Branding 101 for Virtual Assistants
09.09.2008
I’ve talked a little bit about the booming new world of Virtual Assistants thus far in my blogging endeavors. I started thinking that maybe my readers do not realize just how many virtual assistants I have worked with. Maybe my average reader/site visitor doesn’t understand why I keep rambling on about how I know so much about VAs and their branding mistakes.
Well, let me tell you…I have worked with a lot of virtual assistants. When I say a lot, I mean a. lot. Now, that does not, by any means, make me a VA expert or guru or anything like that. Just trust that I have seen my fair share of branding blunders (if you’ll excuse the alliteration). I still have a fair number of VAs coming to me for logo design, etc. wanting me to “brand their new business.” I completely understand why I would be asked to do this (Hello!? I’m a graphic designer!) but a lot of VAs have the wrong idea about where branding actually begins.
Branding does not begin with the designer (thoough designers are hired to help make the brand recognizable and unique). Branding begins with the business idea.
Ok, so you want to be a virtual assistant. Great. There are now what, 5000 or so known VAs? Fabulous. How are you going to stand out from the crowd?
“Standing out from the crowd” does not mean you have a slick new logo that looks like no one else’s. Standing out means that you have a niche. A corner of the market that you are ready to take on. Your niche is an area of expertise that you latch onto and brand your new business accordingly.
Branding is mentioned all over the Web, but I would like to express my personal view on the subject. Branding, in its simplest form, is what everyone else thinks about you. Not what you think about yourself. Branding is more than just a logo and some letterhead. Branding is your business name, your website, your work style, your communication style. It is the promises you make, the way you treat clients, and the things you say in forums and on blogs. It encompasses all that is you and your business.
In short, branding is not something to be taken lightly, and waaaaaaay too many virtual assistants do just that.
If you’re reading this now and you’re considering starting a VA practice, I urge you to consider your branding the most important part of the start up process. It will help you decide how, where, and when to market. It will help you decide what kind of website you will need, and it will help you create a stable and lasting image for your business from the very beginning.
I’m planning a few more posts for virtual assistants, and then it’s on to other things. Don’t forget to subscribe for updates.
As a side note: You don’t have to have tons of cash to build your brand, but there are some things better left to the pros. If you aren’t a designer, hire one to create your logo. A designer (especially one that has served literally almost 50 VAs in some fashion) knows what is out there already. A designer can create the proper files for printing and web production. A designer can create a memorable icon for your brand.
I’m not just saying that because I want to design more VA logos. I’m saying that because I have been there. I have seen what works and what doesn’t. Budget money for your logo to be designed by a pro. You won’t regret it.
