At the International Doula Institute, we strive to provide all the tools you need to thrive in your doula journey. Throughout our courses, there is information on networking, marketing, and even online presence. Still, how do new doulas find families needing support?
It can vary greatly depending on your natural network, location, and current trends in birth and parenting. However, the tips below are designed to help new doulas brainstorm ways to reach families needing support.
New Doulas Find Families Online
One of the easier ways to get started is to begin developing your online presence. It is rare for a doula to be able to only have an online presence and be found by families wanting support, but it is a great way to start.
You do not need to spend a lot of money or resources on establishing your online presence. Some easy ways to get started include:
- A basic self-designed website with a URL similar or identical to just your name. The website only needs to initially be one page with your contact information, what services you provide, and ideally an option to book a consultation with you.
- A free Facebook page even if you are not a regular Facebook user. Facebook pages pop up high on search engines making it another touchpoint for people seeking doulas to find your information.
- Instagram and even TikTok can be a great way to reach potential clients but also fellow birth experts.
- Join Facebook groups for doulas in your region. If there isn’t one, create one!
Take time to interact with similar accounts on your social media sites. Organic interaction is a great way to establish yourself online. This helps people get to know you, especially other birth experts.
It is also very important that you highlight sharing evidenced based information. What sets certified doulas apart from random bloggers and accounts is always providing evidenced based information. Doulas can share opinions and anecdotes, but they should always decipher between that and evidence.
Start Networking With Other Doulas and Birth Experts
While it is possible to build a base of growing families through ongoing word of mouth referrals via families you served, networking with other experts tends to have a greater return on investment.
Take time to get to know fellow birth experts in your area. It is not uncommon for well-known birth experts to receive more inquiries than they can support. When this happens, many refer to fellow doulas they know.
Reach out to other new doulas as well. Meet for coffee, discuss services, see how you can help support each other in growing the families you reach.
Do not wait until you certify to start networking. As soon as you become a student doula, begin reaching out and connecting with fellow birth experts in your area.
New Doulas Find Families to Support Through Doula Agencies
Another option for new doulas to gain experience is by collaborating with a doula agency. This allows you to focus on developing your skills as a doula without having to prioritize finding families to serve.
Begin networking, creating your online presence, and establish yourself as a source of evidenced-based information. This will help as you reach out to agencies and even doula co-ops.
Become A Community Resource
When you show others you know your stuff, people will come to you with questions related to pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. Having resources such as experts, books, articles, etc., to answer people’s questions helps you establish yourself as a community resource.
How does that translate to families wanting your support? Well, when people come to you, you can provide very basic resources. As they find they need more information and support, you can share what services you provide and encourage them to book you as their doula.
Some doulas offer only typical doula support. Other doulas also provide consultations such as a quick hour session on comfort measures for birth, or how to prepare a birth plan.
It can feel daunting to jump into the doula journey, but with your training, time, and confidence, you will be booking with families before you know it!
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...