You just received a request from a potential client who requested your virtual assistant portfolio. But you don’t have one. Don’t panic. You can create one easily, even if you haven’t had a single client yet.
I remember the moment I landed my first remote virtual assistant (VA) job. This came as a complete shock since I was not actively looking for VA work. I had just started freelance writing and a client of mine, who had a blog, asked me if I would help him manage his social media page and update some of his old popular blog posts.
Her Facebook page was very active at the time and my client was unable to keep up with the comments and posts. So, for $15 more an hour, I took over this task and quickly realized how much I enjoyed the flexibility of virtual assistant work.
Today, virtual assistants are still in high demand as many people need help managing their tasks, whether it’s posting on social media or Pinterest, paying bills, managing emails, or entering data. According to Indeedvirtual assistants can earn between $25 and $40 per hour depending on their experience.
The best way to get paid contracts is to create a wallet and show it to potential customers. Here are 7 specific steps you can take to create a winning virtual assistant portfolio.
1. Define your target audience and services
The first thing to do is decide who your target audience and ideal customer are, as well as the services you want to offer. I know it can be tempting to want to present yourself as a jack of all trades, but that’s the easiest way to get sucked into a job you don’t like and don’t want to do. It can also make it more difficult to connect with a client and become an expert. You don’t want to try to be good at everything. But instead you should aim to be excellent in certain areas.
Identify who your target audience whether they are coaches, bloggers, e-commerce brands, or another type of small business owner. Either way, it should be clear where they can use the help of a virtual assistant. Maybe you want to target busy coaches who are struggling to manage their email inbox, or an entrepreneur who needs help planning webinars and interacting with people joining their virtual events.
Or maybe you’d like to help Instagram content creators manage their branded offerings, showcase and record their social media post stats. Over the years, I worked part-time as a virtual assistant and helped clients with tasks such as:
- Project management
- Social media management
- Editing and Reusing Content
- Video editing and transcription
When you refine your niche and service offeringsyou will be able to learn more about the needs and pain points of your ideal customer. This can help you determine how to build your virtual assistant portfolio to best market your services.
2. Choose a platform
Where will your virtual assistant portfolio live? A good option is to start a personal website if you haven’t already. This way you can showcase your services, make it easy for people to contact you, and show past projects. The easiest way to get started is to use a platform like WordPress, Wix or Google Sites. This is not a requirement, however.
You can also use platforms like Notion Or Cloth to create a virtual assistant portfolio in PDF format. These sites offer a variety of templates and graphics that you can use to create a professional-looking portfolio that you can share with potential clients.
Finally, there are off-site platforms like LinkedIn And Cinqrr that allow you to list your services and create an online presence. Where you start is really up to you. The key is simply to create a professional online portfolio that people can easily access.
3. Start your portfolio with a strong introduction and list your skills
Of course, you want to demonstrate your skills and previous work, but you also need to write a clear opening paragraph or two that highlights your expertise and perhaps even share additional information about your experience. This can set you apart from other virtual assistants and show that you are serious about your work and interested in solving a problem for your target clients.
You can also include a professional photo for added credibility. With AI and other tools being so popular, most people want to make sure they’re working with a real person when that’s their preference. Next, make sure to break it down your services with a brief description of each, as well as the tools and various software you might use, to give people a clear overview.
4. Include work samples (even if you’re new)
A virtual assistant portfolio is a little different from other portfolios because you are providing a service, and it is difficult to create this visual in some cases. But this is also where you can get creative.
Include all visual work samples after asking permission from past clients, of course. These could be screenshots of a social media post you’ve scheduled, with blurred names and images. Or, if you create Pinterest Pins, you can display some examples in your portfolio. Email campaigns are another great addition to a virtual assistant portfolio.
Even if you don’t have any client work to show, you can still create some. If you’re in this boat, consider creating mock projects using your own website or social media profiles. Additionally, if you have volunteer work to show, that may be something else to include in your portfolio.
Bonus idea: For each work example, go further and mention details such as the tools you used, including project management platforms, planning tools, etc. This can showcase your skills and abilities on various platforms.
5. Add customer testimonials and reviews
Customer testimonials and reviews can be one of the most powerful areas of your virtual assistant portfolio, and they add credibility. Contact your current and past clients to ask for a testimonial that you can feature on your portfolio.
Back when I was in college and putting together a writing portfolio, I didn’t have many client testimonials. However, one thing I did do was collect emails I received from people I worked with on internships and other gig projects. Whenever I received praise or positive feedback, I saved those emails in a folder. Then I asked for permission to feature these emails in my portfolio. If you’re on LinkedIn, you can also take any of the recommendations you receive and add them to your portfolio.
6. Don’t forget the contact details
This is an easy area to overlook, especially after focusing on gathering information about your past services and projects. But don’t forget to include your contact information on your portfolio so people know how to contact you. This may seem redundant, especially if you’re sharing your portfolio with a potential client and they already have your contact information.
But remember that other people may come across your website or LinkedIn profile and be interested in discussing your services. Make sure to include an email address or contact form on your portfolio and test it to make sure it works. You can also leave your phone number if you want, but remember that this might attract unwanted calls.
7. Optimize for SEO and visibility
Always try to optimize your portfolio page so that more people can see it and consider hiring yourself as a virtual assistant. If your portfolio is on your WordPress site, for example, you’ll want to optimize it to SEO by refining a targeted keyword and including other keywords in subheadings and throughout the page. Other platforms like Etsy also offer keyword optimization options.
Or, if your website is hosted on Google, you’ll want to take advantage of all the options to optimize your portfolio page for Google search. If you are active on social media, consider linking to your portfolio page in your bio and linking to your social media platforms from your portfolio.
Create an Impressive Virtual Assistant Portfolio
A well-designed portfolio that highlights your virtual assistant abilities and experience can be one of the best ways to obtain paid employment and long-term clients. This demonstrates your professionalism and gives potential clients insight into your expertise and what it’s like to work with you. Your past projects can spark even more opportunities to create, solve problems, and help your ideal clients while building a successful work-from-home business.
So if you don’t have a wallet in place yet or need to update your current wallet, follow these steps and get started. Your future customers are already looking. You just need to give them something awesome to find.
