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Ever thought about how cool it would be to make money pinning on Pinterest all day?
A couple of months ago I received an email from one of my students that had since gone on to become a Pinterest virtual assistant. She shared her story with me and how within the last seven months since she started my course she had gained a solid client base and was making $2,000 a month as a Pinterest VA.
Shut the front door – freaking amazing, right?!
I asked her if she would be willing to share what helped her get started and what tips she has for those that are interested in becoming a Pinterest virtual assistant and she kindly agreed!
I sent her over the list of questions below and she went above and beyond with answering them so definitely dive into this mega guide on how to become a Pinterest virtual assistant:
Table of Contents
How do I get started as a Pinterest Virtual Assistant?
Begin by researching to see if being a Pinterest Virtual Assistant is something you’d be interested in. Find out how businesses could benefit from being on the platform with the services you’d provide
1. Research “Pinterest for business” and start reading blog posts, articles and watch Youtube videos. There is so much valuable, free information out there.
2. Most people who sell Pinterest courses also offer a free mini version of their courses that give awesome tips with real value. I suggest taking a few of these. You can find them by googling “Free Pinterest courses”.
The free Pinterest for business course with the most value was Pinterest Primer by McKinzie Bean, here at Moms Make Cents.
3. Sign up for newsletters of the Pinterest bloggers you like to get their tips emailed to you (also follow them on social media). For example, Kate Ahl from simplepinmedia.com provides a free download of what to pin and promote each month in her Ultimate Pinterest Planner.
4. You will start looking at Pinterest differently. Pinterest is not social media, but more an image search engine. Like Google, it works the same way. Watch this Facebook Live video of the instructors from How to Become a Pinterest VA Today go over three ways a business can make money on Pinterest and where a Pinterest VA would come in.
This Pinterest VA Prep Workbook is a great place to start (download it here).
What tools and education do you need to become a Pinterest Virtual Assistant?
Since Pinterest Primer was my favorite free course, I decided to enroll in McKinzie’s paid course, Pin to Profits on 4/12/18 to become an expert.
To say my mind was blown was an understatement.
I had no idea how powerful it could be. The course provided SO much information with easy to understand videos. It was basically taking five courses bundled for one price.
Pins to Profits gave me the knowledge and strategies to confidently provide services as a Pinterest virtual assistant. The List Building and Affiliate Marketing modules helped me monetize my business. I highly recommend this course!
I require all my clients to have their own Tailwind accounts. Tailwind is a pin scheduler that works with Pinterest. Pricing is $15/mo or $119.00/yr. Clients can add you as a user their account access.
Related:
- How To Use Tailwind To Skyrocket Your Blog Traffic
- How To Use the Tailwind Smartloop
You’ll need access to your client’s Pinterest and Tailwind accounts. Some people are uncomfortable giving you their login information. A good option is to tell your clients to set up a LastPass or 1Password account and add you as a user.
It’s a browser extension that generates and stores username and passwords and automatically logs you in. Your client will have the option of concealing login info from you. Price plans for teams start at $4/mo.
Paypal, Stripe, and FreshBooks are all options to set up payments and to invoice your clients.
I use Calendly to schedule calls. There is a free plan that’s more than enough for a VA business.
How much can you make as a Pinterest Virtual Assistant?
One of the great benefits of being a Pinterest VA is you get to chose how much or little you work. This is a perfect gig for moms. I currently have a few clients and work about 10-15 hours a month.
I charge each client between $275 – $600 per month, depending on how many boards a client has and the number of pins that need to be scheduled.
Here are some services you can provide, depending on your experience. Always list your rates as “starting at” because some clients may need 15 pins posted a day where another could need over 30 pins a day.
- Pinterest Business Setup $250 – $700
- Tailwind Setup $250 – $700
- Pin Design $5/pin (+ $2 researching fee if Client doesn’t provide images)
- Monthly Pin Scheduling $200 – $800
- Account Audits $200 – $600
- SEO/Alt Text/Descriptions $250+
- Consultations $75 – $200 per hour
- A La Carte Services $30 per hour
When learning about all these services you can pick and choose which ones you want to offer. Don’t feel you need to be a one-stop shop and provide all of them. Get a feel for what you love and what you’re good at.
You can find my list of services as an example here.
How do you find clients?
Tell friends and family about your services. Post it on social media. If you have a website include a hire me page. Basically, just get the word out.
My first client was a referral through my sister. I highly suggest asking the people you know if they are willing to let you manage their Pinterest for a month at a discounted price in exchange for a testimonial or case study.
If no one you know would be interested I would go to freelance places like upwork.com. Personally, I don’t think you should work for free because it will lower the value of your services in the eyes of your client.
I pitched potential clients through email. Think about what blogs and websites you like to visit, which brick and mortar shop you think would benefit from your services. It couldn’t hurt to send them a quick email introducing yourself and asking if they would be interested in your services.
Always be on the lookout for advertisem*nts around you. If these companies can spend the money to advertise their business they might have a budget to hire you. Keep your eye out at local restaurants, sports games, even Facebook and Instagram.
Check out these ads that are targeting you by your interests. Search for these companies on Pinterest to see if they have a presence yet.
Join Pinterest, VA’s, bloggers and small business Facebook groups to share experiences and tips in a community setting. Meet like-minded people and support each other. Collaborate with them to meet both of your goals. You may find potential clients on these groups, too.
Related: Blogging Newbs Facebook Group: Over 20k members!
Honestly, you will not hear back from most of your pitches. That’s okay. It doesn’t mean your pitches were bad. Pinterest services are still a relatively new thing. They may not be ready yet or they may have no interest at this time.
There is a good chance the services you are offering will be unique enough for them to remember and look into it at a later time or pass your name along to others. This has happened to me.
After you land your first client there is a good chance you’ll get another from their referral. This is a no-brainer but treat your clients well and do a great job. They will recommend you to others.
What tips do you have for someone that wants to become a Pinterest VA?
1. Ask questions. If you are considering taking a course, contact the instructor and ask before you buy. If you have questions on a blog post, contact the blogger. People are generally happy to hear from you and answer questions.
2. Always start with a client on a trial period to see if you are a good fit.
3. Be picky. The work experience is so much better with a good client. Don’t feel like you have to stick with someone who causes you stress.
4. Ask for payment before starting work. If you are uncomfortable with that, ask for 50% up front and the balance a few days before the end of the period.
5. I suggest getting billed at a flat fee instead of an hourly rate. This way you can require payment before starting the work. You will also get faster doing tasks with experience.
6. Over deliver. I don’t mean work a whole bunch of extra hours or pin an extra 100 pins. I mean give them more analytics than they expected or check up on them once a week.
7. Start with only one client. I recommend to land your first client and not take on any other client until you get experience with this first one. Learn all you can.
8. Don’t put off sending your first pitch because you don’t think anyone will hire you. After sending that dreaded first one, it gets so much easier.
9. Wait a week after you’ve sent a pitch. If you haven’t heard back, send a quick follow up email.
10. Stay up to date with Pinterest and their trends. They’ve released their 2019 trends!Another trusted Pinterest source is Tailwind. Tailwind just released a blog post about using hashtags on Pinterest. You can find the link here.
How do I contact you if I have Pinterest VA questions or if I’m interested in your services?
I will be happy to answer any questions you have. I can be reached athello@cecilyavila.com or through the contact form on my website at cecilyavila.com.
If you’d like to inquire more about my services we can schedule a quick call where we can chat about what your business goals are and how I can help you reach them. I have a background in finance, a love for Pinterest and an interest in helping people promote their businesses there.
