As someone who has been in the birth world for well over a decade, I’ve seen birth work ebb and flow. Once upon a time, everything was simply word of mouth. Now, so much of what we see is online. Many of us follow at least one influencer doula. Perhaps we follow several. But there’s a myth we need to know as new doulas.
The myth of the influencer doula, you do not need a huge following to have a successful career. Neither does having a huge following equal a successful birth work career.
The influencer doula has a niche within birth work. However, that does not necessarily mean it is the way or even the best way to break into birth work.
The Myth of The Influencer Doula
As someone who has worked online in several capacities over the years, online presence is important. After all, if someone is looking for a doula, you want your name to pop up. However, how your name will be found varies so much.
Some extremely successful doulas have little to no social media presence. Yet, if you search for a doula, their name is first to pop up on Google. Other doulas may not even have a website, yet they are referred to often by other birth professionals.
In a time where social media is constantly buzzing, it can be hard to believe you do not need to take part.
The myth? You need to be like an influencer doula to obtain clients. This is not true. Now, can being an influencer doula lead to a busy doula career? Absolutely. However, it is important to remember that it is not the only way. In fact, it may not even be the best way depending on your career goals.
Doulas on Social Media – Is It a Must?
At the International Doula Institute, we strive to make sure our doulas are equipped to work. One aspect of that is understanding online presence.
In short, it can be helpful to have accounts on multiple platforms. However, it is not a must for every doula.
Be sure to read Doulas on Social Media – Is It a Must? to learn which doulas can benefit from having social media accounts.
That said, even if you have a social media account, you do not need to reach the level of an influencer. In fact, having an influencer level follow does not even mean you will get a lot of hands-on doula work. If your passion is in-person doula support, focusing on social media may not be the way to go.
You might have more success connecting with other doulas, with midwives and OBs, and other professionals who will refer clients to you.
If your passion is education, virtual doula support, etc., then focusing on social media might help you reach your career goals.
How Do I Get Clients Without Social Media?
As mentioned above, focusing on social media presence might lead to clients, but there’s no guarantee. The best way to get clients is to diversify your presence and reach.
Having a variety of social media accounts, a website, and a Google business listing helps you pop up on more searches. However, it is important to remember that even though the internet is popular, not everyone looks online for doulas.
Be sure to take time to network with fellow birth professionals. Connecting with like minded doulas is a great way to create a referral network. At times, some doulas will be too busy to accept more clients. They will often refer to other doulas they know and trust.
Connect with midwives, childbirth educators, OBs, chiropractors, etc., to help with word of mouth.
Provide the best possible doula support to all your clients. Word of mouth from happy clients is an amazing and organic way to grow your business.
The International Doula Institute Models Business Before Social Media
The International Doula Institute was founded before social media influencers became mainstream. With thousands of Certified Doulas and thousands of current students, we are proof social media presence isn’t the end all be all.
While we do have social media, and we hope you will follow us, remember, you do not need to be an influencer doula to be a successful doula.
Author: Aliza Juliette Bancoff
Aliza Juliette Bancoff is a well-known doula and doula trainer who has been providing doula services to families for over a decade. She is the founder of Main Line Doulas, a doula group providing doula support in the great Philadelphia area for the last decade, the International Doula Institute, which provides online doula training and lactation training and certification programs and the International Breastfeeding Institute which provides lactation training and certification. She is the co-founder of United Birth, a company devoted to increasing access to doulas across the country to make the perinatal time safer both physically and emotionally. “Every birthing person deserves access to quality doula support. And we are working to make that a reality across the country. The work we are doing to get doulas to every birthing person will decrease the black infant and maternal mortality rate significantly by 2030.” Says Bancoff. Aliza is known for her compassionate and empowering approach to doula work, and she has been featured in numerous media outlets, including United Nations Maternal Health Report, Parent Magazine, CafeMom, theBump and many more. Aliza's journey into doula work began when she gave birth to her first child and felt a strong calling...