Creating a strong virtual assistant portfolio is the one secret you need to learn if you are going to have any luck securing clients. Successful freelancers draw their success partly from their portfolios.
Therefore, if you want to be as successful as the virtual assistants you admire, you need a portfolio that sets you apart from your competitors. But what counts as a robust virtual assistant portfolio?
What is a Strong Virtual Assistant Portfolio?
Digital portfolios have replaced the traditional resumes for freelancers. Consider it a means for you to offer clients a sneak peek of your work. It will enable your potential clients to figure out what they can expect from you and whether they want to work with you.
With this in mind, here are the elements you should include in your digital portfolio:
Digital skills with the most earning potential
Your unique selling points
Best samples of your work
Recommendations from previous clients
Customer reviews of your work
Now that you know what this portfolio entails, let's help you create one.
Decide the Services You Want to Provide
The first thing that needs to be clear in your portfolio is a description of who you are. There is a wide scope of services and tasks a virtual assistant can provide. These include administrative, design, marketing, and social media management tasks.
One way to set yourself apart from the rest in your portfolio is niching down. It means being clear on the kind of virtual assistant services you will offer. Niching down helps your portfolio attracts the right clients.
Clients seeking a virtual assistant do not want a jack of all trades. They want an expert who can provide them with innovative solutions to the challenges they are currently facing. For example, if a client wants to derive value from social media, they will look to hire a specialist social media management VA.
Niching down helps you improve your selling points as a virtual assistant with no experience. Therefore, it would be best to select a niche that matches the digital skills you possess. Once you choose this niche, focus on improving your earning potential.
Profile Your Target Clients
Well, we now know who you are. But what kind of clients would you want to attract? There are more clients than you can imagine seeking the services of a virtual assistant. However, not every one of them is your ideal client.
It is up to you to define the kind of client you prefer. The way to do this is by tailoring your portfolio to match the need of such clients. Luckily, you have already done the hard part by niching down your client base.
All that remains is to nail down the finer details that define the specific clients you want. For example, indicating your preferred industries, preferred working hours, or preferred rates.
Select Your Best Samples
Something you ought not to forget is that you are still in the race to be the best in a pool of very many virtual assistants. Therefore, one of your major selling points in your virtual assistant portfolio should be previous work that demonstrates your abilities in the selected niche.
Make sure you select the best of these samples because you only need a few. You do not need more than ten samples. Here are a few tips about the samples you select for your portfolio.
It should not be more than five yours
It should be tailored to the niche you selected. For example, if you are looking for a graphics designer VA, create graphics using the best software in the market.
It should be among your best works
It should represent your main strengths, technical ability, and industry experience
Show how your work can add value to your client’s business
Include Your Professional Achievements and Acquired Skills
You want to convince potential clients that you are good at what you do. Have you taken up an online course to enhance your skills in your selected niche? There is no harm in letting your potential client know. While at it, include any certification received.
It will prove useful in the future for clients that demand more concrete proof of your skills. Some clients will prefer a virtual assistant who is competent in using a given software. Therefore, it creates an advantage for you if you can list some of the tech skills you possess.
Choose a Platform to Display Your Portfolio
Your portfolio is no good if your potential clients cannot access it. For this reason, you have to choose an accessible platform to publish the portfolio.
One of those platforms should be your virtual assistant website. You should already have a website where clients can learn more about you.
You can also publish the portfolio offsite. That means on another website or page different from your website. LinkedIn is one of the perfect offsite platforms to publish it. It is a professional site that most clients rely on when looking to hire virtual assistants.
Get More Tips to Secure a Virtual Assistant Job
Having a strong digital portfolio is one of many secrets to securing jobs as a virtual assistant with little or no experience. You can learn more of these secrets by joining the Royal VA community. It is a chance to connect with a community of Vas who share tips, opportunities, and referrals to support and grow one another.