Virtual assistants are in high demand, and the need for specialised virtual assistants is growing. Businesses around the globe are discovering that virtual assistants are cost beneficial for their companies and the need for their services increases daily. A recent survey conducted by an American university shows that within the next decade virtual assistants will account for 10% or more of the working population.
Entering into this profession right now is probably one of the best decisions a work at home professional could make. However, a virtual assistant entering into the industry now offering specialised services will, in fact, be more successful. Any time you can enter an industry offering a niche product or service you will fare better than your competition.
Different Niche Categories For Virtual Assistants
- Reception Services – Virtual assisting can be as simple as offering reception services for a virtual office. You can offer to receive and return calls, forward messages via phone or email. The benefit to this type of niche is that you can accept clients from around the world, allowing you to work during any hours that you desire. You also have the ability to take on several clients at once, instead of just working for a specific company or client.
- Editing and Proofreading – Many companies need an editing service, but not full time. Offering this specific service will bring about many opportunities from clients around the world. Foreign companies that translate their manuals, advertising materials, and employee forms into English from their native language are often the largest users of these services. You must have strong grammar and spelling skills.
- Order Fulfilment – Many individuals that are promoting a product do so from their home based office. While these business owners are busy promoting they need someone to complete and ship the orders they receive.
- Newsletter Designer – Communicating with clients through newsletters is one of the most effective ways to interact with the client without making them believe that you are selling them a product or service. Business p[professionals know that this marketing method is critical, yet very few incorporate it into their marketing plans. They avoid newsletters because it takes time to create and send them out. Virtual assistants that can create industry specific newsletters will have a very successful business. The benefit to this business is that you can take on several customers a month which will increase your income.
- Research Services – Virtual assistants that offer this service will find that they will have more work than they can handle. Individuals and businesses of all sizes always need research work performed. Research can be on anything from materials used to make a product to local ordinances for a building permit. Research services are also very popular with foreign companies.
Virtual assistants that do not offer a specialty will not, however, be without clients. As businesses continue to see the benefits of remote employees, the profession will continue to grow.
Marketing Tips For Virtual Assistants Offering A Specialty
When you are offering a specialised service as a virtual assistant, make sure that you adjust your marketing accordingly. While it is important to advertise your services in all the common places, you must make sure that you advertise in places that are specific to your specialty. You may wish to consider the following methods:
- Creating a blog about that specialty and its many benefits
- Advertising in trade publications for that industry or in industries that would use that service
- Creating banner advertisements for that specialty only
- Article marketing about virtual assisting and the services that you offer.
