Truth be told, I’ve never gained a client by randomly posting on social media, and neither has the VA agency that I work for. Why? because there are better lead-generation strategies out there that will attract real clients instead of yelling in the endless void of social media.
This post is all about Virtual Assistant Lead Generation strategies.
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The idea is to spark conversation, with thousands of so-called experts, recycling the same messages over and over again with obsession like Beyoncé’s latest country song, yuck! (Sorry, Beyoncé fans) Would we actually be enamored with this song if it wasn’t Beyoncé? Would we actually be following these so-called experts’ advice of showing up on social media every day when the reality is there is a better use of our time, leading to quicker results?
Didn’t think so.
When I first started as a Virtual Assistant, I was told that I needed to show up on Instagram, every day with a mixture of posts, carousels, and reels, as well as posting stories talking about my ideal client’s pain points. The funny thing is that I had no idea who my ideal client was, or what their pain points were! How the heck was I supposed to show up on social media as the expert?
I tried for about 2 weeks and quit.
Thankfully for me, and through the right connections, I met my amazing mentor who took me under her wing and assigned me to my first client, so that I could focus on actually growing my skills as a Virtual Assistant instead of yelling into the void trying to attract my first client to my non-existent skills.
Table of Contents
This post shares Virtual Assistant Lead Generation strategies
Lead Generation for Virtual Assistants
If I were to start over today, I definitely wouldn’t waste any time posting to social media. In fact, I firmly believe that you should only start posting to social media once you have an established client base and you can either outsource your social media presence to a marketing agency, or you are ready to target more clients with ads. Then it becomes a logistical reason to start posting to social media and growing a following. Yes, you can grow an organic social media following but in my opinion, it’s a waste of time and increasingly hard.
So, what would I do instead?
Virtual Assistant lead generation doesn’t need to be complicated, I would try to spark conversation with who I think my ideal client is. I love LinkedIn for this, but it doesn’t need to only be done on LinkedIn. You could also do this on Facebook and Instagram, but these platforms make it a little bit harder to do so. LinkedIn makes it easy to build relationships since the goal of LinkedIn is to form connections and network within your niche, instead of just shouting into the void, hoping you amass followers.
I would craft a compelling first message that I would send to my ‘ideal’ client, with the goal of sparking a conversation, learning more about their pain points, and seeing if my current skills could potentially help them and their business. With the ultimate goal of getting them on a Zoom call, so that we can continue our conversation.
What makes a compelling message?
Personalize: Take the time to type out the person’s name, people like to feel important and that you took time out of your day to learn more about them and who they are, that starts with their name!
Enthusiasm: Following tip #1, show enthusiasm for what your client is doing. Take the time to look them up on social media or their website, are they working on an exciting project? Do they hold values that you also stand behind?
Mutual Connection or Interest: Are they connected with a mentor or business owner you admire? Have they appeared on a podcast you love to listen to? Mentioning commonalities helps build connections.
Ask a question: All business owners struggle with one piece or another of their business. Ask them what their pain points are, what areas of their business are they struggling with, and what their timeline is to hire more help. With this you will gain valuable information on what areas to improve your skills and when to reach out again.
Keep it brief: Business owners, like everyone else in society, are pressed on time. Keep your message relevant and brief. If it’s too long, they will likely glance over it and hit delete.
Example Outreach Message:
Hi [Name],
I came across your recent [project/initiative] at [Business Name], and I’m genuinely excited about the impact you’re making in [specific area or industry]. I’ve been following your work on [social media/podcast] and really admire your dedication to [shared value or goal].
I’m reaching out because I specialize in helping businesses like yours streamline their operations and save time. I know that many business owners, like yourself, often struggle with [specific challenges related to their business]. I’d love to know: What’s your biggest pain point at the moment? Are there any areas in your business where you’re looking for additional support or looking to bring on more help soon?
If you’re open to a quick chat, I’d love to share some ideas on how I can assist you in [improving a process, saving time, etc.].
Looking forward to hearing from you!
[Your Name]
How to Determine Your Ideal Client as a Virtual Assistant
I had no idea that I would eventually end up working in the Interior Design niche when I first set out to work as a Virtual Assistant. And probably if I had signed up with any other Virtual Assistant Agency, I never would have ended up working in this niche today. But everything happens for a reason, and I am truly glad that the niche found me because I absolutely love the procurement process, it’s where I thrive!
Contrary to what the experts will tell you (I am all about doing the opposite so it would seem lol) you don’t need to choose a niche and stick to it. I promote and encourage you to reach out to a diverse niche of people so that you can find out what ticks and where you thrive.
When I first started out as a VA, I knew that I could rely on my background as a government worker to provide administrative skills. Those administrative skills led me to work with coaches, marketing agencies, and interior designers. With time, I learned more skills, and those skills eventually led me to learn the procurement process and specific systems used in my niche, which I now consider a specialty of mine.
So ask yourself, with your list of current service offerings, who could benefit from them?
Here’s a quick list of niches common to the Virtual Assistant industry:
- Coaches: Life Coaches, Business Coaches, Executive Coaches, Fitness Coaches
- Coaches often need administrative support, client management, social media assistance, and calendar management for their busy schedules.
- Content Creators: YouTubers, Bloggers, Instagram Influencers, TikTok Creators
- Content creators often require help with content scheduling, video editing, research, social media management, and responding to comments or emails.
- Podcasters: Podcast Hosts and Producers
- Podcasting requires help with scheduling episodes, editing audio, show notes, transcriptions, guest management, and promotion.
- Interior Designers:
- Interior designers need support with client management, appointment scheduling, project management, social media management, email management, calendar management, procurement, and expediting services.
- Realtors: Real Estate Agents and Brokers
- Real estate professionals often need assistance with listing management, client communication, CRM management, marketing, and appointment scheduling.
- Real Estate Investors: Investors who buy, sell, or rent properties
- These clients need help managing listings, tenant communications, appointment scheduling, property research, and administrative tasks related to the real estate business.
- E-commerce: Owners of online stores (Shopify, Etsy, Amazon sellers)
- E-commerce businesses need help with customer service, order processing, inventory management, email marketing, and product listings.
- Authors/Publishers: Authors of books, e-books, and self-published authors
- They often need help with editing, marketing, social media management, research, and organizing book launches or events.
- Non-profits: Charities and Non-Governmental Organizations
- Non-profits may need assistance with fundraising campaigns, donor management, event planning, social media management, and volunteer coordination.
- Health and Wellness: Nutritionists, Personal Trainers, Therapists, Yoga Instructors
- Health professionals may need support with scheduling, client communications, marketing, content creation for social media, and online course management.
- Online Course Creators: Educators and trainers who create and sell online courses
- These clients often need help with course creation, setting up learning management systems (LMS), landing page creation, newsletters, copywriting, customer support, and social media management.
- Event Planners: Weddings, Corporate Events, Birthday Celebrations, Conferences, Fundraisers
- Event Planners often require help with Vendor Management, Client Communications, Scheduling, Budget Management, Guest List Management, and Event Promotion.
- Marketing Professionals: Social media managers, SEO specialists, content marketers
- Marketing professionals may require support with scheduling, content creation, research, email campaigns, copywriting, graphic creation, and social media management.
- Travel Agencies: Travel agents and planners
- Travel-related businesses often need help with booking, itinerary management, customer service, social media content, and marketing.
- CEO’s: High-level executives or small business owners
- These clients need help with calendar management, email management, travel arrangements, client communication, and day-to-day administrative tasks.
- Wedding Planners:
- Wedding planners often require assistance with client management, vendor coordination, scheduling, and budgeting.
- Legal Professionals: Lawyers, legal assistants, and paralegals
- Legal professionals may need support with client intake, document management, scheduling, legal research, and email management.
- Public Speakers: Individuals who speak at conferences, workshops, or events
- Public speakers need assistance with scheduling, travel arrangements, client communications, email management, calendar management, and event promotion.
Ok, so maybe my quick list didn’t end up being so quick! But reading through this list you will have noticed that a lot of niches require a lot of the same services. This is why I recommend, especially when you are first starting out, to reach out to a variety of different niches, let’s say 3 to 4, to see which niche best resonates with your service offerings, and your personality.
Building your Virtual Assistant business doesn’t need to be constrained by what the so-called experts call the perfect strategy to building your business. You need to figure out what is doable for you and what will lead to the quickest results. Remember, it’s okay to go against the grain because sometimes the path to success isn’t plastered across Instagram, sometimes it’s quietly growing behind the scenes.
So if you’re a new or aspiring Virtual Assistant, know that you have options. Focus on meaningful conversations, explore different niches, and let your unique skills shine through. Once you have signed on that first client, let your work ethic do the brunt work for you, people talk and while the world of the internet seems vast, in truth if you do a good job, word of mouth will quickly take over, and your clients will be referring you to their own connections.
Social media can be powerful, but not the only tool in the toolkit! Trust me, the real clients are oftentimes the ones who haven’t yet realized that they need help.
This post was all about Virtual Assistant Lead Generation.
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