Could virtual services for coaches be the answer to your overwhelm? Will hiring a virtual assistant really help you grow your business?

If you aren't new to coaching, you've probably already heard of virtual assistants but are these and other virtual service providers the key to building the business of your dreams?

As you begin to grow your coaching business, it's common to hit that point where you have more on your plate than one person can handle. There's working with clients, managing the day-to-day, and handling future growth. It's easy, and natural, to start to feel overwhelmed. So you start looking into a virtual assistant. Maybe you do a search on the internet or even ask around on some of your social media groups.

But is that the best way to go about getting help? And what are the first things you should outsource?

Virtual services exist that make running a business much simpler. However, it's important to understand how to identify the services that would be better outsourced and those that would be better kept in-house. Here’re some tips that you can follow.

3 Tips for Knowing When to Outsource Virtual Services for Coaches Like You

1. You are spending too much time on tasks unrelated to the core services of your business.

This can often be a tough question to answer because some coaches are stuck on the idea that, “If you want things done right you must do them yourself.”  This is a common mistake in business. Whether you ARE the expert in an area or have no experience at all, hiring and training right can prove that others can do the job as well, and sometimes better, than you can.

The reality is that you’ll spend far more over time trying to do your bookkeeping, marketing, or admin yourself rather than outsourcing those tasks to an experienced virtual services for coaches provider. 

Take some time to identify the tasks that are the biggest time wasters in your business and outsource them to someone who does them better. Time wasters can be things that take you much longer than they should because you don't know the systems or processes well enough to do them quickly. They can also be the things you are constantly procrastinating because you just don't like to do them no matter how good you may be. 

And even if you can do something faster than someone you hire, it doesn't mean you should. The key to overcoming overwhelm and developing a track record of success is letting go so you only do the things that ONLY YOU CAN DO!

 2. Does performing this function highlight your expertise?

The tasks and projects that you outsource may depend heavily on the nature of your coaching business. 

As a coach, there are specific things you have to do yourself. Planning and executing your coaching programs, for instance, is essential for your business’ development. But there are many different moving parts to creating, marketing and executing a coaching program. Yes, you will need a strong website and systems to make it happen. However, that doesn’t mean that you need to hire a team of IT professionals full-time.

On the other hand, if you are a business coach who teaches others how to create a brand, then you may want to do the brand development of your program yourself.

Outsource the parts of projects that don't highlight your expertise to someone who provides virtual services for coaches. 

3. Is it a service that is only needed a few times throughout the year?

Coaches often do annual or semiannual launches. Since these only occur a few times a year, at most, it makes sense to outsource these projects to a virtual services for coaches company. They'll bring a level of knowledge and expertise to the project so you don't have to spend a lot of time learning skills you'll only use once in a while. 

6 Top Virtual Services for Coaches to Delegate

Virtual services are available in a wide variety of skills. There is a service that offers a solution to almost every problem a coach faces. Here are some of the virtual services you can consider when choosing where to get started.

Graphic Design

Attractive visuals form an important part of branding. A graphic designer will, therefore, be an important member of your team.  However, it is highly unlikely that you will have a consistently high volume of work for him or her to complete. This means that hiring a graphic designer as a permanent member of your team won’t be the best use of your funds.

It's tempting to hire a virtual assistant as a generalist to handle everything from your basic admin to things like graphic design. Most virtual assistants, though, won't have that range of skills. It's better to let your virtual assistant do admin related tasks and then find freelance graphic designers who you can hire on an as-needed basis.  You’ll find that you save a lot of money and time without compromising on the quality that you need.

When looking for a good graphic designer, consider these important points:

• Experience - While Canva has come a long way as a graphic design tool for social media posts, experienced graphic designers will have skills in more advanced programs such as Adobe. Graphic designers have a deeper understanding of color theory, font styles and even psychology so that the graphic elements you are asking for will enhance your brand and message.
• Portfolio - Do they do the kind of graphic designs you need? Some graphic designers only do logos while others specialize in websites or print design. What are the types of projects you are looking for and does your graphic designer specialize in those areas.
• Accessibility - There's nothing more frustrating than needing something done by the end of the week and not being able to reach your graphic designer because the power in their country is unpredictable.  (Ask us how we know that one). Make sure you work with someone who's internet and electricity are reliable and they are available based on the hours you need. It's important to understand what you might be getting when someone who provides virtual services for coaches works in other countries.

Task and Appointment Scheduling

Task and appointment scheduling is one of the quickest and easiest virtual services for coaches to delegate when they are just getting started. Virtual Assistants are often one of the first people a coach will hire and they tend to have the core skills for this type of work.

Virtual assistants are often adept at the use of scheduling software and project management tools common in the coaching industry. Your virtual assistant can use these tools to call to confirm client or prospect appointments, follow up on tasks or manage other details on your behalf.

Travel arrangements can also be scheduled. A virtual assistant can schedule flights, accommodations, car rentals…essentially any aspect of traveling.

Content Creation and Management

Content is what establishes you as an expert in your field. This might consist of podcast episodes, blog posts, e-books, free webinars or courses, videos for social media and your website, etc... All successful coaches use a variety of content marketing strategies to make their brand visible to their target audience. And yet, it is a time consuming and often difficult process that requires content creators with deft skills and experience. This makes it excellent virtual services for coaches to delegate.

Marketing forms a huge part of your coaching business. If you aren't already producing consistent content to market your coaching skills, it will be an important next step.

A content marketing manager might be just the right person to add to your team. This person’s role is to make sure that all content pieces (whether written or visual) appropriately depict the brand. They help to create and implement a comprehensive content creation schedule. He or she can also help you get the most out of the content created and ultimately allow you to reach a wider audience. While some content managers can also create the content for you, this typically falls to you as the expert or to an expert content writer.

Social Media Management

If content on your podcast and blog are like the marketing signs IN your store...

Then social media is like the billboard outside enticing people to come in.

If your social media content isn't well managed, it will be like having a billboard in Death Valley, CA. There won't be many visitors.

Social media changes, ALL...THE...TIME! Don't make it your career to keep up on all those changes. These are excellent virtuals service for coaches to delegate so they can free up more of their time and focus on what matters most.

Event Planning

Coaches, regardless of their niche, often host events (whether virtual or in-person) occasionally. Event planning is a highly detail-oriented process that can distract you from the core needs of your business. It may be something that you believe you can do yourself, but carefully consider the time you would lose when you could be spending that time attracting more clients.

You want your events to be the talk of the town for the right reasons. Consequently, your event planner should:

• Have great interpersonal skills
• Be able to manage time effectively
• Make stellar organization a priority
• Be flexible and have a contingency plan
• Have a track record of success in planning and executing similar events
• Be creative and innovative
• Have a passion for planning

Client Relationship Management

Building positive client relationships is crucial to business growth. You may not have a large client list when you start out so it's tempting to handle the management yourself. However, outsourcing the following client relationship management functions can help you establish even stronger relationships and provide a higher level of professionalism to your business:

• Manage invoicing and payments
• Follow up for schedule appointments
• Send thank you cards

What Should you Look for in a Virtual Services for Coaches Provider?

Now that you’ve jumped onto the outsourcing bandwagon, it's time to understand what to look for in an outsourcing partner. Here’re a few things that should be at the top of your checklist:

     1. Experience

Is it OK to hire someone that doesn't have experience with your programs or in your niche?

There's a good chance you'll find a lot of applicants that don't have a lot of experience with your specific tools or in your niche. For example, a content creator that specializes in articles on health and beauty may not be a great fit for your topic of money mindset. Or a website designer who has always used Wix might not be the right hire for your Kajabi website creation. This is often the case when looking at providers with lower hourly rates. Just like in the medical field, it's more expensive to get a specialist. You probably wouldn't get a nose job from someone who's worked in pediatric medicine for a few years and now wants to do plastic surgery too. And, if you decided to, you probably wouldn't pay them the same rate as someone who's specialized in nose jobs for 20 years.

It's totally OK to hire someone with less experience and skill as long as you understand what you are getting. You can't expect them to have the knowledge that a more experienced person will. They also won't be as fast as there is often a steep learning curve (that you are likely paying for). You'll also be investing more of your time to get them up to speed. All of these things will factor into the overall cost.

Now, if you have a routine task that you have already outlined a clear standard operating procedure, it may be perfectly OK to go with someone that isn't highly experienced.

     2. Flexible

Anyone you outsource business to should be flexible enough to meet your unique demands. This makes communication integral to creating a successful working relationship. Your expectations should be made clear from the get-go and you should also make it clear that there may be instances where flexibility must be exercised.

    3. Good reviews and social media presence

Customers paint a clear picture of the true service a company provides. You have to go beyond the fairy tale picture painted on the company’s website. Check out the social media pages and read the discussions people are having about the company or individual. If something doesn’t seem right, they might not be a good fit for your brand.

In this day and age, a person or company that is aligned with yours is a direct reflection of your business. Take some time to review the social media posts and content (just be careful when using this information for hiring individuals) posted by the company. If their values do not align with yours, it could come back to haunt you.

Ready to get started?

If you are finally ready to start outsourcing virtual services for your coaching business, the next logical step is to understand what tasks to outsource and who to outsource to. A great place to start is with these six focus areas:

• Graphic design
• Scheduling
• Content management
• Social media management
• Client management
• Event management

And if you want to say yes to a little bit of all of them, then a one-stop-shop for virtual services like Virtual A Team may be the best option for you.

Note: This article was originally published on April 30th, 2019 and updated February 5th, 2024.

Every piece of content you create takes time, effort, and sometimes money. 

First, we need to come up with a great idea, write/record/film the idea, edit, publish and promote it.

This goes on and on with content we create and honestly, could get resource-consuming and tiring. But do you know with a little strategy and effort, we can get the most out of every piece of content we create?

How do you get the most out of the content you create? Repurposing.

Repurposing our content can stretch our yield. It’s a work smart, not hard formula. All we need to do is repurpose the content we’ve already created so that it will extend our reach and audience.

This can be done by ensuring every one of our content pieces can be reused across different channels, platforms, formats, and campaigns.

But, before you repurpose content, it has to be great. Let’s start by talking about strategies to make great content.

Ways to Make Great Content

1. Idea Concept

Thinking of an idea is one of the most important parts of the content you create, it is also the first thing.  Let's think up original and intriguing topics that will resonate with our audience. 

Not only that, no one wants to read content they aren’t benefiting from. Therefore, you will want to start with a topic that will be of value to your audience.

Already, we know what our platform is about and who our audiences are and their interests. Therefore, before creating content, it is important to ask yourself questions like, what value will my audience get from this? What does my audience need? What problem can my content solve for them?

Asking questions like these will give you ideas you can work on. And not just any idea, original ideas with the aim of creating content of value, content that converts.

2. Research

The accuracy of our content matters a lot. Imagine the impression you make if a reader finds out there's some kind of inaccuracy in the information you present.

So, once we get the idea for our contents, let's research before working on it. See what other people have done on that topic and add that to the information we already have.

3. Focus On Your Headlines

Many times, people lose their potential audience, because their titles aren’t catching enough. In fact, more people read the headline than the content itself. No, that isn’t such a bad thing. It just means our headlines are as important as the article.

Our headlines will determine how likely the audience will click on the post.  Thus, we should think up catchy and intriguing titles for our posts before publishing them. Also, this guide by Neil Patel on how to create intriguing headlines is very helpful.

4. Engage

Engaging and thought-provoking content will better than content that is dull or repetitive. If you make everything you say or write important, the audience will likely hang onto your every word.

When writing content, consider these points:

• Have a conversational tone, tell stories -- storytelling is an engaging tool.
• Write content that sparks people so they want to leave comments and opinions.
• Leave questions on your posts to generate reactions, answers or make people reflect on how your content has helped them.

Another way to engage readers is by writing short and pointed content. Leave out unnecessary details. Help the readers know how you can help them immediately upon reading the introduction.

5. Share and Distribute

Creating content is king, but sharing and distributing is very important. How else will people see the king if they don’t even know of its existence?

Without proper sharing and distribution, your content may not get the result and reach they deserve.

We should work on this by strategizing our sharing efforts. If we have different platforms for our content, we shouldn't focus on just promoting one platform.

For example, if you have a YouTube channel and a blog, promote both. Promote your blog on YouTube and vice versa. Promote all content on all platforms you have.

Download our Ultimate Guide to Delegating Here for More Tips & Tools on How to Delegate as a Solopreneur

Repurposing Your Content

Repurposing is a very effective way to turn the content you create into something new and unique. This means your old content can be altered and recreated into other pieces of content. It’s like recycling of content.

In return, each piece of content gets more audience and appears on new platforms, while saving time and resources. Below, we will discuss a few things to know about repurposing.

How to Repurpose Your Content

There are multiple platforms for content creation and the beauty of creating content is that we don’t have to stick to one way. Perhaps, you always write your content, you can make that same written content into a video, a slide share, an eBook, an infographic, etc.

The point is, our content doesn’t have to be in one format and platform. We can make use of different formats and platforms. Subsequently, every content can be repurposed to fit every platform.

So once we have an idea for a new post, we should plan how to distribute it on different channels. It doesn’t even have to be a new post; it could be an old one. 

What Contents Should I Repurpose?

As said earlier, we don’t have to come up with new ideas. Old publications are good to go too. We can look for those content that got a wider engagement on any of our platforms.

If it’s on social media, we should check likes and comments. If it’s on a blog, the insights, and analytics. For podcasts and videos; the number of views, for emails newsletters; the number of click rates and so on.

After identifying the content that got the most engagement, we can now start repurposing all that content you create. For example, a twitter post that got a lot of engagement can be posted on your Instagram feed.

A blog post can be turned into a podcast and/or video. Videos aren't even hard to create and they get a lot more engagement. 

Check out this detailed post on how to create DIY videos.

Meanwhile, repurposing shouldn't be exclusive to posts that got high engagement alone. We can also go for;

1. Evergreen contents:

Contents that will continue to provide valuable information and long-lasting value.

2. Long Content

We can dissect long content to a chunk of smaller posts and information.

3. Shallow Content

Contents that were not fully developed or created for small-content platforms can be developed into a new stronger piece.

How to Repurpose Your Content Across Multiple Platforms

Below are some ways to repurpose our content into different platforms and formats;

1. Convert Your Blog Posts into Guides

Old blog posts don’t have to stay old, the knowledge can still be shared and made useful for the audience. We can put together some of our old blog posts after identifying those you want to repurpose.

With this, we can, for example, create a guide by collating information on a particular topic from our blogs.

For instance, if you’ve written several articles on SEO, you can amass all the contents you’ve done on it. Make them into a neat, easy-to-follow guide, re-edit it and start sharing and redistributing.

It could be an e-book or a new blog post with hyperlinks to the original content or more.

2. Chop up Longer Blog Posts

We can promote a new content piece, or extend the visibility of an older one by chopping them into smaller bits. And then share the bits across different channels.

A very long post can be made into smaller variations and shared on small-content platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or other sites like Quora, LinkedIn, SlideShare, etc.

3. Turn Your (Old) Posts into Podcasts

Podcasts are really good and flexible. Contrary to popular opinion, many people listen to podcasts.

The beauty of podcasts is its flexibility and convenience. People can listen while doing laundry, while driving -- they basically choose the time they want to listen, unlike a radio program.

Using this, we can turn some old posts or new ones into podcasts. You can create a podcast channel if you don’t have one already.

Remember, the point is to have more visibility and reach with our contents. Having multiple platforms for our contents is the ideal way to achieve that.

Therefore, we should have podcast channels for our blog posts. Captivate the audience with our content and make something worthwhile. Something that attracts them so they keep coming back.

Also, we could transcribe a podcast to a blog post and/or a video. This is done so that one content in the form of a podcast can be on iTunes, a video of the same content on YouTube and a blog post on our sites.

4. Create a Slide of your post and Upload to SlideShare

We can also turn your content into slides and upload them to sites like SlideShare. To encourage engagement, we should make beautifully designed slides that can easily impress readers.

5. Build Custom Infographics

Infographic is about turning facts, statistics into a visual representation. Also, infographics get more engagement and are the most shared type of content. Pictures get more attention and that’s the concept behind infographics.

Such infographics can then be shared across different platforms, used on slideshows, or added to an email newsletter to engage readers.

A good infographic should show relevant information, be well crafted, catchy and good looking.

Meanwhile, infographics are not that difficult to create. There are templates and tools one can easily use to start one. For example, with Canva, we can create an amazing infographic in a few minutes. This post will show you how.

6. Find Your Strongest Introductions

The snippets of our contents matter too. We can repurpose a previously published content by rewriting a post introduction and sharing across different platforms.

For example, if you are posting a link of your content on social media, you can add an irresistible introduction that makes people want to view the rest of the content.

Identify the top introductions and repurpose them across different platforms: in an email newsletter, a YouTube video/ podcast description or social media posts.

7. Write Guest Post on Topics Related to Your Expertise

We don’t have to be confined to our platforms only, we can widen our reach on others’ platforms too. If we’re good at a particular niche or topic, we can guest post for other content creators who may have a different audience from us. Guest posts will introduce us to their audience.

There are different websites that accept guest posting, Writing Cooperative did a list of 54  sites that accept guest posts.

8. Share The Best of Your Content Through a Newsletter

Newsletters are still as good as they were in the past. Apart from creating content, we need to curate an email list of our audience too.

This can be done by platforms like Active Campaign that allow people to sign up with their emails. Read more about how to get the most out of your email list in our article.

Once we have an email list, we can now work towards using the content we create in other areas as content for our email newsletters.

Newsletters don’t have to be an everyday thing, it could be a once in a week, month, 2 months thing. Next, share the best content in your email newsletters.

9. Pull out Quotes and Paragraphs as Micro Contents

More than videos and blog posts, the internet loves quotes. We should pull out awesome and unique quotes out of original content. Then promote these quotes across different platforms where they can reach our target audiences.

10. Don’t Sleep On the Power of Social Media

As said earlier, distribution and sharing are key to getting your post to a wider audience. If you haven’t been using social media, you should start now and use it effectively. Social media help us promote our brands, get a wider reach and makes it easy to engage with potential audiences.

We can post our content or snippets or links on our social media sites. It could be infographics from a blog post followed with a short introduction, or it could be a short video, a snippet of a podcast.

Social media should be a must for all content creators. Also, it's the number one way to drive traffic to our published contents and make people keep up with your new contents. This detailed blog post explained how to track our social media results.

In Conclusion:

There are different ways to get the most out of the content you create. It all starts with thinking of awesome ideas, sharing and comes down to repurposing.

Why create new contents every time when we can repurpose the existing contents and redistribute them across different platforms?

We can start repurposing content by;

• Creating a list of content that can be repurposed
• Transcribing posts into different formats. For example, from video to audio, from written to audio, etc.
• Using social media efficiently. Creating infographics and use them to get more engagement
• Guest posting for other platforms
• Using strong introductions and pull out quotes to make your contents promotable

It's best to implement these strategies for effective mastery of how we can repurpose our content. This way, we will get the most out of every piece we create without getting exhausted or working too hard.

We know how important videos for business are, but why? You probably search for a good movie to watch at least once per month.

What jumps out at you when you do this search?

Is it the long, sometimes boring, movie critique article filled with spoilers? Is it the less than 2 minutes long movie trailer video that tells you all you need to know?

Chances are you choose the movie trailer option every time.

Videos speak volumes on social media. Just like movie trailers, they are the content of choice for many social media users. In fact, HubSpot highlights that videos are no longer only a component of a marketing plan, they form the central focus of a social strategy. Being inundated with all types of content daily makes customers yearn for something that immediately grabs their attention. Creating videos for business may seem daunting, but it doesn't have to be.

Let’s be real. Video creation seems like an intimidating process. You want the quality of the videos you produce to be top-notch. However, you don’t have the money to hire a professional and you believe that you have neither the resources nor the knowledge to create these videos yourself.

This is an issue we will address before discussing creative video content that you can post on social media. You don’t have to be a professional videographer to create the right video content. Here’re some basic items and skills you’ll need to create good quality videos for social media.

Equipment and Skills Needed for DIY Video Creators

A Smartphone with Good Camera Quality

Apple and Samsung’s expert marketing skills have fooled us into believing that these are the only smartphones that can produce good quality images and videos. It’s time to reject that fallacy. Budget camera phones exist that produce great quality videos.

Smartphone Gimbal

You can’t trust your hands to shoot steady videos (even with smartphones that have built-in stabilizers).  You will need a smartphone gimbal. The beauty is that you can get a good smartphone gimbal for less than 100 USD.

The Right Environment

Environment matters. Ensure that the area you choose to film videos has no clutter, fits in with the aesthetic of your brand and has adequate lighting. You may need to purchase a budget-friendly lighting kit so that you have the best lighting.

Good Audio

One of the most annoying aspects of some social media videos is the poor audio quality. Depending on your smartphone’s audio is insufficient. You will need a good microphone (preferably one that syncs with your smartphone). Here are a few options.

Download our Ultimate Guide to Delegating Here for More Tips & Tools on How to Delegate as a Solopreneur

Great Screen Presence

Your passion should resonate throughout the video. Think about what your audience wants to hear and how they would want the information to be delivered. The right level of energy will keep the audience engaged throughout the video.

Slideshow creation skills

Not all social media videos for business are filmed. Some are just a few pictures and words put together to some nice music. This type of video is sometimes called a slideshow. It’s a great idea to mix the type of video content you post between slideshows and filmed videos. The types of slideshow videos you can create are described in the next section.

The right software

Whether you’re editing videos you film or creating slideshow videos, you’ll need the right video editing/creation software. The Google PlayStore and Apple App Store have a range of apps that allow you to create and edit videos on your smartphone. One of the best video editing app options can be found here.  Some additional options include:

• Apple iMovie
• Lumen 5
• Nero Video
• Corel Video Studio
• Filmora

If you want to create slideshow videos for business(or videos that don’t require any filming), here are some viable software options:

• Animoto
• WeVideo
• Promo Video
• UseLoom.com

The Best Types of Videos To Create

Blog promo or quote videos

Promo videos are one type of slideshow videos. They are short and don’t require you to do any filming. Just use images and on-screen text relevant to your blog post so that followers get a sneak peek into what the blog is about. Those who are interested will click to read the article.

Blog promo videos should be 15 to 30 seconds long. 

Like blog promo videos, quote videos are short slideshow videos. They highlight appropriate quotes and should be 15 to 30 seconds long. Here is an example from Virtual A team.

Answer customers’ questions

You can create many types of videos. Motivational, technical, behind-the-scenes and so on. However, one of the most impactful types of videos is the how-to video which specifically answers customers’ burning questions. Social media is a great way to learn customers’ pain points. Customers will love your brand even more if you create content that addresses these pain points.

Interview industry experts

It helps when your brand is viewed as a subject-matter expert. Interviewing qualified people in the field can help paint this picture. These interviews could be Facebook or Instagram live posts or regular posts for your social media feed.

Announcements or product reveals

Big announcements or product reveals deserve the right showcase. Short, fun videos are a great way to put these announcements and products in the spotlight. You could do a series of videos that whet consumers’ appetites and a final video of the grand reveal. It’s all about building enough suspense to intrigue customers.

Animated videos for business

Animated videos are a growing trend on social media. Their primary benefit is their ability to break down complex concepts. They work best when they are short and engaging. Think carefully about what appeals to your audience and the type of information they want to hear.

Customer testimonial

No one can sell your brand better than your own customers. You can compile a video that features short customer testimonials to add credibility to your brand. Remember to keep the video short and ensure that key features of your brand are included.

Tips for Creating Impactful Social Media Videos

Don’t neglect the power of live videos.

Live video streaming has been magical for many brands. These videos allow you to interact with your audience while the video is being filmed and have been used to display such things as behind-the-scenes footage and live coverage of events. Here are some examples of live video streaming done right.

Additionally, social media users appreciate opportunities to directly interact with the brands they love. Live videos provide opportunities for question and answer sessions. These sessions are also a good tool for learning customers’ pain points.

Add subtitles

Social media users scroll through their newsfeeds throughout the day. There are times when they may be in places where they can’t play the video’s sound. Adding subtitles will help them enjoy the video without losing the intended message. Additionally, users who are hearing-impaired will still be able to enjoy the video.

Use attention-grabbers early in the video

The purpose of the video should be clear from the get-go.  Social media users attention spans are short. If you don’t grab their attention within the first 10 seconds, chances are they won’t stick around long enough to engage with your video. Your hook should, therefore, be in the first or second frame of your video.

Have a video marketing strategy

Some businesses tend to think that all content used in social media marketing must be a part of paid advertising campaigns. That is far from the truth. You need content on your page that will actively engage your followers and provide them with useful information.

Having a plan for the content that you will post weekly is important for achieving this objective. This plan will help you have a focused approach towards your video content. It can help you organize videos based on themes for each month. Additionally, it will help you link the video content to the other types of content that you post.

Include a call-to-action.

Your videos form an integral part of your sales funnel. A prompt should be given for viewers to complete some action related to the next stage of the sales funnel. That action could be to subscribe to your newsletter, follow your social media page or leave a comment. Whatever the action, it’s important for you to clearly state what you want them to do.

Choose the right platform.

Each platform has different video requirements. Instagram only allows one-minute videos on their main page. However, longer videos can be uploaded on IGTV. Here are the recommended video lengths for each platform from the Women in Business Network:

• Facebook: less than 2 minutes (Note: as of May, 2019, Facebook is now favoring videos 3 minute or longer.)
• Twitter: less than 45 seconds
• Instagram: less than 1 minute
• YouTube: less than 2 minutes
• Linked In: between 30 seconds and 5 minutes

Allowable video length is one criterion for choosing the right social media platform. It’s also important for you to understand the purpose of each platform. Here’re some features of each platform that you should pay attention to:

• Facebook is best for community building.
• Instagram and Pinterest are great for visual content.
• YouTube is the leading site for video content.

Therefore, it’s important for you to understand the purpose of your social media profile and how this purpose fits into your video marketing plan.

The I-C-E Strategy for Creating a Sound Video Marketing Plan

A sound video marketing strategy was mentioned as an important component of impactful social media videos. The I-C-E strategy can help you make that video marketing plan a reality.

I-Ideation

This is where you brainstorm ideas for a possible series of video content that you can post. Choose a theme for the month and consider the best types of videos for business that will help bring that theme across.

For instance, let’s say that you chose “Building Strong Families” as your theme for May since May is Child’s Month and includes Teacher’s Day and Mother’s Day. You are a life coach who wants to sell your most recent online life plan course. Your audience is middle-aged working mothers. Here are a series of videos that could possibly work for the month, week by week.

1st Week: An animated video about how to schedule family time despite having hectic schedules.

2nd Week: A tribute to mother’s video that emphasizes how having the right life plan can help mothers give their best to their families.

3rd Week: A testimonial video from a mother who has benefitted from your life plan course.

4th Week: A Facebook Live interview with a female entrepreneur who has found a way to strike a healthy work-life balance and build a strong family

C- Creation

Brainstorming gives you the ideas. It’s now time to ring those ideas to life. The example above showed different types of videos. Each type of video will require special video creation and editing software. Some will require filming. Be clear about everything that you will need and how you will create the video from the get-go.

Another important consideration for the creation phase is the objective for the videos. What do you want customers to do after watching? Ensure that there is a clear call-to-action so that this goal is achieved.

E-Evaluate

All social media campaigns should have an evaluation phase. There should be a clear indication of whether the videos for business have helped you achieve your objective. If they haven’t, carefully consider what could have been done differently to create success.

Using Your Videos For Business

Videos receive the highest engagement on social media. Savvy life coaches know that they should post a variety of content on social media, but videos take precedence. Several types of video exist. However, the videos used on your social media accounts depend on your video marketing campaign and the nature of the social media site.

The I-C-E strategy will help you create a sound video marketing campaign. However, you may still need assistance creating some of the videos. The Virtual A Team can help you create stunning slideshow and animated videos. Contact us today so that we can help you get started.

“The sky is falling, the sky is falling!” - Chicken Little

This has been a rough year for doing business on Facebook. The changes early this year, to the algorithm have made it harder and harder to reach our audience. However, with every challenge, there is an opportunity. Instead of focusing on what doesn’t work anymore, let’s look at what does.

There was a time when Facebook was all about pokes and connecting with old high school friends (I’ll refrain from sharing my high school photo, again). While it’s still a great place to reconnect, Facebook has slowly grown to become one of the leading business platforms on the internet competing even with the likes of LinkedIn. Solopreneurs and other businesses have used this to gain an edge by polishing their marketing tactics.

If you really want to get the most out of growing your business on Facebook, it’s important to know what works and what doesn’t. That way you can maximize the time you spend more effectively.

Why choose Facebook?

If you don’t already know now, networking is the art of creating connections with people who may be able to help you out later in different aspects of your business. I once was able to use my networking contacts to get box seats at a Nickelback concert! But we will be concentrating on the business gain for now.

The fundamentals of networking on Facebook and Instagram are very similar. However, Facebook comes with a distinct set of advantages.

Groups

Facebook has a feature called groups where all the like-minded people can come together and discuss their interests. Not only can one chat in these groups but they start to become a part of the community. The number of such groups is hard to count as there are new ones created every day. We will look more into these later, but each one of these groups is a possible treasure trove of solid leads.

Users

Instagram boasts a total number of active users of over a billion. It would be extremely hard to top that number until you try and compete with a whale like Facebook. This social media giant has over 2.25 billion active users. That is about a third of the whole word. This means your potential market is already double the size of Instagram.

Post Options

While Instagram is coming up with a lot of features like Facebook (and vice versa), Facebook still clearly has more options that can help you network better and get popular. For example, you can start polls and interact with people. You can also go with text or multimedia posts. Recently you can also ask people for advice about anything you want. Sure, listening to strange people on the internet is something your parents have strongly advised you against since you started using a computer. But, let’s hope that they aren’t reading this with you.

Download our Ultimate Guide to Delegating Here for More Tips & Tools on How to Delegate as a Solopreneur

Perfect mix of Professional and Social Cultures

Instagram is as casual as a social networking site gets. Well maybe not as much as tinder, but you get my point. Facebook on the other hand, due to its arsenal of features can be used effectively for both professional and social purposes. This is extremely important as it will help you maintain the right kind of relations with your connections. You wouldn’t want them to see how drunk you got during the family reunion and horrendously failed at performing a backflip in the pool. So you can control exactly who is viewing certain parts of your life.

That being said since Facebook took over Instagram, the way the two of them linked themselves together is truly remarkable. So, while it is true that Facebook is preferable over Instagram in terms of networking, true magic is created when you use both of them in sync. However, for the purpose of this article, we will focus on how to create a connection on Facebook. If you are interested in learning how to network on Instagram, do go through our post about the same.

Create Friend Lists

The first thing you need to do before you start networking on Facebook is to segregate your professional and your personal contacts. This will help you keep these lives separate online as well. Sure, a professional contact may get close enough to you later to become a personal one. But let’s cross that bridge when we come to it.

Facebook allows you to do this easily with something called lists. Simply go to your friend list to find all your good looking friends. When you hover over the ‘Friends’ tag, you should be able to see a number of lists already made available to you. You can choose them to add them to those lists or select “Add to another list”. Here you can create a new list and add all your professional contacts to it.

Unfortunately, you will have to go to each friend and use this procedure to add them to this new list. Alternatively, you can add a bunch of them together via the friend lists option under Explore on the left side of your Home Page.

Once you are done creating your list it is important to keep updating them as soon as you add new contacts. Now, everytime you post, you should see an option to change who all can view it. Simply go there and change the setting to your professional list when you are posting work-related. Alternatively while posting personal stuff you can just block this list from viewing these new posts.

Use Facebook Groups

One of the biggest reasons to prefer Facebook over Instagram is the presence of ‘Groups’ on facebook. Essentially, it is a collection of people with the same interest. Now, Imagine, your target audience is travel bloggers from Indiana. To network on Instagram, you will have to go through several tags and posts to search for these people. On the other hand, Facebook will (might) directly have a group called “Indiana Travel Bloggers”. All you have to do is join these groups and start talking to people, making your job infinitely easier.

Some of these groups might be private (requiring a member’s permission for you to join in) while the others are open allowing you to join whenever you want. Once you are in, you can use the following steps to network like a pro.

Become an active participant

The first thing you need to do is to be active in the group. You can do this in several ways. Start off by leaving meaningful comments on others’ posts or start a discussion about it. Once you are comfortable, you can post links, media, or even relevant jokes on the group to engage everyone. Eventually, when they are comfortable with you, you can try to share a relevant link from your business to this particular group.

Add friends

Once you have started becoming active in the group, you will notice that there are others who are just as active as you are. You might even find some regulars who discuss your viewpoints in the comments section. In such a case, feel free to add them as a friend so you can move on to the next step of networking. Ensure you add them to your professional friend list directly so you do not end up sharing an inappropriate post with them.

Send them a message

There are extremely high chances that your request gets accept. If it doesn’t, then respect their privacy and don’t badger the comments section calling them out like a drunken ex.

Once you have added them as your friend, you would want to start conversations with topics relating to the group you met in. Later, you can delve into other topics and such. It is important to remember that this is a professional contact and not a social one, so you should know your boundaries.

You could use groups to do more than just networking. To find out how you can make the most of them, check out our article on how to use Facebook groups to grow your business.

Make the most of post options  

Facebook has developed a lot since its inception. What earlier had just a text posting and comment options now has options to ask people for opinions and recommendations. You can make the most of these additional post options to create a bigger network for yourself.

Polls

A feature of Facebook allows you to take polls asking people their opinion on various topics. This feature is great since it gives the users a chance to interact with you.  So if you come with an interesting enough question where everyone wants to give their opinion then you might get a great response. To top it off, it’s a great way to do a market survey in groups or amongst your friend circle - at absolutely no cost 😉

You can also see which users selected which option in this poll. Using their answers can be a great conversation starter with someone who you had otherwise known as an acquaintance. But be careful while doing this as not everyone will be open to the idea of being approached like that.

Live video

Just like Instagram, Facebook also has an option to live stream various events. This is a great place to meet people. You can choose to view someone else's live stream and share your thoughts with like-minded people. This is a lot like attending some concert and discussing how beautiful the music is with the person in the next seat.

You could also try live streaming other things yourself to get your dormant users to be more interactive. For example, if you are a baseball coach, you can live stream a prodigious talent learning at your academy. This is sure to get the attention of others and a great way to market your services at the same time.

Stories

Stories are something that was popularized by Snapchat but eventually, everyone wanted a piece of the cake so they all started “getting inspired” by it. Though not as popular as its counterparts, some people still use Facebook stories to document various things.

Just like streaming something live, this gives people a chance to start a conversation with you or share their opinion. If you uploaded a story about a product that you strongly believe in related to your friend, then others might ask you for reviews as they might be looking for a similar product.

You could also use other types of posts like starting an event page to publicize a seminar you are planning to organize. Alternatively, you should implement various types of media as well to try and engage your connections. Nowadays, you will find memes are the best icebreakers. They have probably even replaced pick up lines in online dating. So, go post something funny (not necessarily related to your field)  and make the most Facebook post options to expand your network.

Create a Facebook page

Another way to start networking is to make use of the facebook pages option. This is the best way to have a professional presence on Facebook. As a Facebook user, you can create a page on facebook about absolutely anything you want. No, seriously, it can even be about how you should put cereal before the milk for your breakfast and not vice versa. As long as Facebook doesn’t deem the content of the page to be harmful to anyone, you can have whatever you want.

Of course, you don’t want to have a page about cereal eating techniques (or do you?), but you should start a page about your own business and the services you offer.

“But WHY should I have a page if Facebook doesn’t show it to anyone?”

Let me digress a bit here.

Once upon a time, marketing was hard. You had to spend lots of money on big campaigns and do a lot of challenging things.

And then Facebook came along.

Marketing became relatively cheap and easy (I’ll refrain from the comparison here). Facebook made it simple to put out content and get new audiences.

Then Facebook decided to start making money and they made everything hard again.

But hard doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. Frankly, there are still people who are going to research your company using Facebook as one point of reference. If you don’t have a moderately active page, they will think twice about doing business with you.

Shift your perspective. Instead of your page as being a solid lead generator, consider it a branding and reputation building tool.

Invite friends to like

This might make you seem as desperate as a teenage boy. Unfortunately, it is one of the most effective techniques to get people to recognize your services and start a dialog. Remember the friends you gathered from various groups and the ones you already had, they will be useful here. Request them to like your page.

I’ve actually had this work for me. I’ve gotten a few new clients from inviting contacts I’ve made to like my page. They knew me from groups or local events and reached out when they received the invitation to like my page.

Once your friends like and follow your page, two things will happen. Firstly, your page will gain popularity. Secondly, their friends will get to see that they have liked your page and they might wonder what is it all about. If you are lucky they might turn into potential leads as well.

Just remember, only invite friends that you think are in your target audience. Facebook is more likely to show your posts to people it thinks will be interested and engage. Your uncle Jack might like your page to support you, but, if he never engages, that “like” actually hurts you.

Also, if you ever consider advertising using Facebook, it will be to your benefit to have a narrower, targeted audience.

Be active on the page

The previous technique is only bound to work if your page is regularly updated with new content. The posts don’t have to be related to your field, but can sometimes be a bit personal as well. If you want, you can even lighten the mood with a few memes here and there. At the same time, you must ensure that you aren’t repeating your posts too regularly. Once every 3 to 6 months is fine if you have a lot of content going up. Less often if you only post once a week.

This also means that you will have to be quite active while replying to the messages asked by people online. This will help you project a positive image and develop newer connections.

Use the page to comment on groups

Finally, you can now use your page identity almost as a separate entity on Facebook. So once you get into a particular group, you can start posting on that group using your page id. Similarly, you could also use this to comment or reply to comments on other posts on various groups. This helps you establish yourself in the group as your professional self rather than just another individual. Furthermore, it will open you up to queries from others increasing your opportunities to network.

Use a balance here. People like to do business with people first. While interacting as your page can help people see what you do, it doesn’t always help people get to know the person behind the business.

Stay in Touch

Now that you have created a network of people, it is extremely important to maintain it as well. Without this, it would be hard or you to ever ask them for a favor if it ever comes to it. Imagine if an acquaintance from middle school suddenly came up to you 20 years later and asked for help in a business venture, you wouldn't be inclined to help, would you? Here are a few simple ways you can stay in touch.

Comment on their posts

Whether someone is a part of your professional network or your personal one, it is important to show an interest in their lives. You can simply do this by commenting on the things that they post on Facebook. For example, if they post a picture of themselves, you can compliment them or if they post an update about getting a new job, you can congratulate them. Just remember not to sound too mechanical with your comments or they might perceive it as an insincere comment.

Share their posts

Another great idea to stay in touch is to share their posts whenever you feel they are something you relate with as well. Alternatively, you might feel that you have an opposing opinion and you can share the post with your opinion. Remember, the objective is not to attack the person with your opinion but rather to have a constructive discussion on the topic.

Birthday wishes

Let’s be honest, if it wasn’t for Facebook, we probably wouldn’t remember our best friend’s birthday or maybe even our own anniversary. This is possibly one of the reasons that I still have the Facebook app on my phone. All you need to do is send out a thoughtful message to that person on their birthday. Otherwise, you could even post on his/her wall. It is just so easy. If its a professional contact don’t post anything embarrassing on their wall though - that privilege is reserved for your best friends 😉  

Want to truly uplevel your birthday wishes? Find or create a unique image to share your birthday message. This can either be slightly (but not overly) branded to your business or something specific to that person. Just remember, if it’s business branded, it should still be more about the other person than your business. No one likes a Happy Birthday from the Team at XYZ Insurance Brokers, Keeping Your Insurance costs low…

Conclusion

Networking on Facebook has always been a very easy thing to do. One might say, that is the very essence of Facebook with all the friend suggestions that it dishes out on a constant basis. However, it is important to keep the personal and professional apart. Just remember the following tips -

• Keep your professional connections separate using lists
• Maximize the use of groups to add new connections
• Use the various posting formats to interact with your existing contacts
• Make a professional page about your service for any online inquiries
• Stay in touch with them by interacting with their posts and wishing them on their birthdays

Doing all this on your own might seem like a daunting task. However, if you had some help from our Virtual A-Team, all this might seem like a walk in the park. So, don’t waste your time. Contact us and let’s get cracking on making you a Facebook sensation and building that network up!

Whew, it’s tough out there. Being a solopreneur isn’t easy, especially when you want to expand your client base. The business of coaching people in various aspects of life makes this task an even harder one. A great way to help accomplish this goal is to get referrals for a coaching business.

A referral is when someone you know suggests their friends or family to go to you for some problem that they have. There are two main advantages to using referrals to rope in new customers.

1. You do not need to invest a lot of time and money into it. Instead, all you need to do is follow the tips that we will discuss later in the article.
2. Even if you invest money, you will get guaranteed returns. The referrer gets paid only when their acquaintances help you generate a sizeable income.

However, many coaches face a problem of getting more clients using this method. They either do not know how to go about it or feel bad about asking. Either way, in this post, I'll let you in on a few secrets on how to get more referrals for a coaching business. If you like what you read, remember to refer your friends to our site 😉

Create Referral programs

A referral program is something that rewards a person for asking another person to hire you. Of course, there are several referral programs that you can go with. But, the type of coaching business you run might limit you to a select few.

For example, you could waive off some of your coaching fees for every referral you get. If you want higher returns you could offer a waiver only for multiple referrals.

Another possibility is to give commissions to people who send others your way. I know it is hard for you to part with your money, but it is well worth it. At the end of the day, it is the same as giving a concession to that customer. This is exactly how affiliate programs work.

If possible, you could also try and give something like a premium membership. You can give them priority bookings, free cancellations, or an option to visit you during your holidays.

The problem with referral programs is that you need to keep a track of all the people who are coming to you and who they are bringing in. Another problem that might occur is that two people might refer to the same mutual friend. This will put that mutual friend in a very awkward position. Of course, he or she will claim that the more intimidating friend was the original referrer.

You can solve these problems using certain IT solutions. That is why it is easier to build such systems online than maintaining one offline.

You can also ask your customers to give the contact information of their friends who might be interested. Then, you can contact them - either by call or email and see which contacts generate a lead. Accordingly, you can reward the clients who helped you out just like we reward our clients who help us out

Have a business worth referring

Of course, this seems like a no-brainer. Unfortunately, many people rely only on marketing to get more referrals. If your business doesn’t live up to the reputation that you or your promotional partner have been hyping it up to be, it would reflect badly on both of you. This prevents more people from referring to your practice in the future. It may also damage your reputation as a professional.

Thus, it is super important to live up to standards that are worth mentioning to others. The easiest way to do this is to deliver on the challenge you were offering to help them overcome. Let this be any kind of life problem or even helping their business grow. If you guarantee results, then people will flock to you.

Download our Ultimate Guide to Delegating Here for More Tips & Tools on How to Delegate as a Solopreneur

Once you have the core goal nailed down, it is important to start focusing on the entire experience of your customer. You need to make them feel good about you from the minute they walk in through your door till after they step out. You can try doing this in the following ways.  

• Punctuality - No matter what kind of a coach you are, everyone values punctuality. If a client has booked an appointment with you, then ensure you stick to it. Remember to give your client the full duration of time that was promised to them.
• Going the extra mile - While punctuality is important, you must also show your clients that you are willing to go the extra mile for them. If the client is facing a crisis, you can’t possibly show them the door. Imagine you work all night with a client and turn their business into a success. This client will then go and tell his or her friends how dedicated you are as a business coach.
• Privacy - In the coaching business it is extremely important to maintain the confidentiality of your clients. Thus, you should do everything in your power to be as discreet as possible when required. Some people really value their privacy, so don’t go using their face for your marketing campaign.
• Comfort - As a coach, one of your primary duties is to make your client feel comfortable.  Fill the room with comfortable furniture of different sorts. Ask your assistant to deliver some refreshments to the clients waiting for you.

If you concentrate enough on building your practice into something worth sharing, then half your work is done. You don’t need anything like referral programs to get the word out. Your services will get advertised through word of mouth from many satisfied customers.

Start building relationships

One of the key practices to getting more referrals is to build relationships. Now, before you get any crazy ideas, I mean professional relationships. What you need is a general sociable attitude that gets your customers looking at you as a platonic friend. Sure, you could try and take it further. But don’t blame me when you lose your license or you’re sitting in a prison cell.

Jokes aside, you need to start building relationships with your customers so you can try and ask a favor of them. If they love your personality from the get-go, then a simple “If you liked my service, please tell your friends” can help you get referrals. But people don’t usually start liking someone from a single interaction. So take every chance you get to display your most sociable self. These clients may become your promotional partners in the future.

It is important that you don’t stop building relationships after you get promotional partners. You then need to deepen that relationship more so they want to help you out further when you need it. Inviting them over for coffee or sending postcards or sending greeting cards on special occasions might do the trick.

This will help you do two things. The first one is that your current promotional partners will want to help you out more when you need it. The second one is that they will encourage others to become your partners since they love doing it so much.

Your business isn’t the only place where you need to build relationships. It is also important to build relationships with your friends and family. They are the ones who are most likely to do a favor for you. Yes, this means that you will have to end up going to Thanksgiving with that annoying aunt or attend that intolerable friend’s birthday. But when you ask them for a favor of referring their friends and family to you, and they come through, all this torture will seem worth it. All you will hear at the Thanksgiving dinner thereafter will be the sound of money entering your wallet.

When you work on building all these relationships, you will see that people start hiring you without much effort from your side. The ‘friendly coach’ will become a part of your personality and it will all come naturally to you.

One of the golden rules of building relationships is to always thank your referral sources for the people who they sent your way. Remember to do this whether their referrals were a solid lead or not. Posting a thank you card or a similar gesture would be perfect for this, but a simple thank you in person or call will work too.

Pro tip - You can use Cloze.com to manage all your professional relationships with your clients and promotional partners with ease.

Start networking wherever possible

This point is a bit like building relationships. But, for this you do not need to put in that much amount of effort. All you need to do is mention that you are a coach working in your field. But, the timing and location are important.

Imagine, someone dear to you is having a heart attack and you ask the crowd around you if there is a doctor present. Then, a person steps up to the plate brimming with confidence and announces that he is a life coach. Now I don’t know about you, but if that happened to me, the crowd would have to call an ambulance for not one, but two people. I’ll let you guess which ones.

You should focus your networking tactics in more social settings. Parties or business seminars are a great place to do this. You can introduce your profession when asked - a common ice breaker at several social gatherings.  

Unfortunately, this doesn’t create the best opportunity for people to refer you to their friends. Sure, when the time arises and someone asks for a coach, your name might be at the top of their heads. But think about it, they do not want to refer someone questionable to their friends. And neither would you.

That’s why you might sometimes need to display your skills, even if it is for free. I know that parting with your money is hard, but you are playing the long game. Fortunately, you will not have to do conduct an entire session to display your skill. All you need to do is show them a part of what you can do to help them. The great thing is that you can use this as a way to attract people just like a magician.

Imagine you are at a business mixer of some sort and you somehow get to talking about your profession as a business coach. You now have the stage to exhibit your skills and possibly draw in an even bigger crowd. You must have seen the ending scene of ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ where Jordan Belfort teaches others about businesses by asking them to sell a pen to him. You don’t have to pull off the same trick, but if you can sell a used tissue to an unwitting guest for over $100, I’d be super impressed.

Once you leave the crowd awestruck with your selling skills, try and slip in a word about how they should come to see you if they want to learn to do the same. While you’re at it, ask for their contact information and remember to follow up after networking with them.

Social gatherings are not the only place where you can put your skills up for display. With the boom of social media, there are a lot of opportunities opened up to you online. For example, if one of your acquaintances on Facebook puts up a status about going through a bad break up, as a life coach, you can share some wisdom. This will help you stay longer in their minds as a good coach who can help out others when needed. Networking like this has the added advantage of making new friends. This, in turn, can contribute to my previous point on building relationships.

Help your partners help you

The person who is lobbying for you at social gatherings can only do so to the best of their talents. Sure, your friend might know that you are a Business Coach by title, but what does that job title entail? If your friend doesn’t know about you or your services they won't be able to advertise it properly to their friends. Moreover, they wouldn’t be able to suggest you to their friends who might require your services.

Hence it is important to always have your partners informed about what all services you offer. As a business coach, you might specialize in startups. However, you can also be experienced in dealing with marketing, production or many other aspects of a business. But your partner who has attended your sessions about startups won’t know of your other services. Thus, when that person is asked if they know anyone good in marketing, their mind will be drawing a blank. Hence, you need to keep all your clients informed about the various services that you offer.

Unfortunately, even if your customers know which services you offer, they may not be able to explain each one of them in detail or how these services may benefit their friends. Hence, it is a good practice to share something like a brochure (explaining your services in detail) with your customers. This enables them to share these brochures instantly with people who might need them. Hence your chances of lead generation will increase.

Printed media is something that people with offline coaching businesses can share. If your business is online, you can share links or even newsletters with your current customers to help them spread the message. This is much easier as it saves a lot of time and money.

Another great way to help your partners would be to organize free (or low-cost) events. This way, rather than just mentioning your name or handing out a brochure with your name on it, they can bring their friends and family along to get an example of what happens in your sessions. Every person has attended some boring event just because someone they knew asked for a favor. This is their chance for some payback.

The best part about these events is that you will receive a wide audience. This will consist of your customers, their plus ones, and strangers who have come in only for the snacks. As long as you provide useful content for free (along with free food), people will flock to you. Thus, you get a chance to market yourself and improve the possibility of someone referring to their friends and family to you.

Pro tip - Remember to keep your social media (everything from Facebook and Instagram to Twitter and LinkedIn) updated about your profession. You don’t need to market it, just highlight the services that you offer in your “About Me” section.

Conclusion

The best kind of advertisements are the ones that seem organic and genuine. That is why you should try and get referrals for your coaching business. Just to summarize, you can do this in multiple ways.

• Creating a referral program that benefits those who help you.
• Improving the overall standards of your practice so people genuinely want to hire you.
• Build relationships with your clients, promotional partners, and your friends and family.
• Start networking online and during various seminars.
• Keep your partners well informed so they can help market your services.

If you start following the tips given above, I am sure the number of referrals will keep rising. It might take some time, but don’t lose heart. The most important qualities that a solopreneur can have is patience and perseverance. So don’t worry and keep trying; soon, you might just get more customers than you can handle.

I remember when I first launched my coaching business. I understood the importance of building my reputation around the skills I was coaching . A fast way to do that was to get in front of large groups of people at one time. This meant becoming a speaker and getting booked as a speaker.

Fortunately, I didn’t have a fear of public speaking (in fact, I actually really LOVE to speak in front of groups). What I did struggle with was how to get on enough stages.

Getting booked as a speaker wasn’t always easy. However, there are some great tips that can help. I’ve brought together some of my favorite speakers to share their wisdom.

Download our Ultimate Guide to Delegating Here for More Tips & Tools on How to Delegate as a Solopreneur

Before You Start to Look

Before you even begin getting booked as a speaker, there are some important things to consider. These things will make the searching that much easier.

1) Josie Tytus - Website | Facebook

Decide what you are going to be known for and run with it. Too many speakers are all over the board with their messaging. Those who hire speakers want to know they are hiring a genuine Expert or Leader in that domain. If you're a relationship coach, talk about the value and the ROI of building strong relations and develop a body of work in that area. Don't start teaching people how to start and run a business because it's something you've done. The stronger your claim to an area of expertise, the more likely you will be the one that gets hired.

2) Sorana Blackfoot - Website | Facebook

Being a non-fiction author (best-selling gives you an extra point) can be an advantage, when people can learn about your knowledge and expertise. 

3) Jan Elliot - Facebook

Pretend you are being interviewed by Oprah. You may answer her by saying, well, Oprah, the real problem is that women today (fill in the blank) and what I have found is (fill in the blank). That's your topic. Put the problem and the solution in the tile headline with a sub-headline.Grab their attention. Also, send a beautiful over-sized envelope with perfect return label, quality where even the stamp looks good), It is almost guaranteed to be opened. It contains your speaker sheet, intro letter, whatever you want to include. Keep it simple. Clean and gorgeous!

4) Meshell R Baker - Facebook

Begin with WHY. Asking yourself WHY the audience will benefit from your talk is an essential and foundational question.
I hear a lot of people talking about how speaking will build “their” business’ and client rosters; yet I rarely hear people talking about WHY their talk is impactful or helpful.

Bonus Tip:

• Event coordinators will often check out your website. If your website isn’t focused on your speaking topics, there will be a disconnect and you may lose a potential booking.

Finding Places to Speak

1) Felicia Slattery - Website 

One of the easiest places to find events to speak at in your community is Meetup.com. Search your area using the type of audience members you're looking for. For example, if you speak to entrepreneurs search entrepreneur, small business, start up, and work at home. You'll find a bunch of groups and right through the MeetUp platform you can contact the meeting planner. Tell them your topic title and the bullet point description of your presentation and what the audience will take away. You'll be turning away bookings!

2) Sorana Blackfoot - Website | Facebook

Getting involved in the local and national groups that target the niche market you serve or want to serve, can help build the relationships with the leaders in the group and also open opportunities to address the group at meetings. 

3) Gloria Monteleone Kovac - Website | Facebook

I speak at many events and Conferences and find a great way to make a connection is by researching the type of events and audiences you would like to share your expertise with. Asking other trusted entrepreneurs what events they go to and enjoy...and that deliver quality content is a good start. I then try to attend the event/Conference and make connections with the people that are organizing/presenting the event. 

4) Diane Halfman - Website | Facebook

Connect with one or more other speakers that share the same ideal client as you. Share where each of you have spoken and the results to weed out or praise great places to speak. 

5) Rachel Elise Trimble - Website | Facebook

Being really consistent on social media has opened up many doors. Doing FB Lives is like a preview for what they can expect.

6) Dawn C Reid - Website | Facebook

Create and promote your own opportunities for speaking at libraries and coffee shops, partner with others, reach out to civic and faith-based organizations and let them know you are interested in being on their speaker's list. For example, I do a monthly recorded talk with guests. I also do international cruises, vendor fairs, and conferences. I am always looking for experts and other speakers. These are great ways to build your speaking opportunities. I am happy to work with you on creating a speaking opportunity strategy to get you in front of the "right" people and getting you paid to speak. Just inbox me if you want to talk to me.

7) Christine Gallagher - Facebook

Don’t forget to “work” your connections. Many times my own speaking gigs came about because I reached out to people I knew were part of certain organizations.

Bonus Tips

• Don’t underestimate the value of Linkedin. If you optimize your Linkedin profile as a speaker, you may find that you receive speaker requests from event coordinators searching for speakers in your area.
• There are tons of speaker’s bureaus out there. Find one or two that you can get listed on. Do your homework first, though. Not all speakers’ bureaus are created equal.
• Research trade associations and local organizations.
• Do an internet search for Call for Speakers.

Getting the Booking

1) Terra Bohlman - Website

Research the event's target market so you can customize your offer to speak. For example, if you know the room will be full of working mothers, change your talk title to include them. When you reach out to the event coordinator, let him/her know how you can provide value to their audience with your suggested speaking topic using this simple script: 

Hi <first name>, I saw that you are hosting an event on <date> and would love to serve your audience as your speaker if you have not secured one yet. A topic that comes to mind is "5 Work-Life Balance Secrets That Work for Modern Moms." If this feels like a fit for you, let me know and we can chat for 5 minutes on more details. 

2) Amy Cochran Westbrook - Website | Facebook

Make it easy on the group. Have a short bio, topics and takeaways, and headshot ready to send. (Have your Speaker One Sheet ready to send.) You can Google "speaker one sheet" for some great visual examples.

3) Karen Joy Fritz - Website | Facebook

Offer copies of your book (if you're allowed) but don't discount them! Say you'll donate the amount of a discount to the group's preferred charity. Maintains the value of your book AND gives them an incentive to take one home.

4) Debbie Page - Website | Facebook

Determine and confirm that the organization/association or company you are pitching to has the problem/challenge you are uniquely qualified to solve. Pitching the wrong solution won’t help your reputation. 

5) Gloria Monteleone Kovac - Website | Facebook

An introduction from someone often goes a long way. Keeping your initial conversation short is best as they are most likely focused on the event at that time. Suggest a conversation for the following week to discuss the opportunity for you to be a Speaker at their next event. At that point...be prepared to send them whatever information they may need...Speaker Sheet, sizzle reel, testimonials, etc. Make it clear you are interested in serving their audience in any way you can.

6) Kay Miller - Facebook

Offer an add-on workshop (such as the day before) where they can charge and earn non-dues revenue (whatever is left after they pay you).

7) Deborah Bateman - Website

Often, when a client is strapped with a lean event budget or is unable to pay my stated speaking fees, I will create a payment plan and/or barter part of the fee.

Payment Plans:

If immediate funds are short, I will accept my speaker fee in installments.  Normally 50% in payable prior to the event, and the other 50% payable on the day of the event.

Bartering:

Most often, I will trade for a sponsorship or membership in their organization.  I see this as a win-win, as it provides me with the added boost and exposure to the audience and creates goodwill. In addition, I have traded for resources that are tradable, things like hotel stays, spa treatments, or exhibitor products.  When doing the later, I just make sure that they are commodities that I will use or can give as a gift. 

7) David Cooke - Website 

Have a professional videographer capture you speaking to a large group. Capture a five to eight minute segment of that talk you can share.

8) Gelie Akhenblit - Website 

The reason I was asked to present is b/c I'm an expert in the ONE thing (networking) and then people would see me in the audience and book me for other organizations. It was an entire Snowbowl effect.

9) Kelsa Dickey - Website | Facebook

We reach out using a video message. Most meeting planners are bombarded with emails so we stand out this way!

Bonus Tips:

• Use Twitter or Instagram to connect with the event coordinators. Often they will check direct messages on these platforms while they may not notice an email.
• Make the event coordinator’s job as easy as possible. Have a form or document to gather all the details needed for the event. Touch base with them instead of expecting them to always be in contact with you.
• Going for paid events? Never tell the event coordinator what your speaker fees are. Instead, ask what their budget is. There are situations where you might get paid more than you ever have.

Getting Referrals

Sometimes what you do at one speaking event will help you get additional bookings in the future. 

1) Debbie Page - Website | Facebook

Have 3 clear and key take aways and immediate actions that can be implemented. While the solution is likely long term, showing how the audience/participants can take something and apply it immediately for a positive step goes a long way in separating you from the competition. 

2) Kricket Cody Harrison - Website | Facebook

Make sure everything in the talk is for the audience. Your stories should pull the audience in so that they can relate to your content. 
Finally, it’s easier to get booked (and paid) when you are well-practiced, not memorized. Speaking is a craft that must be worked on. The best of the best, in anything, are always honing their craft.

3) Debi Silber - Website | Facebook

Start with the intention that it's ALL about the audience and not about the speaker. It's not what you know but how you'll take what you know to inspire and empower those who need a nugget of info you have to share. Come from a place of service, overdeliver and have the event planner jumping for joy that they chose you and your message for their event and tribe 🙂

Bonus Tips:

• Ask event coordinators for testimonials and referrals. You can even add these contingencies into speaker contracts.
• Live stream parts of your presentation. Just be sure to ask permission from the event coordinator first. This helps others see what you are up to.
• Video tape attendee testimonials to use in future marketing efforts.

There are a lot of moving parts to becoming a speaker. This holds true whether you are doing it for free, to get exposure to new audiences, or getting paid. Regardless, doing it all on your own can be super time consuming and overwhelming. You certainly can:

• Get your speaker media kit ready,
• Research speaking opportunities,
• Contact event coordinators,
• Follow up as necessary,
• Prepare your slides or presentation,
• Show up,
• And finally, follow up with all of your new prospects and the event coordinator…

Or, you can delegate much of this work out to a virtual assistant. And, if you truly want to avoid the headaches of managing your own virtual teams, you can look to hire Virtual A Team instead.

Are you ready to start getting booked as a speaker? What are your favorite tips for others?

You’ve finally decided you are going to delegating more work. You’ve searched for and found your first virtual assistant. You know exactly what project or tasks you want them to get started with. Now what? How do you manage all the details? There are contracts and procedures. Do you track processes and tasks? What about communicating all these tools to manage virtual teams to your employees?

One of the hardest parts of starting my virtual services company was researching and finding the right tools. It took many months and hours of comparison shopping. In addition, there were some tools I hadn’t even thought about needing.

Finding and using the right tools for working with your virtual staff can make your life a WHOLE lot easier. It’s not just about communicating with your team. The right tools can ensure your data security, help track hours and improve relationships.

Password Programs Tools to Manage Virtual Teams

What is it?

This may be the most important and yet one of the most often overlooked tools to manage virtual teams. Password managers provide users with a convenient and secure way to generate, store, retrieve and sometimes share passwords with others. Browser-based password managers are the most common. If you've ever used Chrome and gotten that little message in the upper right asking if you wanted Chrome to remember your username and password, then you are familiar with basic password managers.

Why use one?

Whenever you receive an email letting you know there has been a data breach or hack on a specific website, the first thing they recommend you do is to change your passwords.

They say this because most people use the same password is used across multiple sites and the hackers will use that information to attempt to access other websites.

By changing your passwords, you minimize the chances that someone will access another site.

Password managers reduce the risk of this happening by allowing you to create unique passwords for every website without having to try to remember a random string of letters, numbers and symbols.

And, when using a password manager with a virtual staff, you are sharing these unique passwords for ONLY the sites you want your virtual staff to access instead of inadvertently giving them the keys to the kingdom.

Many password managers also allow you to share access without directly sharing the password. You can then revoke this access whenever the individual is no longer working with you.

Which one to use?

There are several options for password managers. These options fall into two primary categories.

Browser-Based: These include password managers that are based within a browser, such as Chrome, Firefox or Safari. The limitation of these password managers is that they typically only store passwords for access on their browser. They do not include unique password creation or sharing across multiple devices or locations.

Dedicated Password Managers: These tools generally work across multiple platforms, offer several more options and include encryption forms. These are what we recommend to our clients.

Our Choice

LastPass is our favorite here at Virtual A Team and we use it with all of our client's information. LastPass has both cloud and desktop-based options with the cloud-based being the most common. It includes the ability to share access without sharing passwords or sharing access and passwords (which is sometimes necessary). You can even share secure notes if you need to provide information like credit card numbers to your virtual staff.

Additional dedicated options include Dashlane and KeePass.

Pro Tips: Take some time setting up your Password Manager when you first get it. Make sure you’ve logged your most used usernames and passwords. Set up folders for the different team members so you can quickly determine who has access to what. Check out more tips from How-To Geek on setting up LastPass.

Project Managers

Whether you simply have a long list of tasks or full projects that need to be managed, having the right tools to manage virtual teams can help keep everything organized and in one place. I spent the most time researching this for Virtual A Team.

What is it?

A project management tool can be a simple list of tasks centrally located for everyone to access. It can also be a full-featured, and often pricey, program with many extra bells and whistles.

Why use it?

Without using some form of a project manager, it becomes easy for tasks to get missed or forgotten. Project managers can also help reduce the amount of back-and-forth by keeping everything organized in one place.

Which one to use?

Our biggest tip is to take your time and research your options. Just because your friend loves Trello doesn’t mean it will work well for you. Asana may be the most popular tool on the market, but that doesn’t make it the best for your needs.

We’ve already done a review of the top 5 Project Management Programs. This will give you a good place to start in your research.

Our Choice

I compared everything from Trello and Asana to Basecamp and more. We finally landed on and LOVE Teamwork. It combines the best of project management systems and communication tools.

Download our Ultimate Guide to Delegating Here for More Tips & Tools on How to Delegate as a Solopreneur

File Sharing and Collaboration Tools

What is it?

Once upon a time, if you wanted to share a file with someone, you had to put it on a CD (or flop drive…) and mail it to them. This was time-consuming and made working remotely nearly impossible. I mean, can you imagine having to send files to one another? I still remember the days of uploading files to my website manually so someone on the other end could download them.

Fortunately, we now have tools like Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive and many others to make this process far easier. In fact, many solopreneurs and small businesses no longer store any files on their local devices. They prefer to use cloud-based solutions as a backup and to ensure the files are with them wherever they travel.

Why use it?

Cloud-based storage tools allow folders to be accessed via the internet so that files can be shared to multiple locations. This comes in handy if you travel regularly. It is ideal for when you need your team to access something without you having to send it to them every time.

Today, most of these tools also include collaboration features. These features allow multiple individuals to work on the same file and share comments and notes. This makes it far easier to share thoughts and ideas while reviewing and directing your team.

Which one?

There are many tools available in this arena. We generally recommend sticking with the most common ones.

For a complete review of Google Drive, Dropbox and some of the other file storage and collaboration tools you can use, check out PC Magazine’s review.

Our Choice

Currently, Virtual A-Team uses Dropbox for most of our needs. We aren’t particularly raving fans but it does the job as well as any of the others.

Communication Tools

What is it?

Communication tools are the ways you keep in touch with your virtual team. These can include everything from email to video conference services.

Why use it?

Communication is the foundation of a good working relationship. Without great communication, your team will not have a clear understanding of your needs. They won’t be able to discuss issues or concerns when they arise.

Which one?

You’ll want to incorporate a few options for communicating with your team. Consider the following categories:

• General communication. This includes things like routine correspondence and updates. Email may be just fine for this purpose or your team may decide to use tools like Slack which offer private chat options.
• Scheduled meetings. While your team may not be working in the same location as you, it is important to have scheduled meetings to check in. These are often done using conferencing tools such as Zoom or Skype. These tools do not require a high upfront cost (if any) and are accessible to just about everyone with an internet connection.
• Urgent needs. There will be times when you or a team member has an urgent need. Text messages or chat apps can be very beneficial in these situations. It may be necessary to clearly outline the times when text message are allowable if you have specific boundaries on your availability.

One of the most important tools to manage virtual teams is the telephone. There will be times when the written word just does not go over as well as the spoken word. Take the time to pick up the phone to have a more meaningful conversation.

Our choice

Here at Virtual A Team, we use Teamwork Projects to keep track of communications and streamline information sharing. We also use Zoom to meet “face-to-face” with other team members and clients.

Training Tools

What is it?

Training tools are the ways in which you share information with your team to get them up to speed on your routines, tasks and projects. Training can be as simple as a procedure manual or series of guidelines or as complex as hands-on training for a specific program used in your business.

Why use it?

When you don’t invest the time to properly train your team, you will struggle with errors and problems. In his book, Procrastinate on Purpose, Rory Vaden talks about how it takes 30x the amount of time to train someone to do a task as it takes you to complete it. While this may not be required for most basic tasks, the concept of training is important.

Investing in getting your team properly trained up front will save many headaches and challenges in the long run.

Which one?

Training starts with a basic set of guidelines for your business. Share with your team who you are and what your company is about. These guidelines can be shared in a simple document format or in a tool such as Evernote.

If you have specific programs or concepts you want to make sure your virtual team is familiar with, sites such as Udemy or Lynda.com can be very beneficial. One of the benefits of hiring freelancers is that many of them will not expect you to pay for their training on specific programs. They consider this an investment in their future skills.

Tools such as Zoom, Loom, or Snagit can be helpful when helping team members learn specifics about your business. Zoom allows you to jump on a call with your team members, show them your screen (or demonstrate on theirs) and talk about specific questions. Loom is one of the great tools to manage virtual teams if you simply want to record a workflow and save it as a Standard Operating Procedure.

Our choice

Virtual A Team leans heavily on the use of Zoom for live trainings and Loom to send and share input and feedback on our own schedules.

Other Useful Tools

Time Tracking

While many virtual assistants will track time using their own systems, if you have a larger team, you may want to handle the time tracking on your own. Tools like Toggl or Everhour are very useful for this purpose. Some project management programs such as Teamwork also include time tracking.

Payment Processing

Most virtual assistants will not be set up to take credit card payments other than through services like Paypal. Discuss options for payments with your VA’s. This might include sending them checks via a bill pay service or using apps like Venmo to transfer funds to their bank account.

Scheduling

Sometimes you will need to schedule meetings with your team members. While you may already have a system like Calendly or TimeTrade for scheduling with your clients, tools such as Assistant.to can help schedule quick meetings with your team. If you have multiple individuals needing to schedule at the same time, use Doodle.com to find a time that works best for everyone.

Email

Sending emails to your team at 1 am on a Saturday morning probably isn't a good way to build long-term loyalty. They have families and personal care needs like the rest of us. While you may be up working at those times (I know I have been), it makes sense to use something that allows you to schedule the emails to go out on Monday morning (or any time that works for you). Something like Boomerang is great for this purpose. Today, Gmail even has an option to schedule emails at a later date.

Contracts and W9s

One of the biggest mistakes I see freelancers, and those hiring them, make is not getting a contract in place. Getting documentation up front helps to prevent potential legal issues down the road. Tools like HelloSign or DocuSign can help make sure you get your paperwork signed and recorded.

Procedure Manual/Guidelines

It is helpful for new team members to have guidelines that they can review to better understand your business. These guidelines should share some details about your business and the things you find important. Your procedure manual can be a simple document stored in an online file sharing system. Need a template? Check out ours here.

Conclusion

Project managers.

File sharing services.

Communication mediums…

There are a LOT of helpful tools for working with a virtual team. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to prevent you from delegating. Take some time to research what works best (or get your VA to do that for you). When you make smart choices about these options, it will help automate the process and prevent many challenges.

You can manage all of these details on your own or use an agency like Virtual A Team to save you the headache!

What are your favorite tools for working with virtual teams?

You’ve decided to host a live event. You’ve put in a lot of time and energy to craft an awesome experience and now it’s time to get people to show up. You begin to wonder how to market your event to make sure people register.

The most important aspect of any business project is ROI (return on investment).  Your events are no different! In this article, we’re pointing out 9 super awesome ways you can market your event with maximum bang for your buck. You know everything you wanna cover and you’ve got a date nailed down. Now the real work begins.

The hardest part of managing any event is getting people to show up. There’s nothing worse than standing in front of a sea of empty seats. And there's nothing better than speaking to a venue that’s filled to the brim. So read through and give some or all of these methods a go. It will ensure your next event has the audience you deserve.

Market Your Event Using these 9 Awesome Strategies

Facebook lives

Social networking plays a major role in getting your voice out there and live video gives you an extra edge. It’s an excellent way to market your event. Instagram and Facebook both offer live feed functions now that are right on trend and wildly popular. Go with whichever holds your largest following or have a go at both for good measure! This live-action video gives you the chance to actively present yourself and your event to your audience in real time. It opens the door to all kinds of creativity and allows you to effectively throw everyone a sneak preview of what your event has in store.

Because it’s live, you’ll need to have your game face on and a solid plan in place. Make sure you practice before setting off because once the feed starts. You don't want any hiccups ruining your time in front of the camera. That said, there’s no point throwing out a live feed of content that could just as easily be shown via a captured video on Youtube.

People watch lives to be awed by things that are happening right now. You need to think of ways to exploit the “real time” aspect as much as possible. Do something really impressive, shout out about a one-time limited offer. Or shoot your live stream at another exciting one-off event to feed off its popularity. Whatever you do, make sure it makes perfect sense for live video.

Pro tip: A virtual team could prove especially handy in coming up with an effective social media strategy for your event promotion. You have enough to do with everything else. Let a social media manager handle the social media marketing.

Speak at other events

Look at other events in your area and consider being a speaker there. By speaking at these events, you’re addressing new pools of people and harnessing the chance to pull them toward your own projects. It's a good idea to speak at the events run by competitors even if you are top dog in your industry. This will help broaden your reach and help attract new prospects.

Bloggers, social influences, and even TV shows all do the same thing. Do you love a good cross-over episode as much as I do?

They collaborate and expose their presence to each other's audiences in order to grow their own following. It’s efficient because it only costs you a little bit of your time. Therefore, the return you can get for this level of investment could be major. Someone else has already put a huge amount of effort into marketing and planning this event to grow a decent audience. Whatever percentage you can attract for yourself is going to be nothing but A-grade leads. Make sure you stand out when you speak at someone else's event.  Be yourself but make sure you’re bringing something new and fresh to the audience. The more unique you are, the more pull you’re likely to achieve. If you’re just a sleep-inducing rehash of what others are saying, you’ll be forgotten very quickly.

Podcast Guest Appearances

If you aren’t into traveling or want to leverage even more speaking opportunities, consider being a guest on podcasts. According to Infinite Dial, one-third of Americans between the ages of 25 and 54 listen to podcasts monthly.

Appearing as a guest on podcasts is an excellent way to tap into national and international audiences without leaving home. Most podcasts will allow you to share a link to how listeners can learn more. Take this opportunity to share a link to an upcoming event. Just make sure the link will redirect after the event as podcasts tend to be around long after your event has ended.

Direct calls to prospects

Nothing beats a phone call. As you’ll see below, email just isn’t what it used to be. I can’t tell you the number of times I was subscribed to someone’s email list and had no idea they were hosting an event. I just don’t always take the time to read the emails, and I’m not the only one.

Call your existing contacts to let them know about your upcoming event. Ask them if they know of anyone that might be interested in attending. This approach is less “icky” than asking them if they’ll be attending.

Pro tip: Be sure to have something ready to email to the people you call. They may be interested in getting more information or even offer to share your info with others they know. Make sharing simple by having a few social media posts created in advance.

Download our Ultimate Guide to Delegating Here for More Tips & Tools on How to Delegate as a Solopreneur

Affiliate marketing

This is an option if your event is scheduled and you’re looking to build as many registrations as possible in a short time. Affiliate marketing is where you pay a commission to someone every time they send a paying customer to you. Of course, this requires a little bit of a budget unlike other ideas on this list. The main advantage of affiliate marketing is the pricing model. You only pay when someone actually completes a purchase, or in the case of an event, signs up to attend. Don't wanna get ripped off? Check out this useful post on how much affiliates should be paid.

Again, the best place to look for affiliate marketers is with influencers that are dominant in your niche. Anyone with a large following can effectively drive traffic towards your registration page, so look for people with a strong social media presence, large blogs, or highly watched video channels.

In the vast majority of cases, anyone with a following of thousands is already likely to be acting as an affiliate for other causes. This means they’ll know exactly what you're talking about when you get in touch and will be able to respond to you with a solid answer regarding rates and how to get started.

Direct mail

It’s easy to forget about the power of physical letters. Today, emails are abundant and cheap. Paper actually stands for something more meaningful and notifications that are highly important. Do you have strong prospects that you want to blow away? Send them a carefully crafted letter or package filled with material that they’ll find very useful.

It’ll cost an arm and a leg if you plan on sending hundreds or thousands of letters out to every prospect you lay your sights on. Rein it back and only send physical invites to those with the potential to bring wider pools of guests with them.

This is also a very handy way of keeping a firm grip on VIP guests. If you're having special speakers or industry gods attending your event, let them know just how much you care by sending hard copy invites to them directly. This should help bolster their confidence in the occasion as well as feed their egos. Let’s face it, stars like to be treated like stars.

Guest posting on related blogs

Guest posting is when you reach out to bloggers with huge audiences and ask if they’ll post an article that you’ve written. The article can be all about your work or your event and how to sign up. You’ll need to look for all the major blogs in your niche that target the right kind of readers and then contact them to see if they accept guest posts.

The more influencers you contact, the better. Some will flat out reject your request and almost all of them will present you with certain rules you’ll have to follow in order for your post to be accepted. Reach out to as many as you can to increase your chances of landing a few that match up with your needs perfectly.

Not an Ad

This is not the same as a typical advertisement! You can't just rave about your event and sell the living daylights out of it with a solid 100% persuasive pitch. Blog influencers want their blogs to maintain a high level of value that the content brings to their audience. This means all posts, especially guest posts, have to be informative, helpful, wildly entertaining, or a mix of all the above. In most cases, the influencers behind the blogs will allow you to highlight your event, or provide a link to your own online presence.

If you get it right you could land yourself a boost in sign-ups or an increased following on your website going forward.

Pro tip: Not a writer? If you’re good at the reaching out but not so good with the actual blogging, a virtual team could put together the content for you. Find a virtual assistant with the right expertise and you can have them craft the written content while you scour the web for the right influencers to pitch to.    

Evolve your email efforts

Old school email is dead. Up your email game to generate better results and lose fewer subscribers over time. If you’re still blasting a template to every entry on your single list of email contacts every time you have an event planned, you’re doing it wrong!

Nowadays, people are very quick to turn off and push a communication aside if it seems even slightly irrelevant to their needs. You should be breaking your email list down and sorting your contacts into categories; VIP’s, other speakers, prospects that have attended before, and those who haven't. Once you’ve sorted them into groups, you can then work on putting together emails that are actually tailored to their individual perspectives. This approach is called “email targeting.” It’s far more effective than just compiling one general newsletter and throwing it out to every person you know that has a computer.

There are a wealth of email marketing platforms out there but the largest one in the world is

MailChimp. This particular tool makes email targeting a breeze. It's also a great resource for more tips and guides on modern email marketing strategy. As MailChimp lead the market, you can bet your bottom dollar that every piece of material they publish is nothing short of world class.

Require speakers to bring guests or promote

It’s not uncommon for events to require guest speakers to bring guests or help with the promotion. If you have guest speakers, recruit them to help you market your event.

This might include requiring them to register a certain number of guests themselves or it may simply look like them sending emails out to their existing list.

Be sure to provide your speakers with the tools they need to make this process simple.

Conclusion - 9 Ways to Market Your Event

That's it! Those are our top 9 ways to promote your latest event. Take up any or a number of the endeavors listed above and you’ll be swimming in attendees. It’s also important to remember that you’ll be collecting a whole heap of photos, notes, and video over the course of your event. Don't let these bad boys go to waste!

Make sure you save these valuable pieces of content for your future promotional efforts. One of the best ways to convince someone to attend anything is to show them a vibrant sneak preview of what the event is actually like! We hope you've found this quick list helpful and that things start to fall into place the closer you get to show time. Happy hunting!

Videos are all the rage in marketing. However, if you aren’t naturally inclined to making videos, the whole process can feel overwhelming. That’s where outsourcing to a virtual assistant for video marketing or a video marketing assistant comes in handy.

Video marketing consists of so many different processes: coming up with cool and new ideas, creating videos, editing, finding the right audience and then marketing the finished videos. In fact, if a business owner  where to focus just on this part of their business, they wouldn’t have any time left to actually follow up with all the leads that can come in.

Managing the different aspects of a video marketing process is a great fit for many virtual assistants.

What can a video marketing assistant help you with:

Hmm… Let me think about that…

When you bring someone new to your team, you have the perfect opportunity to bring in some new ideas and perspective. When hiring a virtual assistant, you should aim to hire someone who can also think outside of the box and come up with unique ideas of their own.

Even though they would be working for you, a potential virtual assistant can be more than just a worker. The right VA or VA team can be someone to bounce off ideas and get a new perspective from.

When you are coming up with ideas for your video content, you should be looking to solve people’s problems in the form of an interesting video. Most people have problems realizing what the actual problems are in their industry.

Your virtual assistant can take over the part of this operation and help you see things you are not aware of.

Doing Your Homework

There is no point in creating the content if there is no need for it.

Even when you realize what the key industry problems are, you need to find out what exactly your audience is searching for on the Internet.

There are several tools that help you achieve that. The main one is Google Adwords Keyword Planner, which is free and only requires a quick sign-up with your Google account.

Coming up with a list of keywords to focus on based on the content of the video you are making can go a long way to improving your results.

Not Your Zone of Genius

You have a lot of amazing things to say and content to share. What you shouldn’t be doing is spending any extra time actually making those videos look amazing. Once you finish creating your video, you can assign the task of editing and exporting to your virtual assistant.

It’s important for videos to have a great look to them. That doesn’t mean professionally created with thousand’s of dollars worth of equipment. However it does mean things like trimming the edges, adding subtitles, adding and editing music and creating some video intro or outro that will identify your brand can represent a big part of the work you should be outsourcing to your assistant.

Research now shows that 85% of Facebook videos are now being watched with the sound off. If your video only consists of you talking, you’ll miss out on the vast majority of views.

Allowing a video marketing assistant to work on your videos can help to ensure that you get the most views possible.

Who Has Time for Details?

Once your video is edited, it still needs to be uploaded, tagged, etc… If you want to upload your video at a specific time, instead of going through the troubles of posting it, adding titles, tags and everything else on YouTube, you can outsource that task to your VA.

A good VA or VA team will possess knowledge about proper video optimization that you won’t.

Once the video catches some traffic, it will be flooded with comments, so another possible task for your VA would be to respond to relevant questions and engage further with your audience.

You Aren’t Done Yet

Last but certainly not least, you could outsource the promotion of your video to your personal assistant. To successfully do the last task on this list, you would need to have good insight about where your audience spends their time.

Your virtual assistant for video marketing can share your video through all of your social media channels. That also includes responding to comments and questions your viewers ask, engaging new audience members and analyzing potential places where your video do well.

To wrap it up, here are just some of the ways a video marketing assistant can save you time and improve your results:

1. Ideas
2. Research
3. Editing
4. Posting
5. Promoting

Stick to what you do best and let a video marketing assistant do the rest. And, when you are ready to hire a team for your video marketing, give us a call!