The Truth About Tiered Packages for Pinterest VA Services: What to Offer Instead

As a NEW Pinterest virtual assistant, you may be tempted to work hourly. After all, it's a great way to show clients how much value you can provide.

Plus, helping more people means you can make more money, right? The truth is, there are several reasons why you shouldn't work hourly - and we're going to share them with you!

One of the biggest problems with working hourly is that it often leaves YOU frustrated. As you get more efficient in your work, you start making LESS money.

Working hourly can often leave you feeling frustrated and undervalued. As the hours add up, your paychecks get smaller too!

You want to provide the best services for your clients and getting frustrated with providing the same work and making less will make you resentful.

Take my word on this, skip the hourly hustle and work on retainer as a Pinterest manager!

You'll make more money and feel better about the work you're doing. Trust me, your clients will be happy too!

When you work on a retainer, you agree to provide certain services for a set price each month. This means that no matter how many hours you work, you get paid the same amount!

You can also offer package deals to clients, which can include a variety of services that you offer. This is a great way to show your client the value you provide and keep them coming back for more!

Plus, when you work on retainer or have package deals, it means that YOU are in charge of your time. You're not working by the hour!

Hourly Rate VS Fixed Rate Packages for a Pinterest Manager

Let's talk about hourly rates first.

The virtual assistant industry has been shifting over the past few years from a focus on hourly billing to fixed-price packages. Hourly billing is going by its way out, especially for Pinterest services, because virtual assistants are finding it harder and harder to make a decent living charging only an hourly rate. I know many virtual assistants who have had to work 2+ virtual assistant jobs (full-time) in order to make ends meet. This can be especially tough for virtual assistants with families or if they are the only virtual assistant working in their business.

It's not that virtual assistants can't succeed with an hourly rate; it is just harder, and this is coming from someone who started my virtual assisting business charging hourly.

Hourly rates also make virtual assistants very uncomfortable because it is hard to put a price tag on your own time, especially if you are new to the virtual assisting industry. So virtual assistants starting out often decide to work hourly as they learn how much their time is worth and what a "good" or a "bad" hourly rate is.

I started out charging an hourly rate, so I get it! So let's take a look at Pinterest virtual assistant pricing packages and see if that makes things easier for new Pinterest managers.

Now that you KNOW you don't want to work hourly, let's tackle the next pricing problem I see with many Pinterest VAs:

Offering tiered packages so their clients can choose what works best for them.

Offering different levels of service at varying price points is a great way to maximize your revenue, but not in tiered packages for the same service.

First, let's discuss:

What are tiered packages?

Tiered packages are when you offer different levels of services at different price points.

For example, as a Pinterest manager you may offer a "basic" package that includes pining X number of pins per day and a "premium" package that includes pinning X number of pins per day PLUS creating graphics.

You may be thinking this is a great way to show what you offer and give your clients options, but it doesn't work for several reasons:

First, when you offer tiered packages, your ideal client will often choose the lower-priced option. After all, they want to save money! But this means you end up doing the same amount of work for less pay because you want to get the very best results for your clients. So why not just tell them exactly what they need to get the best results?

Another reason tiered packages are NOT the best option for Pinterest Virtual Assistants is when you offer tiered packages, it's hard to raise your prices later on. Let's say a year goes by and you've become more experienced (and efficient) in your work. You want to raise your prices to match your new level of expertise - but now you have to decide which package to raise them for! Do you raise the price for your lower-priced package, or do you keep it the same and risk losing clients?

One of the biggest problems with tiered package options is that they often leave out key tasks or strategies that could make a big impact for your client. For example, you might offer a lower-priced package that doesn't include any keyword research - and as we all know, keywords are essential for ranking on Pinterest! Not only that, but clients often feel like they're being nickel and dimed when they have to pay for additional services, especially if those services are essential to their success.

Finally, a MAJOR issue witth tiered package options is that they can be confusing for clients. It's not always clear what each package includes, and as a result, clients may not be sure which one is right for them. This can lead to frustration on both sides and ultimately lost business.

Truth be told, you should be presenting yourself as the expert and telling clients what they need to be successful in Pinterest marketing - that is why they came to you. This is just one way you can build confidence in your work for clients - show up as the expert. Confidently telling potential clients what they need to reach their goals and clearly explaining what that includes and setting clear expectations sets the tone for the entire working relationship.

So what should you do instead of offering a tiered package option?

The best option is to create a custom proposal for each client based on their specific needs and goals. This way, you know you're including all the essential services they need to succeed - and there's no confusion about what's included. Not only does this approach provide more value for your clients, but it also makes it easier for them to make decisions about their Pinterest marketing strategy.

Does this sound time-consuming and stressful?

Don't worry! MOST clients will have the same basic needs for general Pinterest marketing:

Setting up a new account or cleaning up and optimizing an existing account

Monthly management: actually getting pins out there for their content

Pinterest has changed a lot since I started 5 years ago and there is no longer a need to offer packages with different numbers of pins scheduled in TailWind each day, excessive pinning won't help the account grow any faster!

So monthly management will look the same for most clients.

Differences may include things like making video pins or idea pins for their account if they have content that can be repurposed for that.

That is the main way I would say management could be different for clients, making video pins could be an additional service for a higher-priced package.

When it comes to Pinterest virtual assistant services, many business owners offer tiered packages. This is usually in the form of a "Bronze," "Silver," and "Gold" package, with each level providing different levels of service.

So, what should you offer instead of tiered packages?

The answer is simple - customized solutions. When a potential client contacts you, ask them about their specific goals and needs. Once you have a good understanding of what they are looking for, put together a proposal that outlines the steps you will take to help them achieve those goals. This may include creating or managing Pinterest boards, providing Pinterest marketing advice, or any other services you offer. Tailor your services to meet the unique needs of each client, and you'll be well on your way to building long-term relationships and generating more sales. Have you tried offering customized solutions instead of tiered packages? What has been your experience so far?