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The demand for virtual assistants, or VAs, has increased significantly as more people work remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. VAs provide assistance in various areas such as email management, talent acquisition, and general administrative tasks. However, with a wide range of services to offer, it can be challenging for VAs to determine their niche and attract their desired clients. To shed light on this, three experienced VAs shared their insights on how they identified their specialization and effectively marketed their services.
1. Hannah Dixon recommends marketing herself to clients in her niche
Hannah Dixon, a virtual assistant coach who's made six figures in a year, said she turned to gig sites to get jobs when she started out.
But Dixon didn't find many gigs and the ones available were low paid. She realized that she had to be more "proactive" to land better paying clients, prioritizing "creating opportunities over looking for them," she said.
She built a "strong personal brand," she said, which meant tailoring her presence and wording to what the clients she wanted.
She said that, for example, a VA who wanted to work with high-paying women making podcasts should not advertise "Podcast VA Services" but instead use language to indicate a "premium" service, such as "Podcasting with Power: Elevating the Voices of Women on a Mission" or "Premium Podcast Services for Visionaries."
"Six-figure pricing requires a six-figure service, and this VIP service should start before you land the client," she said.
2. Shannon Blanchard built relationships with potential clients on social media
Shannon Blanchard started working as a virtual assistant in January 2021 and wanted to work with creatives and web designers.
"I found designers wanted to spend more time on the creative side of their work, but they were so burned out from having to handle admin and organizational systems," she told Insider.
Blanchard focused on building relationships with creatives on Instagram. Instead of cold-pitching her services, she'd comment on the Instagram stories and posts of clients she wanted to work with.
"I treated them like they were my friends already. I'd promote my services on my Instagram page, but I wasn't very forward with selling my services directly. I'd let them come to me," she said.
Blanchard also imagined her "ideal client," and posted an Instagram story every day aimed at that client.
"It was important to paint a picture for prospective clients to show what I could do for them," she said.
3. Mary Carrasquillo made sure her Instagram was a 'cohesive' portfolio of her work
Mary Carrasquillo started her virtual assistant business in December 2020 and was booking more than $8,000 a month in monthly revenue by January 2022.
When Carrasquillo decided she wanted to work with brand designers, she knew her Instagram page needed to be "cohesive," and showcase her portfolio of work.
"Having a well-crafted page that showcases skills, visions, and projects gives you credibility when brands are deciding whether to work with you," she said.