Podcasting 101: Strategies for Starting and Growing Your Own Birth Story Podcast
Have you ever wondered how you can use your passion for birth to reach a wider audience and create a meaningful impact for moms across the world?!?
If you are ready to explore the power of storytelling and share the magic of birth through your own birth story podcast, then get out a pen and paper, this episode is for you!
In this episode, we dive into the following:
How to use the power of storytelling to educate, inspire, and empower both your doula clients and followers…
The best ways to promote your birth story podcast and build a loyal audience of birth enthusiasts…
How to develop your own unique podcasting style that reflects your personality, values, and expertise as a birth doula…
… and a whole lot more!
If you're tired of not having a platform to share ALL of your knowledge and expertise, then you wanna listen up!
As doulas, we know the power of storytelling in the birth world.
Sharing our own birth experiences and hearing those of others can be incredibly transformative for pregnant women…. And as birth workers, we have a unique perspective to offer.
So, if you're interested in starting your own birth story podcast, or you're looking for strategies to help grow your existing podcast, you're in the right place. In this blog post, I'll be sharing my top strategies for getting started and growing your own birth story podcast, so let's dive in!
First off, why start a birth story podcast?
As birth workers, we know that every birth story is unique and powerful. By sharing these stories with a wider audience, we can help to normalize birth, inspire expectant parents, and provide valuable information about the birth process. Plus, podcasting is a great way to connect with other local (and not so local!) birth workers to build your network, and even make friends!
So, how do you get started? Here are my top tips:
Choose your niche: Home births? Hospital births? Free births? All of the above?
When it comes to podcasting, it's important to have a clear focus. By choosing a specific niche, you'll be able to target a specific audience and create content that resonates with them.
Before you start recording, think about what kind of birth story podcast you want to create. Will you focus on home births, hospital births, free births, or a little bit of everything? Will you interview birth workers, parents, or both? Will you cover a specific geographic area or focus on a particular aspect of birth (e.g. VBACs, water births, first-time moms, birth after loss, etc.)?
Plan it ALL out. Birth story podcasts are not all exactly the same.
Before you hit record, plan out your episodes. This includes choosing your guests, preparing questions, and creating a structure for your episodes.
Consider: How long will the episodes be? Will you do any solo episodes or just share other people’s birth stories? Will you interview people or have them come on and tell their stories uninterrupted? Will you have a co-host or fly solo? It’s important to not only think about what type of format will be most engaging for your audience but to prioritize what you feel most comfortable with too.
You’ll also need to pick a podcast name, create podcast cover art, and script a short intro episode to introduce yourself!
Invest in the right equipment and start recording those birth stories!
While you don't need to break the bank on equipment, it's important to invest in quality gear that will produce good sound quality. This includes a microphone, headphones, and recording software. Check out this blog post for my personal recommendations!
A quiet space to record is also mandatory. When I first started, I was recording in my closet.
As you begin recording, remember that the key to a successful birth story podcast is creating a space for vulnerability and authenticity. If you have guests telling their stories, encourage them to share their stories in their own words, without judgment or your interruption. Eventually, you’ll learn how to delicately balance guiding the story without creating an environment that causes your guest to shut down.
And of course, this is birth we are talking about, an event where a large percentage of women come out on the other side traumatized… So it's also important to be sensitive to any triggers or traumatic experiences that may come up during the conversation.
Be consistent. Doula work can be so sporadic, but your podcast doesn’t have to be.
Consistency is key when it comes to podcasting. Whether you release episodes weekly, biweekly, or monthly, make sure you stick to a schedule. This will help you build a loyal audience and keep your content fresh.
Here are some tips for maintaining consistency:
Set a schedule: Decide on a release schedule that works for you and stick to it. You can also create a content calendar in Airtable to plan out future episodes.
Batch record: Record several episodes at once so that you have a backlog of content to release on a regular schedule.
Take breaks: It's important to take breaks and avoid burnout. Consider taking a short break between seasons or releasing bonus episodes to fill in the gaps.
Promote your birth story podcast.
Once you've recorded your episodes, it's time to promote your podcast! Share your episodes on social media, reach out to other birth workers for collaborations, and consider investing in paid advertising. And don't be afraid to promote your doula business in your podcast, this has to be sustainable for you after all!
I also really encourage you to collaborate with other birth workers and podcasters to cross-promote each other's content. We have a lot of women inside the Birthworker Membership with podcasts, and I LOVE seeing them collaborate with each other!
Something else you have to do is create engaging show notes or blogs for each episode. This will not only make your podcast more accessible to those who prefer to read rather than listen (AKA moms with a contact napping baby!) but it will also help with search engine optimization and make your podcast more discoverable to people on Google!
Click here to learn more about SEO for doulas.
Engage with your audience (especially your pregnant followers!)
Finally, don't forget to engage with your audience! Encourage listeners to share their own birth stories, respond to comments and questions on social media, and create a community around your podcast. This will help you build a loyal following and create a space for open dialogue about birth.
Create bonus content: Consider creating bonus content like Q&A episodes or follow-up interviews with guests. This will keep your content fresh and engaging.
If you leave here with anything, just know that starting and growing a podcast can be a powerful tool for building your doula business in person AND online.
By defining your niche, planning every aspect, investing in the right equipment, staying consistent, promoting your podcast strategically, and engaging with your audience, you can build a loyal audience and make a meaningful impact in the birth community beyond your small town or big city…
I don’t want this conversation about podcasts to stop any time soon… because this podcast is the BEST thing that’s ever happened to my business.
Be on the lookout for a podcast workshop with me in the coming months because I am DYING to share everything I’ve learned along the way!
(Including the systems I set up to make recording and publishing this podcast the easiest content to create in my business by far… and how I launched this podcast at #15 in the entire US… AND how I stayed in the top #100 for nearly a full year…)
thank you for listening
If this episode lights you up, I’d love it if you’d rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. After you review the show, snap a pic and upload it here… and I’ll send you a little surprise as a thank you.
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Meet your host, Kyleigh Banks, a side-gig doula turned CEO of a multi-six-figure birth-focused business. Her passion? Teaching birth nerds, like you, how to build an incredibly successful doula business that allows you to quit your day job, stay home with your kids, and most importantly, make a lasting impact on the world.