As a largely freelance-driven industry, knowing how to market yourself correctly is critical for anyone looking to make it as a virtual assistant. Ultimately, your success comes down to your ability to sell yourself to potential clients. But knowing how to market yourself effectively can be confusing.
If you want to learn how to best market yourself as a virtual assistant, keep reading, because in this blog, we’ll be giving our best tips on marketing yourself so you feel confident and ready to attract clients.
Find and know your niche
Finding and knowing your niche is the most important place to begin when creating a marketing plan. There are dozens of different types of virtual assistant jobs, each requiring different skill sets and passions. For example, some companies look for virtual assistants to help with social media marketing, while others look for virtual assistants who are skilled bookkeepers. These two jobs require very different skills, so it’s important to spend time reflecting on what you’re good at in order to find jobs you can excel in.
It can also be helpful to spend time reflecting on your values, and what sort of companies and projects you align with. If, for example, you’re passionate about health and wellness, you can use that angle when marketing yourself as a virtual assistant. Brands like to know they are working with people with similar goals and values.
The more you’re able to narrow down your niche, the better. Not only will this help you find jobs you’re passionate about and feel comfortable doing, but it also helps clients ensure it’s the right fit.
Create a professional website and use social media
Once you establish your niche, you can then begin to market yourself using a professional website and social media. Nowadays, especially for digital industries, having an online presence is necessary to attract and keep clients, as many connections are made online. Invest in a professional website and use social media platforms like LinkedIn in order to connect with potential clients.
Having a professional website and updated LinkedIn can also help you land jobs. It adds a level of credibility to you as a virtual assistant when companies can visit your website. It’s a small change that can have a big impact.
Offer free consultations
Companies can sometimes hesitate to hire freelancers, as it can be risky to them as a business if they aren’t sure what to expect from you.
Offering free consultations to potential clients is the perfect way to begin a positive working relationship. Set up a meeting where you can meet the client, discuss their needs and what they’re looking for, and how you can best help them. This is also an important time to go over the projected timeline and budget for the project, so you aren’t taken by surprise later down the line.
Consultations like these help both you and the client. It helps you get a better sense of the project and whether or not it fits your skills, schedule, and rates. Plus, it helps the client get to know you and build trust in your work, without the pressure of hiring you right away.
Nurture your relationships
Finally, one of the most important parts of marketing yourself as a virtual assistant is nurturing your work relationships. After working with a client, continue to stay in touch with them. They may end up giving you more work in the future, or may recommend you to another business or client. While marketing to bring in new clients is important, continuing to nurture the relationships with existing or past clients is also a critical component of a successful virtual assistant career.
The idea of marketing yourself and your virtual assistant services can be daunting. But by following these tips and tricks, you can completely transform your virtual assistant career.