September Birth & Parenting News

See our September Birth & Parenting Newsletter. Expose your baby to bacteria; learn about using a homeopathic home remedy kit for family health (plus a special session for Birth Attendants on Homeopathy for the Childbearing Year); criteria for choosing a Postpartum Doula Training program (see our Top 10 Reasons to choose us!); when vaginal birth is not an option-family-centered cesareans; vaccine waivers in Michigan; and more!

 

Posted by Patty Brennan on August 31, 2015 • Filed under
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Doula Business Advisor: Marketing Your Doula Business

Your Ideal Customer, Part 2

marketing your doula businessIn Part 1 of this blog series on marketing your doula business, we discussed the value of identifying who your ideal customer is. Effective marketing is so much more than placing an ad somewhere or purchasing a directory listing. Many of us think of marketing only in terms of the media used. In other words, marketing consists of your business card, rack card, your website, your social media presence and so on. On close examination, however, marketing consists of three essential components: (1) Market-understanding your customer; (2) Message-crafting a compelling message to the customer that demonstrates you have the answer to a problem they are facing or a need that they are experiencing; and (3) Media-the vehicle used to deliver your message to your ideal customer.
So you can see that identifying and understanding your ideal customer comes first. But so many of us reverse the process. Dan Kennedy, a guru in the world of direct marketing, tells the story of a frustrated owner of a carpet cleaning business who bought into the Value-Pack coupons (media) that get delivered to households in a specific zip code. This guy thought that marketing consisted of throwing some money at the problem of needing more customers. When the results were beyond disappointing, his conclusion was that Value-Pack was a bust. Then he hired Dan Kennedy who suggested that they take a tour of the zip code area he had targeted with his coupon. Turns out, it was composed primarily of trailer parks and industries (the actual market he was reaching), with very few residential homes or commercial businesses-the latter being his ideal customers. And who knows what message was on the coupon, but it is irrelevant at this point because it’s aimed at the wrong market.
The Take-Away Lesson: To market your doula business, identify your ideal customer first and then the rest of the pieces can fall into place. A really helpful resource for undertaking this process can be found on Suzi Istvan’s Facebook group, Marvelous Brand Builders. You will need to join the group and then, in the description box, you will find a link to her questionnaire. Get the accompanying free guide Define Your Marvelous Brand too!
In Part 1 of this blog series, I mentioned another marketing guru, Seth Godin. One helpful tip from Seth is that in our messaging, we need to help people overcome their fears about spending money. He believes that the fear isn’t really about spending money. Rather, it is about spending money on something that isn’t worthwhile. In other words, people don’t want to feel stupid about what they purchase. Is your ideal customer afraid that investing in doula services might not be worthwhile? How can you address that concern?

Patty Brennan is the author of The Doula Business Guide: Creating a Successful MotherBaby Business, 2nd Edition. Now offering The Doula Business Guide Workshop — an inspiring workshop (also available as an online class) for doulas covering the nitty gritty of establishing a small business and growing it into a sustainable income. Offering 7.0 DONA contact hours for our next workshop on October 24.

Posted by Patty Brennan on August 13, 2015 • Filed under
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Doula Business Advisor: Market Your Doula Business

marketing your doula businessWhat are you doing to market your doula business? Who is your ideal customer? Catherine, a doula business woman/friend of mine recently spent a few thoughtful hours answering this question for herself. Once she had formed a clear picture of her ideal customer in her own mind, she created new messaging addressed to that person and integrated it into her website content. A few months later, she happily reports that her doula business is growing steadily and that she is, indeed, attracting her ideal customers. They can afford her services AND she enjoys working with them. In other words, they are a good fit. We need to know who we are talking to!

Seth Godin is one of the marketing gurus Catherine listened to and studied. Seth teaches that it is “only a little interesting” to know your customer by demographics (for example, pregnant women who live within a 30-mile radius of my town). That’s a starting point to narrow things down a bit, but it barely scratches the surface of the who. “What we need to know is: What do they believe? Who do they trust? What are they afraid of? Who do they love? What are they seeking? Who are their friends? What do they talk about?” The answers to these questions give us a more in-depth understanding of our audience. Once you understand motivations, your message changes.

A number of years ago, I visited a naturopath whose “healing center” in the country featured a variety of medicinal herb gardens. As we toured the gardens, she described her process in creating this fascinating place. She reported that she clearly stated her intent, at the beginning, that she only wanted to attract people who truly wanted to heal themselves. This made a strong impression on me at the time because I had been mired in a homebirth midwifery practice wherein a disproportionate number of my recent clients were ending up with transports for hospital births, due to a variety of reasons. I decided to set my intent as well. It went something like this: I only want to attract women who truly desire a homebirth and will take responsibility for creating that outcome. Such internal clarity, I believe, helps us manifest our intentions in the real world. It works!

Patty Brennan is the author of The Doula Business Guide: Creating a Successful MotherBaby Business, 2nd Edition. Now offering The Doula Business Guide Workshop — an inspiring workshop (also available as an online class) for doulas covering the nitty gritty of establishing a small business and growing it into a sustainable income. Offering 7.0 DONA contact hours for our next workshop on October 24.

Posted by Patty Brennan on August 6, 2015 • Filed under
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August Birth & Parenting Newsletter

Don’t drink the glucola, free doula listings, homeopathy for family health, breastfeeding videos and more! In our August Birth & Parenting E-Newsletter we look at controversies surrounding Glucose Tolerance Testing; help doulas get the word out about their services; share some great breastfeeding videos for new moms or doulas to recommend to clients; and announce an exciting opportunity to learn about homeopathy for family health and for mom and baby in the childbearing year.

Posted by Patty Brennan on August 2, 2015 • Filed under
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March 2016 Birth & Parenting Newsletter

Join our new Doula Share Circle. Group B Strep in pregnancy-what does the evidence say? 5 reasons to dance in pregnancy. Leadership for Medicaid and third party reimbursement for doulas. Baby shampoo on the perineum? Payment plans for comprehensive doula training. Lansing Baby Fair and more! Read the newsletter.  

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Benefits of DONA International affiliation? Did you know …

Definition of “Premier” First in position, rank or importance First in time, earliest Conclusion: For an organization to call itself “premier” is a measurable claim rather than a simple assertion. By definition, there can only be ONE premier doula training and certification organization-DONA International! #1 Position. DONA International is the oldest, largest and most prestigious […]

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February 2016 Birth & Parenting Newsletter

Dancing for Birth certification training in Ann Arbor; emotional health postpartum (free gift-access to online class); tax breaks for breastfeeding moms, doulas and taxes; 3rd stage of labor controversies; WINTER SPECIAL on becoming a doula (Great offer ends 2/12/16); Birth Companion Workshop for sisters, mothers, and grandmas-to-be; NEW offerings for 2016! Read the newsletter.

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January 2016 Birth & Parenting Newsletter

What to expect in early labor; Winter Special on doula training; how to calm a crying baby; NEW Birth Companion Workshops for friends, sisters and grandmas-to-be (hands on!); making dreams a reality (The Doula Business Guide Workbook release); and free, drop-in breastfeeding support groups, including one for moms with multiples. Read the newsletter.

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December 2015 Birth & Parenting Newsletter

Two great SALES on professional doula & lactation training, flu vaccine in pregnancy, new book release, babies “singing” in the womb, help your child play independently, pelvic floor yoga class, herbs for flu and more. Read the newsletter.

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November Birth & Parenting News

Gratitude, preventing birth trauma, especially for soon-to-be grandmas, new research on triggers for labor, area events calendar, work-study opportunity and more! Read the newsletter online.

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October Birth & Parenting Newsletter

Featuring something special for doulas, “eco” and “green” are not the same as non-toxic, cesarean myths video, top 3 mistakes by grant writers, birth business success workshop, FALL SPECIAL on comprehensive doula training, breastfeeding videos by The Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor, and more! Read the newsletter.

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All doula training programs are not equal.

The Doula Business Advisor blog by Patty Brennan The business of training and certifying doulas is expanding wildly. In her Doulaing the Doula blog, Amy Gililland notes that an online search for professional doula training agencies yielded 14 in 2013 and grew to 24 in 2014. On many levels, this is a good thing. More women are […]

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September Birth & Parenting News

See our September Birth & Parenting Newsletter. Expose your baby to bacteria; learn about using a homeopathic home remedy kit for family health (plus a special session for Birth Attendants on Homeopathy for the Childbearing Year); criteria for choosing a Postpartum Doula Training program (see our Top 10 Reasons to choose us!); when vaginal birth […]

Read the full article »

Doula Business Advisor: Marketing Your Doula Business

Your Ideal Customer, Part 2 In Part 1 of this blog series on marketing your doula business, we discussed the value of identifying who your ideal customer is. Effective marketing is so much more than placing an ad somewhere or purchasing a directory listing. Many of us think of marketing only in terms of the media […]

Read the full article »