Why You Need a Virtual Assistant for Photographers

Do you really need to hire a virtual assistant for photographers? What’s in it for you and how much do they cost? We’ve got you covered!

So, you’re a photographer who believes that every snap of the shutter is a work of art. You’re impassioned to make moments live forever, just like those moving pictures from Harry Potter.

But you’re not just playing around with the camera, are you? You want to make it work, land clients and make money. Your craft is more than just a leisure pursuit; this is your bread and butter. At this point, it’s not so much about being creative—it’s all about business.

While you’re exuberant about photography, the business side of things is putting a lazy spell on you when it should be your priority. Without clients or contracts, it’s hard to put your creative work out there.

Fortunately for you, you can “avada kedavra” your most tedious tasks and “wingardium leviosa” them to a virtual assistant for photographers who will do a much better job at taking care of them than you can.

So, what do you say about getting help from a VA and focusing on bringing your creative genius to life?

Do Photographers Need a Virtual Assistant?

Yes.

If you don’t have the time to do the behind-the-scenes work like answering phone calls, managing social media accounts and writing email campaigns, you need a virtual assistant for photographers. This is just so you can ease the workload and concentrate on producing amazing pictures instead of getting bogged down by the business side of things.

What Is VA in Photography?

A virtual assistant for photographers is a professional remote worker who is the answer to simplifying your daily workflow.

VAs can take over a plethora of administrative tasks and even more specialized activities to free up your most precious resource: your time.

With more time in your hands, you can be out there capturing stunning photos and building lasting relationships with clients.

A virtual assistant is simply good for your growing business.

What Do Photographer Assistants Do?

If you’re new to virtual assistants, you’ll be surprised by the many everyday tasks that they can take off your plate so you can do that thing that you love.

  • Email Management

    Whenever you receive emails from clients, your virtual assistant can reply to them in your own voice and send follow-ups when there’s no response. Yes, you don’t ever have to think about it; VAs will track your emails and organize your inbox so you don’t waste time reading and responding to unnecessary messages.

  • Client Management Software

    It takes time to create and manage your client’s database. The good news is that you can pass on this task to a virtual assistant. They can streamline this process and make data easily accessible for you.

    This is really beneficial whenever you need to contact clients and send notes to them on important occasions like birthdays. It adds a more personal touch and will surely delight them.

  • Meeting Arrangements

    Scheduling meetings and arranging them so they don’t overlap with another engagements is probably one of your biggest time-sucks. Instead of going into limbo, you can pass off this task to a virtual assistant for photographers.

    Your VA can automate your calendar booking system to save you and your VA more time.

  • Research

    What do you need to research as a photographer? When you’re shooting a client, you have to know something about them—their preferences and dislikes—because being able to cater to their “wants” adds an extra flair to the experience.

    You won’t have time for it, though, as busy as you are. But do you know who does? Your VA!

  • Organizing Files

    A full session, in most cases, is a 30-minute shoot. That’s got to rack up tons of images, for sure. Though you won’t be using all of it, you will have to upload and sort them for the clients by location or theme—and here’s when a virtual assistant can help.

  • Marketing Campaigns

    If we’re talking about the business side of photography, then nothing comes second to promoting your craft. We know you keep putting it off because you’re so busy, but you can’t afford to put it off any longer.

    If you have no time, a virtual assistant has plenty to get things rolling on your marketing campaigns. From brainstorming to actually running the whole thing, a VA is super reliable.

  • Social Media Management

    You have to be on social media—Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. Social media platforms have over 4 billion lurkers, and you’re not missing that opportunity to engage and promote your brand to such a massive audience.

    Get a VA on board, and let them help you build your online presence.

  • SEO

    Search engine optimization is about winning Google’s popularity contest and all the other search engines out there. Be real; SEO is a MUST nowadays. However, this particular endeavor can be tricky if you don’t have the time and knack for it.

    Your virtual assistant can get you chummy-chummy with Google in your stead; do the keyword research and have those in your content so you get to land on the first page.

  • Website Management

    It doesn’t stop after you’ve built a website. You need to manage and groom it so it’s more attractive, fully functional and structured. Hire a virtual assistant to make these changes and keep your visitors on your page.

  • Photo Editing

    You probably don’t want to give this up because it’s part of the job, but you can definitely train your virtual assistant to take over some of the editing process.

    Let’s be honest, photo editing takes hours or even days, so if you want to have time for other things that you love, you might consider hooking up a VA.

How Much Does a Virtual Assistant for Photographers Costs

There’s no fixed pricing system for a virtual assistant for photographers or any other VA, for that matter. Depending on the location, experience and skills, and work assigned to them, the cost varies from one remote worker to the next.

Typically, virtual assistants from India and the Philippines have a more competitive price tag. VAs from those countries are the most skilled and economical.

Important Qualities to Look for in a Virtual Assistant for a Photographer

Not all virtual assistants are made equal, which is why we suggest that you take the time to find the right person for the right job to avoid the headache and the heartache of a bad hire.

  • Skill

    There are different kinds of virtual assistants. Some manage general admin stuff, while others have more specialized skills. For instance, you can hire a social media VA, a content writer VA or a digital marketing VA. You have to look for the virtual assistant you need who has the expertise to write blogs, market a product or whatever it is that you need to fill the talent gap.

  • Fits Your Brand

    You’re going to collaborate closely with your virtual assistants, so you have to at least like them. This will make it easier for you to trust them with your work.

    So, how can you tell that a VA is the right one to help you grow your brand? Talk to them and have a face-to-face conversation over Zoom or Skype. You can feel if a person shares your voice and vision just by striking up an initial conversation. Your potential candidates can’t help but let their true personalities shine.

  • Availability

    When choosing a virtual assistant, it’s important to consider their availability. How much work do you need to outsource? Do you need a part-timer or a full-timer?

    If you hire a virtual assistant who has a full-time office job, they might not be able to respond right away. Since these VAs have other priorities, the risk of turnover is a little higher, and before you know it, you’re back at square one. In a nutshell, find an assistant who has made being “your assistant” their priority.

Hire Your Virtual Assistant for Photographers with VAV Asia!

VAV Asia has a wide pool of reliable virtual assistants who are more than capable of supporting your needs. They’re trained, flexible, open-minded, and eager to learn young talents who have an excellent work ethic.

It’s hard to grow your business on your own. Take your most-consuming tasks off your shoulders and let a virtual assistant for photographers take over everything else that doesn’t require your attention. You need to do this to run a healthy business.

Try us out and let our virtual assistants do the footwork!

Find out what makes a good virtual assistant coach.

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