Here’s a fun and growth-inspired question for people who work in online business, including content marketing and media.
Can a person who serves as a virtual assistant also function as a coach? I say YES. And of course, it depends.
First things first: we should probably define virtual assistant. Virtual, meaning you work remotely, and assistant meaning you serve in a support role.
A person who gets paid to carry out web marketing tasks like…
- Making websites
- Editing content
- Writing and posting blog posts
- Creating email newsletters
- Making Canva graphics
- Working in media production
- Posting on social media
…might call him- or herself a virtual assistant.
And in the case where this person works for a client who leads well, and needs a worker to carry out functions and complete tasks; that title makes sense.
But there are also those clients and prospects who come to you needing online business support, not quite knowing where to start or or how to organize it all.
For these people, though technically you’re providing virtual assistance; you might also serve as a coach, guide, advisor, or consultant.
This about it: which title will garner you instant respect: Content Marketing Coach, or Virtual Assistant?
Your chosen title essentially tells people in just one word, where you rank in terms of experience.
A “virtual assistant” could be fresh out of the gate, just learning the ropes of, say, basic HTML coding, email automation, customer service, and blogging.
(But the title “virtual assistant” could also simply refer to a person who thrives in, and prefers, a support service role.)
A “coach” could also offer those things, but he or she would be more inclined to strategize, advise, and direct.
The word “assistant” itself might be associated with a kind of helper or support role. Which is not to say that you can’t get support from a coach because you can… but calling yourself a coach or consultant implies a bit more authority.
To Be, or Not to Be, a Coach
Charlene Burke, author of Email Copywriting Secrets: How to Write Killer Emails that Get Results,” avoids use of the word “coach,” preferring the term “Marketing Communications Professional” to describe the role she serves for clients.
Below, Charlene cautions on using the word “coach” in your title:
“I don’t believe anyone should call themselves a coach unless they’ve been trained and certified to be a coach. A marketer is not a coach.
A marketer – is one who knows a handful of tactics and is able to market a product using those tactics. A marketing expert is one who knows all the aspects of marketing … demographics, psychographics, positioning, media placement, data analysis, product to market fitness, product packaging, and more.”
That said, more people in the online business and internet marketing world have chosen to brand themselves as a coach, as a way to stand out from the herd.
If you call yourself a coach, can you charge more for your services?
The short answer to whether calling yourself a coach is the answer to commanding a higher hourly rate, is yes, it may well be. But that term also may bring hesitation.
Some thoughts you may think:
- Am I qualified to call myself a (marketing, business) coach?
- How many years of experience do I have in online business?
- Have I collected lots of glowing testimonials from happy clients?
- Am I likely to outsource tasks to an assistant?
- Have I reached the point in my career where I can confidently advise on best practices of my industry?
- What proof can I present to support this claim of expertise? (Have I hit millions or billions in sales? Did I achieve this for companies I’ve served?)
- Do I feel comfortable being called a coach?
- Am I certified as a coach (you don’t need certification technically to call yourself a coach – though some coaches who are certified may question your use of the title).
The more checkmarks you can put beside these types of questions, the more comfortably you’re likely to feel slipping into the role of “Marketing Coach” or “Online Business Coach.”
What are the perks of wearing the label “Marketing Coach” versus calling yourself a Virtual Assistant?
- People will be more likely to ASK for instead of OFFER you advice.
- You’re more likely to land speaking gigs and teacher-type roles (and feel at-ease in doing so).
- You’ll gain more credibility among followers.
- You’ll more readily convert sales – people will pay to hear what you have to say.
- You’ll have more success creating passive income selling courses, challenges, and e-guides.
- You’ll be sought-out as a guest author, and asked to provide quotes.
Can you be a hybrid of both virtual assistant AND coach?
If you’re worked as a marketing assistant/virtual assistant for many years, you may have clout in the industry. People will know your name, and you may often be referred for services.
This puts you at an advantage. Clients who feel ready to press go on their marketing will seek you out.
There won’t be that stop-go hesitation that a less experienced virtual assistant might get from clients who aren’t sure of the VA’s capabilities AND don’t really have a marketing plan in place.
What about a coach who has niche expertise?
Podcast production expert Christina Rankin Lemme, dons the label “coach” in her business where she guides clients on how to launch and run their own podcast.
In her case, “Podcasting Coach” drills down into a niche and differentiates her from other, more generic media and communications experts online.
Her thoughts on choosing the title “virtual assistant” versus “coach…”
“In my opinion, a virtual assistant offers support, not strategy, and your term “marketer” sounds like someone who would offer strategies. A VA can implement strategy.”
Ready to go from VA to coach? How to ease into the role…
- Participate more in social media discussions about online business. Practice adding value and speaking with authority.
- Join a mastermind group. These are for next-level marketing professionals who “walk the talk” and feel ready to grow their businesses together.
- Run a social media group or membership. People will look to you as the leader or guide.
- Launch a digital product. Find out what newbies want to know, which will help you recognize how far you’ve come in your journey.
- Get current on what’s trending, what tools and platforms are hot right now.
- Start coordinating group projects. This can be as simple as gathering quotes for an article you publish, or as complicated as running a 3-month JV with your marketing cohorts.
- Ask for testimonials from former and current clients. These serve as the most powerful evidence of your expertise.
What can you call yourself besides coach?
If you don’t feel quite comfortable calling yourself a coach because of the whole certification thing, you do have other options for elevating your status via a simple title change.
- Call yourself a consultant –> Marketing Consultant, Online Business Consultant, Niche Blogging Consultant
- Make up a “says what I do” name –> Content Marketing Strategist, Passive Income Expert, Online Business Guide
- Use the word “Coach” with your current title –> Copywriting Coach, Virtual Assistant Coach, Web Design Coach, Email Marketing Coach
- Invent a playful title –> Marketing Czarina, Head Geek, Web Nerd in Charge, Media Maven
What this all boils down to: as you evolve as a service provider for online businesses– whether that is marketing, newsletter creation, website development, social media, SEO or all of the above and more– you’re going to want to change your title, perhaps.
You have arrived at the role of teacher and guide… so what will you call yourself?
Have you thought about changing your title to reflect your current level of mastery in online business, virtual assistance, copywriting, web design, or another aspect of content marketing?
If you see this post shared on social media, drop a comment and let us know your ideas about this!
About Dina, Copywriter and Content Strategist
Seasoned copywriter and web content strategist Dina Giolitto adores her work, and will jump into your projects with as much love as if they were her own.
She avoids stirring up controversy by not using the word “coach” to describe how she helps her clients succeed.
Contact her for a project quote at dinagio@dinagio.com.