It’s good to know you have the skills needed to go into the virtual assistant business. It’s even better to know that you’ve made the brave decision to go for it.
And while being a virtual assistant is rewarding, the early stages could be tough, as you may be finding it difficult to secure your first client.
If this is you, then don’t fret, I’ve got some useful tips that can attract clients your way.
So keep reading, and I’ll be telling you how to land your first client as a virtual assistant!
1. Choose a specific niche
One of the biggest mistakes rookie virtual assistants make, is to think they can do it all. The “Jack of all trades” mentality is dangerous for newbies, as it doesn’t tell your prospects enough about your core strengths.
Not to say that having multiple skills is a bad idea, because it isn’t. But for starts, it is better you focus on one niche and market it to your prospects.
Let’s assume your main strength is in copywriting, this is the major skill you should advertise on your social media profiles.
Why?
Because it will be easier for you to pop up when your client goes online to search for a copywriter.
If your profile is bombarded with too many skills, then it would be harder for you to appear in Google searches, as opposed to virtual assistants that have niched down to one specific skill.
Also, do not forget that there is a popular myth that says, a Jack of all trades is the master of none!
Your prospects know this too, and would rather hire a virtual assistant who specializes in one particular thing.
2. Get a website
One of the most effective ways to convince a prospect that you are good at what you claim to do, is to actually prove it. And this is where a personal website comes in.
Let’s assume you are a graphic designer, you could start a personal blog where you talk about all things regarding graphics.
Your blog posts should include educational articles and tips, that are useful in solving problems that revolve around graphic designing. It should also include samples of your work and your contact information.
This will cause your readers (and prospects), to view you as an expert in the world of graphic design.
A prospective client may come across your blog and hire you, strictly based on the quality of your informational articles, and the quality of the graphics being displayed on your blog.
Such posts can convince the prospect that you know what you’re doing, and that you are the right virtual assistant to hire!
An extra tip here is to induce website traffic. What this means is simple – Share your web content on as many social media platforms as you have, so that your followers can view.
For every article you post on your blog, make sure you share the links on your social media pages. These include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn etc.
It will also do you some good if you encourage your friends or followers to share your posts. This will give you greater exposure, and your first client might just be a contact of one of your friends, who came across one of your shared posts!
3. Sign-up with freelance platforms
This should be a no-brainer, as freelance platforms like Fiverr and Upwork are crawling with thousands of clients who are looking for the right virtual assistant to hire.
The good news is, signing up with these platforms is free, which means you can do it immediately you finish reading this article!
Once you’re all set up, you can begin scouting for jobs and submitting proposals. And If your proposal is convincing enough, then there’s a good chance the prospect will hire you!
This brings us to our next tip!
4. Have a strong profile
As I just mentioned, a strong proposal can convince clients to hire you, but not before they take a look at your profile!
This is why it is important to make your profile as informative, and as convincing as possible.
This is not to say you should bombard your profile with unnecessary information. Just stick to what will likely convince a prospect to hit the call button.
A good social media profile should include your core skills, your work experience, and if possible, past accomplishments. It should also contain keywords that match your skills, just so you have a better chance of appearing in searches.
Here’s a good example of a strong profile –
Amechi Okoli – Freelance writer with over 5 years of professional experience | Written for over 200 blogs | Ghost-written over 20 books | Visit my website to check out my samples www.amechiokoli.wordpress.com
As you can see, the profile above tells the prospect who you are, what you do, your past accomplishments, and offers a platform where they can go to take a look at your work.
If everything checks out, then they’ll reach out to you.
5. Network with experienced virtual assistants
Now that your website and profiles are all set up, you need to start hooking up with as many virtual assistants as you can find online. I advise that you network with VAs who have more experience than you.
This is because experienced VAs will most likely have clients who they are working with. Also, they could be getting more jobs than they can handle, and will need an extra hand to complete their tasks.
If you manage to build a good relationship with experienced virtual assistants, they can pass their excess work to you and pay you for it.
This goes to show that your very first client might be a fellow virtual assistant, just like you!
Conclusion
Finding your first client as a virtual assistant is not as hard as you think. As long as you focus on your field of expertise and advertise your skills through the right mediums, then your chances of success will be high.
I hope these tips have been helpful.
Good luck!
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