At a typical fair, each business has a designated space. Vendors are usually are provided a table, a chair or two, and maybe an electrical outlet. The organizers may also put up a small sign with the business name at the back of the booth.

Beyond what is provided, it is up to you to make your booth a place that people want to come and visit. One way to get ideas is to go to some fairs and see what attracts you. You may notice that many exhibitors have their table at the front of the booth, right up to the aisle where people are walking. The exhibitor may have some items displayed on the table, perhaps some brochures, and they’re sitting at the table, available to talk to the people passing by. Most of the time, what happens? People keep walking. Especially if it is crowded.

Here are some ways to cozy up your space:

An email signature is such a simple way to let people know what you do and where to find out more information about you. If you have an online email account like Gmail or Hotmail, you can use WiseStamp to create a customized email signature. It currently works with Firefox and Google Chrome.

There are some days when I am inspired to write a long article about a topic that’s brewed in my head for a while. Several months ago, this happened, and I was inspired to write about marketing.

Just for grins, I decided to submit it to DONA International to see if they’d include it in a future publication of International Doula. To my surprise, they accepted the article.

I waited. And waited.

On one of my Yahoo Groups, Carol from Birth Journeys asked the group:

I have, for several years, used Constant Contact for email marketing and have tried to be faithful in sending out monthly newsletters. At $15 a month for a subscription, and the popularity of Facebook, etc, I am beginning to question if Constant Contact is still a good marketing tool. It has allowed me to keep my name in front of past students, some of which have returned to become Hypno-mamas, but my time is limited and I am not sure if I am really getting the best bang for my buck.

So, my question is this….. do you feel that e-mail marketing has now been replaced with blogs and Facebook, etc? Or, do any of you do both?

A month or so ago I received an email from one of the gals at Get Babied!, an Austin-based Doula Collective. They were planning to have a vendor table at a local event geared towards expectant families, and their promo was a $30 coupon for their services. They were preparing to hand out 250 of these coupons to mamas.

It helps to be really clear about who you want to serve with your birth business. If you are just starting out, you may have to take a guess for now and adjust your ideal client profile as you gain experience. What’s wonderful, though, about having your own practice is that you make changes at any time!

So what’s the number one rule? Your potential customers are really not that interested in what you do and how you do it. What they really want to know is, what’s in it for them?

I’ve been exploring a better-defined niche for my doula business. It’s evolved over the two years of my work with women, and it’s about to be transformed again pretty shortly. Today I’ll share with you what a niche is and why you should consider one for your birth business.

Do you know you probably already have already written material that is ripe for an article? Here are some places to consider looking for original material:

When designing your website or marketing materials, what should you be focusing on? What does everyone want to know when looking for a new product or service?