To be a successful virtual assistant (VA) you need to be able to market your services and acquire clients. It might feel challenging to develop those initial clients when you are just beginning your freelancing journey. However, bringing in enough clients to make a good base for the company is not impossible if one is willing to work for it and find good strategies. This article focuses on how VAs can get their first and subsequent clients.
Identify Your Specialization and Target Market
The first one is to know with high degree of clarity what Virtual Assistant services you plan to offer and what kind of clients you would like to attract. Most content you will find online will tell you to focus on a single task or industry. Example: social media for real estate agents. If this is your passion and what you want to focus on – then go for it! Your target market may based on having a certain set of values and needing a certain set of skills. Hence, there is a wide range of jobs in the virtual assisting field, and that is why it is crucial to give this thought and have clarity. For instance, you may focus on the social media management of coaches and consultants. Or maybe you want to provide administrative support for people who value in-person contact and want you to come onsite (or the opposite). Adopting the concept of an ideal client helps define the market position and the marketing strategy.
Develop a Website to Introduce Your Brand
Having a professional website that informs your clients about your Virtual Assistant services, experience, and why you should be hired is necessary; as is the accompanying company-branded email. This provides the potential client with a place they can go to find out more about you. Do not forget to add some words and examples of existing satisfied clients to gain trust and credibility. Ensure that you provide a contact form for people to be able to contact you quickly. Tip: If you’re just starting out and don’t have clients reach out to former employers and see if they would be willing to provide a quote on your performance.
Leverage Your Network
Remember, word of mouth is a powerful form of marketing. Inform your friends and colleagues about your VA services that you are launching and whether they know anyone who could require your help. When you have previously satisfied clients, it is easy to approach them and ask for referrals or recommendations. A large number of new clients will be acquired through word-of-mouth from other satisfied clients. When I started It’s Your Time, my second client lead to my next 3 (and eventually my acquisition of her business). Joining business networking groups such as BNI can be a game changer.
Get active on social media
Networking sites such as LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook (specifically facebook groups) are ideal for this purpose. Ensure that you have correctly claimed and created profiles focusing on your service. Interact with the forum by posting comments, contributing content, and making contact with other people. This puts you in a position of authority, and you are able to attract clients naturally to your area of specialization.
Free Tools and Resources
Creating simple and free tools, templates, guides, or another type of resource associated with your services provides site visitors with something useful for their contact details. For instance, if you’re providing social media support you could create a downloadable “Top 10 Social Media Tips” document. This provides value to prospective clients upfront in exchange for their details.
Run Targeted Ads
Advertising your services on social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google can be costly but effective as one can target individual interests and age groups. For instance, you can promote your products to founders of small startups, real estate agents, or working mothers – based on your target customer. Many of these sites can help you target your very specific target market.
Pitch Guest Blog Posts
Content marketing can drive new clients who are already consuming blogs and websites relevant to your specialty. Approach these industry blogs where you can prove yourself by writing guest posts for increased brand awareness. Don’t forget to include a biography section with links pointing back to your website. This assists in establishing you as a specialist in the respective field and can introduce you to those needing your services.
Getting those initial clients when starting as a Virtual Assistant requires work and effort, but getting the right combination of these strategies will set you on the right course. Make sure to specify your audience, use your connections, advertise, be helpful to potential clients, and give them a reason to choose you over other new customers. It is advisable to stick to your work with complete dedication and not give up! Keep on working hard to gain more clients all the time.