| Marketing a Virtual Assistant Business is crucial to your | | | | advertise our businesses. They are called Google |
| success. There are several ways to market your | | | | Adwords. You pay X amount of money every time |
| Virtual Assistant Business, but we are going to discuss | | | | someone clicks on your ad. Google allows you to |
| some of the common methods. | | | | choose the amount you want to pay per click and set |
| 1) Networking | | | | a budget. |
| Many Virtual Assistants (VAs) utilize this method and | | | | Yahoo, MSN, and other search engines offer similar |
| have been very successful in growing their businesses. | | | | services. |
| By networking with other Virtual Assistants, not only | | | | 5) Search Engine Optimization |
| are you building relationships, you are also building | | | | Optimizing your web pages so that search engines like |
| possible partnerships. The majority of Virtual | | | | Google, Yahoo, and MSN can find you will increase the |
| Assistants subcontract out work to other VAs that | | | | chance of prospective clients finding you on the |
| they know and trust. | | | | worldwide web. This is extremely important as the |
| Building genuine relationships can have a two-fold | | | | Virtual Assistance Industry becomes more well-known. |
| effect. One is that you have gained a friend with | | | | You can easily learn to do this yourself. |
| whom you can exchange problems, business advice, | | | | 6) Advertise on Your Car |
| and business successes. The other is that they will be | | | | I'm sure you have been driving somewhere and |
| more willing to subcontract work to you, and this can | | | | noticed a car with an advertisement on it. This is |
| help you to build your business and your portfolio. | | | | another avenue you can utilize to market your Virtual |
| Forums and messages boards are another great | | | | Assistant Business. You never know who might be |
| opportunity to network with businesspeople, not just | | | | reading it. |
| other VAs. There are many forums and message | | | | 7) Email Signature Files |
| boards that are just for VAs, but don't just limit | | | | Email signature files are yet another way to market |
| yourself to these. Visit specialty or niche forums and | | | | your Virtual Assistant Business. You can advertise |
| message boards where your potential target market | | | | your business each time you send, reply, or forward |
| may hang out. This provides you with more | | | | an email. |
| opportunities to build relationships with potential clients. | | | | 8) Write Articles |
| Plug your services when possible, but don't overdo it. | | | | Writing articles that are of interest to your target |
| Some VAs have found success by networking at | | | | market is another great marketing method. You can |
| their local Chamber of Commerce. This is something | | | | submit your articles to places like EzineArticles.com, |
| worthwhile to look into. | | | | and get some great exposure for your business, not |
| 2) Word of Mouth | | | | to mention one-way links. Writing articles is not as hard |
| Word of mouth is one of the best ways to get new | | | | as you may think. Don't worry about trying to be |
| clients. By providing outstanding service to your current | | | | eloquent. Keep it simple and make sure to proofread |
| clients, they will have no problem referring you to their | | | | and edit it carefully before submitting it to article sites. |
| friends and business connections. | | | | 9) Offline Marketing |
| 3) Press Releases | | | | Web decals, business cards, flyers, brochures, and |
| Press releases are an excellent way to get your | | | | networking can all be included in offline marketing. You |
| name out there. Press releases are basically a | | | | can have business cards made today with little or no |
| newsworthy story about your business that you | | | | costs. is a perfect example. Vista Print offers business |
| submit to the media. They are a wonderful way to get | | | | cards at no cost. You simply pay shipping and handling |
| publicity for your business at little to no cost. | | | | charges. You can also make your own business cards |
| 4) Search Engine Marketing | | | | and flyers right on your computer with the right |
| Have you ever seen the little ads under "Sponsor | | | | desktop publishing software. |
| Links" to the right of your computer screen when you | | | | I hope you can put some of these methods to use to |
| do a search on These are ads paid for by people to | | | | start marketing your Virtual Assistant Business. |