I’ve noticed a bit of a trend in the past month or so, where a lot of virtual assistants are seeking help in business groups for a specific issue.
“Please help!” they write. “How do you find clients? [This isn’t new]. I’m really active on Instagram but I’m just not getting clients” [that’s the new bit].
To be honest, this hasn’t entirely surprised me, and here’s why. Especially in the last few years, there’s been a rise of new ‘business coaches’ — you know the type, they’ve managed to keep the lights on for a year in their new venture so now they’re positioning themselves as an expert — telling their followers that Instagram is life and they MUST BE ACTIVE on Instagram as the ONLY WAY to get clients and grow their business. And now we’re seeing the proof of what more experienced VAs already knew — this is bad advice.
why you’re not getting clients on instagram
One of the major problems with this advice is, ‘being active on social media’ is not a strategy. It doesn’t really mean anything. Instead, you need to be thinking about:
The fundamentals of marketing.
Marketing is not just about ‘being active.’ It’s a way of communicating with your audience so they can get to know how you can help them and why you’re the one to do it. And it needs to be tied to your business goals, so it has purpose and you can measure what’s working and what’s not. (Obviously there’s a lot more to it, but you see where I’m going with this. You need to understand marketing before you start getting out there).
Where are your ideal clients?
Most of my clients are not active on Instagram (and those that are have it for personal use, or for information and inspiration — not to find new service providers). And in my experience, people who are seeking Online Business Managers and Virtual Assistants aren’t generally using their Insta feed as a decision-making factor.
Yes, it is a great place to educate, inspire, engage, and showcase your brand personality. But when someone is looking to work with a VA or OBM, it’s usually a pretty detailed conversation about their specific business and needs — so make sure you have clear calls to action and it is easy for people to move from Insta to booking a call with you. You might start a relationship on Instagram, but it’s unlikely to be the thing that converts on it’s own.
How can people find you?
In the same way that you need to understand where your ideal clients are hanging out, you need to focus on making it easy for them to find you. This is where you need to have a basic understanding of SEO. These days, when people have a need, usually the first thing they do is have a Google. So you need to understand what your potential clients are googling, and make sure your online content speaks to that.
Ideally, this will happen on your website, where you tap into a client’s problem or need and desired outcome, using phrases and language they would use. But if you don’t have the time, expertise, or budget to get your website up, focus on building out your LinkedIn profile in the same way. That’ll show up in search results really well too.
how to find clients as a virtual assistant
Ok, so now we’ve covered why ‘be active on Instagram’ stinks as a strategy, let’s look at where to find clients for your service-based business.
I started my virtual assistant business 8 years ago, and over that time the digital landscape has changed pretty dramatically. But I do believe what worked then absolutely works now! Because opportunities are attached to people (hat tip to the Happiness Concierge for that concise gem), you need to focus on connecting with people. I recommend:
Networking
This is hands down the best investment I’ve made for my business, for a couple of reasons. The unexpected one is that it forces you to get good at explaining what you do in clear and succinct terms, and when you’re doing it a lot you get comfy pretty quickly (which also helps build confidence!)
I also found that, once I explained what I do, heaps of people would say “oh I’ve been thinking about engaging a Virtual Assistant!” which naturally sparked a conversation about what they needed and how I could help them. Plus, it’s a really fast way to form a connection with someone — way quicker than them seeing a few Insta posts. You will immediately get a sense of if you vibe well together, and they will remember you down the track when they or someone in their network need help.
Online networking
By this, I mean engaging in communities where your ideal clients are, like Facebook groups for business owners. Your goal here should not be to ‘get clients’; instead focus on getting to know people, understanding what they struggle with, and offer advice and support where you can – NO STRINGS ATTACHED.
I yell about that because I’m getting really sick of people asking a straightforward question (like, “what online course platform is best for X?”) and seeing comments like “I can help you with this, shoot me a DM” or a sales pitch. If you know the answer, share it. This will showcase your knowledge and expertise and get your name known as a savvy and helpful person.
Ask for referrals
One of the scariest parts of starting my business was actually telling my friends and family that I’d decided to do it. But, once they knew, they were super eager to help me! My first client was an internet friend to whom I offered pro bono event support. At that event, I got chatting with someone who ended up becoming a client — so you never know where the next right connection might come from!
Similarly, don’t be afraid to ask your happy clients or network for referrals to people they know who might be a good fit for you. Word of mouth is powerful and was the main thing that built my business to a full time client load in the beginning.
Social media can be a fun and useful tool for building your brand and showcasing your skills and expertise. It can absolutely play a part in building that know/like/trust factor that business relies on. But by itself, it isn’t the best client-getting tactic for service-based business owners. Instead, focus on understanding how marketing works (and how it’ll work best for your business and goals), where your clients are and what they’re looking for, and how you can build genuine connections to help grow your business.
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