Networking Strategies for Virtual Assistants
Copyright (c) 2009 Ann Brown
Networking has become a powerful tool for almost any business, but its potential benefits for virtual assistants are tremendous.
What does networking offer you?
How do you go about harnessing these benefits?
How do you develop a viable networking strategy for your home-based virtual assistant business?
You will actually have to utilize a multi-prong approach, in order to secure the dramatic benefits offered.
Blog About It - One of the first things to consider is starting a blog. Blogging has become one of the premier methods of networking, as well as offering benefits for marketing. By putting a blog on the Internet, you are able to bring your unique views to others, as well as encourage discussion through comments from your customers, other virtual assistants, and more.
Join a Group - Internet groups have also become very popular ways in which to network. You'll find groups dedicated to almost any topic imaginable. For instance, consider joining (or even starting) a Yahoo! group for virtual assistants. These can be powerful tools, enabling you to connect with other assistants around the globe, trade notes and tips, garner new leads on prospective clients, industries and services that you can offer, as well as much more. Of course, your choices are not limited to Yahoo! alone. You'll find groups and group hosts scattered all over the Internet.
Social Networking - Social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Del.ico.us and others can be dramatic tools to help you develop a viable network of contacts in your industry and in related industries. These websites allow you to develop a professional image and connect with others that you know, as well as those people that they know. Of course, you can also look up users fitting specific criteria to help you create a larger network.
Join a Network - In addition to the options listed above, you can join a specialist website that offers benefits for virtual assistants. A quick search through your preferred search engine will reveal a tremendous number of these network websites. These organizations specialize in providing for the needs of a virtual assistant, enabling you to increase your connections exponentially, as well as to learn about new tools, new tricks of the trade, new services that are in demand and more.
Why network with others in your profession? Simply put, there is no substitute for a good networking strategy. Developing this type of strategy will help you increase your income, decrease your problems, expand, or refine your services based on what is most in demand right now and more.
In short, networking with others provides you with dramatic insight into industry trends and development, helps you develop camaraderie, and can even provide you with a tremendous source of knowledge when you encounter that proverbial wall. Whether you are having technical problems, want to find out what other VA's are doing, need to refine your niche offerings, or something else altogether, you'll find that a networking strategy that combines all the options listed above can help you increase your business.
Ann Brown is President of http://VASuccessTraining.com. She runs her own successful virtual assistant business and now works with other VA's to help them build their businesses through her online training and coaching programs.
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