Marketing

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!

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!

10 simple but powerful ways to TOTALLY Ruin your Doula business!

January 21, 2019 By Kerry

1. Don’t join a networking group

Ok, I confess. I used to view networking groups with a wary eye and admittedly I’d still rather pluck the hairs from my cat’s bottom than sign up to one of those suited and booted networking groups where you ‘have’ to introduce a certain number of people each year and pass on a certain amount of business. Ick!

However, times are changing and as more and more people (and particularly more women) choose to be self-employed, lots of small friendly networking groups have popped up across the country. And they can actually be quite fun!

Fancy networking with other working mums? BizMums have a growing community of meetups across the UK.

Based in the countryside? Visit the Women in Rural Enterprise (WiRE) website to fine your nearest meeting.

Do your research, find a meeting that suits your style, then take a deep breath and get networking. Don’t forget to take some business cards!

2. Don’t bother creating a cover image for Facebook and Twitter

Your cover image is the first thing potential customers see when they land on your Facebook page or Twitter profile which makes it business promotion gold!

So, rather than just a plain image, use the space to communicate your mission or values. If you’re running a special offer or want to draw attention to a certain aspect of your business your cover photo is a great place to really shout about it.

We often switch up the Nurturing Birth social covers to reflect and promote what’s happening in the business at the time. We use Canva to create our cover graphics, why not give it a try?

3. Never create a gift guide on your blog

Recommending products and services you like and including an affiliate link is a great way to bring a little extra pocket money into your business and as a doula you’re perfectly placed to signpost your community to the books, equipment and tools you like to use. Visual gift guides are a great way to display lots of products and services without a pushy sales message in sight! Think inspirational and informative and let the images do the rest!

4. Don’t sign up as an Amazon Associate

Going deeper into affiliate opportunities… if there’s a product that your customers would love, chances are it’s sold on Amazon. And if you have an Amazon account it’s quick, easy and free to sign up as an Amazon Affiliate. Review books on your blog, create ‘best of’ or ‘best for’ shopping or gift posts and link to the products you’re talking about using your Amazon Associates account. If a customer clicks through your link and buys, you’ll get a cut of the cash!

5. Never ever swap social media mentions with other businesses

Expand the reach of your content on social media by tracking down other pregnancy, birth and baby businesses in your local area or industry and asking them if they fancy doing a mutual shout-out. Ideally you’re looking for people who have a similar target market to you, but sell different products or services to your own.

Drop them a line to introduce yourself and ask if they fancy sharing a recent post or even giving your latest blog post a shout out on their social media in return for the same on yours. You’ll be surprised how many people say yes!

As a doula, potential people to approach might be:

Lactation Consultants

Pregnancy and Baby Yoga Instructors

Maternity, birth or Baby Photographers

Hypnobirthing Practitioners

Antenatal Class providers

6. Don’t ask for testimonials and even if you get them, don’t bother using them

When it comes to convincing potential customers that you are all sorts of wonderful, nothing makes a bigger impression than client testimonials. Testimonials Ask for them and use them everywhere you can. Got a great Facebook Page review? Use it on your website, make memes using Canva and share them on all your social media channels.

7. Do a disappearing act on your customers

Regular contact… and regular content makes your customers feel safe, secure and connected with your business and whilst life may sometimes get in the way (and family always comes first) try to maintain regular contact with your customers.

Don’t pressure yourself though, find a rhythm that suits you. Don’t have time for a weekly blog post or newsletter? Aim for one a month. Taking some time off? Pop a post on your Facebook page that says so, turn your out of office on and use scheduling tools like Hootsuite or Later to post for you whilst you’re away.

8. Forget to set your alarm for customer-o’clock!

Do you know what time your customers are online? Is it early morning or… right now? Take a look at your Facebook Page Insights and schedule your posts when your stats are highest to reach more of your crowd. With organic reach at an all-time low, it’s little considerations like this that can give you a slight advantage!

To find out when traffic to Facebook page peaks, go to your page, click on ‘Insights’ in the top menu then on

9. Keep your website and social media links totally secret

It sounds so simple doesn’t it? But you’d be amazed at the number of people who don’t bother adding a signature block to the end of their e-mails. C’mon doulas! You want potential customers to connect and communicate with you? Tell them how to find you every time you have an opportunity.

10. Avoid the press like the plague!

Getting coverage in local and national media can get more eyes (and attract more clients) to your business. Be aware of relevant event days and offer to provide relevant and informative content in advance. If there’s a news story breaking that covers your industry then offer yourself for commentary.

Twitter is a great place to pick up press opportunities. Check out these hashtags a few times a week for promotional opportunties:

#journorequest

#prrequest

or use them in your own tweets to showcase your products and see if anyone would like to use them for forthcoming gift guides.

How to make 2019 your best business year yet

December 10, 2018 By Kerry

As the end of another year approaches it’s natural to start thinking ahead to the next 12 months and what actions you’re going to take to grow your doula business.

But here’s the thing… How do you know whether the work you’re doing will take you in the right direction?

Did you know that just a small percentage of entrepreneurs and businesses actually write down their goals for the next year? Less than 5%.

That’s crazy! If you don’t know what success looks like for you and your business, how will you know when you’ve got there? Or if you’re even getting close?

Here’s another stat for you: That 5%, those people who write their goals down and review them regularly… they experience more business success than the other 95%.

It’s pretty clear: Goals are essential for growing your doula business.

They create momentum
They give you focus
They keep you motivated
They give you proof that you are moving forward and in the right direction.

So lovely doula, it’s time to stop dreaming and take action! If you want to make 2019 your best yet then there is just ONE sure-fire way to actually do it.

You’ve got to PLAN IT.

Set your goals
Review them regularly

Here’s how to make 2019 your best business year yet.

Step One: Review last year

By reviewing the last year, you get clear on your strengths and weaknesses. You can identify areas of your business that are successful and work on expanding them for next year and create a plan for changing and improving areas of weakness. Figure out where your money is coming from, which services are bringing it in, where your customers are coming from and what they are buying.

What were your three biggest business achievements in 2018?
What was your biggest challenge in 2018 and how did you overcome it?
What areas of your business felt right in 2018?
What areas of your business felt a bit out of balance in 2018?
What was your worst-performing product or service in 2018?
What were your three best-selling or most popular products or services in 2018? Rank them in order.
What was your most effective social media channel in 2018?
What marketing actions bought in the results in 2018?

Once you know where you are, you can map out where you need to go next.

Step Two: Make goals for this year

What are your financial goals for this year and how can you achieve them?

How can you sell more of your best products and services?
How can you sell more of your weak products and services?
Where could you save money in your business?

What are your marketing goals for this year and how can you achieve them?

What social media channels are you going to focus on this year?
How many followers/page likes etc. do you want by the end of 2019?
What is the most popular page on your website and how could you make it even better?
How can you get in front of your customers more in 2019?
How can you get and share more positive testimonials this year?

What are your customer goals for this year and how can you achieve them?

Do you have a system in place for collecting customer e-mails?
How are you going to grow your customer mailing list this year?
Are your customers taken care of at every step in your business?
How will you communicate with your customers in 2019?
How could you reward your most loyal customers this year?

Once you’ve got answers to the questions above you can start to set your goals for 2019. Don’t get overwhelmed, you’ve got a whole year to achieve them!

Try setting 1-5 monthly tasks that take you closer to your goals, any more than this and you risk spreading yourself too thin.

Step three: Review your goals regularly

Once you’ve got your goals you MUST review them regularly. Writing them down and sticking them in a filing cabinet won’t help grow your doula business. Post them on the wall, stick them on the fridge, make them a part of everyday life.

Review your goals each month to check your progress, don’t beat yourself up if you’ve missed one or two, chart how far you’ve gotten and make reaching that goal a priority for next month.

Reading this post in June? No worries, it’s NEVER too late to start setting goals for your business.

Just start today.

Like this? We’ve got lots more tips and ideas for growing your doula business in our blog: How to get your doula business in front of more potential clients

How to create a positive mindset and grow your doula practice

November 28, 2018 By Kerry

A positive mindset is one of those things that takes time and concerted effort to develop – it’s not enough to simply be aware of the fact you have a certain mindset issue, like fear or negative self-talk, it’s important to constantly challenge the way you think.

You see, starting your own doula business, is an incredibly rewarding journey to take, but often it’s far from simple or easy. Building a successful working career is a challenge, but doing it on your own terms, in your own way, presents a whole new set of challenges!

And here’s the vital killer… we’re often a lot harder on ourselves than we should be, frequently berating and belittling ourselves for our perceived failures, whilst usually minimising our successes.

Mindset is a funny thing, but there are four key areas I’ve noticed that people struggle with. Individually they can be an issue. When you have to contend with more than one at a time they can be utterly crippling.

However, master these mindsets and you’ll be well on your way to reaching your full, genuine potential…

Mindset Issue #1: Having A Fixed Outlook Rather Than A Growth Mindset

Do you view the world with a fixed outlook, or with a growth mindset? Here’s how to find out… If you find yourself encountering problems in your work, relationships, and personal life you will likely react in one of two ways:

This is just the way it is, I either have to live with it, or remove myself from the situation (i.e. find a new job, end my relationship, find new friends, give up that hobby, etc.)
This is just an obstacle to overcome, and once I’m on the other side of it everything will be better/easier.

The former is known as a ‘fixed outlook’, and is characterised by the belief that certain things in life are set. The latter perspective is a ‘growth mindset’, the perception that all things can and do change, develop, and grow.

A fixed outlook holds you back from reaching your potential, because there are self-imposed boundaries you never truly strive to break, simply because you believe they are unbreakable. A growth mindset holds that where there is life, there is growth, and therefore your level of success, happiness and achievement can continue to expand and evolve for the whole length of your life.

Which is pretty awesome, right?

Mindset Issue #2: Approval Seeking

Approval seeking is a habit we begin in childhood. You do something for the first time and instinctively look to an authority figure to tell you you’re on the right track, reassure you, and give you confidence.

We naturally carry this habit into adulthood and often repeat the pattern with authority figures, particularly with those we respect and admire.

And it’s an understandable impulse. The problem is that when you seek approval for everything you do in your business, you’re actually undermining your own ability, success and potential.

You never learn to trust your gut. You second guess everything you do. And when you can’t get a second opinion (or you’re too nervous to ask for one) you’re more likely to hold yourself back and pass over opportunities for fear they’re the wrong move.

Worse still, you might seek approval from the wrong people. Great Aunty Pat means well but she probably doesn’t understand your business. Other people may give you advice based on what would be right for them, but that isn’t right for you.

Mindset Issue #3: Social Envy

The rise and rise of social media has given us all a bit of an obsession with the way we appear online, and the way other people appear too.

In our personal lives we may find ourselves envious of the picture-perfect selfies or astonishing holiday snaps our friends share. We forget that people only show the best moments of their lives on social media, and often tweak those images to make them as perfect as possible.

We can easily do this in business too, coveting the number of followers a fellow doula has or how many people are liking and commenting on their stuff, how great their memes look, and the awesome YouTube channel they’ve got going on. But these snapshots are just as carefully chosen as the images our friends share.

So when venturing into the treacherous waters of social media, do remember, everything you see there is (to some extent) a performance.

Mindset Issue #4: Lack Of Self-Belief

Success in business hinges on your ability to believe you’re actually capable of doing it. Many of us carry fears and worries that it’s going to be more than we can handle, or that we will ultimately fail.

A little self-doubt is perfectly natural, but if you’ve ever heard the expression ‘thoughts become things’ you will have an idea of why self-doubt can be so detrimental.

When you’re perpetually thinking you will fail, you will more than likely fail. Not because you’re a failure, but because you’re expecting it to happen and reacting as if it already has.

When you’re convinced you can succeed, and that success is inevitable, you will act and react completely differently. If you’re convinced that you can totally do this (and you can!) then success will come.

Need a little help with creating your positive mindset? Consider working with a mentor to build your self-belief, sharpen your focus and over come challenges. Why not find out more about the Nurturing Birth Doula mentoring program for beginner and experienced doulas. Click here to discover more about doula mentoring