Crush These 6 Fears and Just Start Your VA Newsletter

Do you send out a regular newsletter for your Virtual Assistant business?

To build a relationship with your clients and potential clients, a newsletter is a great means of communication. And it is an effective way to market your VA business because you share your expertise with them, and talk about how you help your clients.

How does that help? Because when you share your expertise with people, they learn to trust you.

But many VAs I know don’t have newsletters. They are afraid to get started because they really just don’t know what they need to do.

Below I’m going to share the fears that stopped me from starting a newsletter, and tell you how you can get past them.

1. I have no idea who I am writing to.

If you are just getting started, this can be tricky. You need to decide your target market to know who you are writing to. Lawyers? Real estate agents? Business coaches? You have to choose. Then you will know what they will want to read about. This is actually an easy one – and it is important to choose a market for all of your marketing.

2. I don’t know what to write about.

Content scares everyone. You think people don’t want to read what you will write. But they do! They want to know how you can help them. All you need to do is plan a few ideas. Come up with a list of 4 major categories you will write about, and then brainstorm 4 topics you can write under each. That’s 16 ideas right there. Planning ahead is the key to creating content that your audience will love.

3. I don’t have a list yet!

Everyone’s email list starts with just 1 person on it (and if you are anything like me, it’s your mom!). You are not alone. But don’t think about building a list and THEN starting a newsletter. You need to start a newsletter and build your list WITH IT. Put it on your website and social media and tell people why they should sign up. Providing a free download (like a checklist) is a good way to start getting people on your list. Sending out good content is the way to keep them there.

4. I can’t decide on a design.

Every email program that is out there now has templates to choose from. You don’t need a webmaster to custom code one for you. Just pick something simple that you like and move forward. If you have brand colours and fonts here is where you need to use them. Don’t overthink it. Some people just send text emails for their newsletters and they are sometimes even more effective. The key is consistent contact. Get it done and out, and try not to worry about perfect design.

5. I don’t know which service to use.

There are all kinds of free (or low cost) email marketing services. Sign up for several free trials and see which one you like best. They are usually very user-friendly. Ask your colleagues if you are really unsure which one to go with. You can move your list if you change services, but try to choose one that you will grow with for a period of time to begin with. Simple is best!

6. I’m not a good writer.

A good newsletter set up includes a personal note, an article or some tips and a recommends section. If you do not think you are a good writer yet, provide tips or resources (‘hey I found this great website that teaches you how to do this really cool thing!’) that your audience would be interested in. The writing is not the most important part; the communication part is. Say something personal so people get to know you. Send them interesting information. You will get more comfortable with the content, the more newsletters you send. Look at what others send (that you like) and model their content.

These are just a few common fears that stop VAs from starting to send out a newsletter. I pushed through them and so can you.

I actually look forward to writing my newsletter, because I love to share my ‘stuff’ with you.

Nothing is better than hearing the comments and feedback you share with me after I send it out each week. Thanks for the feedback and the inspiration!

If you don’t have your newsletter started yet, get going on it. Push through those fears and just do it. Your audience will be glad you did!

Newsletters are an important way to market your VA business. When you know who you are trying to connect with, the content is easier to plan, and you will get clients!

For more tips on how to set up the foundations you need to run your Virtual Assistant business the right way, download our free Start Your VA Business checklist here.