I don't know if this will help, but I did a survey of VAs and one question was, "What was their best marketing or promotional tip"
http://us.deskdemon.com/pages/us/va/marketing Actively be engaged in local company tele-market research
Advertise honestly
Advertise on search engines
Advertising in small magazines
Always have business cards ready to hand out
Always look the part whenever you step out your door.
Ask for referrals from the clients
Attend local business networking events
Be a great communicator, especially with e-mails. Nothing looks more unprofessional than bad grammar and bad spelling. Your e-mails represent you so you want them to look great.
Be a great VA, and you will get dozens of referrals from satisfied customers.
Be consistent
Be enthusiastic. It draws people like a magnet.
Be Frequent
Be sure to include those that have confirmed prospect on a regular newsletter
Before you advertise, make sure you're ready for anything.
Biz Cards
Brochures
Business card magnets
Business Cards
Carry brochures when you are out shopping or visiting or other places.
Check your purse for business cards every day.
Create a website
Create an attractive website that relays your message and services, and make sure you place it with the right search engines.
Create different types of marketing/collateral pieces
Direct mail to a specific segment of the market such as realtors, lawyers, medical practice
Distribute brochures, business cards, post cards to targeted audience (customers)
Distributing fliers at various local businesses
Don't be shy.:-)
Don't over look who you know, have cards or pens handy to give or drop off, don't be afraid to make a suggestion (which in our old lives, meant if we had the idea...we'd volunteered!)
Don't splatter your marketing copy with buzzwords.
Existing web host (i.e. Yahoo.com) for better exposure
Flyers
Follow-up calls to number one that say they are open to the idea or currently engaged in an exclusive contract with another VA by sending e-mail or fax or postal mail letter of introduction, business card (2), and either a web-card or tri-fold brochure;
Follow-up the correspondence to number 2 with a call to confirm receipt of sent literature
Get a coach.
Get invoked in Community projects - Its amazing how many potential customers you can meet
Great Web site.
Have a good name, have a competitive advantage to promote your business, and be creative in your approach to potential clients - think about what their needs are and tell them how you can fulfill them.
Have a specific market in mind before you begin.
Have extra marketing "tools" with you at all times.
Hit those yellow pages and market yourself!
I have been sending small mailings each week, and a week after each mailing, I call the prospects to follow up with them. I've gotten some bites this way.
Join a chamber of commerce or BNI group so that you can meet people face-to-face. Virtual Assistance is best described in person.
Join your local chamber of commerce and other network groups.
Join your local Chamber of Commerce
Know how to promote your Web site.
Leave business cards everywhere. Be ready with your "Mini Commercial" at any given moment. Never miss the opportunity to promote yourself.
let everyone know what you are doing, and give your business cards out to all who you know might know someone that could use your services.
Listen to what people say and if an opportunity to promote yourself comes up - take it!!
Look and be professional with yourself and materials.
Lots of networking, old contacts, anyone
Mailing lists
Make magnets with your business information on them so that people will have it readily available when they need administrative support
Make sure you provide good service by being courteous and listen to your prospects thoroughly.
Market without paying (e.g. supermarket bulletin boards etc.)
Mass mailing
Network with other professionals that could use your services.
Networking
Offer the same tips you use successfully as a service.
Place an ad in the newspaper
Professional brochures and business cards
Publish on the web
Signs on your car
Small newspapers
Stay abreast of new situations
Swap link programs.
Talk to everyone about what you do and how it can help them with their business. Always strive to tell them what is in it for them.
Talk to everyone you know about what you do.
Tell everyone you talk to about what it is you do
Use every opportunity to tell people what you do,
Use networking as a marketing tool
Use the yellow pages
Volunteer work
Web site post cards
Website
Word-of-mouth.
Write Press Releases about interesting things about your business for (hopefully) free editorial in the newspapers
You never know whom you might run into.
