Welcome to another episode of the podcast that teaches you how to be a ridiculously good virtual assistant.
Today I want to finding clients using Instagram.
Today’s Quote: Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room. – Jeff Bezos
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Connect with Tracey D’Aviero, VA Coach and Trainer
Episode Notes:
Whether you’re just starting out or ready to take your VA business to the next level, you’re in the right place.
Today we are talking about how to find clients for your Virtual Assistant business using Instagram.
Now I’m going to let you know that I am not an Instagram expert, but I do know some things that will be helpful and that’s what I want to share with you in this episode.
Instagram isn’t just a platform for sharing pretty pictures; it’s a powerful tool for networking, building relationships, and landing clients.
If you’ve been unsure how to use Instagram effectively for your business, you’ll get some actionable strategies today that you can implement right away.
Why Instagram Works for VAs
First, let’s talk about why Instagram is such a fantastic platform for virtual assistants. Instagram is visual, interactive, and highly personal. It allows you to showcase your expertise, share your personality, and connect directly with potential clients.
Your ideal clients are likely already spending time on Instagram, scrolling, searching for inspiration, and engaging with content. Many business owners, especially solopreneurs and small businesses, use Instagram to grow their own brands. They’re the ones who may need support with content creation, engagement, or the backend tasks that keep their businesses running smoothly.
Plus, Instagram’s features like stories, reels, and DMs create opportunities for meaningful interactions that can lead to client relationships. So let’s get into the nitty-gritty of how to make it work for you.
Step 1: Optimize Your Profile
The first step to finding clients on Instagram is ensuring that your profile is optimized. This is essentially your storefront, and you want it to clearly communicate who you are, what you do, and how you can help.
Here’s what to focus on:
- Profile Picture: Use a clear, professional-looking photo of yourself. A smiling, approachable picture helps build trust.
- Bio: Your bio needs to be clear and client-focused. Include a quick statement about who you help and how. For example, “I help busy coaches streamline their businesses with social media and admin support.” Add a call-to-action like “DM me to chat about how I can help you!”
- Link: Use the link in your bio strategically. You can direct people to your website, a lead magnet, or even a scheduling link for discovery calls.
- Highlights: Organize Highlights to showcase your work, client testimonials, FAQs, and behind-the-scenes content.
Once your profile is polished, anyone who stumbles upon your account should immediately be able to understand how you can help them.
Step 2: Create Valuable Content
Now let’s talk content. To attract clients, you need to create posts and reels that resonate with your target audience. This isn’t about getting thousands of likes, it’s about connecting with the right people. It is always quality over quantity in your marketing!
Here are a few content ideas:
- Educational Content: Share tips, tricks, and insights related to your niche. For example, if you specialize in social media management, create posts about how to boost engagement or design eye-catching posts. These showcase your expertise and your service offerings.
- Behind-the-Scenes: Show your audience what it’s like to work with you. Share clips of you organizing your workspace, designing templates, or managing your calendar. These help your clients get to know you, and start to like you and trust you. You are a real person!
- Client Wins: Highlight success stories or the value you’ve provided for past clients. You don’t need to share confidential details, just focus on the outcomes. These help your clients make the decision to work with you – I rely very heavily on success stories when I want to invest my money in something, including products on Amazon!
- Relatable Posts: Share your journey, challenges you’ve overcome, or why you became a VA. Authenticity helps build trust. These are becoming much more common than they used to be on social media. It’s a shift that really helps people learn about you, to see if they would like to work with you.
- Call-to-Actions: End your captions with clear CTAs, such as “Want help with this? Send me a DM!” or “Comment below if this resonates with you.” Always a call to action. Tell them what to do next.
Consistency is key, so aim for a posting schedule that works for you, whether that’s three times a week or daily.
Step 3: Engage, Engage, Engage
Instagram is a two-way street. Posting content is important, but actively engaging with others is where the magic happens. Engagement builds visibility and relationships, which are critical for landing clients.
Here’s how to do it:
- Comment Thoughtfully: Spend time engaging with posts from your ideal clients or accounts in your niche. Leave thoughtful comments that add value. Take 15 minutes a day to engage with others – it really works to boost your visibility.
- Respond to Stories: Reply to stories from potential clients with genuine interest or helpful tips. Never push, but if you can lend some advice to someone’s story or reel, do! They won’t know who you are unless you step out of the shadows.
- Start Conversations in DMs: Don’t be afraid to initiate conversations. Compliment someone’s post, ask a question, or share how you can help them.
- Use Hashtags/Keywords: Research hashtags and keywords your ideal clients are using and engage with the posts you find there. Although hashtags are declining in use by both the platforms and the people who post on them, you can still use them to find the people you want to connect with, and they can find you with them too.
A word of caution: Don’t go in with a hard sell. Focus on building authentic connections first. Again, quality over quantity.
Step 4: Use Instagram’s Features Strategically
Instagram’s built-in features are powerful tools for showcasing your skills and connecting with potential clients.
- Stories: Use stories to show your daily work life, share quick tips, or do mini-trainings. Polls, questions, and quizzes encourage engagement.
- Reels: Short, engaging reels can demonstrate your expertise in fun ways. For example, create a Reel showing how to organize a messy inbox or design a branded graphic.
- Lives: Go live to share your knowledge, answer questions, or host a mini-workshop. Lives are a great way to connect with your audience in real time.
- DMs: Always check your DMs and respond promptly. Personalized follow-ups can make a big impression.
Experiment with these features to find what works best for you and your audience. You don’t have to use everything all at once. Get comfortable using one of them, and focus on getting results from that first.
Step 5: Network with Other Entrepreneurs
One of the most overlooked ways to find clients on Instagram is through networking with other entrepreneurs. Collaborations and referrals can open doors to opportunities you didn’t even know existed.
- Collaborate: Partner with complementary service providers, like graphic designers or copywriters, to share each other’s content and refer clients.
- Engage with Communities: Join and actively participate in Instagram communities related to your niche.
- Be Generous: Share others’ content, shout out businesses you admire, and celebrate their wins. Generosity often leads to reciprocity.
When you are looking to expand your network, it’s not just about getting clients. In fact most of the people you will come into contact with will never be your client – but they might know someone who will be. That’s why collaboration is so effective.
Step 6: Track Your Efforts
Finally, track what’s working. Always. Instagram offers built-in analytics for business accounts, which can help you understand what types of content resonate most and where your audience is coming from. Use this data to refine your strategy over time. Make sure what you are doing is working for you.
Also, keep a record of connections you make and follow up regularly. I find a Google Sheet to be the simplest way to keep track. Building relationships is an ongoing process, and one interaction doesn’t always mean a new client. Keep track of where you connected with someone and what you last talked about – then you can pick it up anytime you want.
And there you have it! Instagram can be a goldmine for finding clients if you approach it strategically. By optimizing your profile, creating valuable content, engaging consistently, and using Instagram’s features, you’ll be well on your way to building meaningful connections and landing your dream clients.
Now it’s your turn. Take one of the steps we discussed today and put it into action. If you have specific questions or want to share your progress, send me a DM or tag me in your post. I’d love to cheer you on!
Do You Need Help?
I hope you’re feeling inspired and ready to take action. If you need extra support, book a call with me to talk about how I can help you grow your VA business.
I’m going to leave it here for this week, but I do hope to hear from you.
I’m Tracey D’Aviero, Confidence Coach for VAs and I’ll see you next time!