Facebook Live for Doulas #2: Choosing Topics

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So I did my first facebook live yesterday! Honestly I never would have gone ahead with it if I hadn’t had a moment of insanity and actually scheduled the session a few days before via my blog and a facebook announcement. I generally find it easier to take a leap when there is no room to back out or delay something hard. My first topic was an easy pic, since I myself have been researching Facebook Live in depth for weeks now. Still, I wondered if I was making a mistake trying it out in such a public way.

I didn’t expect to fall in love with facebook live so quickly.

I figured I’d get through it, there might be a few comments from users, I’d have to get brave again for next week’s session, and then eventually grow to kind of like it. Honestly? Within 5 minutes I knew that Facebook Live was going to be a great medium for me. The fact is, I love connecting with y’all. There I was in my living room in Monteverde, Costa Rica, answering your questions LIVE! How amazing is that?

So one of the questions that came up in the feed was the following:
What topics do you suggest covering and which should we steer away from?

As I shared the other day in my post on Facebook Live for Doulas, One of the best things about Facebook Live is that it offers you a chance to show up with your audience in a way that feels authentic to you. This means that you can talk about just about anything that feels like a good fit for you, your practice, and your audience! I put together a creative list of topics and ways you can use facebook live for your birth or postpartum practice to help get your juices flowing. Download your Facebook Live Strategies for Doulas on my Website Doula Resource Hub

Beware of “should” topics

On a deeper level though, I want to address this idea of “should”. There is no specific list of topics that you have to cover, nor avoid. Always, always think about who you are as a practitioner and what your best practice will look and sound like. If you’d like some help exploring what makes you unique, check out my Beyond Competition ebook.

Choose topics that are important to you, helpful to your audience, and reflective of your values as a practitioner.

For example, if you’re someone who is very strongly anti-circumcision and part of your practice is to share this message in your community, then it would absolutely be an appropriate topic for facebook live. If you are strongly invested in personal choice on pain medications, then doing a facebook live on how to stay connected to your body, baby & birth with an epidural would be a great fit.

Midwife Monika Rosicka commented on my feed in response to this question: “Follow your passion and inspiration. Often when you get excited, it shows…I think no taboos… anything you want to discuss, it’s your biz!! You are the biz:)” Yes! You are your business. You get to decide what is important to you, and what you want to share with your community. In my mind, nothing is out of bounds, but just be sure on your intent and messaging in choosing any particular topic.

What about personal topics?

Sure, why not? You could choose to do a blend of personal & professional topics, exploring everything from your experience introducing your first child to their new baby brother, to how to use your favourite model of baby sling. Why not let them get to know you by either blending personal stories into the more professional topics, or doing some 100% personal live sessions?

Your goal is for visitors to get to know you.

How do you want to feel to your audience?

For me, I want my presence on facebook live to be warm, comfortable, connected, and uber-helpful. That’s my style as a website designer (and as a human being in general!) – and what I want to convey to all of you. Let your quirky self shine through? Tend towards sarcasm? Use it! Opinionated? Let us all in on what is important to you!

Already since yesterday one viewer of my Facebook Live has hosted her first very own session on breastfeeding. Who will be next?

Download your Facebook Live Strategies for Doulas on my Website Doula Resource Hub