Setting Up Your Virtual Assistant Newsletter

For your Virtual Assistant business, a regular newsletter can be one of your most valuable marketing tools. Your newsletter gives you a way to keep in touch with people who are interested in your services or products, but are not yet ready to become a customer. And for current customers or clients, your newsletter gives you an easy and affordable way to keep them updated with your business news and sell them even more products or services.

For my own businesses, regular newsletters have been invaluable for educating members, building relationships with potential clients, and even making sales from affiliate products.

When you're first setting up your newsletter, there are basically three newsletter formats you can choose from. Here's a brief summary.

An HTML newsletter. These are the pretty newsletters you get that are nicely formatted and include pictures or graphics. They are created in HTML code, but you don't necessarily need to be a coder to create them. If you want to send out HTML newsletters you can use a newsletter service that offers HTML templates you can customize, like Constant Contact or AWeber. Or you can hire another virtual assistant to create a template for you to customize for each issue.

A text newsletter. These are the newsletters you get that don't really look like newsletters; they look like regular emails. These are easy to create... all you have to do is type in the text. While text newsletters aren't as pretty as HTML newsletters, they are easier to read for some people, depending on how they pick up their email. Plus, these look like messages from friends, which could mean more people actually read them.

A PDF newsletter. These are created in a Portable Document Format (PDF) and uploaded to your website. Then you send out a link to the newsletter. You will need a program that creates PDF documents to send out your newsletter this way. If you're graphically inclined, or work with another virtual assistant who is, you can do a lot of nice formatting with these. Also, it's one way to send a print newsletter without the cost of printing. Your subscribers can just print it out for themselves. Or save paper and read it online. :-)

One thing to remember with PDF newsletters is that it's nice to include a friendly note in the email you send out to announce your newsletter is ready. An email with just a link saying, "Hi, here's your newsletter," could easily be ignored by your subscribers on a busy email day.

Which Newsletter Format is Right for Your Virtual Assistant Biz?

For one thing, it depends on which you're most comfortable using. If you don't know any HTML and you're not prepared to hire someone for help, you might not want to start out with an HTML newsletter.

Do a little digging and see what other businesses are sending out to your target market. That will give you some insight into what your subscribers like to get and what they're used to receiving.

Finally, choose a format you'll be willing to work with on a regular basis. Can't stand the monotony of a black and white text email? You probably won't look forward to putting your newsletter together each month or each week if you don't like looking at it. Choose a format you will send out regularly so you can stay in touch with your valued subscribers.

Whatever format you do choose, remember it's not set in stone. As your Virtual Assistant business grows and your skills develop, it's natural that your newsletter will evolve too. If you start out with a text newsletter, you can redesign and change to an HTML format when you're more skilled. Or if you start out with a PDF version and want to simplify later on, you can always revamp and move to a text newsletter.

The most important thing is that you actually do start a newsletter - it's one of the best business building tools there is. The rest will fall into place over time.

Speaking of newsletters, you can subscribe to mine over at http://CassidarInk.com

Do you have a newsletter? Please share it below! Which format do you use?

Do You Need a Virtual Assistant Newsletter?

Virtual Assistants (VAs) just starting out with a new business have a lot of questions to answer...

How will you make money? (Will you ever make money?)
Do you need a website? (Yes, you do. Welcome to the virtual world!)
Who will you be a Virtual Assistant for? (That's called knowing your niche.)

And...

Do you REALLY need a newsletter? (And the follow up question to that is... Who's going to read your newsletter?)

No matter what type of services your offering, or which niche you want to serve, it would be helpful for you to have a newsletter.

For one thing, a newsletter or an ezine people can subscribe to gives you a way to keep in touch with people who are interested in your services, but are not ready to hire you just yet.

And once you do have customers or clients, your newsletter gives you a way to keep them updated with your news and to keep you top of mind. The easiest person to sell to is someone who's already purchased from you.

Even if you don't have any subscribers, there are still worthwhile reasons to start a newsletter now. Posting your archived newsletters or e-zines on your website is one way to add new content regularly, and potential clients might be interested in reading your previous issues. No one but you needs to know they were never sent out to actual subscribers!

To get subscribers for your newsletter, you can begin writing articles on your area of expertise and posting them in forums, article directories, and popular websites for your target market. In your author's resource box, include a link to the sign up page for your newsletter and invite the reader to subscribe.

One place where you can learn more about writing articles and getting newsletter subscribers is at my article marketing forum. It's free to join, and I'd love to see you there!

How a Virtual Assistant Forum Can Help You Build Your Opt-in List

The most common reason why virtual business owners fail to make money with their opt-in lists is that they dove right in. They chose a topic they thought could be quite popular and would earn them money, but just because you write people from your list doesn’t mean they are going to instantly purchase from you.

For those who have started an opt-in list and have failed, here is some advice for rejuvenating your failed venture.

For those who are starting out, here are two quick and easy ways to build a profitable opt-in list.

1. Get your customers to trust you and your products first. Just launching an opt-in list will not will not make you an expert and a believable seller.

Instead, write and publish many articles before you start an opt-in list. Write about topics you know well and have expertise in. Visit forums to gain knowledge about your customers and their wants and needs, and then target those wants and needs.

2. While you're visiting forums, offer your expert advice and recommendations. When you feel that people trust you, you will be able to start your own opt-in list. You can build a base with other forum users by inviting them to join your list. Friends are always good customers. Put up a link to your site in your forum signature so that can see what your business is all about.

The truth is, the money will only come in when consumers and subscribers believe and trust in you. They want a product or service that is a good exchange for their money. People are not going to buy something that you recommend, if they don’t know you.

A good place to start networking and building your Virtual Assistant opt-in list is VA Networking. It's the "hottest, friendliest, informative, educational and resourceful network for VAs" and a great place to meet other virtual assistants, potential clients, and start to build your opt-in list.

Build Your Mailing List by Writing Articles

You’ve probably heard the saying, “The money is in the list.” To make money online, you need to have a list of people who are interested in your virtual assistant business and who want you to keep in regular contact with them.

That makes sense, but when you're a new virtual assistant, how can you build a mailing list quickly and easily?

One of the best ways to build your list is by writing and submitting articles online.

To use this technique, simply write and submit articles on your topic of expertise to popular article directories where ezine publishers and readers are looking for the information you provide.

This is called article marketing, and it’s a very valuable tool; you are actually proving your worth and demonstrating your expertise through the articles you write.

Article marketing can help build your mailing list too.

In your resource box (also called the author’s bio) which you submit with each article, include a brief detail about yourself and your business, along with an active link to your website.

If you want to focus on building your list with your articles, the link in your resource box should be to your mailing list’s landing page. Then you can capture your visitor’s name and email address, which will in turn help you build your mailing list at no cost.

If your articles are well-written and worth sharing, ezine publishers and bloggers will republish your articles together with your resource box for their readers and subscribers, so even more potential subscribers will be exposed to your article.

WAHM Articles’ author Terri Seymour uses this technique very effectively. Here is the resource box she includes with each of her articles:

Terri Seymour has several years online experience and has helped many people start their own business. Visit her site at www.seymourproducts.com for help, resources, support and more. Seymour Products also offers resell ebooks for $1 each, free affiliate programs and a free weekly ezine. mailto:subscribe@seymourproducts.com

Each of Terri's articles provides informative and well-written content that publishers and readers value, so you’ll find her articles reprinted on many websites and blogs.

You can start building your own list today by writing and submitting your articles to trusted article submission sites such as WAHM Articles or Ezine Articles.

Ad Swap Magic

Here is a little used technique you can implement to build your mailing list for no additional cost. I call it “using subscribers to make subscribers, ” similar to “using money to make money”.

This simple list building formula can be summed up in two words: ad swap.

Generally, you trade advertisements with other eZine publishers, preferably of the same mailing list size or bigger. You broadcast the eZine publisher’s advertisement to your mailing list while the eZine publisher endorses your ad to his list. Yes, you are actually cross endorsing or cross promoting each others offer to each of your mailing list.

Your advertisement’s goal should be to get as many subscribers possible from the other eZine publisher’s mailing list to sign up for yours.

The result: you grow your mailing list. This method does not require money, which means it can be done for free. And the return of subscribers? Infinite!

You only have to do this with one eZine publisher at least once, because his subscribers who are also your subscribers can now be followed up within the boundaries of your mailing list.

Perform ad swaps with as many eZine publishers as possible and soon, you will have a huge mailing list of your own – built free.

Writing a Virtual Assistant Newsletter

A newsletter, or ezine, is an important tool in your Virtual Assistant business. It helps you build a relationship with your clients, or potential clients, and it helps keep your name fresh in their memory.

But what should you include in your newsletter? Content is still king! Include information that is valuable and relevant to your target market.

If you don't enjoy or have time to create your own articles and content, here are some other ways you can put together a highly relevant, informative newsletter.

1. Use reprint articles. Make sure they're well-written and contain accurate information. You'll find high quality articles about online business, home business, and virtual assistance at WAHM-Articles.com.

2. Include valuable tips to share with your audience. You don't have to do a lot of writing, just jot down a sentence or two on how your readers can do something better.

3. Use inspiring quotes written by others. They're easy to find, just do a bit of research.

4. Feature other writers. Many business owners would appreciate the opportunity to have a regular column in your newsletter. It's original content for you, and a promotional opportunity for the columnist.

5. Pay someone to write for you. Hire a ghostwriter to create a unique article with your own ideas. I ghostwrite WAHM and home business articles for a very reasonable price at DeniseWillms.com.

With all these options available, what's holding you back? Create that newsletter, and start building those client relationships today!

To learn more about finding clients and marketing your new virtual assistant business, take a look at Tawnya Sutherland's Virtual Business Startup System. It has EVERYTHING you need to make all the right decisions for your VA business.