Where Can Virtual Assistants Look To Find Their Dream Clients
There's no secret sauce or magic formula to finding clients.
It takes work, for sure. But you can get clients in different types of ways.
It comes easy for some. For some online service providers, they were in the right place at the right time; they completed a program that promised a client or two at the end; some did coaching; somebody knew somebody that knew somebody who needed help; some reached out to their network!
I say all of this to say that it's all about being CONSISTENT.
Consistency is what worked for me.
Where have I found clients?
Facebook groups (my first two clients)
Instagram (my third client)
Personal network (one of my long time clients)
Coaching (how I learned to be a Pinterest manager)
Here are some other ways you can find clients.
Family and friends network.
If you know any entrepreneurs in your network, you can reach out to them to see if they need help or if they can refer you to someone who does
Former employers or colleagues.
Do you know anyone who recently ditched their 9-5 and started a small business? Finding someone you used to work with is another option where you can reach out to them to see if they need help or if they can refer you to someone who does
Conduct market research with your target market.
By now, you should have created an "I help statement." You know whom you want to help and why. Please find a way through social media marketing (Instagram or Facebook groups) and conduct market research to find out what help they need.
Social media marketing.
Make sure you have set up a business Instagram account, a Facebook business page, and a business Pinterest account. You can use all three of these platforms to create specific types of content to reach your ideal client. Remember that the content you create is not for you; it is for your perfect dream client.
You Need A Website.
Eventually, paying for a website can be expensive whether you do something simple or extravagant. At the beginning of your business, it's honestly not needed. As I stated above, you can create a Facebook business page and use it as a place for people to find you. However, that's only going to work for a while. You're going to need an online presence with your website as a part of your overall marketing plan.
Create a fabulous opt-in.
An opt-in (freebie) is where blogging, Pinterest, and email marketing combine. Create something your ideal client needs, and use it to draw them into your email marketing strategy.
Being a small business owner, virtual assistant, social media manager, coach, or entrepreneur is not easy, and it's not for everyone. Don't let people's "I found clients easy" fool you into thinking it is because they got clients within weeks or months of starting their business.
You need to sit down and figure out: whom you want to serve, what are their problems, how you can help solve them, how you want to serve them, where are you going to look to find those people, what platforms do they hang out on, and do you!
Eventually - the clients will come. You don't need anything fancy to start.
No website and no logo. Get a Facebook page to use as a stand-in for your website, an Instagram account, and a Pinterest business account for marketing, and get going.
You can learn a lot on your own through trial and error. Sometimes (not always), it takes a bit longer, but finding your dream clients can be done! I love the coaching route. I've had several coaches over my three-year journey, and I have a coach now! I'm also a coach for virtual assistants who need guidance and direction. Coaching provides the personalized attention you sometimes need, and it's nice having someone to objectively look at my (your) business you can reach out to when you need that one-on-one assistance.
Do what you feel comfortable with and build your business the way you want. Be consistent, don't give up, try different things until you find what works for you!
I believe in you.