The world needs more

virtual assistants

Entire companies are going remote.

Entrepreneurs are juggling more administrative responsibilities than they can

handle.

Busy folk are busier than ever.

The world needs more virtual assistants. Our productivity—and sanity!—depends

on your organizational and creative superpowers.

But there’s one big question...

How do virtual assistants find interesting work and awesome

clients who pay well?

Client prospecting isn’t intuitive. That’s why to create this guide, we teamed up
with Madison Whiteneck, an experienced virtual assistant and the founder of
Keeping the Creativity.

In this ebook, we’ll cover actionable ways you can find top-paying virtual
assistant clients starting today. We split the guide into two sections—(1) the
basics, and (2) the unconventional tactics—so you can skip straight to the advice
you’re looking for.

Let’s dive in!

Contents

The basics

02
Online job boards

03
Virtual assistant websites

04
Freelance Websites

05
Your network

The unconventional tactics

06
Join (and participate in) enterpreneurial Facebook groups

08
LinkedIn search

10
Optimize your website

11
Content marketing

12
Build a referral network

13
Direct Mail

14
Start local
PART 1

The basics

We’ll start with the basics.

There are dedicated websites that exist to help freelancers, agencies, and
small businesses connect with potential clients. While these sites do a great job
aggregating projects for virtual assistants, they are also extremely competitive.

Using one of these sites can make it difficult to command your highest fees.
These websites also may limit your autonomy over things like invoicing, how
you interact with clients, and when and how you receive payment.

The key to winning on these sites: differentiation. Make yourself the obvious
choice. That way, no matter the competition, the client is more than happy to
pay higher fees, because you have the expertise they need.

“The more specialized and niche, the better!”

- Madison Whiteneck, founder of Keeping the Creativity

Virtual Assistant Gig Goldmine | AppSumo 01

 Online job boards

These job boards let you browse—and even get notified—about jobs with
certain qualifications or names. You can find virtual assistant jobs pretty easily.
The challenge is, since these jobs are posted on some of the most popular
public job boards in the world, you can bet you’ll be up against other ambitious
candidates.

Here are some popular online job boards:

Indeed
LinkedIn Jobs
Ziprecruiter
Remote.co
AngelList

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 Virtual assistant websites

Some virtual assistants love the thrill of finding each new client.

Others prefer just to do the work they’re good at, and let someone else handle
the prospecting. For the second group, there are websites that exist entirely
to connect people with virtual assistants—and you can be one of the VAs they
refer.

These agencies take a cut from the virtual assistants in exchange for helping
them find consistent work.

To get started, you have to apply and be approved by these agencies.

Here are a few popular options:

Zirtual
Delegated

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 Freelance websites

Freelance websites are where many people go to hire talent on a project basis.
These are like job boards for flexible labor—including virtual assistants.

Top freelance websites attract Fortune 500 companies and groundbreaking

startups alike. If you create a good portfolio, you can find hundreds of high-
paying (and interesting) clients.

The key to success on these platforms? Make everything about your ideal client.
In your pitch and profile, don’t just list the tools you use. Tell clients about the
real business problems you solve.

Some of these freelancing websites have gained a reputation for attracting

competition who low-ball. But in reality, a company will pay a lot more money
if you can show that you’ll solve their problem. You’re not just another virtual
assistant with a generic pitch. You’re the superhero who’s about to solve an
entrepreneur’s biggest productivity problems.

Here are popular freelance websites:

Upwork
Thumbtack
Freelancer
PeoplePerHour
Fiverr

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 Your network

“With so many ads and businesses constantly grabbing for

people’s attention, having friends and current or past clients
able to refer you for free is one of the best ways to boost
your reputation and growth.” - Madison Whiteneck

Sometimes the most obvious opportunities are too close for us to see.

Starting virtual assistants might find clients by simply asking around their
network. Text friends, post on social media that you’re available for work, and
even email your acquaintances.

You never know where your next project will come from. By starting within
your network, you can find opportunities where the trust gap may already be
bridged.

All you have to do is ask.

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PART 2

The unconventional tactics

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s dive into the lesser-known tactics for
finding high-paying virtual assistant clients. These tactics require more work, but
tend to have less competition—which means it’s easier to command the hourly
rates you know you deserve.

“Figure out what you are good at and love, and make a business
out of it. When it comes to being a VA, you can make your
business whatever you want it to be.” - Madison Whiteneck

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 Join (and participate in)
entrepreneurial Facebook groups

The best way to find ideal virtual assistant jobs is

to personally know the busiest people in the world.
The next best way is to hang out where those busy
people hang out, so that you’re available when they
need you.

And where do the busiest people hang out? One of those places is networking
groups on Facebook.

Most engaged Facebook groups will have strict rules about self-promotion. So
don’t just join a bunch of groups and post that you’re a VA looking for work.

Instead, take the long view: become an active member in the group. Make a
name for yourself by being helpful. Post articles (written by someone other than
you) that would appeal to your ideal audience.

When someone finally posts in the group looking for recommendations for a
good virtual assistant, you can respond, having built up a solid reputation within
the community.

“ Interact with your ideal clients on social media frequently through likes and
comments to become a top-of-mind resource when someone finally needs a
virtual assistant. ” - Madison Whiteneck

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 LinkedIn search

Many people turn to their LinkedIn network to source talent. You can browse all
public postings to find people searching specifically for virtual assistants. Here’s
how it’s done:

1 Go to the search bar in LinkedIn. Type some iteration of: “looking for a
virtual assistant.”

2 Sort the information by “Latest” (instead of “Relevant”) to find the newest

jobs with the least amount of competition.

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“ Your website has the potential to bring in a lot of online traffic. Optimizing keywords
and incorporating a blog in your website is a really basic way for you to begin
driving potential leads to your website. It takes a while for this to kick in, but you
reap what you sow. If you really spend the time to build up your website, it will
pay off by making it easier for potential clients to find you online in the future.
Optimizing your website is a great way to think long term. ” - Madison Whiteneck

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 Optimize your website

It can take months or even years to get your website to rank high on Google
for competitive search terms. But if you plan to be a virtual assistant for at least
a few years, this investment can help you eventually gain a passive stream of
customers to your website.

That means instead of looking for clients, they’ll be searching for you—literally.

Search engine optimization is too big of a topic for us to break down in this
guide. But here are a couple of resources to help your website rank for
keywords in your field:

1 How To Use Keyword Research to Build a Solid Content Strategy

2 10 Actionable Blog SEO Tips for More Organic Traffic

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 Content marketing

The magic of content marketing is that everything you

publish makes it easier for a potential client to discover
you.

Content marketing is one of the best ways to win clients.

It’s powerful because the proof is in the work. Every time
you publish an article, graphic, or video that helps a
potential customer, you’re proving that you understand
their needs — and know how to solve their problems.

When someone considers hiring a virtual assistant, they

are often looking for someone with a particular set of skills.
Content marketing lets you showcase those skills in public.

If you want social media clients, create a distinct personal

brand for yourself by maintaining a steady stream of
content published on social media.

If you want administrative clients, post regularly about your

favorite systems for staying organized.

In the same way that you probably internet stalk potential

clients before an interview, they are doing the same to you.

“Find out what platform your ideal client hangs out on and go
there. For me, it’s Instagram. Being active on your top platform
increases your chances of being seen.” - Madison Whiteneck

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 Build a referral network

Connect with people adjacent to the work you want to do. If you want to create
graphics and social media content, then sync up with marketing agencies that
don’t offer social media management.

There are two primary ways to build these networks: through existing Slack
channels and Facebook groups, or by networking with people in your city.

In the same way that real estate agents like to know a few good handymen,
marketing agencies like to have some freelancers to refer or pull into projects
when clients ask for a service they don’t offer.

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Direct mail

“Anybody can send out mass emails, but direct mailing is really a great
way to build personal relationships with your client that goes beyond
surface-level business. Right before I went full time with my business, I
printed a bunch of notepads to mail out to connections in my niche and
favorite creatives I followed on Instagram. The results were amazing! They
would post and share about my business when it arrived. I didn’t even ask
them to post—they did it all on their own, so it was way more authentic
and genuine. They loved how useful the notepad was for their productivity,
too. I included a little postcard with information about my services and
highlighted my strengths as a VA. It was a fun and unique idea, instead of
just emailing them out of the blue to promote my biz!” - Madison Whiteneck

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 Start local

When you choose to become a virtual assistant, the world feels like your oyster.
Shopping for projects in your home city feels pointless.

But locality might be one of your greatest advantages in the global virtual assistant
market. For one thing, clients don’t have to worry about communicating with you across
time zones. Sharing the same city can also be a point of familiarity which differentiates
you from all the other virtual assistants out there.

Shared geography can be enough to make a client choose you over a different virtual
assistant who may be equally qualified as you, but lives further away.

“All big businesses have to start somewhere. Looking for ways to connect your
business locally will give you the strong foundation you need to be able to branch out
into a wider and wider market. Try to partner with surrounding businesses for projects
or sponsor local events just to get your brand and logo out there. Once you start
building familiarity locally, you can begin to think about promoting your business in a
bigger setting. While online businesses tend to draw in clients from all over, networking
face to face is still an essential part of business building.” - Madison Whiteneck

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Conclusion:

Top-paying clients help you do your best work

It can be scary to charge high rates as a virtual assistant. A lot of incredible VAs
experience imposter syndrome and end up charging too low for their expertise.

Remember that the higher you charge, the more mental and digital space you can give
to each client. Higher rates ensure you aren’t spreading yourself too thin. When you’re at
your best, you make it possible for clients to perform at their best as well.

The best way to command higher rates is to always have more leads than you can
possibly accept. In that scenario, you’ll always have a choice about who you work with.

So go forth. Make the world a more organized and creative place—and command high
fees along the way. Because you deserve it.

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Special Thanks
Special shoutout to Madison Whiteneck for helping us
compile this list of ways to earn top paying jobs as a virtual
assistant. She is the founder of Keeping the Creativity.