How to Make & Include Videos on your Doula Website

QUICK SUMMARY:

Video helps birth workers build trust before a family ever reaches out. A short video lets families hear your voice, see your face, and get a feel for your care.

The best videos for doulas and birth pros are a short intro, a “what to expect” video, a video about your specialty, and client testimonials. You don’t need fancy gear. Use your phone, a $20 to $30 clip-on mic, natural light from a window, and the camera at eye level. Keep videos to one or two minutes and talk from notes, not a script.

To help your SEO, host videos on YouTube or Vimeo, add captions, and put a short summary or transcript under each video. Google and AI tools can’t watch your video, but they can read the words around it.

Two clients emailed me this week with questions about branding videos for their website, so I thought I’d write a blog post in response. (This is a great example of listening to what your clients are asking you, and taking the time to create helpful content in response using your blog, video (!), social media or newsletter).

Have you considered adding video to your website? It’s an excellent idea. In Wyzowl’s 2026 video marketing survey, 63% of people said a short video is how they’d most like to learn about a product or service. Reading an article came in a distant second at 12%.

Families aren’t hiring a plumber. They’re picking someone to be in the room for one of the most intimate and extraordinary moments of their lives. Before they reach out, they’re asking: Is she kind? Will she get me? Will I feel safe with her?

Your website copy can answer some of that. Video lets them hear your voice and watch your face while you talk, building trust. A one-minute video can make a family feel like they’ve already met you.

Testimonial videos from families also carry a lot of weight, letting site visitors experience your care through the story of another local family.

That feeling of trust helps them to feel ready to fill out your contact form and take the next step.

A few more benefits of using videos on your website:

A visitor who watches a two-minute video stays put instead of clicking back to Google. Longer visits to your website tell Google your site was useful and give people more time to settle into imagining you as their doula.

A “what to expect” video answers questions before the first call. The families who reach out already know how you work, reducing the number of inquiries you get from potential clients who truly are not a fit for your practice.

Did you know that YouTube is the second biggest search engine, and it’s owned by Google? A video titled “Postpartum Doula in Denver: What a Visit Looks Like” can show up in YouTube search, Google search, and sometimes Google’s video results. Note: Google and AI tools can’t watch your video, so add a short summary or transcript on the page so they know what it’s about and where you work.

BONUS TIP: You can add videos to your Google Business Profile using the photos feature. Profiles regularly updated with original photos and videos tell Google you are an active, engaged professional birth worker, which makes them show you more in the map results!

So why aren’t all our websites filled with great video?

Simple: not all of us feel comfortable showing up on camera, and the logistics of it all can easily feel overwhelming.

I am the perfect example of this. I’ve literally had clients tell me they hired me because of my soothing voice – both doula clients back when I was a doula, and even website clients! People tend to tell me my physical presence makes them feel safe. Over a decade ago at a business retreat my mentor URGED me to use video for my business, saying I was a natural. Clients love my video tutorials on their websites, but these are screencasts with voiceover, not me on camera!

And yet… I don’t have the right backdrop. I need to lose weight. I can’t decide what to film about. I don’t like my hair right now. I don’t like how I look on camera. I get caught up in the gear I need and procrastinate (for another year). Will my video be professional enough? So many random reasons keeping me from showing up in video, and as I write this I feel frustrated with myself. At age 57 you’d think I would have stopped giving a flying f…. and just show up.

That said, it’s on my goal list for 2027. I have so much great content to share with y’all, and it’s time to show up more visibly. I promise to come back here and right a “what I’ve discovered” update once I’ve taken the leap.

Video ideas for birth workers:

A few simple ideas to get you started. This does NOT have to be a big production with a script or professional film crew.

• Intro “Meet the Doula” Video: A short 60-to-90-second video on your homepage where you speak directly to the camera. Share who you are, who you work with (include your location!), your unique approach or philosophy, and what working with you lis like.
• What to Expect Video: Walk families through a prenatal visit, a postpartum visit, or your first call. Pack your birth bag and share your tools and how you use them. People feel calmer when they know what’s coming.
• How to Choose Video: Explain the difference between your packages, or how to know if they want a birth or postpartum doula – or both!
• Expertise Video: VBAC support, twins, home birth, whatever you’re known for. A video on it helps the right families find you.
• Family Testimonial Videos: Short video interviews or past clients recording a quick video on their phone sharing their experience with you as their doula. More on these below.
• What is a Doula?: A brief overview clarifying what doulas do (and do not do), can be helpful for first-time parents who aren’t yet totally clear on the doula role, and if they need one.
• Client Testimonials / Birth Stories:

How to film your videos:

Your sound is actually more important than the video quality. Echoey or muffled audio is hard to listen to. A clip-on mic for your phone runs about $20 to $30. Film in a room with a couch, rug, or curtains to soak up sound.

Use natural light to your advantage. Natural light on your face looks warm. Mid-morning or mid-afternoon work well when the light is bright but soft. Make sure there is no window behind you. A ring light is a cheap and simple way to boost your light.

Put the camera at eye level and film horizontally: Stack some books or grab a $15 tripod. Look at the lens, not at yourself on the screen. It feels strange to you, I know. To the person watching, it feels like you’re talking to them.

Short and sweet is best. Keep it to a minute or two.

Use notes, not a script. Reading word for word sounds stiff. Jot down three or four points, then talk like you’re sitting across from a client. You KNOW how to talk about what you do – you do it all the time with families and friends and family who want to understand what you do. This is a conversation, not a presentation.

Client Video Testimonials

If you have clients willing to share video testimonials, this is pure gold for your doula marketing.

When planning the video with them, ask questions that elicit stories. Without the right question, you might end up with a video that just says “she was awesome”, which while true, doesn’t share the value of your care. A few good conversation starters for their video testimonial:

• What were you worried about before we worked together?
• What surprised you about having a doula?
• Was there a moment you were glad I was there?
• What would you tell a friend who’s thinking about hiring a doula?

It’s ok if the video includes a pause or awkward moment. That makes it feel real.

Before you post anyone’s video, get a signed release that covers your website and social media. Ask if they’re okay with their name being used.

Making sure your videos help your SEO

Google and AI tools like ChatGPT can’t watch your videos. They read the text around them. So:

1. Add captions. A lot of people watch with the sound off. Captions also help viewers who process info better by reading.
2. Add a transcript or short summary under each video on your site. That gives Google words to work with.
3. Write clear titles and descriptions on YouTube or Vimeo with the topic and your city. Something like: “What Happens at a Prenatal Visit | Postpartum Doula in Portland.”
4. Put each video on the page it belongs on. Intro on your home or about page. Prenatal visit video on your services page. Testimonials near your contact button, where families are deciding whether to reach out.
5. Consider adding a youtube channel for your brand and feature your videos there.

FAQ: Including Video on Your Birth Worker Website

Just start…

You don’t have to be good at it. And you don’t have to like how you sound (I’ve never met anyone who likes the sound of their own voice on a recording.) Or how you look (we’re our own worst judges). Start small and simple. And know that you’ll get better over time. We just have to show up!