Marketing is not an easy job. You have to know exactly what you’re doing.
There’s also a ton of work to do to get it right. This is where a virtual marketing assistant comes in. It’s their job to help you and make the task much lighter and more successful.
This article will deal with how to hire a virtual marketing assistant, among other things. But who exactly is a virtual marketing assistant?
What is a virtual marketing assistant?
This is not some software program but a real human who specializes in helping you with online marketing activities. They can be located in any part of the world so long as there is a relatively stable internet connection out there. They also must have a computer that works well enough plus the skills and experience to help you reach your business goals.
It’s time to dig a little deeper into the different things a virtual marketing assistant can do for your business.
What does a virtual marketing assistant do for you?
Even though this list is not exhaustive, you will find that many virtual marketing assistants offer these services. They include:
SEO content writing: The goal of this is to get your website shown to as many people all over the world as possible. More eyes on your website means more people are likely to pay for your products or services. That also means more revenue for your business over time.
Email marketing: This is all about reaching out to people who have shown some interest in what you’re offering. The objective is to try to get them to buy for the very first time or to buy again and again from you. Of course, you can’t afford to be too pushy. The trick is to educate and possibly entertain them and not just try to shove your products in their face.
Website management: Writing blog articles, updating website copy, and responding to comments are all part of website management. A good virtual marketing assistant will have these covered.
Social media management: You don’t have to worry about sharing content on your social media accounts. Your virtual assistant knows exactly what to share and the best time to share it. They also respond to questions and complaints from customers.
Run Google ad campaigns: The biggest search engine in the world is Google. To leverage this platform, your virtual marketing assistant can run Google search ads and display ads for you. That way, your sales message will get more reach.
Social media marketing: This has to do with paid Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, and even LinkedIn ads. Some people specialize in a few of them while others are generalists who can work on all these platforms.
Database management: This is one of the routine but important tasks a virtual marketing assistant can help you with. Standard Operating Procedures, explainer videos, and documents can all be managed and stored online with the help of your marketing assistant.
Competitor research: Figuring out what your major competitors are doing and saying on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, on podcasts and other live streams is not a small task. Decoding the thinking behind their messaging and the gaps of it are also not a simple task. These are all what a virtual marketing assistant can do for you.
How to hire a virtual marketing assistant
Having considered all the many things they can do for you, there’s no doubt that you’ll get a lot out of hiring one. So how do you hire a virtual marketing assistant? The steps below will give you a clue.
Properly assess your specific needs
Needs vary from one company to another. It’s important to figure out what you really need before you start the hiring process. This will prevent you from having to fire them soon because you have no work for them to do.
A proper assessment also ensures that you use them where they can make the most impact on your business. List all the things you or your team does that you would be happier not doing. Include the things you or your team waste a lot of valuable time doing. Those are the problems you need help with. But you also need to take a look at your budget.
Consider your budget
Budgets are probably the most important part of the hiring process. Without knowing what you can afford to pay a virtual marketing assistant, how do you even start? Take a close look at your current revenue and your recurring expenses. The next step is one of the main things that will attract the right talents.
Write a detailed job description
The best talents are usually on the lookout for great opportunities. An easy way for them to spot such an opportunity is through a great job description. Give a little background information about your company and why the role is open.
Talk about the specific tasks the role demands, plus some milestones you want to achieve in 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year. Don’t be vague or try to include every task from some template in the job description. It’s to get in touch with some talents.
Pick the right virtual staffing agency
At this point, you want to start getting talents with the skills and experience needed who are looking for a job. It’s a good idea to pick a virtual staffing agency. They quickly link you with talents who meet your requirements. You won’t have to spend days searching for job boards or social media groups.
Some virtual staffing agencies even go a step further to offer you risk-free guarantees. They have easy access to vetted talents from all over the world. If you’ve read this far, you might be wondering, “Do I really need virtual marketing assistants since I’m already a marketing professional with years of experience and wins? Well, there are at least three reasons why you need them.
3 reasons why you should hire a virtual marketing assistant.
1. They save you time and money
In the business world, time is money and money can buy time. Many tasks done by virtual marketing assistants would cost you far more to do as a CEO. An hour of your time may be worth thousands of dollars. Why waste such valuable time and money for a task a virtual marketing assistant can do for only a fraction of the cost?
2. They reduce your workload and give you more freedom
What if you had more time to attend professional events and meet other C-level executives for networking purposes? What if you could have some more time to spend on recreation and with your loved one?
3. They help you make more cash and grow faster
The goal of every founder is to get more revenue and grow, right? Well, that’s exactly what a virtual marketing assistant will help you achieve. They represent more skilled hands on deck. That means more things that move your business forward can be done on a larger scale. All that will result in more money and the faster growth of your company.
Nobody wants to live a life filled with regrets because of any corporate decision. Would you ever regret hiring a virtual marketing assistant for your business? No. Not if you follow the process listed above. But to allay your fears, below are six reasons why you won’t regret it.
6 reasons why you will not regret hiring a virtual marketing assistant.
1. Routine tasks will be off your shoulders
The task of responding to enquiries, getting feedback, addressing concerns, managing databases, and so much more will be off you and your team’s to-do list. That means more time to do other pressing tasks.
2. There will be more time to actually lead your company
As the founder, your main responsibility is to be the visioner for your team. Getting involved in the day to day activities is not what you should be doing. When you hire a virtual marketing assistant you’ll finally find the time to guide the company’s path into the future.
3. It will be possible to run your business around the clock
Virtual marketing assistants are remote workers located in different time zones across the globe. When you hire them, you can run your business 24/7. Some can work in the day in your time zone while others can work at night (day time in their own time zone).
4. You’ll reach more prospective customers
When you have virtual marketing assistants to assist you, there will be a bigger marketing effort. This will result in being able to reach more potential customers and closing more deals. Who doesn’t want that?
5. You’ll get insights from international talents
Imagine having access to talents from across cultures around the world. Country borders will not be a barrier, neither will access to visas be a hindrance. You’ll get raw insights and skills from people you may never have known even existed.
6. You’ll have a more profitable business
When you combine the impact of all the five points above, it becomes clear that employing virtual marketing assistants will make your business more profitable. But you must do the hiring right (that has been said already). At the same time, you may want to know what it costs to hire a virtual marketing assistant.
The cost of hiring a virtual marketing assistant
It will cost you anywhere from between $5 per hour to $20 per hour. If you want a mixture of skill and experience plus cost-effectiveness, you should consider virtual staffing agencies who offer that.
In the end, what will really make a difference in your business is making a careful analysis of all the points in this article before taking any step. That’s how to hire a virtual marketing assistant without any regrets.
