Building a WordPress Blog
Please bare with me as I build this WordPress blog. It will be the first time I’ve done it on my own and I’m learning along the way. Hopefully soon it will come together nicely. Right now, not so much!
Thanks!
Diana Ennen
How to Find a Virtual Assistant to Help with Your PR Campaign
I often get asked how do I find the right virtual assistant. I thought this interview might help that I did with Joan Stewart.
http://tinyurl.com/2e5875
If you have ideas too!! Or questions on anything relating to virtual assisting or publicity.
Diana Ennen / www.virtualwordpublishing.com
7 Reasons I Love Being a Virtual Assistant
Sometimes it seems you can pick up a magazine or book today or even turn on the news, without someone talking about the Virtual Assistant Industry. I couldn’t be happier. We deserve this. Virtual assistants have worked long and hard to gain the recognition they are getting today and I know it’s only the beginning.
I’d love to share reasons why I love being a Virtual Assistant.
1 My clients. I get to work with some amazing clients and help them achieve success.
2 Control over my business. I love to know that I have the power to make it grow and am an active part of its success. I get to choose the clients I want to work with, the hours I want to work, and most importantly I get to say no as well.
3 To be part of the Virtual Assistant Industry. I’ve been blessed to be involved in the Virtual Assistant Industry since its inception. Every year I get to see it reach more media and get more attention.
4 To have the opportunity to use my skills and talents every day. I love what I do, and every day I get to wake up and do it again. If you talk to most entrepreneurs they will acknowledge passion is one of the most important aspects to success.
5 There is always something new. I’m an A Type Personality so I definitely need a challenge. I love the thrill of new clients, old clients that have become good friends, new challenges, and also having the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s business and success.
6 In addition to publicity and marketing, I also do virtual assistant coaching. I love to be able to take a VA with just a dream and turn it into a successful business.
7 I love to write and being a virtual assistant allows me to do just that. Whether it’s writing a press release or a media kit for a client, or a new book on the virtual assistant industry, my career choice has allowed me to do this.
If you think you’d like to join the ranks of virtual assistant, email me at Diana@virtualwordpublishing.com
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Diana Ennen, specializes in publicity and marketing and is the President of Virtual Word Publishing, http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com and author of numerous books. Ready to jumpstart your PR campaign, then email her at Diana@virtualwordpublishing.com. Free PR Informational Package available. Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/dianaennen. Article is free to be reprinted as long as bio remains.
Do’s and Don’ts for Starting a Virtual Assistant Business
Thought you’d enjoy my article on starting a Virtual Assistant Business. Tell me your thoughts
Virtual Assistant Do’s and Don’ts to Be Successful
Virtual Assistants (VAs) are highly skilled professionals who provide administrative support and specialized services to businesses, entrepreneurs, executives, and others who have more work to do than time to do it. Examples of services a VA can do include publicity and marketing, web design and maintenance, word processing, meeting and event planning, desktop publishing, article and press release submissions, internet research, bookkeeping, business start-up consultations and so much more. This can be the perfect work-at-home opportunity for many with good computer and Internet skills.
Following are several Do’s and Dont’s to keep in mind for starting and operating your Virtual Assisting business.
DO — Decide on a targeted market and initially focus your marketing efforts in that area. By developing a “niche” in your field, your reputation spreads quickly and soon you become a recognized expert. Several specialties include: publicity, medical, legal or business transcription, resume consulting, transaction coordination — real estate industry, working with authors, academic typing, internet research, etc.
DO — Be creative about where you can find business. The Internet offers a large variety of potential for clients just waiting for you to contact them. Actively network and don’t limit your marketing to simply sending out one press release or posting on a board or two. You want to find where there might be a need and go fill it. Always present a professional image and network. Become the expert that everyone looks to when they need information on your niche.
DO – Offer exceptional services. Word of mouth can be one of the most effective ways to secure new clients as well as keeping those clients for years to come. Always go above and beyond and let those clients know they were right in entrusting you with their business.
DO — Write a complete business plan and marketing plan. Too many leave out this vital step and waste valuable time unorganized and without a clear-cut goal and direction for their business. When starting a business you will have tons of ideas floating around. You need to materialize all these and put them into a workable plan of action.
DO — Develop a website that looks sensational! Your website is often the first connection a potential client has with your services. It must immediately let them know that they are dealing with a professional. Your site must then have the POWER to draw them to you and contact you. Let them see that you value quality by the look and feel of it. Additional tips include letting them know what services you offer and why you are qualified to offer those services by mentioning your experience and education. Be sure to include points on why you stand out among the rest and are the BEST! For example, if you have been featured in articles, radio shows, etc., have add that to the press page. Stand out and those clients will look to you first.
DO — Learn everything you can about starting a business. Knowledge is power and the more you know, the greater your chances for success. Look to online services and message boards and chats to talk with other Virtual Assistants operating a business. Remember these are often run by pros who have been in business for years and are willing to share their experience.
DO — Join associations that are targeted for our Industry. By connecting with these associations and being active, you learn from them what works and what doesn’t and you are able to post your questions to associate members via list serves often getting answers to your questions within minutes.
DO — Read, read, read. By frequently continuing to increase your skills and your knowledge of your profession, the end result is a more confident satisfied you. Every tip you get from a book can be a new tool in your business. I recommend highlighting areas from several books and adding them to your library. Keep in mind that you might not use that idea today, but it might apply to specialties you might add down the road.
DO – Enjoy. There’s no greater feeling than landing that first client or finishing your first big project. Plus, wait until you get the opportunity to tell someone you own and operate your own virtual assisting business. It sure beats I’m a secretary at …. Plus, when you enjoy your business it shows. Your clients will sense your positive attitude and want to be a part of your team.
DON’T — Underprice your services. The average virtual assistant today makes somewhere between $35 to $100+ an hour, depending on their skills, services offered, location, and years of experience. Don’t make the mistake of assuming if you charge the lowest prices, you’ll get the most work. You won’t. Instead, you’ll end up working outrageous hours for peanuts! Clients will pay more for professional services. When a potential client discovers you’re charging a lower rate than standard, they often feel they will receive a quality of services that is also lower.
DON’T — Overextend yourself. One of the common mistakes many virtual assistants make is to accept too much work and then not be able to accurately complete it. Learn to say no or have a back-up helper who can assist you with any overflow work. Remember one of the most important ingredients for success is keeping your clients satisfied. If you overextend yourself and make a lot of errors, it will jeopardize your business.
DON’T — Get discouraged. It takes time to get a business going. Plan ahead and have money saved in reserve. Don’t buy items until you have found the best possible price and there is an absolute need. This advance planning takes the pressure off of having to make money NOW. If things are slow and the phone just isn’t ringing … MAKE IT RING!! There’s plenty of work out there, you just need to aggressively pursue it.
Finally, the most important ingredient for success is your belief in yourself. If you believe that with your skills and experience, you can own your own business, then there’s nothing stopping you. DREAMS DO COME TRUE. SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED TO MAKE THEM HAPPEN.
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Diana Ennen and Kelly Poelker are the co-authors of numerous books including Virtual Assistant: the Series, Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA and accompanying Virtual Assistant the Series Workbook, and Virtual Assistant – The Series: Working Virtually, A Guide to Working Remotely as an Employee. Stop by their site for complete information on starting your own VA business http://www.vatheseries.com. Article is free to be reprinted as long as the author’s bio remains intact.
Do’s & Don’ts for Starting a Virtual Assistant Business
What question do I get asked the most? How do I start a Virtual Assistant Business? Well as an VA Industry Leader and author of numerous books on how to start a virtual assistant business, I hope to be able to help you do just that. So ask away. If you have questions, post them here. If you have tips on what’s worked for you, post them here. Together we can succeed!
Thanks! Diana Ennen / www.virtualwordpublishing.com
Speaking tonight at Red Deer College
So excited. Tonight me and my co-author and good friend Kelly Poelker will be presenting at Red Deer College. Our topic tonight is newsletters, blogs & social networking. I can remember presenting a few years ago on blogs and I had just started one. Didn’t have a clue what to do. Feels pretty good to now be working on my very first WordPress Blog, that I build. I have a WordPress on my site, but I have someone else create it and maintain it.
Hopefully, I’ll learn a lot and do this right. And if not, I’ll have a lot of fun and hopefully meet new people. If you do happen to be stopping by, say hi! Tell me what you’d like to see here.
Diana Ennen / Virtual Word Publishing
www.virtualwordpublishing.com
Social Networking Changed it All
Hope you like my latest article. Please pass it along! Diana Ennen
Social Networking Changed Everything – The New Marketing & PR Model
It’s pretty obvious that the marketing of today has changed. You have newspapers going virtual/web only, Twitter and Facebook replacing postcards and phone calls, and potential clients now being the main target of your press releases as opposed to editors. It’s all changing and to do PR today, you need to change with it. The good news is that it’s never been easier. The bad news, you need to learn a new way to do things. Fortunately, there are tips that can make it easier and I’m here to show you a few.
First, no one can deny the power of social networking. And those that do are just plain wrong. I’ve been in business since 1985 and I liken this to way back when emails became a way of life. Many still contended they wanted to do it the old fashioned way and nothing would beat a letter. (I know it’s hard to even imagine this today.) It wasn’t long until they realized their error, but by then their competition was way ahead of them. Don’t make the same mistake now. You absolutely need to get with it and get on board. I can practically guarantee you within weeks you’ll be hooked and wondering why you ever hesitated. It’s so easy, and the potential so great, you need to start today.
Let’s break it down. Twitter first. Forget all the “I don’t care what they ate for lunch excuses,” that’s where your competition and peers are and you do need to be there too. Sure you do have a few tweeters who will update you on the latest hot dog they ate, but that’s rare. What you do have is more and more businesses networking and connecting with each other in ways never thought possible. It’s also more than just networking back and forth, you can have chats, host events, get more publicity for your articles and press releases & even announce your seminars and radio shows. And that’s not even the half of it. There are entire books written on this, so my first recommendation is to get them. Why struggle and find your way around when you can easily read the tips from those who know exactly what you need to succeed.
Also, while you are getting your feet wet, don’t jump in and start posting and selling and ranting and raving. Take it slow. Sign up, take a sit, remain quiet for a short time and read what others are posting. Follow the leaders in your industry and take advantage of their knowledge. It can almost feel like walking around with them all day and looking over their shoulders for their secrets. What’s cool is they give their tips freely, why wouldn’t you want to take advantage of that? As an example, if someone were looking for information on starting a virtual assistant business or getting publicity for their business, they could follow me at Twitter.com/dianaennen
Now the key many forget is that not only do you need to follow them, you need to listen earnestly to what they are saying. Go to the sites they recommend. Actually do the things they suggest. And most importantly, if you have the opportunity to contribute and honestly have something of importance to say, do! Even if they aren’t following you, once you list their twitter name @name, it will go to them. Best yet, you might get a retreat or even better a RT and follow back. As many say, those are the ultimate compliments.
Now it’s important to learn the social media lingo – Hashtags, Retweets, Fans, Follow Friday, this is just a few of the many names you need to know to do business better. It can be overwhelming. No, in fact it is overwhelming. However, if you keep it simple and take it a step at a time, you can do it. When you see a term you don’t know, look it up right then. Write down your interpretation and do the investigating to find out more about it. Here are just a few to help you on your journey.
What’s a retweet? That’s when you find somone’s information useful and you want to pass it onto your followers. So basically RT (retweet) is good content that you pass on. Many RT just to RT. Don’t be one of them. You know your followers and what they want and need, that’s what you should be RT’ing. We highly recommend signing up for TweetDeck for ease in doing this. A click of a button and you are there.
Next you need to know about Follow Friday. This is definitely one of my favorites. Think of Follow Friday as your day networking at a business get-together, only better. You get to stay in the comfort of your own home, and you get to immediately make the connections, not when you get home with a handful of business cards. Try and plan your week so you can participate. Remember this can be even more effective than a Chamber meeting or an expensive business seminar. So plan a lighter load on Friday whenever possible. You want people to mention you so mention them. Also, don’t just list 20 screens of twitter names that you want people to follow. Tell your followers why they should follow them. What do they offer that your followers would be interested in? Remember to put #followfriday in your posting. (By the way, see that # in followfriday. That’s what is called a hashtag. Cool huh!) And finally, you want people to retweet your followfriday postings, so keep your count to 120 instead of 140 so they can easily do this. In fact, do this for all tips or postings you wanted retweeted.
Finally, try and post on Friday mornings. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’ll often go down my postings to find those I want to list. I know I want to list them before hand so it’s not that I’m just going down my friends column, but often times I don’t have their information readily available. By posting on Friday you are giving it to them.
Finally, sign up for Trilalerts for your keywords. Start following those of interest. For example, I’m a virtual assistant, so I’ve signed up for virtual assistant updates. Now I can follow other virtual assistants easily. I do the same for Publicity, etc. Who do you want to connect with? That’s who you sign up for. Follow the media. Sign up for Facebook and Twitter for the newspapers and TV stations in your area. Look for business reporters who tweak and follow them. Learn their style and what they are looking for in their articles.
Also, follow some of the owners of the many article and press release directories who tweet. Some of the best are on there and giving away secrets to success left and right.
Facebook is pretty self explanatory. The key here is to spend some time to expand your network. Fortunately you get notices when someone responds to your posts, so try and go and follow-up as soon as you can. However, be careful that you don’t get sidetracked doing this too often. Build relationships. You can have thousands of friends and fans, but can you honestly connect to all of them. I know I sure can’t. Twitter also now allows your tweets to be sent to your Facebook page too. This is definitely a plus. Just make sure that you don’t do this to all of your postings, only the ones you feel would interest your friends on Facebook.
Article Submissions, Press Release Submissions – I also say you need to send out articles and press releases religiously. Many question how some succeed with this and others don’t. What’s the difference? The main thing is that they know what to do. They realize the difference that page ranking can make and don’t waste their time on sites that don’t get results. They sign up for Google Alerts under their keywords and then check out the sites that frequently get spidered. Then they send to those places and add those sites to their database. We do have a fabulous PR informational package that is free to anyone who emails us.
Marketing a business and social networking doesn’t have to be expensive if you just remember to network and use all the tools available to you. In fact, it can be fun as you get to meet new people and develop new ways to sell you and your business. Also, keep in mind if you don’t want to do it yourself, there are excellent qualified pros and virtual assistants available to assist. You don’t need to do it all. You just need to do it!
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Diana Ennen, specializes in publicity and marketing and is the President of Virtual Word Publishing, http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com and author of numerous books. Ready to jumpstart your PR campaign, then email her at Diana@virtualwordpublishing.com. Free PR Informational Package available. Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/dianaennen . Article is free to be reprinted as long as bio remains.
Work at Home Moms – It’s Summer – What next?
I’ve been working at home since 1985 when my son was born. 20 something years later, summer arrives and that same ole’ panic sets in. Did it get easier through the years? You would think I’d answer that yes, but deep down it doesn’t. With a teenager at home now, a 11 year old and my son staying with us, it’s still a challenge. Now don’t get me wrong. I love my kids! And I love spending time with them. Probably more than anything. But it’s the I’m bored! I want to have my friends over (and in come 15 friends), sleepovers, etc.
So work at home moms, what do you do? Tell us. Vent, share, etc. I’ve discoverer over the years, it’s okay to say, Wow, this is hard.
Thanks! Diana Ennen/www.virtualwordpublishing.com
Welcome to my blog
Welcome! Hope you enjoy our new blog. Testing out everything now.
