This is a guest post from Jackie Nees who runs a successful Virtual Assistant practice at Integrity Office Solutions. Jackie also talks the talk and blogs at Virtual Girl Virtual World where she blogs about those tools you can use in your own virtual Assistant practice. And if you would like to follow her on twitter you can do so at @jackienees.
If you are a Virtual Assistant and you’re not blogging yet, you’re missing out on a fantastic and easy way to get the word out about your business!
There was a time when having a great website was all you needed to have an online presence. However, these days, a website alone is not enough. With the emergence of social media, including social networks, video and blogging, business owners are now faced with the challenge of stepping into a new way of running their business or risk being left in the dust of their competitors who have figured it out.
Why Are Blogs Important for VAs?
Blogging is a great part of any business’s online marketing strategy, but I think particularly for the VA industry. The reason being, as Virtual Assistants, we wear many hats. We have multiple skill sets and many great services to offer. Because we are virtual, there is the added challenge of getting people to find out about us and what we do! Sure, it’s great to have all of your services, rates and information listed on your website, but the website sort of just sits there. People can’t get a feel for who you really are. On the other hand, a blog is more lively. It’s updated frequently and shows off your personality, character (and writing skills if that’s a service you offer).
Who Is Your Audience?
Decide who you are blogging for. Will you be writing with your current clients in mind, other VAs, potential clients or all of the above? My recommendation is to not make your audience too broad. You may want to consider having one blog for your target market and the other geared toward the VA community, or whoever else you would like to reach. By honing in on who you want to be reading your blog it will not only be easier to write, but also to promote!
What Should I Write About?
This is the key to a successful blog. Content! Make sure you are offering content that is valuable to the audience you’re trying to reach. Consider the services you offer. If you specialize in working with Real Estate professionals then maybe you could write a blog post on “Seven Ways a Drip Campaign can Boost Your Sales” or “Five Tips for Getting Referrals”.
After a few posts your audience will start to realize “hey, she really knows her stuff”! You will soon gain the reputation of being the go-to person for industry information and gain a following not only of potential clients, but valuable contacts who KNOW potential clients.
One Thing Leads to Another
The great thing about blogs is that if you are consistent with posting, the search engines pick up new content quickly. A well written post could lead to a lot of attention for your business! You may get requests for more information about your services, media interviews or even be asked to guest blog on other people’s blogs. (I have been asked to be a guest blogger on five different blogs since the start of 2009 just from blogging and using social media to promote it!)
Invite Them Into Your Living Room
Think of your website as your house. It’s got your personal touches throughout each “room” that gives your visitor a glimpse into what you’re about. People can look around all they want and get the idea of who you are from what they see around them, but they don’t really get to know you until you invite them into your living room to sit and talk. Think of your blog as that living room. A place where people can take a little more time to listen to you, find out what you know and get a feel for what kind of person you really are in a comfortable and relaxed setting.
Your blog should be an extension of your website. It should also showcase what you know about the services you offer or at least be interesting enough for people to want to click on your website link to find out more!
Tips for Putting It All Together
The blog itself isn’t going to promote your business. There are things you need to do to tie it all together. Here are some tips for getting the word out about your blog and your business:
- Add your blog url to your email signature, business cards, stationery and online profiles.
- Make sure there is a link to your blog on your website and vice versa.
- Use social networking platforms like Twitter and Facebook to announce the launch of your blog and each time you have written a new post.
- Be consistent! Update your blog at the very least one time per week. More often is preferable.
- Don’t use your blog to sell your services. The post should do that on its own. Although occasionally you could mention that a VA can help you implement and manage the suggestions discussed in your article.
- Pay attention to comments! If someone leaves a comment they are taking an interest in what you are writing about. Thank them for their comment and let them know you are there for them if they ever need anything. Also, comments can be an excellent source for future topic ideas!
- Look for ways to solve a problem. If you have written a blog post on a particular topic and you see a few days later that someone is wondering about that topic, send them the link to your post! They will thank you for it and probably subscribe to your blog.
- Once you build a reputation with your blog, others will begin sharing it each time you post either by forwarding the link, retweeting your link on Twitter or even mentioning your post in their blog which is a sure sign you’re doing something right.
- If you have a newsletter (or even if you don’t) put an opt-in box on your blog to make it easy for others to join your list. Chances are they will be eager to sign up when they see what great information you have.
- Create a Facebook Fan Page for your business and add your blog feed to the page
Starting a blog can be daunting at first. After all, it’s one more thing on your to do list. However, the benefits and rewards of having and maintaining a blog far outweigh the short amount of time it takes each week to update it. Here’s another benefit, when your current or future clients see how great your blog is, they’ll want one too! Lucky for them, you’re just the person to do the job!
