3 virtual assistants who make up to $8,000 a month in revenue share how they got started
- Virtual assistants are employed by businesses or individuals to perform administrative or business development tasks.
- Three virtual assistants discuss how they targeted clients for their services.
- They explained to Insider how they used social media to promote their brand to potential customers.
A virtual assistant, or VA, is a highly sought-after position. VAs work remotely to assist others with a variety of tasks ranging from email management to hiring new employees. They can be generalists or specialize in a specific service or client type.
The COVID-19 pandemic sparked a work-from-home revolution, increasing demand for them.
However, with so many options, it can be difficult for VAs to find their niche and target the clients they want.
Three virtual assistants explained to Insider how they chose their specialization and marketed their services.
1. Hannah Dixon recommends marketed herself to clients in her niche
Hannah Dixon, a virtual-assistant coach who earns six figures per year, said that when she first started out, she relied on gig sites to find work.
However, Dixon had difficulty finding work, and the jobs that were available were low-paying. She realized she needed to be more “proactive” in order to land higher-paying clients, preferring “creating opportunities over looking for them,” she explained.
She created a “strong personal brand,” she explained, by tailoring her presence and wording to the clients she desired.
She advised a virtual assistant who wanted to work with high-paying women making podcasts to avoid advertising “Podcast VA Services” and instead use language indicating a “premium” service, such as “Podcasting with Power: Elevating the Voices of Women on a Mission” or “Premium Podcast Services for Visionaries.”
“Six-figure pricing requires a six-figure service, and this VIP service should start before you land the client,” she went on to say.
More information: As a virtual assistant, I earn six figures per year and now teach others how to do the same. Here’s how I find the highest-paying clients while avoiding the major red flags.
2 Shannon Blanchard used social media to connect with potential clients.
Shannon Blanchard began working as a virtual assistant in January 2021 with the intention of assisting creatives and web designers.
“I found designers wanted to spend more time on the creative side of their work, but they were so burned out from having to handle admin and organizational systems,” she said in an interview with Insider.
Blanchard concentrated on Instagram relationships with creatives. Instead of cold-calling, she’d leave comments on the Instagram stories and posts of potential clients.
“I treated them as if they were already my friends.” I’d promote my services on Instagram, but I wasn’t very open about selling them directly. “I’d invite them to come to me,” she explained.
Blanchard also imagined her “ideal client,” and posted an Instagram story every day aimed at that client.
“It was important to paint a picture for prospective clients to show what I could do for them,” she told me.
More information: I earned up to $6,300 per month as a virtual assistant working three hours per day. Here’s how I used Instagram to find and connect with new clients.
3 Mary Carrasquillo ensured that her Instagram profile was a ‘cohesive’ portfolio of her work.
Mary Carrasquillo launched her virtual-assistant business in December 2020 and was earning more than $8,000 per month by January 2022.
Carrasquillo knew her Instagram page needed to be “cohesive,” and showcase her portfolio of work, when she decided she wanted to work with brand designers.
“Having a well-crafted page that showcases skills, visions, and projects gives you credibility when brands are deciding whether to work with you,” she went on to say.
More information: I am a 24-year-old virtual assistant who earns $8,000 per month. Here’s how I started my company and found clients.
