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?

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?

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:

So you’ve worked on your cocktail line and you have a great statement about what you do for your ideal client. How do you know your cocktail line is effective? When the response you receive is “Tell me more”? So, what will you say next?

Word-of-mouth advertising is one of the least expensive and most powerful methods of marketing you can do for your business. When it comes to something as intimate as attending a birth, women want to be able to feel safe and trust her team. If you are recommended by someone she already does business with or otherwise knows and trusts, you are more likely to gain her business than someone she finds on a directory or online through an internet search.

Marketing is telling people what you do and how your services will solve a problem people have. One important factor you must understand about marketing is that it is a continuous process. The “Rule of Seven” in marketing means that it takes an average of seven times before a prospective client will buy from you. That being said, it’s not enough to print up some business cards and brochures to hand out, build a website, and wait for business to come. There is much more to do in order to effectively market your business and attract customers.

Let your clients and colleagues know how much you appreciate them during this Thanksgiving season!

Do you like to write? Do you want to share your knowledge about pregnancy, labor and birth with others? You can become a published author by submitting articles to online article directories.

Joy Jones is an RN who created a very comprehensive website dedicated to the Brewer Pregnancy Diet. It not only has a great deal of information and links to many more resources, it also maintains a referral list of professionals who support the Brewer’s Diet.