How to find clients as a Virtual Assistant on Social Media? Interview with Nisha Rayan of 'The Aligned Pretzel'

Thinking of becoming a VA but not sure it's for you or where you'd find clients? Read our interview with Nisha Rayan, an experienced VA who has worked with us, to hear the 'real story' on working as a VA and acquiring clients via social media - before you actually take the leap!

Tell us a little more about yourself ;-)

My name is Nisha Ryan and I live off of the East Coast of Canada with my furbabies! I have been working as a Virtual Assistant for about a year and have been working in the online space in different capacities since 2017. I originally started out as a Online Coach (I did it all, yoga, business, spirituality) and transitioned into becoming a VA when I realized that is where my heart was, I have never looked back and have never felt more happy and free!My website is functional for consult calls and inquiries if someone stumbles upon it, but I mostly market on Facebook and Instagram by sharing what I am up to, client work or just bits about my life. A LOT of my clients now come from referrals.Web: thealignedpretzel.coIG: www.instagram.com/thealignedpretzelFB: www.facebook.com/nishapretzel

Which social media are you using the most and why? How are you finding clients on Social Media?

I use Facebook the most, but I am gravitating more towards Instagram as I get into more web design and graphics, you know, pretty things!Facebook is definitely most helpful because of the connection aspect – people will hire you because they trust you versus knowing you have every skill. It’s about being a person, not a robot. However, I have started getting random messages on IG now for my website services. I have never had any luck with any of the freelancer websites. Don’t go there lol.

What do you share on your social media?

On Facebook I share my life, what I am up to, my projects with clients, my VA academy, and random thoughts that strike me as profound.

What resonates most with your audience?

Anything celebratory (like I recently got asked to teach a Masterclass for VA’s) and profound thoughts like, not everyone is going to see the value in your rates, and why that is okay and not a reflection of you. Also, any graphics/logos that I do that are really high quality, do really well. Don’t underestimate the power of visual currency 😊For me, it has to be intentional. WHY am I doing this and have meaning and context – what is my desired outcome and intention here? Versus, posting just to post because you’re scared and you need clients.On Facebook – it’s about connection. Being helpful. Don’t be afraid to give advice, people will still pay you. On Insta, it’s all about the regram.

How do you boost your engagement on your social media?

Boosting engagement is so simple – actually reply to comments (duh, why didn’t you think of that?) with a genuine response. Something as simple as “Thank you so much for your support” goes so much further than “Thank you.” Again, we are not robots. Humans want to FEEL- if you can make them feel, you can make them talk.

Do you analyse and measure your results? How?

I measure income growth every month and the kind of services my clients require – I don’t follow metrics of my own website or socials, simply because having a following means NOTHING if they aren’t engaged and buying from you. If you are getting referrals from your clients because they love you so much, that is what you should be measuring. You are in the people business, my friend.

Do you use any social media scheduling tools (or other tools) to help you do your social media marketing? Can you recommend any?

I do use Postfity from time to time – and have an entire training on it in my VA academy – BUT.. more than tools, map out your calendar IN ADVANCE – you will be too busy one day to do your own posting, and you will wish you were more prepared.

What kind of results (conversion rates) do you have on different social media?

Again, this isn’t something I track, but it is an odd day if I don’t have at least one client/project inquiry.

Are social media a primary source of your leads?

Social media could be considered the primary source of my leads as it is the bridge of connection, but truly it’s people asking for referrals from their friends, mentors, coaches and people generally saying you’re awesome. Half the people that hire me don’t know how to tell me who recommended me, because so many people do. That isn’t from marketing, that’s from service AFTER the marketing.

Have you had any posts that were particularly popular/ went ‘viral’? Can you link to them? What do you think made them so popular?

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Image by rawpixel from Pixabay[/caption]Recently, I had an idea to do quick, under 5 minute videos on everyday tasks that entrepreneurs get confused by, like how to do simple things in Kajabi (course creation) or how to do content management, honestly, I was at my grandmother’s so the video quality was horrid, but they did surprisingly well, my intention was to use them as leads to enroll in My Become a VA in 5 Minutes Academy, which happened but I also had several people sign up for Kajabi or Content Management within a few days! Also, I was very honest about my struggle to decide to Coach or Become a VA and that post was amazing, because it had a feel the fear and do it anyway theme. Again, people resonate with feeling!Fear Post: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=383031705948568&set=a.108062880112120&type=3&theaterContent Management video: https://www.facebook.com/nishapretzel/videos/373003823618023/

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone who is starting as a VA regarding promoting their services on social media?

You really just have to START – to go for it! There are programs like mine out there to teach you how to get clients and do technical tasks, but believe in yourself enough to know that you can do it, and if you commit to this you will grow as a person and as a VA beyond your wildest dreams. But you have to move first, show up, show up consistently and you will get back what you put in.