Welcome to another episode of the podcast that teaches you how to be a ridiculously good virtual assistant.
Today I want to talk about finding VA clients online. It’s much simpler than you think it is.
Today’s Quote: Until you understand your customers, deeply and genuinely, you cannot truly serve them. – Rasheed Ogunlara
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Connect with Tracey D’Aviero, VA Coach and Trainer
Episode Notes:
Finding Virtual Assistant clients online is not hard. In fact, it’s very simple.
If you are struggling to find VA clients online, then you are probably missing one or more important pieces of the puzzle.
Today I want to talk about some simple things that you can do to find your best clients online.
Everyone will tell you that the demand for VAs is increasing – they are right. Since the pandemic, the word of virtual working, or remote working if you prefer that term, has really boomed.
It seems that more and more workers want to dictate their own terms – and some of them are able to do that, working from home in a hybrid schedule, etc.
Enter VA businesses – we get to work remotely. And we get to set all of our own boundaries and rules up.
It’s the best of both worlds.
Except that one thing … the customers.
When we are working remotely, we have a job. A steady paycheque. A boss. An endless list of tasks that are tied to our job.
So while they want our lifestyle, we want their steady work without all the fuss.
Getting clients who will pay us to do their work can be challenging.
But I really think that a lot of VAs make the client acquisition process much more difficult than it needs to be.
It’s quite simple to get great clients.
It may not be easy every day, but it’s much easier than you think.
I have 5 simple tips for you today that will help you put yourself out there and get great clients that will value you and pay you well- and that’s really all we want, isn’t it?
Optimize Your Online Presence
The very first place you should start is focusing on what you are putting out there.
Your online presence.
A lot of VAs might mistake this for meaning a website. That is absolutely not what I am talking about.
VA websites are one of the number one distractions for new VAs.
They spend months (yes!) trying to perfect their website, thinking that as soon as it’s live they will be inundated with clients trying to hire them.
Your online presence is different. All that actually means is what you are putting out there online about your business.
To begin, I always suggest social media profiles and pages, as your online presence.
A website is useful but not if it takes you months to get it done (and distracts you from all the other things you need to do as a VA).
So … simply….
Set up your social media profiles – usually Linked In because it is all business oriented, Facebook page because everyone is there (no need to use your FB profile), and maybe an Instagram if your clients are there.
In fact, any social media profile you are using should reflect where your clients are hanging out.
If you don’t know where they are hanging out, then you need to figure that out.
Don’t go to the trouble to set up profiles on every platform, you will struggle to create content for all of them. Focus on one or 2 and do them well.
In any scenario, you want to use keywords in your content and headlines to make sure that your clients can find you in searches (yes they search).
And you want to showcase your skills and services in the way that you can.
Linked In is obviously easy to do this with – it works like an online resume. Fill in your profile as completely as you can to make the most of that platform. Use the featured section to showcase some of your best work.
Facebook has less job stuff on it, but the one crucial area on your personal profile is to connect it to your FB page. That way anyone that does land on your personal profile can find your business page easily and click over to it.
It’s about being smart with your profiles – make them work for you.
And the main key with ANY content that you create – make it about your clients, not about you.
Your clients don’t need to hear about how great it is to be a VA.
They only need to know how specifically you can help them with their business.
So create content that speaks to them, about them, and for them. That’s your key to optimizing your online presence.
This is when it is so important to understand what they need your help with, what they are struggling with, and how you can showcase your services so they know that you are the help they need.
It’s called getting to know them, and showing them you can help them. Simple!
When it’s time for a website, do the same things. Language is key. And of course, connect it to those amazing social media profiles!
Networking in Business Communities
The first thing new VAs do is seek out all of the VA communities that are online.
It’s awesome – there are many. I have a few, and I really enjoy them. It’s our water cooler – our colleagues – and we can get support when we have questions or problems in our business no matter what stage we are at.
However, you are not going to find clients in those VA groups.
Okay so some of them have clients in them (I dislike that), but when a client posts for help, you are at their mercy. You have to be present all the time to answer first. They are almost always going to go with one of the first VAs that responds.
Or they will be inundated with responses and take the lowest bid.
I prefer instead to show VAs the better way.
Join the entrepreneur groups.
The groups where your potential clients are hanging out with THEIR colleagues.
Where they are talking about their business, or learning something, or networking, or just hanging out.
That’s where you will be able to become a part of the community they are also in.
That’s where you will get to know them. And they will get to know you.
The key here is to show up to help. Not to sell.
In fact many groups have no selling rules, and that’s a good thing.
You don’t show up in a group and then start telling people to hire you.
That’s a sure way to get ignored or to annoy the group members who are there to help each other and get to know each other.
That’s why you need to be there too.
I will tell you in my experience of being in rooms full (and groups full) of amazing entrepreneurs, there are very few VAs in those groups.
VAs are in the VA group, not realizing they are in the wrong place to get the awesome clients.
So the few VAs in those entrepreneur groups are getting all the clients.
It doesn’t take long when you are genuinely a helpful part of a community like a Facebook group, for people to start tagging you and referring you, and yes, hiring you.
Show up, help people every day, and you will get clients.
It’s simple, and it’s easy.
You just have to find the right community. And that takes getting to know your clients and where they hang out. Something you need to learn anyway!
So go find them. Hang out with them. Participate! Help them. Get clients. Simple!
Create Some Free Stuff
One of the best ways for people to get to know you better is to be able to sample your expertise.
It’s rare that someone will see you online and then hire you – especially if you are charging what you are worth.
If I need a VA, I am going to want to ensure that we are a good fit.
That they know the things I need them to know.
That our personalities and working styles align.
That they come highly recommended by others.
That they love what they do and spend time showing people that.
Enter free stuff.
I know you might hate me for saying this, but video is really the easiest free stuff you can put out there.
If you can provide some simple videos giving advice, showing how your clients can work with you, talking about how you have helped people, that’s really good testimony.
I tell the story of a VA colleague who started a YouTube series called 2 minutes with a VA many years ago. They were literally 2 minute videos where she talked about things that her clients needed to know about working with a VA.
It helped her by easily creating content that her audience or community wanted to know – or could use to get to know her better. It certainly showcased her expertise and her willingness to show people how she loved her work.
And it showed her personality and working style.
These things are super easy to do in video.
The idea is to put yourself out there on video if you can. It goes a long way to building that know, like and trust that your clients often need before investing in getting support from you.
There are other free things you can put out there too – ebooks, templates, resources like mini trainings, checklists. These are excellent to help you build a mailing list of potential clients.
Remember that social media is not owned by you – so building a mailing list is a great way to build your business.
When someone subscribes to your list, they trust you – or at least they want to trust you – and then you can show up in their inbox every week to give them even more tips. It’s a good way to build your own community that trusts you and your expertise.
I don’t suggest offering free services – that often comes up when we talk about building trust. I’m against it.
Instead, focus on creating content that gives that free taste, and then get your audience on discovery calls where you can discuss how specifically you can help them.
Simple! Talk about what you know – in writing or in video.
Believe me, when I am talking to VAs about what they know, they are amazing! They can go on and on. If you don’t believe me, book a cut to the chase call with me and I’ll show you!
Market on Social Media
Now I know we already talked about social media, but this is not the same as networking on social media.
We are talking about marketing here.
Simple marketing.
When you choose the platforms that you will be present on, you need to show up and be present. It’s social networking, after all.
But you also need to use those platforms for marketing.
Creating content – great content – is essential.
You want to make your social channels work for you – especially when you aren’t present on them.
You need to create content that, no matter when your clients see it, will make them thing ‘that’s what I need help with’.
Strive to work with 4 main topics in your content, and then rotate those topics each week so every month on week 1 you will talk about A, week 2 you will talk about B, week 3 you will talk about C, and so on.
It makes it easy to create your content when you do it in this way.
And of course those four main topics should be uber relevant to your clients.
They will be different for every VA, because our businesses are all different. Our services are all different, our clients are all different.
Consistency is essential when you are creating content – you don’t have to create a lot, but it has to be published regularly so your clients can come to rely on you and again build that trust.
Don’t post 4 posts this week and then nothing for weeks after that. Post consistently and your clients will notice that. You will show up in their feeds, and they will get to know you, like you and trust you.
In terms of relevant content, that’s where getting to know them comes back into play.
You have to know who your audience is in order for your content to land with them.
Remember you aren’t posting for the good of your health. You are posting because you are marketing your services to them.
You want to talk about them.
You want to talk to them.
What do they struggle with? How can you help?
The more you know about their business – the better.
If you are working with speakers, content can talk about how you help your clients find great gigs, create engaging talks, the software you use to manage leads, maybe organizing their follow up and scheduling consults.
When you know what your clients do in their business – how they work with their clients, your content can speak directly to that.
And when they see it (even if it’s in the middle of the night!), they will say ‘that’s what I need help with’.
And that’s the goal.
Leverage Testimonials and Referrals
The best way to get a great client is from another great client, or at least a great connection.
Do great work. Get referrals.
It’s pretty simple.
But a lot of VAs I know don’t collect testimonials from their clients. I didn’t do a great job of it for a while, but I do now. I love to hear how I have helped someone in their business.
And although testimonials don’t always get the visibility you want, they do get noticed by those who are about to make a buying decision.
Think about it. If you are on the fence about buying something and there are review or testimonials, you check them out, don’t you?
I do!
If others say it’s good (and I’ve already figured out it can help me), then I’m in.
Your clients are the same. They want to know that others think you are awesome too. They are already interested – and having someone else tell them you are great too really helps. Simple.
Referrals are the same. A lot of entrepreneurs simply ask their colleagues who to hire as a VA.
They are as anxious as we are about their own business.
And having someone else say ‘call Tracey’ really helps.
The cool thing about referrals is that they don’t just have to come from your existing or past clients.
They can come from that community that I told you about a few minutes ago.
Being a part of a community and helping others every day is an easy way for people to get to know your expertise, your personality, your commitment to your work and to your clients.
And referrals are easy to come by when you are the one showing up and helping people.
Like I said, in most of the entrepreneur communities, you will be one of a few VAs, or even the only one.
I also always say that the surest way to get a referral is to give one first, and that’s also true.
So make sure that you are also giving testimonials and referrals to people who you are working with or getting to know.
You may say but Tracey is someone hasn’t worked with me how can they refer me – well it comes back to that know like and trust.
If someone is looking for a VA who provides marketing services, and the group I am networking in knows that I provide those services, they can refer me.
It’s then up to me to do a discovery call with that referral to see if we are a fit.
The best thing you can do is to define who your ideal client is, and what your specific services are – but there is no bad referral.
If you talk to someone that isn’t a good fit for you, you can still help them. You can tell them who they are looking for, and maybe even where to find them. You don’t have to find someone for them, but you can still help them by telling them what to do next.
And that builds know like and trust too.
And then that client will refer you to others because they understand who you help and how.
It’s all good!!!
I’m going to leave it here for today, but I hope I’ve given you some really simple ways to get clients online.
You will get out of it what you put into it.
Let’s circle back to today’s quote: Until you understand your customers, deeply and genuinely, you cannot truly serve them. – Rasheed Ogunlara
It’s all about knowing your clients. It helps you with content, it helps you with where you need to show up, it helps you showcase your expertise, and it helps you get clients that are a good fit for you.
It’s all very simple. Here’s a quick recap of what we talked about in this episode:
- optimize your online presence(s)
- network in business communities
- create some free stuff
- market on social media
- leverage testimonials and referrals
These are simple, simple things that you can focus on doing well that will help you get in touch every single day with clients who need you.
Never mind creating endless content on every platform, instead do a little bit well.
Never mind spending months on a website, instead focus on connecting with real people.
Never mind waiting for clients, instead have others spread the word for you.
Create all of this yourself by simplifying and getting really clear on who your clients are, and what they need help with.
Do You Need Help?
If you are ready to get some help to start your VA business, that’s where I come in. I am here for one reason – to help you become a ridiculously good VA.
I have helped hundreds of VAs who are stuck get moving through private coaching, group coaching, and self study trainings. If you are ready to get my help, let’s connect on a Cut to the Chase call. You can book yours at YourVAMentor.com/15-min
Thanks for tuning in this week! I’ll see you next time!
What You Need to Do Next:
Let’s work together privately to get you to your really big goal. It’s the fastest way to get results and we can start right away. Learn more about private coaching here.
The Virtual Circle (TVC) is a monthly mastermind group for Virtual Assistants just like you. We get together 3 times a month for group Zoom sessions to talk about what you are struggling with, working on, or celebrating. It’s a close knit community of your VA colleagues that provides the best kind of support for your VA business. Learn more about TVC here.
My self study program Getting Started as a VA can help you get your VA business started easily and quickly too. You can sign up right away and be on your way to getting clients by the end of the program, with all the right foundations in place. Check out the program here.
Click here for more tips to help you with your productivity and time management in your Virtual Assistant business.
Reach out to me if you need to talk about where you are stuck and what the right option might be to get you moving. It’s literally all I’m here to do is help you get to where you want to go. Book a complimentary Cut to the Chase call with me here.