Kerry

Slimline Your Christmas Marketing & Slay the Festive Guilt

November 12, 2019 By Kerry

Oooh… there’s a whiff of excitement in the air and it smells like cinnamon and mulled wine! People are officially using the C word… which can mean only one thing. How the jeepers did Christmas creep round so quickly?

The Christmas holidays are just around the corner, and those festive fairs and Christmas markets don’t just mark the end of another year. Second only to the six week summer slog, the Christmas holidays can be a bit of a panic season for doulas, particularly those of you working around children!

Are you already feeling those panic twinges about managing your Christmas marketing? Wondering how to keep your doula offerings visible while you’re taking care of kids, working on a leaner schedule, and relishing in a big plate of turkey, stuffing and sprouts?

Perhaps the odd Cadbury’s Roses or two… three… four!

Well don’t worry! The Nurturing Birth team is on the case and we’re here to share four secrets to keeping your marketing efforts on point so you can slay that festive guilt, and focus on more pressing things, like your next cocktail choice, thinking up creative ideas for Elf on the Shelf or which present to open first!

You see the secret to staying visible, active and sustaining your marketing efforts throughout the Christmas holidays is to take a more relaxed, slimline approach. This way you’ll still look like you’re blogging, posting on social media, and chatting with your subscribers, but, secretly, you could be lying (totally laptop-less) on the sofa letting your lunch go down and catching up on TV.

Your doula biz doesn’t have to take a back seat, just because you are. So with that in mind, here are…

4 Ways to Slimline Your Christmas Marketing Strategy and Slay the Festive Guilt

Republish your Blogs

You don’t always have to create brand new blogs you know. If you’ve been blogging for a while you’ve probably got more than enough content to republish some of your favourite older articles instead. Your newer followers may not have noticed a particular blog first-time around (or second or third in fact) so don’t worry!

Sharing them again isn’t the lazy-doula’s way out either. Republishing blogs is a great marketing tactic, it gives you the opportunity to update any out-of-date content, it’s great for your SEO and you can even build your mailing list or give your conversions a boost by adding links to your new freebies, products or services.

Schedule Your Social Media

There are stacks of social media scheduling apps around and some are worth their weight in brandy doused Christmas pud! Scheduling your social media in advance gives you that Superdoula feeling of having everything organised for the entire week by 7am on Monday! Scaling back on the number of posts you write and publish is another way to dilute the Christmas biz pressure too.

Maintaining your visibility is important and if the bare minimum is one post a day, then schedule one post a day on each of your social media platforms. Manage your follower expectations by posting that you’re taking a wee break over the festive season. Many of your followers will likely be doing the same so they will totally understand.

Not sure which scheduling app to go for? Here at Nurturing Birth our favourite free social media scheduling platforms are Hootsuite and Later, whilst our fave paid platforms are Post Planner or Buffer.

Create & Schedule Your Newsletter(s)

If you’re a weekly newsletter sender, then ease that festive burden and adopt a monthly approach during December and January. A bumper Christmas edition or two (which also directs your subscribers to your republished blogs) is perfectly acceptable – and sometimes more likely to be consumed. Save more time by creating and scheduling your newsletters in advance and you’ll know your subscribers won’t assume you’ve abandoned them. Ah… the beauty of automation. We love it!

Decide on a Simple Christmas Content Subject and Stick to it

Another great way to avoid trying to post on Facebook while you’re tucking into your trifle is to think about (and plan) the type of content you want to focus on over the next six to ten weeks. Keep it easy by sifting through your calendar and finding any upcoming National or International days which fit with your industry. Take a handful of your blogs and weave the same subject thread through your social media pages and newsletters too.

In need of inspiration? Check out:

So go and enjoy your Christmas, make family memories (kids grow up so quickly!) and slay that Festive business guilt.

Come January you’ll feel refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to conquer the world, again!

5 important things that might be stopping you getting more doula bookings

October 14, 2019 By Kerry

Ok, so you’ve completed your Doula Course and your fabulous doula business is up and running! You’ve got yourself a business card, a fancy logo, leaflets and even a website. You’ve set up your Facebook page, registered your business with Google to get your SEO started and you tell all your friends and family about what you can do and how much you can help.

And then your first ever client books in, hurray! You’re off to a flying start. And then another and another….

But then… a lull.

You market yourself some more and you wait…

And wait…

You nab a few clients, but you notice that getting more doula bookings is becoming harder and harder.

You’re spending more and more time and money on marketing that isn’t bringing you enough clients.

You start to wonder… what’s gone wrong?

You stress and you worry. This self-employed malarkey is so much tougher than you thought it would be!

Don’t panic lovely doula. It doesn’t have to be like that. You have amazing talents; you just need to make a few tweaks to get those clients flowing into your booking diary.

To get you started, here are 5 important things that might be stopping you getting more bookings.

1. You’re throwing your net too wide

As the talented doula you are, you can probably help with many things, you might even offer other services such as placenta encapsulation or sleep consultancy BUT marketing yourself this way could actually be losing you clients. People tend to shop for one solution at a time so if you’re trying to sell them several at once then you risk overwhelming them. Coming across as a jack of all trades and a master of none might not be the best way to convince potential clients of your capability.

Getting more doula bookings comes down to three simple marketing rules… be super clear about who you want to help, what they are struggling with and how you can make it better.

If you offer multiple services, make sure your marketing of these is clear cut and not jumbled up together. Be mindful of what stage your potential client is at and focus on the service that best suits her needs at that time. Help her at the stage she is at NOW and save the upsells for later down the line.

Once a client has bought from you once they are much more likely to choose you over a competitor in the future. Get them booked in before you start to throw a list of services at them.

2. You’re focusing too much on the letters

So, your doula training and registration with professional bodies is SUPER important. But ironically, focusing on these in your marketing could actually be putting potential clients off. Your training and CPD is important because it’s what makes you the talented doula you are, but will clients really know what that training is? Or which of your long list of services they need to help them with their thing?

In most cases, all the client wants to know is that you can make them feel better.

Your training and qualifications is your toolbox. You carry it everywhere because it helps you to do your job. But it isn’t what makes you great at your job.

Think about it this way. Every doula out there is carrying around the same toolbox as you… So how are you going to stand out?

How are you going to take your clients from the place they are in now where they are feeling overwhelmed and under-supported (otherwise they wouldn’t be looking for a doula in the first place) to that place they wish they could be, where they feel informed, empowered and positive about pregnancy and birth.

That’s what you’re selling. A great way to do this is to feature customer testimonials and case studies in your marketing. These help your potential customer to recognise herself and her worries and start to see how you are the perfect doula to support her.

3. You’re expecting customers to jump too soon

You spend hours at your computer crafting that perfect Facebook post, you post it, you might even pay to boost it and you sit back and wait for all those new clients to get in touch… But nothing happens.

Is Facebook broken? Are you rubbish at marketing? Is anyone actually reading anything you post?

It might be that you are expecting clients to jump too soon.

Marketing is a journey. It’s so much more than just social media. It’s being on different social media platforms, it’s blogging, it’s having a website that connects with clients, it’s having case studies that showcase your excellent doula talents, it’s building your mailing list, and nurturing and building your relationships with potential clients and other local businesses.

All of these things help to lead potential clients to your diary.

So, posting on social media and then expecting that post to turn into paying clients is asking people to make a HUGE leap. You need to get those marketing steps in place so, through regular contact they can get to know you, like your stuff and trust that you are the person to help them. Only then will they make that booking with you.

4. You’re blending in, rather than standing out

Do you know how many doulas there are in your local area?

Let’s say there are loads… Does that mean you should give up and get a day job? Absolutely not! What it does mean is that you need to stand out in that sea of doulas, because if you blend in you will struggle to get clients to notice you.

The easiest way to start standing out is simply to be you. Yes, there are loads of doulas out there, but there is only one you. Potential clients can be drawn in or put off by your personality, the way you talk, the language you use, even the way you dress. You can’t attract everyone, so use your personal skills to really stand out to those who get you.

No more hiding behind a logo or a brand. Use photos of yourself in your social media and on your website. Create videos of you – yes, it’s scary but it’s a great way to stand out. Don’t be afraid to find and use your voice – there is no ‘right’ way to speak or be as a doula and every woman out there is looking for a doula that fits with who she is too! Your vibe attracts your tribe they say so if you are being you, you’re more likely to attract clients who really value what you do and how you work.

5. You’re staying local

As doulas we are often taught that the client relationship should be a face-to-face one, but that limits you to those people who live in your local area or align with your working hours.

Does all support need to be given face-to-face? If not, why limit yourself when there is a whole world of people out there who could benefit from your help? If you can’t provide a whole support package online then which services could you bundle up and offer remotely?

As well as remote consultations and support you might also consider creating online products; taking your doula skills and turning them into an online programme that clients can buy and use without you even needing to see them one-to-one.

Online products enable you to help more people and allow you to earn an income even when you’re not working. Yay!

So, no more struggling to fill your diary and build the business of your dreams! Just making a few tweaks to the way you work and market yourself could make a massive difference for you. Why not give it a try!

Why you should absolutely be blogging to promote your doula business (and how to get it right)

August 22, 2019 By Kerry

Let’s talk blogging…

We know, you’ve probably heard this one before right? Blogging is an essential part of your marketing strategy. But when you’ve got a million and one things on your to-do list, is blogging really worth it?

As a doula, working within a limited geographical area and with a limited number of clients, do you really need to be blogging? Isn’t it just a mammoth waste of time?

Absolutely not! And here’s why…

Four reasons you should absolutely be blogging to promote your doula business

1. Blogging showcases your professional knowledge

Writing a regular blog that addresses common problems or queries your potential clients may have makes you look super profesh and helps to reassure them that you really know your stuff. This can be crucial if a reader is comparing several potential doulas. Blogging regularly helps to boost the know, like and trust factor of your website, increasing the chances of a potential customer getting in touch.

To make sure you’re blogging about the right topics start a file of subjects that you see pregnant women asking about or discussing. Your emails, social media and newspapers and magazines can all be great sources of information.

At the end of each blog make sure it’s easy for the reader to take the next step and get in touch. You could provide a call to action along with contact details, for example…

Have you been affected by xxx during your pregnancy? Get in touch to find out how I could support you. Email me: sophie@totallyawesomedoula.com

2. Blogging helps to boost your SEO

SEO is incredibly important for small local businesses. Put simply, if someone types ‘doula in Tewkesbury’ into Google and your website comes top of the results then there’s a really good chance that person will click on the link to your website (where, of course, the fabulous blog you just posted is ready to wow them!) Posting and (importantly) promoting a regular blog help your website rank higher in local search results.

Google spiders regularly crawl your website. When they find a new page or post they add this to their index. The first part is done; the rest is up to you.

You see indexing and ranking are two different things. When a potential customer types a query into Google they are essentially asking Google to show them all the results in the index that match their query. Now as you might imagine there can be hundreds even thousands of results for each query and ranking is how Google sorts them. Their goal is to show the most relevant and useful content first.

To show Google that your content is worth ranking you need to get eyes on it. The more the better. Each time you post a blog, be sure to promote it widely and if the subject matter is evergreen, keep promoting it on a regular basis.

>> Want to know more about SEO? Read our blog: Search Engine Optimisation – A TOTAL beginners guide!

3. Blogging ensures that your website/business looks active

Having a website is super important, but the problem is that you can never really tell how old a website is, or how active. There are thousands of abandoned blogs and websites out there, so how can a customer tell if yours is up-to-date? Posting a regular blog is one way of letting potential customers know that you are actively promoting yourself. Find a blogging routine that suits your business lifestyle, even if it’s just once a month.

4. Blogging gives you much more to talk and post about on social media

Do you sometimes struggle with what to post on social media? You’re not alone. It can be super tough to think up fresh ideas for your social channels, but blogging provides a regular source of interesting content. It’s super simple to turn your blog into dozens of social media posts. Here’s how…

Let’s take this blog for example, we might…

Post a quick video letting our followers know we published a new blog and why we’ve chosen to cover this topic on Instagram.
Write a post with a quick intro and link to the blog on Facebook.
Create a series of memes, each one focusing on an individual tip and post them on Facebook and Instagram.
Pull out key sentences and use them as tweets.
Use the blog topic as a social conversation starter, and ask our doulas how often they blog and why.

So what do you say? Are you ready to start blogging to promote your doula biz? You can do it!

Self-Care for Doulas – Taking care of you, so you can take care of them…

July 11, 2019 By Kerry

It’s been a hectic few months here at Nurturing Birth HQ. Our busy little team have taught Doula Preparation Courses across the UK and Europe, mentored dozens of doulas, recorded several Facebook Live sessions, run a free- 5-day online course, scheduled in over 360 social media posts, added more doula preparation courses to our calendars, planned two retreats, attended dozens of conferences and events, raised teenagers, cooked meals, driven school runs, survived school holidays and moved homes.

Phew!

When you take into account the huge amount of tasks you have to fit into running a home, family and business it’s no surprise how little time we women have to look after ourselves? It’s easy to put self-care on the back-burner when everything else seems so urgent. Especially when you’re on call!

“Long births can really take it out of you. For me it often feels like jet lag – my body likes sleep and regularity, so doesn’t deal with lengthy births particularly well! After a long birth I need to be gentle with myself – often I don’t sleep well immediately, but the second night tends to be really good and deep. In the meantime I eat well, re-hydrate, take a bit of exercise (usually a good walk in the fresh air) and nurture myself with a long bath or a massage.” Sophie Brigstocke, Nurturing Birth

But you can’t give from an empty cup… So if you’re stuck in a bit of a rut when it comes to your health and your happiness, this months blog is packed with wellbeing tips that are quick, easy and effective. Starting with what we consider to be two of the most important steps in leading a vibrant, healthy fulfilled life…

Firstly… Get moving!

People weren’t designed to sit still. Movement improves posture, increases oxygen to our brain and gets us out and about. Moving around also helps to get us thinking more clearly too so if you are feeling uninspired or stuck with a problem; take a walk.

Walk to work, run up the stairs, make phone calls standing up, play chase with the kids, play your favourite song and dance along, do a quick 10-minute yoga video on YouTube, walk the dog or meet friends for a walk rather than sit down for a coffee. When we are moving we are less likely to eat rubbish, spend hours watching things we don’t particularly want to watch anyway and put on weight.

Regular movement has even been shown in studies to improve some kinds of depression.

Moving is free, easy and available to us all. So let’s try and do a little more of it.

Second, practice gratitude. Our brain is much like a computer in some ways; if we load it with a program which says ‘things will go badly, I never have any luck, I can’t find enough clients, life is awful’, then it often produces results that prove that program. It’s like some sort of negative self fulfillment!

So make sure you load your doula brain with a positive program. There may be some days when this feels impossible, but try to pay attention first of all to the things you take for granted; did you have enough food to eat today, are you healthy, do you have a client or two? Also, you don’t just have to proud of yourself for big achievements; what about the way that you kept your cool when someone cut you up on the school run this morning, or the way that you manage to juggle so much and still have time for your friends and loved ones?

The more we focus on what we appreciate and are grateful for, the more we will get to be grateful for, because our brain will notice more of those things and fewer of all the things we used to complain about.

We conducted a poll and asked our lovely Nurturing Birth doulas how they de-stress, relax and rejuvenate themselves… here’s what they had to say…

Essential Summer Reads for Doulas

June 15, 2019 By Kerry

With the summer coming up, it’s great time to indulge in a little educational reading! We asked the Nurturing Birth doula community for their recommendations – here’s just a few of our must-reads

Offering nurturing and loving care to mums throughout pregnancy, birth and after will always be at the top of our list, but to do this we need to stay up-to-date and current in birthing practices, developments and views.

There’s always something new to learn or teach others.

Book One – Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth

The first on our list is the hugely popular Ina May Gaskin. An inspiring look at childbirth, this book tells you everything you need to have the ‘best birth experience for you’. The idea behind its sentiment is to give women the opportunity to take back the fear of childbirth by regaining confidence in their own bodies.

Within its pages, readers will learn more about what really happens during labour; how to create a safe, comfortable environment for birth in any setting; tips for maximising chances of an unmedicated labour and birth; and the risks of anaesthesia and caesareans – what your doctor doesn’t necessarily tell you. What most doulas seem to love most are the stories – more than half the book devoted to real-life tales of birthing with The Farm Midwives in Tennessee.

Book Two – Grantly Dick-Reid’s Childbirth Without Fear

Grantly Dick-Read’s philosophy is still described as being ‘as fresh and relevant as it was when he originally wrote this book’. An interesting and empathic insight and analysis into the root causes of women’s fears and anxiety about pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding.

Childbirth Without Fear is one of the most influential birthing books, and definitely a worthwhile read for all parents-to-be, as well as doulas childbirth educators, midwives and obstetricians.

Book Three – Heng Ou’s The First Forty Days

We’re seeing more and more focus on the ‘fourth trimester’ and this book focusses on just that. The First Forty Days revives the lost art of caring for the mother after birth. The modern mother is often pushed too prematurely into a life of routine where they are expected to easily bounce back after giving birth, and where they are often left alone to face the physical and emotional challenges of this new stage of their lives.

Our third book looks at the first 40 days after child birth when it is essential for rest and recovery for the new mother. Based on the first-hand experience of author Heng Ou’s own postpartum period of “confinement”, where she remained home to focus on healing and bonding with her baby.

This book looks at connection, nourishment, and guidance and includes 60 simple recipes to help heal, build strength and help lactation. This warm and encouraging guide offers advice on arranging a system of help during the postpartum period, navigating relationship challenges, and honouring the significance of pregnancy and birth. We love this nurturing outlook.

Book Four – Rebecca Schiller’s Why Human Rights in Childbirth Matter

The human rights in childbirth movement is gathering pace with doulas activists, midwives, mothers, doctors and lawyers all coming together to offer right-based solutions to the problems in maternity care. This book looks at our human rights and how they apply to pregnancy and birth. What happens when dignity is absent? And how are innovators and educators using human rights principles to revolutionise care for the next generation of women. Rebecca is a Nurturing Birth doula, and started the Birthrights Charity, so we love seeing how well she is doing in print!

Book Five – Milli Hill’s The Positive Birth Book

We all have different ideas relating to what sort of birth we want. The Positive Birth Book has been written to help women maximise their chances of getting it. It’s a refreshing, warm and witty guide to pregnancy, birth, the early weeks and guaranteed to make you giggle.

As well as wit, it’s also packed with vital information on everything from building the ultimate birth plan, to your choices and rights in the birth room; from optimal cord clamping, to seeding the microbiome; from the inside track on breastfeeding, to woman-centred caesarean.

The Positive Birth Book shows you how to have the best possible birth, regardless of where and what you choose. Read real accounts from new mums on their own experiences and the truth about what giving birth really feels like.

Book Six – Amy Brown’s The Positive Breastfeeding Book: Everything you need to feed your baby with confidence

This is a must read for both new and soon-to-be-mums, as well as for doulas and other birth workers. Its straight talking, fact and science-based, with reassuring advice from fellow mums and experienced breastfeeding professionals.

Everyone is an expert on everything when you have a baby, and topics such as breastfeeding leads to probably the most opinions, so it’s very easy to become overwhelmed and confused by conflicting advice. The Positive Breastfeeding Book cuts through the anecdotes, giving you clear, no-judgement, non-preachy, evidence-based information to help you signpost and support each mother and her baby.

It’s honest and doesn’t promise it will be easy but it will empower and encourage its readers.

Book Seven – Naomi Kemeny’s Nurturing New Families

The last in our recommendations, is ‘Nurturing New Families’ written by Naomi Kemeny, who has a wealth of experience as a midwife, children’s nurse and postnatal doula.

Supporting a family in the days and weeks after a baby is born is an important part of the birth experience and can have a massive impact on mum. A new mum needs the chance to recover her strength and to respond to her baby’s needs, the care of a postnatal doula, friend or family member can be invaluable. In this guide Naomi draws on her wealth of experience to explain in detail how to ‘mother the mother’ – by listening to what she needs and supporting her as she adapts to her new role. This is an insightful book for those working or wanting to work as a postnatal doula.

Have you read any of the above? Let us know what you found most helpful, or share your favourite book if it hasn’t been featured. Contact us or share on Facebook or Twitter.

Please note: This blog contains some affiliate links. If you click these links and make a purchase, Nurturing Birth may earn a small commission.

The MOST important content you need for your doula biz (it’s not what you think!)

May 15, 2019 By Kerry

Let’s talk about words… From the carefully crafted content on your doula website to the attention grabbing social media posts, what you write can influence every part of your business growth.

But what is the MOST important content you should be using? Is it the can’t look away headlines? The all-important calls to action? Perhaps a perfectly crafted blog post?

Actually, it’s none of those… lean in close and we’ll share a little known secret with you. The most important content on your website and social media isn’t the word that you write.

It’s the words your customers and client write. Your testimonials.

In a world where consumers are clever and discerning about the health and well-being services they choose to invest in. Good customer testimonials can give you that all important edge in a crowded and competitive market.

By sharing the ways in which you have already supported your clients and made them super happy, you’re immediately reassuring potential new customers that you can do the same for them. So are you using them?

Asking for testimonials

It can be tough to ask for testimonials, especially if you’re a bit shy. But as such an important part of your marketing we’d really love you to take a deep breath and start asking that question. Below are a few ideas for how… but first a super top tip!

Don’t ask for a written testimonial via email, instead ask clients to review you either on your:

Facebook Page
LinkedIn profile or
Google MyBusiness account

if you have them. Why is this important? Because once a customer has left you positive feedback in these places you can easily copy and paste the text and add it to your website.

You CAN’T do it the other way round. Plus, positive reviews in these locations will also boost your search rankings, hurray!

>> Want to know more about boosting your SEO. Check out our recent post Search Engine Optimisation – A total beginners guide.

So how do you get happy clients to give you positive feedback? Well you could…

Ask them straight after a consultation: “I’m really glad you enjoyed your treatment, if you have a spare five minutes later I’d really appreciate a quick review on my…”

Email them a few weeks after you’ve finished working together:

Hi there!

I hope you and your new baby are both doing well. It was such a pleasure to support you through your pregnancy and birth and to be there for the arrival of little XXX. I’d love it if you could support me by leaving a quick positive review on my xxx. Here’s the link: xxxx

Many thanks and I hope to see you and xxx again soon!

So once you’ve gathered a few testimonials, the next step is to share them everywhere! You could:

Create a testimonials page on your website
Add a single testimonial to the bottom of each page on your website
Copy and paste them into a social media post
Use them in a case study
Share them in your next newsletter
Make a meme and share it on social media, take a look at the video below to find out how.

Creating memes and graphics for social media – Nurturing Birth testimonials from Nurturing Birth on Vimeo.

Remember, trust is a powerful thing. If a prospective client sees that you’ve already created wonderful results for someone with similar wants, needs or issues to their own, they’ll feel more confident that you can do the same for them.

Happy Testimonial Gathering!

Slimline Your Christmas Marketing & Slay the Festive Guilt