As the founder of Trusty Oak, a company that matches business leaders with exceptional Virtual Assistants (VAs), I get this question a lot: how can photographers benefit from having a VA? As a matter of fact, a VA can provide the right mix of marketing and administrative support a budding photography business needs to flourish. Here are six specific ways a photographer can use a VA.  

 

 

 

A VA Can Create Blog Content That Resonates

A great blog helps readers understand how the photographer makes special moments even more special. From describing the creative process to sharing tips and tricks to interviewing satisfied clients, a VA who understands the photographer’s passion can help her communicate just how valuable her services are. While also managing the finer details of tone, theme, and timing, a VA can ensure that all blog content contributes to the “big picture” (there’s a photography pun in there somewhere!).

A VA Can Manage a Vibrant Social Media Presence

One of my mentors used to say that Facebook is like a family reunion and Twitter is like a fancy party. Fortunately, great photography is an important part of both! A social media-savvy VA can turn a photographer’s beautiful raw material – her images – into thoughtful, engaging posts. A VA can expertly curate social media profiles so that they transcend being portfolios to becoming showcases of a photographer’s authentic style and unique perspective.

A VA Can Write, Design, and Publish Newsletters that People Can’t Wait to Read

A newsletter is an opportunity to speak directly to people interested in a photographer’s work. Typically, a successful photographer has so much of value to share, but so little time. A VA can help her keep in touch with her contacts by turning quick notes and recorded messages into full-fledged, visually appealing emails. With a VA on board to direct an email campaign with intentionality, newsletter readers who are leads will become clients and clients will become brand ambassadors.

A VA Can Help Plan and Execute Special Promotions

Photographers experience a great deal of seasonality in their business, from holiday season to wedding season to everything in between. A VA can lay the groundwork for specialized marketing campaigns that connect a photographer to people seeking her services, exactly when they need them. A VA with a strong background in marketing is perfect for the task of researching and reaching out to each specific buyer persona.

A VA Can Handle Calendar Management

Speaking of busy seasons, a dedicated VA can be a photographer’s secret weapon against scheduling headaches. An experienced scheduler can seamlessly weave together a calendar of engagements that maximizes opportunity without overbooking or leaving anyone feeling rushed. If a conflict arises, he can identify and resolve it before it becomes an issue. A dedicated VA can not only save the photographer hours of frustration every week, but can also instantly boost productivity and client satisfaction.

A VA Can Assist with Countless Administrative Tasks to Keep Business Running Smoothly

People become photographers for many reasons. Some love empowering their clients to be more confident, others love showing familiar objects in a new light, but hardly anyone chooses a career in photography because they enjoy answering emails, reminding clients about upcoming appointments, sending invoices, and onboarding employees. Hiring a VA offers an innovative solution. That’s because while VAs are people people, they’re tech people, too. They excel at using the most efficient programs to handle all of a photographer’s behind-the-scenes needs. By consolidating information on a Customer Relations Management program (CRM), a VA can help the photographer stay as connected as ever to up-to-date information on her business, while freeing her to do the work that really captured her heart.