Today’s Quote: Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read. – Leo Burnett
Welcome to another episode of the podcast that teaches you how to be a ridiculously good virtual assistant.
Today we are going to talk about content – what you are putting out there to attract clients and get visibility for your VA business.
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Connect with Tracey D’Aviero, VA Coach and Trainer
Episode Notes:
Today we are going to talk about content – what you are putting out there to attract clients and get visibility for your VA business.
Do you get really stuck when it comes to marketing your Virtual Assistant business? If you do, it’s perfectly normal.
As admin professionals, most of us were never taught about marketing. So we kind of make things up as we go, or throw spaghetti at the wall and hope something sticks.
I’ve been there, and I’ve done it all wrong. I still get it wrong sometimes!
Let’s talk about why that is.
When we are looking for clients, we can’t help but think about making a sale.
I mean, if we don’t make a sale, we don’t have a client. And we don’t get any money.
So when someone, maybe a coach like me, tells you to focus on helping people instead of selling, it sounds good … but it still doesn’t solve your issue of not having clients.
We like to think there’s a magic switch that we can flip from no clients, to lots of clients. And there can be, but there are a lot of things you have to have in place for that switch to start working.
And if you are still struggling to get clients, then you probably just don’t have all of the things in place that need to be there.
One of those things is a simple and effective way to promote your service to the clients who need them.
What is the goal of our marketing?
Not to make a sale, believe it or not!
But it’s to showcase our expertise to our clients – in terms of how we can help THEM.
Let me repeat that.
It’s to showcase our expertise to our clients – in terms of how we can help THEM.
Yes it’s about us … but only in relation to how we can help our clients.
Marketing and promotion must satisfy the attention of the person who is going to be making the purchase, or spending the money. And that’s your clients.
So … lots of VAs get marketing wrong. We talk about what we do, we tell people that we are VAs, and that we help our clients with everything under the sun, and that we have a special on now, and that we have a client opening next month, and that we save them time and money.
But none of that messaging lands with most clients.
What do they want to know? They want to know how you can help them fix something in their business. Simple.
If they are overwhelmed by all of their daily tasks, maybe you can help them with project management.
If they are too busy handling their customers requests and communication, maybe you can help with with client care or customer service.
If they are behind in their books, maybe you can help them with bookkeeping.
If they are not posting anything on social media, maybe you can help them get more eyes on their business.
You get the idea.
So these are real problems that your clients have – and ones they need solutions to.
It’s a very simple issue, and they need to understand easily that you can help them with it.
If they believe you can help them do that, you could have a new client.
So how does that come through in our marketing?
We need to create simple messaging that clearly talks about how you are aware of their issues and that’s how you help your clients – and how you can help them.
We need to become memorable – so they see us often and we begin to become top of mind when they are thinking about their problems and looking for a solution.
In terms of your content – this means consistent posting, and solid content topics that your clients relate to.
Make it inviting to look at (so it looks good), and don’t forget to also make it fun (or interesting) to read.
Content isn’t just your website copy or your blog posts either – content is all the words and the images that you are putting out there in the business world. Including the words coming out of your mouth.
So choosing the words and the images that you use in your marketing is important. And it can help you stand out because you will be recognizable.
Consistent posting or connecting will help you to become part of a community and part of your client’s feed.
Sharing a consistent message in your copy and images also needs to flow over into your conversations.
So when you are networking, you want to talk to people about the same types of things that you are posting in your content. What is the theme of those things? How you can help them.
And when you are having conversations with people – at events, or in groups, same.
In networking situations, you are marketing your business. Yes, you are getting to know people, but it’s still about moving relationships further when you connect.
Ask questions, answer questions. And always be sure you are keeping things simple and light.
So update your website copy, your social media bios, and your content so that it is all consistent and conveys the message of how you help your clients.
Share information, resources and tips that showcase your client’s problems and how you solve them.
So let’s get back to the idea of helping people over sales. The sales will come when the messaging doesn’t scream ‘sale’.
Those posts about being a VA, helping clients with whatever they need, a special on now, a client opening next month, and saving them time and money … they are falling on deaf ears. So you are spending time creating and posting things that aren’t doing anything for your business.
Get your messaging right and focus on your clients and what they need, and you’ll see a lot better results. It gets easy once you get started. So let’s get you started!
Need Some Help?
If you need some help with creating content that works for you, reach out to me at tracey@yourvamentor.com. I’ve helped hundreds of VAs through their challenges and got them on their way to the next thing. I’d love to do the same for you. I do private coaching, and registration for my new mastermind group The Virtual Circle is open now. Maybe one of those is right for you!
That’s all I’ve got for you this week, thanks for tuning in to learn to become a ridiculously good Virtual Assistant.