Can I tell you a secret? It’s darn-near impossible to see consistent growth without the addition of someone to your team. Now hold up – I’m not saying you’re not capable. But one of the greatest ways you can up-level your business as a photographer is by hiring a virtual assistant. As a full-time couples and boudoir photographer, I’ve been able to scale my business exponentially with the help of my virtual assistant (Courtney Pike with CP Productivity). While we are navigating “slow season” in the world of photography, I can’t think of a better time than right now to chat about the ins-and-outs of hiring a virtual assistant. Let’s get into it!

It’s Time to Outsource

I want to paint you a picture. It is peak wedding season. You have 3 wedding galleries in your queue, 2 engagement sessions, and each weekend for the next 3 months is booked solid. Social media has been the main source of inquiries in your business, but you simply don’t have enough time to post on there, especially with everything on your plate. It’s 1:00 am, your husband is fast asleep, you only pecked him on the cheek when he got home before retiring back to your editing cave, and your eyes are in desperate need of Visine or a good night’s rest (or both). You are the very definition of “overwhelmed”. 

Let me tell ya something: I was there before, too. I was struggling to juggle my personal life with my business life. Any fraction of spare time I had was dedicated to commenting on Instagram, recording Reels, and trying to keep afloat with Pinterest in the back burner. I was just 6 months into my business, and knew my lifestyle was not sustainable. Let’s just say: I realized I needed help. 

One day, I was scrolling on IG and saw another photographer talk about her virtual assistant. More importantly, the photographer was talking about what a game-changer having a virtual assistant has been to her business + personal life. It was literally in that moment that I reached out to CP Productivity. The rest is history! 

What a VA Can do for Photographers

When I first hired Courtney, I was primarily looking for help with Instagram. If you’ve spent anytime looking into how to grow on the ‘Gram, you know how important it is to engage with your followers and other creators. But honestly, the last thing I wanted to be spending my ‘free time’ doing was scrolling. Nowadays, my virtual assistant helps with IG engagement, hashtag research, Reels trends, blogging + copywriting, SEO research, email marketing, Pinterest management, Honeybook workflow, and more. Each VA varies in what services they offer, so here’s just a few that could be helpful to photographers:

• Inbox Management
• Graphic Design
• Data Entry
• Social Media Engagement
• Calendar Management
• Website Creation
• Drip Campaigns
• Invoicing

Misconceptions about Virtual Assistants for Photographers

Myth: Having a VA isn’t personable to your audience.

Truth: One of the biggest hesitations I had when it came to hiring a VA was that I didn’t want to come across as a ‘robot’ to my audience. Because Instagram is my main source of inquiries, I was honestly pretty hesitant to have someone engage with my audience. And I was also quite nervous to have Courtney blog on my behalf. But because of the kind of VA Courtney is, she took time to learn my voice, what emojis I use, how I reply, how I type, etc. So if you’re hesitant about outsourcing your social media or copywriting, I want to encourage you to find someone that will take time to know you.

Myth: VAs can only help with my calendar and emails.

Another misconception about virtual assistants is that they only help with administrative work. Just as every photographer is different, so is every virtual assistant. No two will offer the same services. Some VAs truly will only do administrative tasks, whereas others will be a “jack of all trades”. Do your research!

Myth: I’m a failure because I need help in my business.

Truth: Listen here, lover. That is the furthest thing from the truth. Think about investing in mentor sessions, for example. Does investing in a mentorship mean you’ve failed? NO! It means you want to see growth in your business. By hiring a virtual assistant, you are committing to growing your biz and serving your clients better. 

Myth: I don’t have control over what I enjoy in my business if I get a VA.

Truth: The best part of hiring a virtual assistant is that you can control exactly what you outsource, and what you want to have hands on. If you thoroughly enjoy interacting on Insta, great! You don’t need to have your VA do that for you. 

Utilizing a virtual assistant is one of the most beneficial ways to up-level your business and your client experience. The amount of weight that is lifted from my shoulders has been such a relief. Photography is an art; I finally feel like I have enough space and time to dedicate to my art, rather than completing tasks that I didn’t enjoy. If there’s any part of you that is hesitant to take the leap of hiring a virtual assistant, check out my Podcast episode of Hey Lovebugs that I did with my VA! If you’re looking for more biz tips, CLICK HERE🎉 And of course, you can check out CP Productivity on her website or on Instagram (@cpproductivity). Til next time, lovebug.