Are you using social media to market your virtual assistant business?

Social media is free, but if you aren’t using it correctly in your business, it could be costing you more in time than you are getting out of it.

The best way to grow your VA business is to create and nurture relationships with your audience of potential clients – and doing this online is both convenient and cost-effective, when you do it right.

Here are a few tips that might help you do social media better:

1. Understand the draw of each platform.

Not all social media platforms are the same. That’s why you should not post the same things to each of them and expect the same result. What are people looking for when they use each one? Does your content fit the platform? I like Twitter and Instagram but I don’t get clients from either platform, so I don’t market my business much there. Facebook and LinkedIn are a much better fit for who I am trying to reach.

2. Know who you are speaking to.

It’s important to get your messaging right, no matter which platform you are using to get your message out. When you understand who it is that you are trying to find, you will be able to find them congregating online more easily.

3. Get super clear on your messaging.

Look at your last week of social media posts. If you were your potential client, would your content stand out? Or does it blend in with what everyone else is posting? Clarity in messaging means the words and images you use will pop out to those who are looking for the kind of help you can provide.

4. Invite engagement and interact.

When you post on social media, you need to be aware of who is responding or reacting. Invite engagement by posting questions and asking for feedback or responses. And always make sure you respond to every person who does comment.

5. Schedule content and be spontaneous.

Using a social media scheduling software like ContentCal is a great way to be able to plan your content and post it regularly. It helps you to plan ahead and not get stuck about ‘what to post today’. Your messaging becomes more cohesive with a plan. Don’t forget about being spontaneous too. Log in at least every couple of days to share something current and spark conversations.

6. Be consistent.

You will hear the word consistency often where social media is concerned. If you are using it as a marketing tool, don’t start and stop a plan. Your audience will grow over time, and making sure that you maintain a consistent schedule is important to keep your business top of mind for when clients need you.

7. Be recognizable.

Branding your social media is one of the best ways to share your business brand with any social media content you post. Choose consistent fonts and colors, and use your logo on your images so that people will begin to recognize your content when they see it. Repetition becomes familiarity, and familiar is good for your Know, Like and Trust factor!

Bonus tip: Talk to people.

Social media is not meant to be one-sided. You need to talk to people, not just sit and wait for them to talk to you. Be sure that you are reaching out to people often on social media. Not in a selling way, but in a support and help way. Answer questions in groups. Reach out to people if they are struggling.

Social media is a regular piece of our daily lives now – so that makes it a really great way to promote your business, but you have to make sure you are getting as much out of it as you are putting in.

If you need help with marketing your VA business better, look no further than your VA community! An annual membership in CAVA is the answer. CAVA is a professional association for Virtual Assistants in Canada. We provide community, visibility, resources, connections, training, client opportunities and so much more. Check out our full list of benefits here: https://canadianava.org/join-cava/

About the Author: Tracey D’Aviero is a Virtual Assistant Coach, Trainer, Speaker and Author. After operating a busy VA business of her own since 1996, Tracey began teaching others to run their VA businesses in 2010 through Your VA Mentor. She also owns CAVA VA association and now teaches and coaches VAs exclusively. She has a vast amount of experience working in many different industries which helps her to offer her students and coaching clients a unique perspective and sound advice. She is a proud advocate of the Virtual Assistant industry. Learn more about Tracey’s journey in the VA industry here.