Facebook Live for Doulas #1: Why facebook live is a great fit.

Not yet a fan of my Facebook page? Join me here. Facebook Live is a relatively new feature on social media, having appeared on most of your business pages within the past year. That I have seen, it is not yet being widely used by doulas or other birth & postpartum professionals – though I’ve included a few examples down below of how it is already being used by some! I too have been hesitant to give it a go for my Website Doula practice, rationalizing my avoidance with a number of reasons that really hold no truth when I actually took the time to write them down (that blog post is coming soon!). I think Facebook Live is a fantastic fit for the business goals of birth and postpartum professionals.
Download your Facebook Live Strategies for Doulas on my Website Doula Resource Hub

5 great reasons you should be on facebook live >

Facebook Live helps you build trust.

The work you do with families (whether you are a doula, childbirth educator, lactation consultant, or a yoga teacher) is all about Trust and relationship. The first step to getting new clients is to create connection and build trust. Facebook live is quite simply the fastest & easiest way to help potential clients get to know you online.

“The know-like-and trust factor is built at a super-accelerated rate, and in some cases people know within 5 minutes or less whether they like you. Then they get to know you. And then they are willing to spend money with you. It’s just really incredible how quickly that process happens compared to our traditional social media route.” – Amy Porterfield Episode #111: How to get started with Facebook Live.

Facebook live shows the real you.

Regular life is a bit messy. We all have bad hair days, dogs that bark, neighbors that ring the doorbell at just the wrong time, and look just kind of dorky when we’d rather look fabulous. Your work with families is largely in the messy times. We’re there for the broken waters, cracked nipples, and crying jags. They trust you to be there for them with 100% compassion and support – why not trust your audience to be ok with you not being “perfect” all the time?

Your Facebook Live videos can reach way more people than a regular post.

Facebook wants you to use Facebook Live. To encourage our usage, it is pushing live videos far more than regular content on your feed. Even if only a few people join you while your video is actually live, far more will have the chance to watch, comment, and share in the following days after it is posted in your feed. Regular Facebook Live users are sharing that their live videos sometimes will reach even more people than they have as actual followers on their page! This means that even as a BRAND NEW DOULA with just 30 fans you can greatly expand your social media reach and more quickly grow your online identity.

It’s a great chance to create new content for your community & clients.

Each Facebook Live video can actually be downloaded and then also re-shared via youtube or another video hosting service and embedded on your website. The videos can provide content for blog posts, inspire giveaways or new ebooks, serve as resources for clients on important topics, and more. As well, as your followers comment on the Facebook Live videos, you will likely get ideas for new future content.

Let’s imagine you host a Facebook Live answering questions about breastfeeding and going back to work. You could:
✓ Upload the video to your website and write a blog post about it.
✓ Create a free handout with tips on feeding your baby after going back to work. To access the handout they have to sign up for your mailing list. Mention this handout during the call to send traffic to your website. You can see an example of this on my blog post that provides a free giveaway to help you write your website about page.
✓ Write a related blog post featuring words of advice from other parents who have already made the transition, and link to your original blog post with the video link.
✓ Encourage viewers to share the video with friends who might be interested in this topic, or tag them right in the comments section.
✓ Review the comments in the video feed for key questions or concerns that could become excellent topics for future Facebook Live sessions, or a blog post.

You can use Facebook Live to increase your website traffic.

Simply by mentioning content on your site and encouraging viewers to check it out, you can increase your traffic on your birth or postpartum website. Perhaps you have an ebook on how to choose a doula that you want to share with a wider audience and generate sales? Or a fantastic blog post that includes a giveaway PDF handout related to your topic (be sure to require them to submit their name & email to access your handout – thereby growing your mailing list!). Or do a Facebook Live talking about a new service you are offering and encourage them to check it out… You can of course also provide them with a direct link!

Examples of doulas using Facebook Live

• A team of 4 doulas debunk common myths about birth and postpartum doulas
• A doula demonstrates her new pelvis model and talks about the pelvis in birth
• Excellent facebook live by a doula showing us the contents of her birth bag.
• Waterbirth group chat with midwife Lisa Lederer
• Kate Turza Postpartum Doula hosts a Q & A with a local pediatric physical therapist

Download your free Facebook Live Strategy Guide
on my Website Doula Resource Hub