asia, particularly in education and parenting niches. Similarly, Forbes highlights that brands leveraging Reels see a 67% higher retention rate among younger parents.
Adding local context, MediaOne Singapore stresses that authenticity in content marketing is the #1 driver of trust in the education sector—a finding we’ve also seen across preschool campaigns in Singapore.
Key questions school marketers ask about ad formats, budgets, and parent engagement.
Reels drive reach and engagement, while lead ads convert. The best results come from combining them: Reels for awareness → Lead forms for conversion.
Start with 20–30% of your monthly Meta budget. For preschools spending SGD $3,000/month, that’s around $600–900 allocated to Reels.
Yes. Parents are highly curious about a school’s culture. Reels give them “behind the scenes” access in a low-pressure way.
Absolutely—but remember, TikTok trends skew younger. For millennial parents, check my full analysis in TikTok vs Meta Ads for millennial parents.
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