Here are some tried-and-true tips we’ve used over the years to gain new clients:
- Social Media. These days, you have to have a social media presence. Whether it’s a website, pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, or other platforms, or an email list, businesses need some type of social media marketing. The majority of clients will search online to find who they are looking for, so make sure your business is where your target market can easily find it.
- Word of Mouth. One of the best ways to gain new clients is when previous clients recommend you. Doing a great job of supporting each client is not only important for them, it is important for your business. Your reputation is built on your service and professionalism, and is shared by satisfied clients. A personal recommendation always means more than any paid advertisement will.
- Mutually beneficial relationships with other professionals. It’s likely that you already have a list of professionals you refer to – chiropractors, therapists, fitness experts, lactation consultants, etc. Why not offer to work together on an official promotion? Perhaps a discount for both of your businesses if clients book by a certain date. At the very least, creating good referral relationships with other businesses can obviously be beneficial for your clients but also can help you find new clients when those businesses refer their clients to you.
- Offering multiple services. Whatever your first passion related to birthwork was, you can build on that with additional add-on services. This is a great way to gain new clients because after taking your childbirth education class, they will see how knowledgeable you are, and they will be even more likely to hire you as their birth and or postpartum doula. They may also want to add on your placenta encapsulation services, meal preparation, lactation support, or newborn sleep consultation. Not only does this result in additional services sold, but it can lead to new clients if current clients share how great your newborn sleep or lactation support was, and how much they enjoyed the meal preparation they had your business do for them.
- Offer anniversary or other discounts. Around your business’ founding anniversary (or even your own personal birthday, if you so choose), you can offer a birthday discount for clients who sign contracts by a certain date. A small discount will likely not affect your bottom line in the long run but can definitely increase your client base. This is also a great tool for holidays, seasons, or anytime your business may be seeing a slight decrease in inquiries.
- Offer a discount for a new service. If your business is offering a new service, offer a discount! Again, a small discount won’t hurt your overall income but can be a great way to bring in new clients and get your business name out to your target market.
- Host a community group. Either in person or via video calls, you can start a community group that can help funnel clients to your business. Some ideas of topics include: pregnancy and labor basics; postpartum planning; parenting newborns; family dynamics with newborns; baby gear; etc. Getting people connected and talking about things they are all going through is helpful for them and you establish yourself as the expert (childbirth educator, doula, etc.).
- Build relationships with doctors, midwives, and nurses. As part of your clients’ birth team, it’s important to work well with their providers. This is also important for your business, since other birth workers are more likely to refer clients to you if they see you are professional and competent. In addition to what they learn about your business as they see how you support clients during labor, it can also be beneficial for you to set up short appointments with doctors and midwives. During these appointments you’ll have time to introduce yourself and your business, and have conversations to learn about those providers’ specialities. These types of encounters can be so important in building trust among birth workers and can have a big impact on your business.
- Attend baby- or parenting-themed events. If your community has an annual baby expo, that might be a great place for you to invest some time and money. Having a table at an event can get your business in front of hundreds or thousands of new potential clients. Keep in mind your target market though before jumping in – if your ideal client wouldn’t attend that type of event, it might not end up bringing in many new clients for you. Perhaps consider an event that is sponsored by organizations or businesses at which your target market would be more likely to attend: a farmers’ market, a health expo, a children’s clothing consignment sale, etc.
- Repeat clients. Not exactly new clients, but each contract is new. Repeat clients can be a wonderful source of success for your business. Keeping a relationship with former clients is a great way of investing in future clients. This can be fairly simple: send emails or texts around holidays, maybe a birthday message or card around their child’s birthday, and just texts to say hi are often appreciated. These small moments can mean a lot to clients, reminding them of your care and compassion for them and their family during such important times in their lives. Not only are they more likely to sign on with you as repeat clients, but they are also more likely to recommend you to family and friends.
Do you have other ideas for gaining new clients? Connect with us on facebook and instagram and let’s share tips! Also visit us at www.BirthBeautifully.com to see what’s new.
Christine Herrera
Christine Herrera helps people become amazing birth professionals.
