Where do I find Virtual Assistant Clients?

A couple days ago, I ran a seminar at VANetworking on how Virtual Assistants can create a powerful new niche as a Social Marketing VA. One of the questions that was posed by a participant was "How do I find the businesses that will be interested in these Social Marketing Services?" Good Question.... Well, one of my comments was that you need to go to where your most ideal clients hang out on the web - that is a good starting point. The follow-up question is: "Where do they hangout?" Well, I am going to get into all this in a post series I am starting this week, but I found a great place to start.... BMighty came out with the "Best Blogs for Smaller Businesses" - they list 10 popular, high volume blogs that cover topics for SMBs (small/medium businesses) such as business tools, productivity, business management, technology etc... Let me tell you.... The small biz audience that are reading these blogs are EXACTLY the type of clients hiring Virtual Assistants like crazy right now. I would highly recommend adding these blogs to your RSS reader and join the conversation on topics that matter to your prospective clients. This is a great opportunity to share relevant information and potentially talk about Virtual Assistance in a natural way. These blogs have covered Virtual Assistant-related topics and given the VA buzz we are seeing right now, they will likely continue to discuss the value of outsourcing and delegating small biz tasks to VAs like yourself. Look for more on the all important topic of finding ideal Virtual Assistant clients this week!

What's Your Perspective?

I thought I would deviate a bit from my usual blog content and share a couple "random thoughts", so bear with me:) Tonight, I went to Subway for dinner with my three princesses (daughters age 6,4,2). The "sandwich artist" behind the till was one of the regular guys that serves us. So I asked him "How are things going"? He replied: "I'm hanging in there." Hanging in there? HANGING IN THERE? Couldn't he set the bar a little higher for his day? I mean you could be really having a crappy day and still be "hanging in there"? No, this post is not going to turn into a "Seinfeld episode"! His comment got me thinking about the whole topic of "Perspective". I am a firm believer that the lens by which you view your life directly affects your behavior and actions. Some people look at their life and work through dark glasses - they tend to see "the glass as half empty" and have a negative perspective in most circumstances. So, the big question is... Does this type of perspective impact their goals, dreams, business pursuits etc....? I believe it does. Do you think it is possible to grow a successful business with a perpetually "gloomy" perspective? While I am sure there are exceptions to every rule, I think that negative people will not have the "staying power" when the entrepreneurial storms hit. They will crumble and not see the positives or the potential in their current set of circumstances. One of my former Employers always used to sign his emails as CEO (Chief Executive Optimist) and let me tell you, this guy is one of the most positive people I know. His Internet business has been through many storms and his "sticktuitiveness" and positive outlook has always led to a successful outcome. So how much of his success is dependent on his positive attitude - I think a lot actually! So, stop for a second and do a "Perspective Check". How are you currently viewing your life and work? If you are going through a particularly difficult time in your VA business, what is your current perspective? As mentioned in a previous post, "Adversity is a natural part of the Entrepreneur's Journey." It is inevitable and you can't control it at times. But you can control your "perspective" and how you will respond to your current situation. Over the last year, my wife has endured a very difficult medical condition. We have certainly had our share of "dark days", but we both recognize the importance of keeping a positive and hopeful perspective in the midst of great adversity. I have been reading a fascinating autobiographical book called "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch. This is story of an acclaimed Computer Science Professor who was diagnosed last year with Pancreatic Cancer and was given a few months to live. This book is ENTIRELY about "PERSPECTIVE"! Randy is an upbeat, positive, humorous fellow that is not letting his terminal illness shape his behavior or actions. The Last Lecture is about achieving your dreams, overcoming your obstacles and making the most of every single minute you have as you never know when it could be your last one! Well, Randy has already lived longer than doctors predicted and you wonder how much of this has to do with the ultra positive perspective he has on his situation and life in general. If you were to ask Randy how he was doing, I would highly doubt he would respond with "Hanging in There"! Randy says "You cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand". Now, if you have a spare hour, I would highly recommend watching his last lecture on YouTube - it will impact you and quite possibly change your perspective on your own work and life. Enjoy!

One Hour to Becoming a Highly Productive Virtual Assistant

For those of you who follow this blog, you might recall a post I wrote a few days back where I asked if anyone knew where I could buy a "Productivity Pill" that would instantly transform me into a highly organized, productive, and efficient virtual guru! Well, although I am still in pursuit of the elusive productivity pill, I did come across the next best thing.....Zen Habits, "Top 20 Productivity lists to Rock Your Tasks". It will take you a good 45 minutes to an hour to process this Top 20 list of productivity gems! As you are skimming this post, you might be saying, "But Craig, where can I find a hour in my day to read all these posts - I am too bogged down with my priority tasks." My Point Exactly! So, here is what I recommend you do.....If you have a laptop, vacate your VIrtual Office (the usual place you work), head down to the closest "swanky" WIFI Cafe, order your favorite beverage (Mine would be a Non-Fat Hazelnut Latte), find a cozy corner with a comfy couch, take a moment to let all the worries and stresses of the day drain out of you and then take a hour to read these 20 posts... Doesn't that sound like sheer bliss? Enjoy your "Productivity Boot Camp"!

Twitter - a Recruiting Ground for Mainstream Media?

While being a Twitter skeptic myself at the beginning, I have become increasingly fascinated with the different ways Twitter is intersecting with mainstream media. I read a great post from Small Business Trends today, "Grab Attention of Top Editors and Producers with Social Media". The blogger, Jonathan Fields, mentioned how the senior writer and blogger for the popular Business Week Magazine, was writing a cover story on blogging and social media and was regularly asking Twitter followers for input. Jonathan sent him a tweet giving his 2 cents on Social Media only to find that the Senior Editor loved the quote and included it in the article months later. Wow, from a Tweet to a quote in a major US publication! He also told of a top editor from Wiley Publishing (an avid Twitterer) who recently posted this tweet: "Pitch me a book idea in 140 characters or less. Go". How's that for an opportunity to get in the face of a senior editor of a major publishing company?? The net has certainly broken down conventional ways of getting things done! Take a read of Jonathan's full post as it clearly reinforces the dynamic relationship that is taking shape between mainstream media and Twitter. Okay I am officially a Twitter Believer - there is definitely untapped potential to make new business contacts, build your client base and even ink a book deal:)

VideoUtilityPoster - A Cool Web 2.0 tool For Driving Traffic To Your Blog

I came across an ultra cool web application that is ideal for all you bloggers out there. Now, I don't know about you, but there are times in a blogger's life when the creative juices aren't flowing and you are stumped with fresh ideas for your blog. While this might only last for a moment, why not take the opportunity to add some other people's relevant content to your blog that will interest your readers and ignite your Search Listings. Well, the VideoUtilityPoster does just that! This downloadable software integrates with whatever blogging platform you are using (Ie. WordPress) and allows you to quickly search for relevant videos that you might want to incorporate into your blog or website. VideoUtilityPoster features an easy "Drag and Drop" system, where you drag the video script into your blog post. This tool also allows you to automatically add keyword-rich descriptions (if you like) to further boost the SEO potency for your post. As you may know Google and other SEs love fresh video content, combined with keyword rich content - this makes equates to a winning formula for your SEO efforts. So, consider adding some great relevant video content the next time you experience a "writer's block"! The cost for this tool is $67, but they do offer a 30 day money back guarantee, so it might be worth adding to your blogging arsenal! Also, this might be a value-added tool to use for your client's blogs in helping them come up with new and relevant content ideas. Again, you can also just simply search for content ideas in YouTube, and copy and paste the embed link into your post. However,  VideoUtilityPoster basically simplifies and saves you time in researching and integrating video content into your blog. Check it out!

Where Can I Buy A Personal Productivity Pill?

Does anyone by chance happen to know where I can buy a Personal Productivity Pill which completely eliminates all disorganization, scattered thinking, poor use of work time and overloaded schedules and replaces it with focussed planning, heightened efficiency and exponentially increasing daily productivity? I would flll that prescription in a heartbeat. Now, don't get me wrong, my personal productivity is probably better than the average person and yet I am still bogged with jumbled priorities, overloaded schedules and simply too much work to do! Can you relate? This week I reflected on why I left the regular 9-5 hustle and bustle for the Virtual World - Freedom, Flexibility and more time with my wife and kids! Yet, I looked at my schedule over the last month and realized that I have been chained to my laptop 24/7 with the growth of VAClassroom and many other things on the go. My work/life balance was totally out of sync. Fortunately, I have the distinct privilege of being married to a wonderful woman that can "set me on the right track" when I get off course:) But seriously, as I reviewed my projects and schedule, I quickly realized that I had forgot to implement any of the productivity and organization principles I teach in my courses. I have always prided myself on being a well-organized, productive entrepreneur, but with the fast growth of our business and many competiting priorities, I got "out of sync" with how to maximize my work productivity, while preserving my home life! Can you at all relate? Anyways, I dusted off my cover of Getting Things Done - The Art of Stress Free Productivity by Management Consultant, David Allen, which previously provided me with some invaluable tools for maximizing my productivity. Of course, all those tools remained in the toolbox last month and were not implemented whatsoever - I was too busy to implement them:)! If you can totally relate to what I have experienced, then I would highly recommend jumping on Amazon and ordering "Getting Things Done". I would also recommend the blog, ZenHabits as they provide some awesome tips for maximizing productivity and preserving work/life balance. Or if you hear of a Personal Productivity Pill hitting the market, please let me know - I will be first in line!

TweetBeep Your Way to New Client Prospects For Your Virtual Assistant Business!

Now, I am fairly certainly that many of you are becoming avid "Twitterers", but are you also a "TweetBeeper"? Okay Craig, speak English! I have started to use TweetBeep over the last little while and have been quite impressed with the potential for Virtual Assistants to connect with clients interested in hiring Virtual Staff - Your marketing strategies couldn't possibly get more targeted:)! TweetBeep functions similar to Google Alerts in the sense that you can receive daily or current alerts based on specific keywords listed in Twitter conversations. So, check out a segment of a TweetBeep email alert from yesterday for the keyword, "Virtual Assistant": (mind the less than stellar quality of the below image:) As you scan this list, you will see the first two are ideal "twitterers" to follow and connect with as they are both serious about hiring VIrtual Assistants. The 4th post demonstrates a very smart way of doing "Twitter Marketing" - Sharing a blog post relevant to prospective VA clients. The second to last post (Hi Frances!) also has a heads-up Twitter post by attempting to engage those that are seeking a Virtual Assistant - nice! There are no shortage of creative ways to connect with prospective clients in Twitter. We covered a number of these ideas in a recent teleseminar we did at VAClassroom, Marketing your VA Business in a Web 2.0 World." So, if you are not yet using this tool, it is time to start "Tweetbeeping" your way to a wave of new clients for your Virtual Assistant business.

The Power of Video Marketing for Virtual Assistants

Happy Canada Day! Yes, "I AM CANADIAN" (Molson Beer Commerical Reference) and singing the "True, North, Strong and Free" from beautiful and ridiculously hot Phoenix! Yesterday, I ran a teleseminar event to my VAClassroom Members titled: "Marketing your VA Business in a Web 2.0 World". We spent some time discussing the power of Video Marketing and the sheer potential it has for rapidly increasing website traffic and improving search listings. I had mentioned to the group that I had recently noticed that very few Virtual Assistants actually include Video on their websites nor have posted to YouTube. Now, I am sure some of you do, but I still think you would make up a small percentage. I posed the question to yesterday's group "Why are most Virtual Assistants not including Video in their marketing efforts?" Does it have to do with simply not having the right equipment to produce the videos or is there a "fear factor" involved here? Is there a hesitation to jump in front of the camera for fear of looking silly or not presenting yourself very well? Would you fall into this category? I have produced many YouTube Videos in my home office, back yard, park, coffee shop, hotel room and I have to say that I always feel a little wierd initially when doing the videos, but thanks to the editing power of Sony Vegas Movie Studio, I am able to clear my stutters, stammers and "duh" moments and actually produce a quality video. Creating videos is kind of like "public speaking" - the more you do it, the more natural you become. The first couple you might feel like a deer caught in headlights, but it gets easier!! The bottom line though is that Video marketing is way too powerful and effective to not include in your overall marketing strategies. Over the last few months, I have produced a number of YouTube Videos and continue to see targeted traffic and improved search listings for VAClassroom as a result. Let me show you.... If you go to YouTube and search for "Virtual Assistant", you will see that VAClassroom has the number 8 spot on that list. If you type in Virtual Assistant Training, I have videos holding down the #3,5 and 6 spots, which again bring traffic to our site. Finally, if you type in "Virtual Assistant Certification", you will see that we have spots 1 & 2. Again, these videos are sending targeted traffic back to VAClassroom. To elaborate further, if you go to Google and type in "Virtual Assistant Certification", we are not on the first page, but our YouTube video holds the 18th & 19th spot on the 2nd page of search results out of a total of 3.8 million search listings for this keyword. Now, these videos have had strong link building implications for VAClassroom.com. If you do a Google search for "Virtual Assistant Training", VAClassroom currently holds the 13th spot out of 387,000 listings. Now, it is very important to note that we only launched VAClassroom less than 2 months ago and we are already seeing some good natural search traffic which is great. Now, I must say that Video Marketing has certainly played a key role in some of our early success and can have the same impact for your VA websites! The other comment is that I have not seen too many VA websites that include a "Welcome Video" on their homepage. Again, this is an ideal opportunity to provide a personalized introduction to every prospective client hitting your page. People like to look at people, so it is just smart marketing to include a creative introduction video right on your home page that will further compliment your existing web copy. I would recommend using easyflv to add your videos to your website - very userfriendly! Again, you probably can tell that I am super pumped about Video marketing primarily due to the profound impact it has had on my traffic and search listings. There is no better time to incorporate Video into your overall marketing strategy then right now!