Lets talk business!

This is a topic I don't think we've not really covered and personally, I feel it's a whole separate marketing method than the doula business, while some doula clients might be interested in the service (and there will be some cross advertising) I have a lot of placenta clients who don't want a doula either.

So how do you market your placenta services?
Do you only do marketing when you're marketing your doula business (as an additional service)?
What type of marketing and out reach have you found effective?
What other people and businesses have you networked with?
What do feel has been your best marketing for return on investment?


For me, my web page has been a great tool for education. StL while it has it's 'chrunchier' communities it's very conservative, not so progressive and I've found that I am having to build the knowledge of this practice from scratch.
I have tried to network with our local doula group, but only a few people showed up to my presentation (one of the doulas did recently refer a client though ;) !!), I also spoke at the midwives political support group and drew curiosity, but almost all of them were done having kids and not working at the patient care levels, but at least they know about it, they can tell friends.
I have done email based out reach to all of our doulas and midwives e-serve lists here.
I have brochures at all of the local baby, breastfeeding and new mom stores.
I purchased an add in the midwives newsletter as well.
I think my next step is too network with the chrunchier chiropractors, naturopath's, herbal supply stores and yogi's.
For my doula clients, I include a 1 page info sheet on the service plus a brochure, but most hire me knowing they're doing it already rather than me upselling them.

I think the idea of marketing to herbalists and naturopaths is a good one. Those who are interested in "alternative" health care options are going to be the ones who are more excited about the idea of placenta encapsulation.

Do the hospitals in your area have a newsletter? I saw an OB once for my last pregnancy and STILL get their newsletters.

this is a great question and i am really interested in other people's responses. i think you are totally right brie, it is a completely different marketing strategy - even if someone has never heard of a doula, i have never had to say "i think it is super beneficial but if you don't want to ever talk about it again..." in my doula intro spiel.

until this month i've not really "marketed" my services except to doula clients. i'm pretty enthusiastic about evangelizing for the placenta gospel though so i have a lot of good word of mouth clients. honestly, i think a lot has to do with the local climate. portland is liberal, green, health and wellness conscious and open to alternative anything. i think we have more doulas, midwives (both kinds) and birth centers per capita than anywhere else in the states. lots of chiropractors, acupuncturists, herbalists, etc. too but not enough placenta ladies (although more than most places, i guess).

i average 1 or 2 births a month and probably 90% of my doula clients take advantage of my placenta services as well (i give them a 50% off deal too). i work in a large doula collective and get several referrals a month from my partners. i also get regular referrals from a couple hb MWs, a birth center and am now getting more and more mom-to-mom and professional-to-professional word of mouth recommendations.

now that i have the basics of a website (still need to add images) a name (tree of life placenta services) and nice brochures (need to find a much cheaper printer than kinkos though!), i'm going to start promoting the biz more actively. i already have a couple midwives and a birth center who refer clients to me but keep asking for info/promo materials. i hope to make the rounds to most of the homebirth MWs and birth centers in town, advertise at the local herb shoppes and with a few chiros and acupuncturists, as well as the local mama spa and mama resource centers.

i'd also like to train some more ladies to at least know how to do placenta art and medicines for their clients and possibly to refer out to. a couple of my doula partners also work at the local midwifery college and i'd like to maybe do a workshop demonstration for their students. whenever i am around other doulas, i get a lot of interest in my placenta services too. i'm really not interested in "certifying" people but i strongly believe in the old-school method of women training women. i might start offering to train individual doulas when they refer their mothers to me and train them on their client's placenta (with client's permission of course). what do you guys think of that?