Launched your VA biz and no clients?

Hello, I just answered a plea of a fellow virtual assistant who started her VA biz over a year ago so that she could stay home with her newborn child, but has had very little luck with landing regular clients. After the crazy first year or so of raising a newborn and a move to a new part of the country, she is facing having to leave her child in daycare and take a 9-5 job again. She asked for some advice. Here is how I responded:

First, she just moved to a new state not too long ago. Did she issue a press release (there are so many free online press release services) announcing her business in that area? I recommend putting the state or the city and state in the title of the headline. Some may think that is limiting her reach, but my thought is - it can pick up the interest of the local media, *her name would start getting recognized at networking gatherings.

Second, on that note, join local free networking groups. There are "meetups", local business women groups, business associations, twitter meet ups etc. My recommendation go! You can't be any worse at public attention then I have been in my life. I almost failed 10th grade english because I wouldn't do a book report in front of the class! But I made myself go when I started my business. I've met some amazing people along the way and landed a radio interview after striking up a facinating conversation with Deb Neuman from "Back to Business" at a local business womens group.

Third, I suggested something that others might think is odd but I love it. Join help a reporter out Three times a day she will receive an email from HARO with reporter inquiries asking for interviewees on a number of topics. I answered one last year about women owned home businesses and now will be in a Family Circle magazine article in February of this year :). But beyond looking for topics that she will be able to participate in she will find some that relate to the work of someone she knows from a networking group. What kinder compliment can you give then to suggest they follow up with this reporter because you think they will make a great contribution to the article, or book, or blog post, or tv/radio spot. He gets all kinds of great opportunities, check it out.

Fourth, determine who her ideal client is if she hasn't already, types of businesses and people she wants to work with, what specific services does she want to offer? Then once you have the 411 on the ideal client, start her networking with social media and find sites that her ideal clients go to. I wish I had added a bit more in my response to her about social media. But still time to do that.

I love helping people who want to get into this industry. I've rambled enough :) Any thoughts??

Twitter -Lessons from High School?

I don’t know about you but I love Twitter despite the situation I’m about to describe. I have found a few awesome clients through Twitter, met some great people to friend, learned some interesting things and generally have had some fun interacting with my peeps. For those of you not yet familiar with this new social media forum Twitter, peeps is a term to describe the group of people who follow you and that you follow back. If you follow them but they don’t follow you, they are hardly “your” peeps as they will never see what you post unless you mark it first with an @ in front of their user name in the hopes that they’ll pick up on it; which brings me to the point of this blog.

Even if they do see it, it does not mean they are necessarily going to respond. There has been some recent conversations going on at Twitter about cliques. Yes you remember cliques right? From high school? You know those things that feel great and empowering if you are a member, but yet make you feel lonely and an outcast if you are not. Yeah those.

One user posted something the other night similar to this “the big names are quick to thank and shout out to other big names, but yet ignore the ones that are the most supportive to them by responding and retweeting” definitely not their exact words, but that was the general gist of it and just confirmed what I have been witnessing and experiencing myself lately.

In high school the popular kids were admired, quoted, engaged with, invited to events, gushed over. Ick, can you tell I was not one of those kids in high school - Whatever! The same happens a little on Twitter though. Yes I follow some of these “popular peeps” and most follow me back, though you wouldn’t know it. But I’m learning that as it was in high school, most of the time it’s just self proclaimed hype, with a sprinkling of good quotes or funny quips. But that only carries you so far.

The way to be successful with Twitter and other social media sites is to be “social”. You don’t have to be a BFF with everyone that posts to you directly or replies to something you wrote. But it is proper and kind to at least acknowledge someone when they are directing a communication to you. If you were at a social gathering would you look at someone as they said something directly to you and then walk away without responding?? Not likely unless you were a total snob or jerk and I doubt that you are. Please note that there are times when someone may be multitasking and really does not see your post, but that shouldn’t be happening on a regular basis. Some peeps are online for several hours throughout the day (where do they find the time I wonder), so there really is no excuse to repeatedly not interact with those that are seeking to engage in conversation with you.

A simple formula (many have posted similar remarks so don’t think I’m stealing your line, they are not original to just you – anyone who thinks about it for a moment figures this out) Tweet (post interesting or helpful things), ReTweet (what you think is funny, interesting or important), Reply (to what strikes you as conversation worthy), Share (helpful links), Engage (with your peeps), and most of all be kind and have fun.

We are all human and hardwired to connect with others. Check yourself and be sure you are not snubbing those that support you. Do that and they will be the ones that still support you in the long run, long after the glory fades. I love interacting with all my peeps, no matter what their status, industry or location. Just @ me and find out.

Twitter Auto DM new followers? - How dare you?

Okay, like most newbies to the world of Twitter, when I joined in October of 2008 I came across Tweetlater my very first day. The offer to auto DM a thank you to new followers seemed like a great idea. I, like many of you, have a busy life. And I, like hopefully many of you, am generally a nice person and want to be sure to acknowledge a new follower.

As time went on I began to use Twitter a little bit more and more and pretty much forgot about the auto DM. For a while I tried to manually DM a thank you to new followers or post a “hello and welcome new followers” on the main stream when there was a swarm of them all at once. Then I started seeing people complaining about the auto DMs and at first I didn’t think much of it. Then more complaints and accusations of the tweep being lazy or disengaged or lame started streaming across my home page. I started to get tired of them myself, cluttering up my DM box. Then it dawned on me, I had done the same thing months ago. Was I lazy? No. Was I disengaged? Certainly not! Was I lame? I hoped not, though some may have their own points of view. I simply had clicked through a few suggestions thinking it was the best thing to do at the time, and being unaware of the so called “proper twitter etiquette”; which I harshly would be reprimanded for, even if not directly. I quietly slunk back to Tweetlater and removed my auto DM for new followers and hoped no one had noticed.

My reason for this post and my request to the judges of what is Twitter Right and Twitter Wrong is don’t be so quick to blame, judge and condemn. Simply state a slight dislike for auto DMs every so often and those that have followed you will eventually catch on and slink back to remove it as I did with tail between the legs and beg forgiveness for trying to be nice and not leave anyone unthanked.

Thanks.