There’s nothing like owning your own business. There is the thrill of landing new clients; the joy of getting emails from those you work with who love the results they are getting. And then, there’s that rush you get when you look at your bank account balance and for once it doesn’t make you want to run back to bed and cry. Owning your own business truly rocks!
A key component of building a successful business is continually working on it. We aren’t talking about doing everything it takes to keep the business operational—that’s working “in” your business. We’re talking about working “on” your business – planning, marketing, customer relations, selling, etc – focusing on the things you need to do whether you have zero customers or a million customers. You need to have a good handle on all aspects of your business and continually do more of the right things to keep it thriving. That doesn’t mean you have to do it all yourself either. It seems like a tall order, but it’s not.
Here are our top 5 tips for growing your successful business:
1) Market – Market - Market and then Market some more. Even when you have a full client base, don’t stop your PR and marketing efforts. So many businesses make this mistake. They market, get clients, stop marketing, lose clients, and then market again to regain those clients. This leads to the constant feeling of starting over. You have to look at what you did in the past and review it. If it worked, then do it again. If it didn’t work, come up with something new, and implement that plan. Exhausting, isn’t it? Plus, people tend to forget about you if you aren’t always front and center. So develop a marketing plan that works for your business and continually keep it going. Every week add your marketing tasks to your to do list just as you do for your client work. Continually market your business and the results will absolutely come.
2) Market correctly. Not only do you need to be marketing consistently, you also need to be doing it correctly so you reach your audience and they are compelled to contact you. One of the first things you need to do is ensure that you are marketing to your target audience. What is that, you say? What about this target audience? Exactly! You have no idea how many business owners we see that just market with no direction in mind. You absolutely have to know whom you want to focus on in your marketing. Those are the ones who will be buying from you and also will understand your value because they are looking for assistance in that area. So know exactly who your target audience is and market to them in the language they will best understand.
3) Check your stats and measure your results. It’s important to know what marketing activities are working and what aren’t so you can do more of the right things. How can you tell what’s working? Easy, ask clients where they found you. Check out your website stats and see where those potential clients are coming from. Or, simply add in verbiage to your marketing efforts so that when it comes back to you, you know exactly where it came from. For example, you do article marketing, in the bio include an email address that is specific to these articles. Then when someone contacts you, you know exactly where they found you. (Yes, it’s that easy!) It’s not enough just to collect this information. You have to analyze it and take the necessary steps to adjust when things aren’t working. Or, maybe add a little more to an area that is working.
4) Do More and Be More – When you give clients more than they ask for on a consistent basis, they continue to not only send you more work, but they tell others about you. That’s how your business continues to thrive. Always do more and be more than your clients could ever imagine. In return, they will want to help you succeed, because you are always looking out for them.
5) Hire Help. Don’t do it alone. You never see the CEO of a company doing everything in their business, so why would you believe that you should be doing it all in your business. Even though you can probably do the work, why do it? You should be focusing on what you do best. That’s the mark of a successful entrepreneur. They know to achieve top success they have to put the right team in place and have confidence in their team.
Lastly, if you ask most entrepreneurs what makes them a success, you most often hear, “I truly love what I do.” That passion is what sets them apart. Be passionate and follow the above steps. In doing so, we think you will start to see good things come your way. We can’t promise it will always be easy, but the knowledge you’ll gain about your business while using these tips to grow your business will give you a new sense of pride and much more confidence going forward. To your success!
Diana Ennen and Kelly Poelker are the co-authors of numerous books including Virtual Assistant - The Series: Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA and accompanying Virtual Assistant - The Series Workbook, and Virtual Assistant - The Series: Working Virtually, A Guide to Working Remotely as an Employee. Stop by their site for complete information on starting your own VA business http://www.vatheseries.com. Article is free to be reprinted as long as the author’s bio remains intact.
Showing posts with label virtual assistant tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label virtual assistant tips. Show all posts
Friday, March 01, 2013
7 Mistakes Virtual Assistants Make In Doing PR
A Publicity VA is a virtual assistant who adds the niche “Publicity” to their VA business. It’s basically working to get more press for your clients. It can be as simple as sending out articles and press releases, to providing more complex services such as creating entire media campaigns and pitching the media. It’s effectively promoting a business, a book, a speaker or coaching program, whatever your clients need that will get them more exposure in the media. To be most effective for your clients, a Publicity Virtual Assistant needs to know how to do it right.
Here are 7 common mistakes Virtual Assistants make in doing PR:
Mistake #1: Not getting enough traction with the releases you write.
• Don’t be a one-pitch wonder. Know that PR takes time and if you only write one release and send it out to one or two places, you won’t see results. Plan an aggressive PR campaign.
• Repurpose your material. Your press release can be made into an article, blog posting, added to a media kit, sent to clients, added to your website, newsletter, Twitter, etc. Social bookmark it as well. Get the most exposure you can.
Mistake #2: Your media is not interesting enough.
• Your release or article needs to address an audience problem. It should be attention grabbing, create curiosity and finally it should entice the reader with a strong reason to continue to read further.
• Make it newsworthy. Talk about why this release would benefit your audience. Make sure to provide value and a solution to your reader, and why your expert information will make their business run better or make their life easier.
Mistake # 3: Not using social media.
• It’s important to do as much as you can with all media you send out. Add all media coverage to your blog, site, newsletter, etc. Also, add a share button so that you can share all the media. Ask friends to Digg it, Tweet it, Facebook it, etc.
• Share other articles and press releases that you find on the industry. This also adds to your rankings and expertise. People will want to read what you find interesting.
Mistake #4: Not doing a keyword search analysis and not using the right keywords.
• Before you send out any releases or articles, do an SEO search first; Google Adwords, Word Tracker, etc. Also look for search topics in Twitter.
• Now see how you can incorporate those keywords into your release, title and summary. Even add keywords to image links when possible.
Mistake #5: Not submitting at the appropriate time.
• Timing is critical. You don’t want to be pitching a business lead when the media is experiencing an influx of other news. Pitch during the slow news spells.
• Be familiar with editorial calendars. Publications routinely write on topics months ahead and often talk about the same topics during the same time frames. Also, know the lead times for magazines and other media.
Mistake #6: Pitching in the wrong format.
• Most media will tell you how they want their material to be sent to them, as an email pitch, a completed form or some other method. The most important thing is to know the different methods and submit the release using correct one.
• Follow the accepted guidelines for writing an article or press release: including overall word count, punctuation, newsworthiness, etc. Using improper format can cause your work to be rejected.
Mistake #7: Not checking the status and rankings
• It’s important to know your client’s Google Status as well as Amazon Page Rankings, etc. This allows you to follow results of the media you submit for your client.
• Also, make sure to check stats when submitting articles and press releases. Have the articles been approved recently? How many hits did they get? This tells you whether you want to do more.
Adding publicity as a niche can be exciting and rewarding for a virtual assistant. The key is to learn as much as you can about the field so you can offer top-notch services. Understanding these common mistakes will help you to fine-tune your expertise and allow you to provide your clients with the quality of service they need to promote their business or products.
Diana Ennen and Kelly Poelker are the co-authors of numerous books including Virtual Assistant - The Series: Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA and accompanying Virtual Assistant - The Series Workbook, and Virtual Assistant - The Series: Working Virtually, A Guide to Working Remotely as an Employee. Stop by their site for complete information on starting your own VA business http://www.vatheseries.com. Article is free to be reprinted as long as the author’s bio remains intact.
Here are 7 common mistakes Virtual Assistants make in doing PR:
Mistake #1: Not getting enough traction with the releases you write.
• Don’t be a one-pitch wonder. Know that PR takes time and if you only write one release and send it out to one or two places, you won’t see results. Plan an aggressive PR campaign.
• Repurpose your material. Your press release can be made into an article, blog posting, added to a media kit, sent to clients, added to your website, newsletter, Twitter, etc. Social bookmark it as well. Get the most exposure you can.
Mistake #2: Your media is not interesting enough.
• Your release or article needs to address an audience problem. It should be attention grabbing, create curiosity and finally it should entice the reader with a strong reason to continue to read further.
• Make it newsworthy. Talk about why this release would benefit your audience. Make sure to provide value and a solution to your reader, and why your expert information will make their business run better or make their life easier.
Mistake # 3: Not using social media.
• It’s important to do as much as you can with all media you send out. Add all media coverage to your blog, site, newsletter, etc. Also, add a share button so that you can share all the media. Ask friends to Digg it, Tweet it, Facebook it, etc.
• Share other articles and press releases that you find on the industry. This also adds to your rankings and expertise. People will want to read what you find interesting.
Mistake #4: Not doing a keyword search analysis and not using the right keywords.
• Before you send out any releases or articles, do an SEO search first; Google Adwords, Word Tracker, etc. Also look for search topics in Twitter.
• Now see how you can incorporate those keywords into your release, title and summary. Even add keywords to image links when possible.
Mistake #5: Not submitting at the appropriate time.
• Timing is critical. You don’t want to be pitching a business lead when the media is experiencing an influx of other news. Pitch during the slow news spells.
• Be familiar with editorial calendars. Publications routinely write on topics months ahead and often talk about the same topics during the same time frames. Also, know the lead times for magazines and other media.
Mistake #6: Pitching in the wrong format.
• Most media will tell you how they want their material to be sent to them, as an email pitch, a completed form or some other method. The most important thing is to know the different methods and submit the release using correct one.
• Follow the accepted guidelines for writing an article or press release: including overall word count, punctuation, newsworthiness, etc. Using improper format can cause your work to be rejected.
Mistake #7: Not checking the status and rankings
• It’s important to know your client’s Google Status as well as Amazon Page Rankings, etc. This allows you to follow results of the media you submit for your client.
• Also, make sure to check stats when submitting articles and press releases. Have the articles been approved recently? How many hits did they get? This tells you whether you want to do more.
Adding publicity as a niche can be exciting and rewarding for a virtual assistant. The key is to learn as much as you can about the field so you can offer top-notch services. Understanding these common mistakes will help you to fine-tune your expertise and allow you to provide your clients with the quality of service they need to promote their business or products.
Diana Ennen and Kelly Poelker are the co-authors of numerous books including Virtual Assistant - The Series: Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA and accompanying Virtual Assistant - The Series Workbook, and Virtual Assistant - The Series: Working Virtually, A Guide to Working Remotely as an Employee. Stop by their site for complete information on starting your own VA business http://www.vatheseries.com. Article is free to be reprinted as long as the author’s bio remains intact.
Virtual Assistants – Best Ways to Find Speaker and Coaching Clients
The coaches and speakers niche is a perfect market for the virtual assistant. Coaches and speakers have so much going on with speaking engagements, product launches, webinars, etc., that they just can’t do it all and are often looking for help. That’s why you need to be out there front and center so when they have a need, they come to you.
There are many ways to find clients in the speakers and coaches market. Here are just a few:
• Being active online is crucial and can work well to help establish you as an expert in your particular field of support. Making your presence known on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites is a key way to build name recognition.
• Follow those coaches you respect and interact with them frequently. See who they are following and follow some of them as well. Oftentimes, the coaches will announce that they are looking for assistance. Seize those opportunities to reach out and connect to them.
• You can also attend events for speakers. Setting up a booth at these events is a great way to be front and center with your target audience. Most speakers have their event schedule listed on their website, so it’s easy to find out when they might be in your area. Take advantage of every opportunity you can to get your name (and face) in front of those you want to work with.
• Send out articles about how a virtual assistant can help speakers and coaches. That way when they type in Google for information, there you are.
• Do radio interviews, especially on business radio shows. This is a great way to be in front of your audience and showing your expertise with the tips you provide.
• Host webinars, seminars, etc., and target those on topics that would relate to speakers and coaches.
• Ask for testimonials from your current clients.
See how easy it can be. If you’re a new VA looking for a niche or a seasoned VA hoping to expand your client base, try some of these suggestions for establishing yourself as a VA serving this niche.
Diana Ennen and Kelly Poelker are the co-authors of numerous books including Virtual Assistant - The Series: Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA and accompanying Virtual Assistant - The Series Workbook. Stop by their site for complete information on starting your own VA business http://www.vatheseries.com or email them at Diana@virtualwordpublishing.com or kp@another8hours.com. Article is free to be reprinted as long as the author’s bio remains intact.
There are many ways to find clients in the speakers and coaches market. Here are just a few:
• Being active online is crucial and can work well to help establish you as an expert in your particular field of support. Making your presence known on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites is a key way to build name recognition.
• Follow those coaches you respect and interact with them frequently. See who they are following and follow some of them as well. Oftentimes, the coaches will announce that they are looking for assistance. Seize those opportunities to reach out and connect to them.
• You can also attend events for speakers. Setting up a booth at these events is a great way to be front and center with your target audience. Most speakers have their event schedule listed on their website, so it’s easy to find out when they might be in your area. Take advantage of every opportunity you can to get your name (and face) in front of those you want to work with.
• Send out articles about how a virtual assistant can help speakers and coaches. That way when they type in Google for information, there you are.
• Do radio interviews, especially on business radio shows. This is a great way to be in front of your audience and showing your expertise with the tips you provide.
• Host webinars, seminars, etc., and target those on topics that would relate to speakers and coaches.
• Ask for testimonials from your current clients.
See how easy it can be. If you’re a new VA looking for a niche or a seasoned VA hoping to expand your client base, try some of these suggestions for establishing yourself as a VA serving this niche.
Diana Ennen and Kelly Poelker are the co-authors of numerous books including Virtual Assistant - The Series: Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA and accompanying Virtual Assistant - The Series Workbook. Stop by their site for complete information on starting your own VA business http://www.vatheseries.com or email them at Diana@virtualwordpublishing.com or kp@another8hours.com. Article is free to be reprinted as long as the author’s bio remains intact.
Different Payment Options for Working with Virtual Assistants
Not sure what payment option to use when working with Virtual Assistants and their team? Fortunately, there are many payment options available. You can work with them on an hourly basis, retainer basis, utilize their service packages, and even hire them to work with blocks of time. Dependent on the client and their needs, a plan can be customized and implanted specifically for them. This is especially beneficial for those clients who aren’t exactly sure what their needs will be. Let’s break it down.
Here are several payment options to explore:
Hourly Rates – This is the base rate charged for work done on an hourly basis. Normally it’s a higher rate than say your retainer rate, but it still can be effective. With the hourly rate, you have one rate for every hour worked. Most online support businesses, however, normally recommend their client go with a small block of time as opposed to hourly so the client receives the maximum benefit.
Retainer Rates – With retainer rates, you retain services for so many hours a month, and normally the service provider’s rate goes down the more hours retained. The hours are to be used during that month. The benefit of retainer rates is not only do you receive a lower rate than the hourly option, but also you are guaranteed the Virtual Assistant and their team will be available for those hours.
Blocks of Time – You purchase a block of time (say 5, 10 or 15 hours) and once the time is up, you can purchase additional blocks of time. The beauty here is there is no rush to get work to your Virtual Assistant at the end of the month as with the retainer option. With blocks of time, a set price is usually in place and you can order the block of time that fits best for you. However, some companies do offer a lower rate for larger blocks of time (say 20 to 30 hours).
Packages – As the title suggests, this option refers to grouping together services for one fee. You can have add-ons to that fee, but the main package is set. For example, you can purchase a package for a WordPress blog and the support needed to get it up and running. You can also buy packages for such things as having a press release written and sending it out to a designated number of places.
What’s great about offering payment options is no matter what type of business you own or what your specific needs are, Virtual Assistants can customize an option to fit. Speakers and coaches especially benefit because often their projects differ each month with the events they have ongoing. Not sure which one would fit your needs best? Just ask. We will be glad to discuss your needs and help determine the option right for you and your business.
Diana Ennen is the President of Virtual Word Publishing, www.virtualwordpublishing.com and the author of numerous books on starting a virtual assistant business including Virtual Assistant the Series: Become a Highly Successful Sought After VA and accompanying Workbook and also Corel WordPerfect’s Office Ready Virtual Assistant Solution pack. E-mail her at diana@virtualwordpublishing.com to receive your free Business Informational Package. Article is free to be reprinted as long as bio remains intact
Here are several payment options to explore:
Hourly Rates – This is the base rate charged for work done on an hourly basis. Normally it’s a higher rate than say your retainer rate, but it still can be effective. With the hourly rate, you have one rate for every hour worked. Most online support businesses, however, normally recommend their client go with a small block of time as opposed to hourly so the client receives the maximum benefit.
Retainer Rates – With retainer rates, you retain services for so many hours a month, and normally the service provider’s rate goes down the more hours retained. The hours are to be used during that month. The benefit of retainer rates is not only do you receive a lower rate than the hourly option, but also you are guaranteed the Virtual Assistant and their team will be available for those hours.
Blocks of Time – You purchase a block of time (say 5, 10 or 15 hours) and once the time is up, you can purchase additional blocks of time. The beauty here is there is no rush to get work to your Virtual Assistant at the end of the month as with the retainer option. With blocks of time, a set price is usually in place and you can order the block of time that fits best for you. However, some companies do offer a lower rate for larger blocks of time (say 20 to 30 hours).
Packages – As the title suggests, this option refers to grouping together services for one fee. You can have add-ons to that fee, but the main package is set. For example, you can purchase a package for a WordPress blog and the support needed to get it up and running. You can also buy packages for such things as having a press release written and sending it out to a designated number of places.
What’s great about offering payment options is no matter what type of business you own or what your specific needs are, Virtual Assistants can customize an option to fit. Speakers and coaches especially benefit because often their projects differ each month with the events they have ongoing. Not sure which one would fit your needs best? Just ask. We will be glad to discuss your needs and help determine the option right for you and your business.
Diana Ennen is the President of Virtual Word Publishing, www.virtualwordpublishing.com and the author of numerous books on starting a virtual assistant business including Virtual Assistant the Series: Become a Highly Successful Sought After VA and accompanying Workbook and also Corel WordPerfect’s Office Ready Virtual Assistant Solution pack. E-mail her at diana@virtualwordpublishing.com to receive your free Business Informational Package. Article is free to be reprinted as long as bio remains intact
Monday, July 13, 2009
Guest on Virtual Perception
I was honored to be featured on The Virtual Perfection last week. You can still listen.
http://mypodcastharmony.com/avpnew/episode-29-lets-talk-marketing-show-notes/
Here's the scoop.
Diana Ennen, owner of Virtual Word Publishing and co-author of Virtual Assistant The Series, shares her insight about all things related to Marketing and Press Releases. We talk about creating a marketing plan, marketing online and offline, marketing opportunities, what a press release is, what should be included in a press release and what to do with it once you have it created.
Diana provided so many great ideas and tips….any small business owner will benefit from this episode!
Diana Ennen / Virtual Word Publishing, www.virtualwordpublishing.com
http://mypodcastharmony.com/avpnew/episode-29-lets-talk-marketing-show-notes/
Here's the scoop.
Diana Ennen, owner of Virtual Word Publishing and co-author of Virtual Assistant The Series, shares her insight about all things related to Marketing and Press Releases. We talk about creating a marketing plan, marketing online and offline, marketing opportunities, what a press release is, what should be included in a press release and what to do with it once you have it created.
Diana provided so many great ideas and tips….any small business owner will benefit from this episode!
Diana Ennen / Virtual Word Publishing, www.virtualwordpublishing.com
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Follow me on Twitter
This year I'm determined to get more involved on Twitter and some of the other social networking sites. In fact, on Twitter, I'm starting a "Doing Business Better in 2009 Tips" -- which will be full of different tips to excel in your virtual assistant business or I'll provide PR tips, success tips, etc.
Join me in making 2009, the best year ever for business!
http://twitter.com/dianaennen
Thanks!
Diana Ennen
Virtual Word Publishing
www.virtualwordpublishing.com
Join me in making 2009, the best year ever for business!
http://twitter.com/dianaennen
Thanks!
Diana Ennen
Virtual Word Publishing
www.virtualwordpublishing.com
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