How to Market Your Doula Business Online After Training

You have finished your doula training – which hopefully also went over the basics of running a doula business. You are fired up, you want to get in there and help, and you think you are ready to hold families through some of the most tender and intense moments of their lives. And then reality hits. You need actual paying clients. Yikes, you start to sweat… 

You don’t know what to do first. 

You are feeling shy about telling people about your business. 

You need a marketing plan that is as close to free as possible because you cannot even afford a website (hello, late night YouTube videos on DIY sites using AI),

This is the moment that makes a lot of new doulas freeze. 

The online world feels crowded and it can feel like every other person is running a doula business. But here is the truth we see every single day inside our Maternal Support Practitioner program. Doulas who root their business in community connection, justice centred care, and thoughtful online strategy get clients. 

Consistently. 

Without burning out. 

Without becoming someone they are not or spending hours a day on social media.

Marketing does not need to feel gross or pushy. It can feel generous and like an extension of your care work. And it is deeply effective, y’all!

So, let’s walk through some of the doula business tips we teach inside our programs and we even use ourselves to grow 5 and 6 figure doula businesses. These are the strategies that fill your client roster, whether you want 1 or 5 clients per month. And the best part? It keeps your message circulating in communities that care and support you.

We have lots of great resources in our blog section and here are some others to check out after you go through this one. We recommend: the invisible doula problem, five questions to ask before signing up for a doula course, and why learning to listen makes you a better doula to deepen your foundations as you go.

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Start by grounding your doula business plan in your values

Every strong doula business begins with your values. And folks wanna skip this since it is not as fun as picking a business name or building a brand board on Pinterest. But for real, stop!  Before you create a single Instagram post or craft a bio for your website, you need to know who you are in this work. 

A values grounded doula business plan will make every online decision easier. Messaging becomes clear. Boundaries stay firm. You attract clients who want care that aligns with your beliefs.

This is something that gets you out of bed in the morning and stops you from hitting ‘next episode’ on Netflix at midnight. It is your fuel. It is your why. And don’t make it something that you would read on a corporate website with too many words and vague meaning. 

One of our alumni used ‘I will keep Black women alive who are birthing in Texas’. BOOM! That is powerful sh*t and super clear. 

If your values include advocacy, anti oppressive care, reproductive justice, or trauma informed support, say so. The data continues to show that people are seeking providers who understand their lived experiences and who honour their autonomy. A recent report from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists noted that people who feel emotionally and culturally supported during pregnancy are more likely to trust their care and report better postpartum outcomes. This is the kind of connection your business is offering.

If you have not yet built your plan, our blog on how long it takes to become a doula breaks down what real preparedness looks like and links directly to the free tools that help you map next steps.

When your plan is value centred, marketing becomes storytelling rather than selling. And selling feels grossss to most people, so let’s connect and solve instead.

Build a simple online home so clients can find you quickly

People want to know who you are and how to book you. That is it. You do not need a perfect website to start your doula business. You do not need fancy brand photos or a thousand pages. Do you know want you do need? You need clarity.

Here is what your online home needs to include. Note: Notice we are saying online home… this can be a social media channel like an Instagram or Facebook page. 

• A clear description of who you support
• An explanation of why your work matters
• Your packages (we recommend including pricing and we do a whole talk about this in our business school.)
• Your contact form or email or text link. 
• A short bio written in your real voice that is mostly about how your experiences will benefit them

This is the way you can let people get the right idea about you even in the middle of the night. Your online platform is doing the work for you so make sure it is saying the right things. Think of this as the doorway into your care. They will see if they want to come in and if they do, you nurture the heck outta them!

We break all of this down inside our full spectrum doula certification, in one of the business training modules that students tell us is worth the program on its own.

If you are feeling stuck, check out our posts on setting up a referral program and learning to listen. These pieces help you shape your messaging in ways that resonate online.

Focus your doula marketing on one or two platforms to start

Trying to be everywhere at once is the fastest path to burning out and giving up. It is tooooo much trying to maintain all these channels. Right now you might be debating this in your head like, oh, I like it and it is only like 15 minutes a day. Wrong… it is way more than that to do it well, especially as it grows AND you will have way more responsibilities with your clients once your roster starts filling up. 

Instead, choose one primary platform to focus on. Most doulas begin with Instagram because it is visual, community centred, and allows you to share personal storytelling in a way that feels aligned with care work. Others prefer Pinterest because it drives long term traffic to blogs and classes. If you are working with older clients, consider Facebook. Younger ones, maybe TikTok is the way to go. 

Here is the reminder you need, and listen to this carefully: You do not need to go vira… you are not an influencer or content creator. You are a doula. 

You need to be consistent, clear, and compassionate.

Some high performing content ideas for new doula marketing include:

• Short videos about common pregnancy fears
• Posts about how you support your clients in birth
• What is happening in your local area
• Sales at stores in your service area
• How to navigate the local hospital and birth centre
• Scripts to negotiate with a doctor to get a VBAC
• Myth busting around postpartum
• Behind the scenes moments that help people understand what a doula actually does
• Your story of why you became a doula

Did you notice how many things listed there were about what is happening close to you? Tagging and connecting with local services, shops and birth centres really embeds you in the community you are working within. That is the goal! You want to get the folks in your geographical area to follow you and know about you, and this is the best way to do that. Use local hashtags and geotag everything!

If you want support building this out, our blog on five mistakes new doulas make in their first birth support session helps you create educational posts that build trust and credibility.

You can place calls to action at the end of every post. Invite people to download a free comfort measures guide, take your fertility quiz, listen to a podcast episode, or book a consult. People like to know what to do next and a clear call to action or CTA does just that. Don’t leave them hanging.

Use storytelling to connect with the people who need you

Data tells us that people hire doulas because of their feelings and connections. A 2017 study from the Journal of Perinatal Education found that trust, personal connection, and emotional support were the top reasons people chose doula care. Your marketing should help people feel connected to you before they ever meet you.

Instead of focusing on selling, speak directly to the lived experiences of your clients.

Try language like:

You have been told too many times that you are worrying too much, but your instincts are strong

You want care that does not centre the hospital system but centres your body and your baby

You want an advocate who will help you ask questions and stay grounded in your choices

You want postpartum support that protects your mental health

Your family story matters here

This is where your justice centred values shine. When you talk about oppressive systems, bias in care, and trauma informed support, you are naming the truths your clients carry. People hire doulas who see them.

And again, listen to the worries that people will share with you and solve those problems… these can be that the local doctor is ‘episiotomy happy’ and folks are scared or that the newest strollers are hard to assemble. 

Grow your audience with content that solves actual problems

One of the fastest ways to grow your doula business online is to create content that genuinely helps people. Problem solving content performs well in every corner of the internet.

Ideas include:

• What to ask your provider in the third trimester
• How to push off an induction date
• How to rest when you have pregnancy insomnia
• How to navigate round ligament pain
• What is medical coercion and how do families recognise it
• How to choose the right childbirth education class
• How to prepare older siblings for a newborn

When you make content that solves real problems, two things happen. People save it and people share it. And the more your work is shared, the easier it is for clients to find you.

If you want to learn this system inside a structured process, our Get More Clients Challenge breaks down the exact daily tasks that fill your roster. We also have a full blog on selling versus solving that opens this up even more.

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Build community and relationships instead of chasing algorithms

OK, we have been talking about this so much… stop chasing the algorithms, they intentionally change to keep us on our toes and increase time creators and scrollers are on the apps. Guess what is way more solid and consistent? Yup, you guessed it – Community! You do not need ten thousand followers to run a full doula business. You need a loyal community who trusts your work and thinks you are really swell.

Here is the formula our students use again and again.

• Post valuable content consistently that is important for your local community
• Engage with followers by asking questions
• Start conversations in comments and DMs
• Build email lists with free downloads or checklists
• Invite people to live classes, webinars, local events, or consult calls
• Offer gentle reminders and follow ups

This is social care, not social media. You are building a web of connection and you are showing up with generosity, honesty, and unwavering support. And people are craving that and appreciate your care. 

If you want deeper community building support, our workshop Community Building Without Social Media shows you how to create a referral based business that grows month after month with or without Instagram.

Share your expertise through blog posts, podcasts, or newsletters

Search engines love doulas who write. Like, really like when you can answer top questions. Do you know who else really likes it when you are a wealth of information? Families! And newsletters or regular blogs help you stay in front of your audience without fighting for attention online.

A monthly blog is enough but the more you blog, the better these days with google and how it scans for answers for search queries. A short weekly or bi weekly email keeps your people engaged and gives great value. These pieces do not need to be super long but they do need to offer care, solutions, how-tos or other added value tips and tricks.

You can share:

• Birth stories with permission
• New research on pregnancy or postpartum
• Explanations of common procedures
• Local lists of top 5 or 10 (these do SO well!)
• Your reflections on trust, advocacy, or informed decision making
• Interviews with local providers
• Client wins
• Tools and checklists

The more your voice is out there helping folks, the easier it is for people to understand you and your care. We have a full collection of SEO blogs you can pull from, including our guides on postpartum support, birth support, and how to choose a doula course.

Lean into slow, steady growth instead of trying to sprint for your doula business

The doulas who thrive online are not the ones who do the most. They are the ones who do a few things consistently over time. Carve out some time each day/week to get your writing and outreach and content creation done. 

One helpful way to think about this is to choose three weekly activities for visibility and three weekly activities for relationship building.

Visibility might look like:

• Posting two pieces of content online
• Emailing your list
• Writing a blog every month

Relationship building might look like:

• Commenting on ten posts from local community members
• Hosting a live Q and A
• Messaging people who engage with your content
• Following local business
• Going into your service area and introducing yourself (IN REAL LIFE) to other shop owners

These steady steps are the foundation of long term doula business growth. Our podcast episode Three Things Every Doula Needs in Their First Year breaks down this exact mindset.

Connect your marketing directly to a clear next step

One of the biggest mistakes doulas make online is sharing great content but giving no pathway for someone to work with them. This is where you want to link the heck out of your stuff. This is the way to convert fans to clients! You need to include a simple call to action (CTA) every time (posts, blogs, emails, webpages, etc)

Some CTA ideas include:

• Book a free consult
• Download my postpartum plan checklist
• Join my childbirth class
• Get my comfort measures toolkit
• Read my latest blog
• Sign up for my newsletter
• Grab a spot at our free info night

This helps people feel guided and you are already showing that you will hold their hand through different processes and events.

Remember that you are always the best part of your marketing

People do not hire doulas because of branding – although some nice branding does really help. They hire doulas because of trust, safety, and connection. You are the most powerful asset in your doula business, and don’t forget this. You are the reason someone will feel safer and more autonomous. You are the reason someone will feel seen and brave and confident.

Marketing your doula business online after training does not require perfection. It will be a trial ad error process. And honestly, that trial and error goes on forever. What works one year, may not connect with folks the next, so stay open and listen and adapt to what your dream clients need and want. 

It requires a willingness to speak to the truth of what families are navigating in the current systems and environment and economy. It requires a commitment to staying aligned with your values even when the internet feels loud and people doubt you or you doubt yourself.

Your work matters. 

Your voice matters. 

And there are families searching for the exact kind of care you provide.

If you want step by step support building your doula business, our Maternal Support Practitioner certification includes full doula business training, templates, scripts, referral program guides, and coaching. We would love to support you as you build a business that feels aligned and sustainable. If you have taken a doula training and you feel unprepared (we get it, the weekend trainings need to go, read our open letter here) we do offer a certification transfer that is a great option for you. 

Your clients are not far away. Let us help you reach them.