Today’s blog is a fun one, because we have a guest! I’m introducing you to my Virtual Assistant: Courtney Pike of CP Productivity. She’s going to be sharing exactly how a virtual assistant can serve wedding photographers. From the big projects, to all the little things in between, it’s safe to say my business wouldn’t be the same if it wasn’t for her. 

I first ‘met’ Courtney back in May 2021. My friend (and business partner) Morgan was chatting to me about her new Virtual Assistant and I was sold. We connected right away and the rest is history! I’m so excited for her to share what she does for my business and how she can help you in yours. Let’s dive in!

Meet My Virtual Assistant: CP Productivity

As a full-time virtual assistant serving wedding photographers, I feel like there are a lot of unknowns about exactly what a VA does. I have been running my business for 18 months now, and my husband still doesn’t know how to answer the “so what does your wife do for a living?” question 😅 The short answer: everything. The long answer: it’s complicated. 

When I first began my biz, I was marketing myself as a virtual administrative assistant. Now, 18 months later, I’ve spent a very short amount of time doing admin tasks in this role. For the majority of my clients, I manage their social media accounts, create blogs + write as a ghostwriter. Some other tasks I do include Reels creation, Pinterest management, Graphic Design, and I’ve even created a website before! 

Virtual Assistant Services for Wedding Photographers

As mentioned above, there’s a whole slew of things I offer to best serve my clients. If it’s something they are interested in, I’m down to learn + serve. But let’s talk about how I serve Sarah Yates Photo specifically. Many of the tasks I do for Sarah vary based on need, while other tasks are consistent. 

Every week, you will catch me blogging for Sarah as a ghostwriter. Once a blog is completed, I’ll create a caption + hashtags for Instagram. Sometimes, you’ll find me engaging on Sarah’s account. What this means is, I’ll go in and reply to comments or comment on other creators’ posts. I also Pin images from the blog on Pinterest, create Idea Pins, etc. 

Some “infrequent” tasks include client gifting, emailing vendors, attending workshops/shoots for The Candid Community, and sending out contracts. 

It’s safe to say it’s difficult to explain what I do in just a couple words 😉 I don’t mean to sound like a broken record, but my #1 goal as a virtual assistant is to give wedding photographers their time back to do what they love. Most don’t love to respond to email or spend all day on Instagram. Even if they do, they simply don’t have the time. That’s exactly where a VA comes in handy!

How to Find the Right Virtual Assistant

There’s so much uncertainty about how a virtual assistant can serve wedding photographers for one reason: every VA is different in what they offer. So while you may find a virtual assistant like myself (who offers “everything”), some are more specialized and only offer social media management. Finding the right VA takes time, patience, and trial & error. 

My biggest tip to find the right VA is to utilize Instagram! Search for “Virtual Assistant for Photographers” and a ton come up. Once you’ve found a few you’re interested in, reach out to get some more info + schedule a discovery call. One of the most important things when working with a virtual assistant is establishing a relationship. The amount of trust it takes to “give up” certain parts of your business is no small feat. I’ve taken a lot of pride in creating deep relationships with my clients because I know how important it is. Don’t be afraid to shop around for the right connection!

Knowing exactly how a virtual assistant helps photographers is half the battle when it comes to hiring one. 

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Now that my VA has shared all the nitty gritty details on how she helps my business, I have some more biz tips for you down below in the Additional Resources. You can also find some more tips, tricks, and BTS over on the ‘Gram (@sarahyatesphoto)

Be sure to check out Courtney on Instagram (@cpproductivity) or on her website. 

Additional Resources:

5 Tips to Ensure Your Images are Safe
Top 7 Free Resources for Photographers
Best (and Worst) Lenses for Wedding Photography