Digital marketing is our jam! Here at the v.a. chicks, we LOVE it! And, we’ve learned over the past decade that this is the single most in-demand skill clients are looking for when hiring a virtual assistant.
You don’t have to know every single thing there is about digital marketing. In fact, we recommend that you learn the fundamentals and then specialize in just ONE area.
But to get started, you need to understand exactly what digital marketing is. So here’s the formal definition:
Digital marketing is the act of promoting and selling products and/or services by using online marketing tactics like social media, SEO, email marketing, etc.
Ok, now that we’re on the same page, here’s why it’s important for you, as a virtual assistant to know the fundamentals.
1) Get New Clients!
Every business who markets online needs help with digital marketing. Even if they don’t know it!
This means there is a world of opportunity for you to use your skills to help countless potential clients.
Think beyond assisting “traditional online marketers” and find a niche where these fundamentals can bring a big boost to a business. Industries like: real estate, chiropractors, hair salons, etc. These types of businesses need your digital marketing skills even more!
2) Grow Existing Clients!
Learning digital marketing will add even more value to the services you already provide or are thinking about offering.
For example, if you are a social media VA, understanding more about lead nurturing will help you come up with new ways to drive more traffic to your clients’ opt-in pages.
3) Specialize & Stand Out!
Once you learn the fundamentals you can pick ONE area to specialize in.
When you specialize you STAND OUT.
So, pick something you love, master the skill and technology around it and trust us, you’ll be turning away clients in no time.
One last thing.
Digital marketing doesn’t just help you attract and grow clients, it helps you with your entire business.
Once you understand the fundamentals of digital marketing, you can use those skills to market yourself online. It’s truly a win-win.
See if Digital Marketing is your superpower. Take this 60-second quiz now to discover your virtual superpower and all the tips and tricks you need to succeed: www.virtualsuperpower.com
The other day I was finishing up a shopping trip at Target and heading toward the automatic exit doors.
I noticed a lady walking a few feet to my right and keeping the exact same pace. It struck me as odd that she wasn’t slowing down and just expecting her doors to magically open as they were clearly manual doors, not automatic like the ones I was approaching.
At the last moment, likely an inch from doing a full face plant into the glass door, she abruptly stopped. In that moment she turned around, went back around the security post that separated our entrances, and walked through the automatic door.
While I held in a chuckle, I immediately wondered, why did she not just put up her hand, push open the door and walk through?
Surely that would have been less time consuming than stopping and walking to a different door.
Stop Over-Complicating Things
This got me thinking.
Like that lady who could have easily kept walking forward had she just put up her hand and pushed, I have also been guilty of over-complicating things that were so simple. But, a digital marketing principal I learned during an Infusionsoft Certification course, helped me to stop over-complicating things. When speaking of Infusionsoft marketing campaigns, he said “think of campaigns like mapping out a road trip. If you’re driving from Chicago to L.A., you’re going to drive the direction of California. You’re not going to make a needless stop Orlando, Houston, or New York. So determine your goal, and then map out the more effective and efficient way of getting there.”
We frequently see clients over-complicate their digital marketing efforts. Time and time again they come to us with poorly thought out big ideas for fancy funnels.
And, their “funnel” is more like a leaky bucket. It’s structured to lose leads almost as fast as they come in. And, they can’t figure out where they went wrong. And, we educate our client on how to create a simple and effective funnel.
Top-Secret Funnel Tip
Our number one super-top-secret-tip to NOT over-complicate your funnel is… stop giving your consumer so many options!!!
My biggest pet peeve is a sales page with a billion call-to-actions. I’m not talking about the ones with multiple buy now buttons on a page that all lead to the same product. I’m talking about the sales page that has multiple DIFFERENT unrelated actions you should take. (ie. “Like” me on Facebook, Join my List, Download my Lead Magnet, AND Buy my product… all on the same page!)
I think of this as the “spaghetti-method” because it’s like throwing some noodles at a wall hoping that they stick.
Putting the “Fun” in Funnels
We believe in being much more intentional with your funnel. You must direct the potential customer through the sales process, guiding them every step of the way, and selling them on what to do next.
This month, we’re diving deep into the world of digital marketing and exploring the simple process of building a functional funnel that converts! And we’re putting the “fun” in funnels.
We’re sharing some of the top tools and apps from our virtual assistant tool-kit. These tools help us and our clients rock digital marketing, social scheduling, managing memberships, webinars, and MUCH more.
Whether your client is looking for the latest in CRM systems or wants to create a new membership, we’ve got you covered. Check out our top tools and apps below.
Zoom – Easy Video Conferencing
Looking for a great solution to conduct your group coaching calls? Zoom is the answer. With amazing calling features like video conferencing, screen sharing, breakout rooms, meeting recordings, active speaker view, telephone call in, group messaging, and more, you can’t go wrong here. You can even use it for your webinars!
You can sign-up for Zoom for free to test it out. The free plan gives you 40 minutes of video calling, but the pro plan is very affordable and has no time limits. With both the basic and pro plan you can host up to 100 interactive participants and up to 10,000 view-only participants.
It’s finally here –a software tool that does all the marketing automation you need and won’t break the bank. And we can’t mention our top tools and apps without mentioning Kartra.
Kartra is an all-in-one business platform that gives you just about every tool you need for your coaching business; sales pages, shopping cart, email marketing, affiliate marketing, video hosting and even a membership site!
Yep, with just one software you can manage all of your marketing in one place. Plus, you can do some amazing things like split-testing, create campaigns to nurture your leads into paying clients, offer upsells and downsells and get some great analytics.
Kartra was built by a team of experienced digital marketers so they’ve built-in marketing proven templates and images and made the system very user-friendly. If you’re ready to propel your coaching business while saving money on all those other monthly subscriptions, Kartra is a great solution.
If you offer online courses or are just thinking about it, you have to check out LearnDash. When it comes to the top tools and apps for memberships, Learndash is among the best.
LearnDash is a WordPress plugin that takes everything you love about online coaching and amps it up by about 100%. It has basic membership software features like; time-released content, different access levels, ability to add videos and images, and mobile compatibility. Where LearnDash really shines is when it comes to reinforcing learning. You can add quizzes, timers, forums, badges that people can earn after completing a section of content, certificates that can be delivered online and it integrates with just about any other tool you can think of including most shopping cart systems and email marketing tools.
To use LearnDash you’ll need a WordPress website and an annual license. Learn more and sign-up at www.thevachicks.com/learndash
Tailwind – Schedule Social Media with Ease!
If you’re ready to grow your Pinterest and Instagram traffic (who isn’t?!) the fastest and most affordable way is to use Tailwind.
Tailwind makes Pinterest a breeze. Some of our favorite features include: the ability to pin to multiple boards at once, make pins appear again and again, and to upload multiple images at one time. Tailwind even has a browser add-on so you pin anything you see on the web!
If Instagram is your jam, you’ll love Tailwind’s most popular hashtag finder, the ability to re-gram anything you see across the web, and being able to easily schedule posts to both Pinterest and Instagram with just one click. Tailwind even has tribes (groups) you can join for free that will promote your content!
Between it’s reporting tools, ability to connect with Google Analytics, and the free marketing you can gain from tribes, Tailwind a no-brainer.
If you’re ready to make an impact on Pinterest and Instagram.
Check out Tailwind – we know you’ll love it. Plus, you can grab your very own FREE 30-day trial AND save $15 off your first month by visiting www.thevachicks.com/tailwind
Proof – The Social Proof you Need!
Are you looking for a way to let your customers do the selling for you? Proof provides all the social proof you need to instantly convert leads into customers. With Proof, you can set a notification to appear on your sales page or landing page every time you make a sale or get an opt-in. This notification gives credibility to your offer and a creates a sense of urgency to take action.
Pricing starts at $24/mo increases based on site traffic and features such as the ability to track live visitor counts.
Keep your clients and leads informed of upcoming events with AddEvent, one of the top tools and apps for reminders. For your next webinar, include an “Add to Calendar” button on your website. And when they click the button it will walk them through adding the event to their specific calendar system in a matter of clicks.
With AddEvent, you can also create a subscription calendar and add all the dates of your launch including cart open, webinars, cart close, etc. With one click, your clients can add all of the dates to their calendar so they don’t miss a thing. You can even add custom calendar details to include info and a link to join the event or call.
For as little as $19/mo you can be sure your clients never miss a call or webinar again.
Jennifer and Bethany are tech review authors for Choice – the magazine of professional coaching. Check out our articles in these Editions.
Published in, and reproduced with permission from, choice, the magazine of professional coaching http://www.choice–online.com
Affiliate Disclosure: Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase, we may earn affiliate commissions and/or perks such as a free month of service. It’s important to note that we recommend and link to these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission we receive. We are simply recommending our favorite tools and applications, but the decision to purchase is yours. Read our full affiliate disclosure.
Facebook networking can be a very profitable way to find new clients. But, if you aren’t intentional about your networking strategy, it can also the single greatest waste of your time. Follow these 7 tips to tackle Facebook Networking like a pro, and grow your referrals and find your potential clients.
1) Niche it up!
Don’t just join random groups, but consider where you will find your ideal client. For example, if you are looking to support wellness coaches, then join groups where wellness coaches would join.
2) Join Application User Groups
Join groups related to the services you offer and applications you commonly use. For example, if you love working in WordPress then join some WordPress user groups. These groups are a great place to turn to technical troubleshooting, brainstorming solutions, learning from others, as well as a chance to share some of your knowledge.
Taking a minute to comment and help someone troubleshoot a simple issue they are having, could result in landing a new client.
Virtual assistant groups are great for growth (learning from your peers), but also for making connections. Look to connect with people with complementary skills. For example, if you specialize in digital marketing, you may want to look for someone who specializes in website design and maintenance. You can then refer clients and projects to each other and still each get to focus on doing what you live… while keeping your clients fully supported and HAPPY.
In order to make the most of your Facebook networking time, make sure you’re engaging in the groups you join. Post real questions – don’t just post to post – it comes across really lame. And make sure to comment on other posts to offer answers, suggestions, and input. And, follow the group rules and post on promo days (for the groups who have them).
5) Update Your Personal Profile
Make sure your personal profile clearly and easily states what you do, the name of your business, a link to your business page and has professional images featured as the first 5 images. These things can have a really big impact on your Facebook networking results.
6) Facebook Networking by Direct Messaging
There are lots of Facebook Networking professionals who will tell you to join groups, friends request a bunch of people, and then send them a direct message with your pitch. But we personally are not down with that. We think it’s a really icky and impersonal way to try to grow your biz.
Instead, we recommend authentically building relationships. When you’re active in groups, building your reputation, and making connections, you will gain both clients and referrals for sure.
7) Professional Page
Make sure to have a professional Facebook page and post one time per day. (Don’t forget to link your page on your personal profile!!) Your post’s should be educational and related to your services. Share content from other sources that are relevant to your ideal client such as Infusionsoft updates, major WordPress changes, big Facebook news, etc. And, at least once per week, create a new promotion for your services to get people interested. So, one week you could offer 10% off, and the next you could offer a free week of support when you pre-pay for 3 months, etc.
Up Your Facebook Networking Game
If you’re looking to really up your Facebook Networking game, join us in our Virtual Academy. We offer LIVE training on a variety of topics, templates, client educational materials, and materials to help you market yourself as a Virtual Assistant.
We asked some of the top social media strategists what their tips were for successful social media that produces results.
Here are their top 3 tips!
1) Always have a plan
As with anything, you’ll see the MOST results from your social media, when you have a plan. Simply posting great content and waiting for something to go viral is not enough.
Sure great content is essential part of any plan. But it can’t be all of it.
A good plan considers your target audience when deciding where, how often, what, and when to post to social media. But it doesn’t stop there.
2) Successful Social Media is Social
Successful social media is a conversation. Like any social setting, to really connect with those around you, but you must have a two-way conversation. No one likes the “Ms. I’m-a-pretty-big-deal” at the party who does nothing but talk about themselves and how great they are.
So make sure to actually engage with your audience. Ask questions. Really listen and seek to understand them. Share other peoples content that would appeal to your audience. After all, people share those who share.
And, when someone comments on, likes, or loves one of your posts, ALWAYS take the time to comment back. Even if only to say “thanks for the love.”
3) Be flexible
Successful social media isn’t rigid and cold. It’s relate-able and relevant. So, while we encourage that you always have a plan, be prepared to scrap your scheduled post for the day to share an amazing industry-relevant article that Forbes Magazine just posted.
In order to follow of second tip of being part of the conversation, it’s important that you are part of the conversation WHEN it’s happening.
Nothing would weaken your social credit more than post “OMG I just saw this. Is this blue or gold?” Cuz, Chickie, that is old news.
For more tips for successful social media, join us in our Virtual Academy.
If you want to learn how to do intentional social media, join us this month in our Virtual Academy. We’re talking about strategy, implementation, engage, collect metrics, and more.
In addition to LIVE training, our membership includes templates, client educational materials, and materials to help you marketing yourself as a successful Social Media Virtual Assistant.
Trying to find work as a social media virtual assistant can be tough. It seems that anyone with a Facebook account thinks they have the credentials to take the job.
But simply drafting and posting content is never going to get the client the results they want. Which is why clients come to us all of the time asking if we know anyone who can do social media AND get results.
The virtual assistants who can draft and post content are a dime a dozen. But a successful Social Media Virtual Assistant knows how to create an intentional strategy that produces results. Follow these simple steps to succeed as a social media virtual assistant as well as get and KEEP the clients.
Start with a Strategy
To really be intentional with your efforts, you must start with a strategy. This strategy should outline who your target market is, explores where they hang out on social media, and outlines things like how often you should post, what kind of content should be posted, etc.
Here’s a few things to keep in mind when drafting a strategy for a client:
Make sure the client is on the right platforms! Just because a client has a Pinterest account doesn’t mean they need one. Consider who the target market is and then determine where that person spends time on social media. Don’t waste time marketing on Twitter if your target is really hanging out on Facebook or YouTube.
Don’t post too often. Did you know that over posting can actually HURT your engagement? If you’re client does not have at least 10,000 followers on their Facebook page, posting more than once a day greatly reduces engagement.
Always include engagement in your strategy. If you’re only posting and never replying to comments, it’s the equivalent of standing on the street corner with a loud speaker spouting off sales pitches. This won’t net you much results. So always include time in your budget for daily engagement to go in and reply to comments, respond to messages, etc.
Implement Your Strategy Efficiently
Once you have a solid strategy in place, your job as a social media virtual assistant gets much easier. Now you know how often you should post and what type of content to post. And you should have an understanding of how much autonomy you have as well as when you need your clients approval.
We find that it’s a more efficient use of your clients time if you schedule your posts either weekly or monthly and then simply drop in to do engagement daily.
Pro-Tip: Third-party scheduling tools are not always the best option. For example, Facebook gives priority to content that is scheduled in THEIR scheduler rather than a scheduler like Hootsuite.
Collect Your Data
A successful social media virtual assistant doesn’t just post and run. Instead, they go back and evaluate the results. In order to do that, you need to take the time to collect your data monthly. By looking at things like likes and clicks you can determine what types of posts performed the best, when the best time is to post etc.
The reason why intentional social media virtual assistants stand out is that they know what statistics to look at in order to understand their target better. And, as a result, they are able to draft content that is going to produce better results.
If you aren’t collecting data, then you can’t possibly adjust your efforts to produce more results.
Adjust Your Efforts
While you should collect your statistics monthly, it isn’t necessary to look at the data and make adjustments that often. In fact, looking at the data over a 3 month period instead will help you be more intentional with your adjustments.
For example, if you note that Facebook is netting more sales than LinkedIn, perhaps you should recommend that more time and efforts be devoted to Facebook and minimal efforts be invested in LinkedIn. Some platforms, such as LinkedIn, are often part of the strategy simply to build and reinforce reputation only.
Become a Successful Social Media Virtual Assistant Today
Find out if you have what it takes to be a successful social media VA today. Take the 60-second quiz now www.virtualsuperpower.com
