virtual assistant for marketing
The biggest challenge my small business clients share with me when it comes to their marketing is that while they know they need to put in more effort with their marketing, they simply do not have the time.
Well, there is a solution… Enter virtual assistant for marketing (or VA’s)!
In this guest post, Sharon Pegrum, writer and VA shares exactly how the right VA can help grow your business for you.
Feel like you need to clone yourself? With the right Virtual Assistant, you can!
There are many reasons why business owners consider hiring a virtual assistant for marketing. Often they are the first person engaged by a business, at a time when the business is growing beyond a “one person show”. When you start your own business chances are you are on your own, doing all the tasks regardless of whether you want to or not.
My clients have mostly all come to me at the point where the daily tasks of running their business have become simply too much for them alone. They need a second pair of hands to make sure the growth continues along with the quality of their own services. They are often in a state of stress and overwhelm that comes from trying to do everything themselves.
The time that a quality VA can free up for business owners allows them to concentrate on areas of their business that would otherwise be neglected. For many, it is a new program or offer they have been meaning to launch or the ability to accept more clients. Sometimes it is purely stopping the overwhelm they are feeling and creating a better work-life blend. I am sure all of us can think of something we would want to accomplish if only we had more time! How often do you wish you could just create a clone so you could do the work of two?
A VA should fit the role of trusted partner, someone who has your back and is keeping an eye out for your business. It happens frequently that my clients will ring to chat through their projects with me and discover the thing they really needed was someone on the other end of the phone to ask the right questions. My goal for my clients is to have them say “I feel much better after talking to you” and I am pleased to say it happens often.
Like any professional, a VA will have skills and resources that will compliment your business. They may be skills that you don’t have yourself or tasks that you simply just don’t have time for. There is also the fresh eyes of someone who is not you and sometimes that is all that is needed for positive change, a new idea or problem solving. There are many times that clients come to me with problems that are outside of the scope of my work with them but they just need someone with a new perspective and together we find the solution.
Marketing is one area where outsourcing to a VA can provide real benefits. Some of the areas where business owners can engage a VA include:
Social Media Content
Many VAs offer creation of social media images. Businesses can easily provide their branding details and have consistent images for easy posting. A good eye for design and experience with a program like Canva is worth it’s weight in gold for busy business owners. Better yet having someone create and then schedule your posts really frees up your time.
Social Media Setup
For some business owners, the initial setup of their social media platforms gives them an immediate headache. Whether you are setting up a brand new business or have just decided it’s time to venture into the world of social media it can make sense to have someone set up your platforms that already knows the ins and outs rather than fumbling through yourself and taking up your busy day.
Social Media Strategy
In the ever-changing world of social media it makes sense to have a member of your team who is actively watching the latest trends. As a VA I am always on the look out for strategies that are going to assist my clients with their social media reach. Being able to share these strategies and see clients reap the benefits is very rewarding.
Content Creation
A lot of clients come to me because they struggle to write their own content. It is not necessarily because they can’t write but it is difficult to write about yourself and your own business. Having someone who has a gift for words but also has an outside vantage point is invaluable. This can include website copy, landing pages, email newsletters and social media posts.
Proof Reading
It is always a great idea to have a second person look over any content for spelling, grammar and wording. It can be difficult to critically assess and find errors in your own words so this is again where your VA comes in. Everything from blogs, web copy, ebooks to landing pages.
Research
Maybe you need to keep an eye on when your facebook viewers are online, who is opening your newsletters or what facebook groups your target audience is hanging out in. It’s the perfect project for a skilled VA and will leave you with an easy to use report at the end that you can action.
Email Messaging
Another task that you can outsource is creation and management of your email newsletters. Setting up a mailing list, creating templates or going the whole hog and sending your regular newsletter are something else you can tick off your list permanently.
Brand Consistency
I regularly see businesses sharing content from other people’s pages. My assumption is they find this easier than creating their own, which does seem time saving. However, the result is not only are you promoting someone else’s business but it is not helping you create a consistent online presence. The time it takes an experienced VA to create branded images is very minimal and can make a huge difference. Ensure you are very clear on your branding before your VA gets started and that they have all the branding information they will need.
Engaging a virtual assistant for marketing should give you a feeling of relief, the ability to create space in your business so you can achieve your goals and the promise of a long term, positive relationship. Like any business decision, you should shop around and find someone that resonates with you and understands the individual needs of your business. Choose wisely and the benefits to your business will be innumerable.
About Sharon
Sharon Pegrum is an Executive Virtual Assistant who works primarily with heart-led women to create the space in their businesses to share their important messages with the world. From her desk in the middle of the Toodyay bush, she specialises in copywriting, social media and bookkeeping. Sharing her home with her husband Pete, 2 young boys, 2 needy rescue dogs and an angry, black cat life is certainly busy. As a homeschooling, gentle parenting mama Sharon loves the flexibility of her business and is blessed to work with many inspired business women.
Connect with Sharon:
www.sharonpegrum.com.au
https://www.facebook.com/SharonPegrumWriter/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonpegrum
