Businesses and executives hire VAs  for three obvious reasons during this pandemic:

• Business owners want to cut down on business operational cost while still continuing operations.
• Business owners wants to stay safe by practicing social distancing.
• Business owners wants to continue operations without sacrificing quality of delivered output from staff.

Need to avoid what you dislike? No problem. Here’s a list of most commonly outsourced tasks to virtual assistants.

Admin, Executive, Personal Assistant Tasks

A virtual executive assistant can act as your “virtual secretary” who can provide customer service support and take care of all the admin stuff that takes part of your daily activities. You can assign work to a VA indefinitely, but here is the most in-demand virtual assistant task list:

1. Email management – Send, reply, and filter all email communication. You decide what emails go to which folder and the VA will sort them accordingly. Work on a clutter-free inbox and respond to those that need your attention. Or, have him or her create email templates and reply on your behalf.
2. Chat support – Live chat agents can be your front-liners to assist your customers and website visitors. They can answer product inquiries and aid everyone in his or her online-buying decisions. They can also resolve customer service or technical issues to make sure your business transactions run smoothly.
3. Appointment setting – Appointment setter virtual assistants secure real-time appointments; re-schedule and cancel appointments on your behalf. They collect a person’s info such as name, address, payment method, best time to contact, etc. The agents can also deliver your sales scripts and record orders into database.
4. Handle inbound/outbound calls – Customer service rep can answer phone calls and also do follow-up calls to represent your company. These professional call handlers educate prospects on products, services, and prices, and encourage them make a purchase.
5. Transcribe audio or voice – Virtual staff transcriptionists convert speech into text copy. Medical and legal are the most popular transcription jobs in the market that’s why these VAs have strong legal vocabulary and medical terminology knowledge. They also have excellent typing speed and listening skills. This task is also great for people who run podcast shows and want to convert them into written format.
6. Calendar management – Just like appointment setting, assistants can also manage your events and other monthly activities. They enable electronic access to schedules and calendars by multiple users so it would be easier to collaborate with your team.
7. CRM updates – A company database needs a regular update and maintenance. A technically savvy virtual assistant can do database or online CRM management to help provide your customers a great user experience.
8. Research – Conduct research for white papers. Virtual admin assistants can search just about anything from information and media, case studies, to academic or technical articles. Research can be simple but it requires a lot of time. If you find yourself too busy to browse online, then this is an ideal task to outsource to a VA.
9. Data entry – Lessen the workload of your internal employees by delegating data entry tasks to VAs to tackle large volume of documents. Also, there’s no need for you to purchase expensive software and storage because the virtual assistant company would provide it for you. Your data would be stored safely and your company’s efficiency would be increased.
10. Travel booking and assistance – A travel specialist can be a great help in your next vacation. Free yourself of the burden of scouting and calling just to get a good deal. Your VA will research about the place, as well as handle ticketing, refunds, exchanges, reschedule, hotel accommodation, and preparation of your travel itinerary.
11. Restaurant reservations – Works well along with travel booking assistance. Your dedicated virtual personal assistant will find and reserve a very good spot for you to dine and enjoy with your family, colleagues, and friends.
12. Online shopping and errands – Make your VA run some errands for you—virtually! He can buy your groceries or household needs online, pay bills, book a seat in a movie, or anything you can think of. If you’re running late for work, it’s nice to have an assistant to work into your to-do list.
13. Voicemail management – Equipped with proper telephone etiquette, a VA can return calls promptly that have been left on voicemail. She can also enable alerts and notify you via email when new or important messages arrive.
14. Documentation and updating of files – Includes creating PDF forms, updating contracts, formatting documents, etc.
15. Assist in speaking engagements – Seek the right speaking opportunities by researching call for speakers and submitting for call for speakers. The VA can also assemble materials and promote your speech online.
16. Create power point presentation – Similarly, he or she can create a compelling slide show as part of your presentation. Show the contact info about your business. You can display this while you answer questions during the event.
17. Bookkeeping – Includes excel accounting data entry, balance sheet management, bank & credit reconciliation; Maintaining cash flow, accounts on QuickBooks and Peachtree; and payroll processing
18. Creating reports – You can give any info and the VA will turn them into sales reports, mileage reports, postage cost reports, etc.
19. Prepare meeting minutes – Talented virtual office assistants can turn your scribbles and scrawls into beautifully clear and organized minutes.
20. Moderating blogs – Rather than allowing comments in your blog right away, get someone to moderate them first. Blogs are living documents. People will find them long after you’ve published them so it’s better to have a lot of nice comments and not just spam links from users and bots.
21. Organizing Dropbox – Save time by hiring an assistant to de-clutter your Dropbox account. He or she can set it up with specific folders, delete duplicates, and organize a naming system so that you find stuff easily.
22. Creating spreadsheets – Find a VA who knows the ins and outs of spreadsheets. You may find it as one of your weaknesses but sooner or later you might need it for record keeping, PR contacts, or account management.
23. Sending client invoices – Works great for business owners, consultants, and coaches. You can do it via audio recording or email your hours and billing info to your VA and he or she will do the invoices. You get to check and the VA sends them–you get paid!
24. Credit control – Now, it might feel kind of odd and ‘personal’ when you remind your clients of their payments. No worries, your VA can handle a very straightforward, matter-of-fact way and get the cash in. You don’t have to worry about emotions or guilt and still treat your clients like royalties.
25. Taking care of refunds – Similarly, you can take the stress away by having your executive assistant answer customer complaints and handle refunds.
26. Create marketing plan – Ideal for anybody who’s just starting out or been in a business for a while but don’t know a thing about digital marketing. Hire a VA who knows the latest online marketing techniques and can adapt for better conversions.
27. Create templates – Virtual office assistants can put together script swipe files for common customer requests.
28. Troubleshooting – If you are selling an online course or product, VAs can act as your front-end support to answer and help with customer issues.
29. Internet research on product and services – Browse and find competitor sites and see what works best for them.
30. Create newsletter – Don’t waste a whole week making your newsletter look great! If you’re not arty and don’t know how to layout a thing or two, use a VA to set up a newsletter for your business updates.
31. Send newsletter – So after you get a nicely done newsletter, you need to send it, right? The VA can upload your customer list and schedule your newsletter to go out when you want. If you have some templates then the VA can also tweak them like changing the date, headline, layout, etc. You can ask them to check the stats afterwards let you know what worked and what didn’t.
32. Sending greetings eCards – A great way to keep in touch with your clients or customers and make them feel how special they truly are. Outsource to virtual employee the sending of cards on your behalf. It can be ‘thank you’ cards, Congratulations, or birthday cards.
33. PDF conversion, splitting and merging – Converting files into PDF has its own advantages such as smaller size, high portability and powerful security. Assign your VA to disassemble and assemble PDF files quickly and easily either online or installed software.
34. Lead generation – Generating quality leads is essential for a business as nurturing them will eventually lead into sales. VAs can do lead acquisition through LinkedIn Marketing, MeetUp, social media, and setting up landing pages.
35. Adding tags and images to blog posts – Articles look better if they are not just all words in them. And adding tags can make search engines love them even more. A dedicated assistant will make sure all blogs are complete with images and popular tags.
36. Preparation of training materials – Virtual executive assistants to gather all reading and training materials and compile them into a comprehensive document so you can distribute them to your team.
37. Training of new virtual talent – Plus, when the time comes that you need another staff, your VA can train him and show him the ropes so he can get started.
38. Basic editing of audio files – If you want to edit some audio recording but not sure where to start, a VA can use open source software like Audacity or advanced apps like Adobe Soundbooth or GarageBand. Give him a brief where you want some clippings, filter, or sound effects.
39. Basic image editing – Want to see your images more enticing and crisp? A VA can do some basic Photoshop editing and make them appear nice and clean. You can also task him or her to crop an image of a model using your product.
40. Basic video editing – Splicing intros and outros from a raw footage. VA to edit out unnecessary clips and put filters, effects, or captions according to your preferences.
41. Create tutorial videos – Assign a VA to create videos that will explain how to use your product. A good demo will include screenshots and step-by-step instructions.
42. Find a voiceover talent – Interview a VA first and listen to his or her speaking voice. A professional voiceover talent can be a great asset to your video.
43. Setup a webinar – Got a presentation but don’t know how to put it all together in a webinar? A general virtual assistant can setup your account in an easy-to-use program like GoToWebinar so you can talk or conduct a demo for your customers or clients.

Real Estate Virtual Assistants (REVA)

Running and expanding your realty investment business is something VAs can help you with. Online assistants have in-depth knowledge of realtor terminologies and they can bring in leads for your real estate business.

General Tasks:

44. Phone support and customer service – handle incoming calls from prospective buyers/renters or new tenants and active tenants. The VA will also make outgoing calls for rent collection and payment reminders. They will also answer phone inquiries and reply to emails.
45. Online marketing – Market your properties online by using the following platforms: Craigslist, Backpage, Kijiji, Zillow, Trulia etc.
46. Website and social media updates – VA to post relevant updates in your social media network to increase engagement and update property listings on your website.
47. Create marketing materials – Assist in creating and designing visually appealing images and graphics for your property flyers, brochures, leaflets and ads. VA can also create and distribute videos on your properties for sale.
48. Create virtual tours – VA to design and edit real estate virtual tours from photos to make that overall realistic feel.

Real Estate Virtual Assistant for Agents/Brokers

49. Ad posting – A VA can create and manage ad postings in Craigslist and/or in Backpage and will make sure your ads are not flagged down.
50. Set-up meeting and manage calendar – As mentioned in #3, a VA can set up your meetings and manage your calendar to ensure you are never overbooked.
51. List building – Property lead list building (Probates, FSBOs, Foreclosures) and investor and banker list building (REIs, small banks, private lenders). VA will also perform lead generation tasks according to your preference.
52. Paperwork – Preparing and filing paperwork.
53. Transaction coordination – Assist in streamlining the workflow from contract-signing until the closing process. The VA will follow and execute strict procedures until final transaction audits.
54. MLS and CRM management – Maintain the following database: Salesforce, InfusionSoft, Top Producer, E-Edge, etc.
55. Listing coordination – Update your listings to include only recent properties that are available for rent, lease or for sale. VA is also responsible to tag or remove properties that are no longer available in the market.

Real Estate Virtual Assistant for Property Management Firms

56. Database and property software management – VA to update your database in an accurate and timely manner, making sure you have complete tenant info such as payment details and transactions.
57. Service order dispatch – Move-in and move-out assistance, database update and maintenance.
58. Update property listings – List update that will include only those properties that are available for rent, for lease or for sale; and tag or remove those that are no longer in the market.

Real Estate Virtual Assistant for Investors

59. List building and prospect management – Property lead list building such as Probates, FSBOs, Foreclosures; and investor & banker list building like REIs, small banks, private lenders. Lead generation based on your business’ model is one of regularly done virtual assistant tasks everyday.
60. Property listing – Assist in finding Real Estate Agents or Brokers where you list your properties either for lease or for sale. Secures accurate and timely updates of your property data.
61. Valuation – Work on property research and comp reports, including BPO’s and CMA’s.

Real Estate Telemarketers

62. Cold calling – Different call specializations to help real estate investors, agents, and brokers raise more money and ultimately close more deals and sales.
63. Setting appointments – Schedule meetings, conference, and other appointments. Do follow-up calls to generate prospects.
64. Receptionist – VA to get accurate property information, find investors, and answer buyer/seller inquiries.
65. Fill out questionnaires – Answer and provide necessary information to forms and questionnaires that will be required from you.

Web Design and Maintenance

Technical virtual assistants can create a compelling site for your business. Website development tasks are as follows:

Blog and Personal Sites – personal blog sites for advertisements, resumes and articles—with general topics like travel, cooking, how-to, DIY, parenting, etc.

Real Estate Sites – website for real estate business, investors, agents, brokers, or property management firms. It will require a responsive layout along with useful tools such as Google maps, photo enhancers and listing search buttons.

Business and E-commerce Sites – one of the most extensive sites to develop—require features such as payment system, product attachments, downloadable files, and categorization of products or services.

Portfolio, Multimedia, News and Magazine Sites – sites used for videos, images, and various hubs of arts and media content online.

66. Domain registration and website hosting – At the very start of your business, you get to pick a domain name and a hosting account. The web designer VA will guide you step-by-step in this process.
67. Custom logo design – You would also need a logo to best represent your brand. The tech VA will create up to 3 mockups of your business logo to choose from, then up to 2 revisions on chosen logo.
68. Create custom pages – Additionally, you can choose what to include on your custom pages such as the header, slide images, number of pages, keywords for SEO and marketing, type of content writing, etc.
69. Mobile-responsive web design upgrade – Mobile version of website is also highly recommended as most people do their shopping from their smartphones.
70. Revisions – This one is subject to complexity. Talk to your web designer on what changes you need or want for your website so he can work on the revisions.
71. Site speed upgrade – Another improvement the VA can make for your website is to increase its speed. Fast loading websites are proven to convert more visitors than slow loading ones. Website speed matters now more than ever!
72. Create contact forms – Capture website visitors’ contact info right on your page by creating contact forms. You can also use it for building your mailing list or creating an RSVP form for an event. Let readers get in touch without exposing your email address.
73. Create Payment System – Paypal and other methods if selling. As mentioned, business and e-commerce sites require this feature. This makes it hassle-free for customers to order online without having to call your sales people.
74. Create a membership website – Want to provide exclusive offers for your loyal customers? Have the web designer VA build a membership-only access website.
75. Importing databases – A VA can help you import databases in .csv and spreadsheet formats needed if you’re setting up a new software or starting an online newsletter.
76. Install WordPress – Tech VAs can help you come up with your very first WordPress site with plugIns and themes.
77. WordPress theme customization – Then, if you want to change anything from font style, color, to headers, sidebars, and certain sections of the website, you can also request your VA.
78. WordPress functionality – Comes with plug-in enhancements of your choice.
79. Put together resource pages – Readers tend to re-visit a website if they get a lot of information in a way that entertains them or helps them with their problems. Putting together a resources page can greatly help you get more page visits and retention.
80. Setup, monitor and manage affiliates – Similarly, the VA can manage a page where you offer a referral fee for your customers every time they send someone your way who needs your services.

Social Media Virtual Assistants

Once we build your site, we can also help you get more traffic with our virtual assistant services for SEO, Search Engine Marketing (SEM), and Social Media Marketing (SMM).

VAs do strategic tasks to help increase the number of your company followers and establish your brand’s social media presence for a stronger online reputation. Increase traffic to your website through social media.

81. Set up social media accounts – The social media VA will create and set up social networking profiles for your business to appear in Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Youtube, Instagram, Vimeo, Google+ and other platforms of your choice.
82. Post interesting/informative articles – The VA can post thought-provoking articles and update your page followers of your current and upcoming activities to keep them entertained.
83. Uploading to YouTube – Stick your ready-made videos in Dropbox or Google drive and the VA will edit them, put in the descriptions, and upload to YouTube.
84. Manage social media – Set up a VA as an admin or editor of your social media accounts. This is a good way to keep up with your Facebook page and respond to people asking questions about your product or service. The VA can use Hootsuite to schedule posts, tweets, while moderating comments on the side.
85. Generate unique social content – Build brand awareness that matches your business’s voice.
86. Social media analytics – VA to track all page insights to extract marketing and performance reporting.
87. Monitor social media pages – To make the most of social media marketing, the VA will also monitor your page insights and see which type of activity attracts more likes, shares, and visitors. Traffic may vary in each of the social media pages so it’s best to know which ones you and the VA will put more efforts to.
88. Run ad campaigns – If you have extra budget for marketing, take advantage of online product selling and branding by promoting and advertising your products and services. Discuss with your VA what ads you want to hype up and your target people and location.
89. Create Pinterest Images – Pinterest is becoming a more popular image sharing social network. Your VA can showcase your products and market your brand by creating pinnable images to get attention.

LinkedIn Marketing

Leverage LinkedIn features for sales prospecting, marketing, and networking.

90. Create/Update LinkedIn profile – The LinkedIn VA will help you set up your account and create your LinkedIn profile along with the best tagline as your header. He or she will also draft your Summary with appropriate keywords as well as your Experience, Skills, Posts, and other sections.
91. Join relevant LinkedIn groups – VA to join LinkedIn groups containing potential clients or groups within to your niche/target market.
92. Monitor and replace groups – He or she will then monitor and replace groups as needed—keep groups with better responsiveness and activity rate.
93. Send connection requests to prospects – VA to search prospects by using keywords or filter and send out connection requests to them.
94. Post/share relevant topics – Same as #48, the assistant will post informative articles that will attract connections to your profile and address pain points that you or your business can help solve. He or she will share via Pulse, newsfeed, and groups.
95. Monitor/Notify you of positive responses for follow-up – As your profile continue to establish your brand on LinkedIn, you will eventually get inquiries and interested parties. When this happens, the VA will notify you so that you can take the next steps to close the deal.

SEO

Outsource tasks online and improve search rankings through keyword discovery, content, on-page and off-page SEO.

96. Set up Google Analytics – SEO VA will set up Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools at the start of the project.
97. Complete Website SEO Audit Report – The SEO expert will then perform a detailed website analysis and will give you a comprehensive SEO Report. This will provide clear and actionable items to improve your online presence and ultimately rank higher in Google Search.
98. Register to directory/ business listings – Then, he or she will register your website to top free directory/listings (sitemap submission to top search engines).
99. Conduct general keyword research – Next, the SEO VA will research relevant keywords and phrases a reader might search. He or she will include these in your landing pages to get the attention of search engines.
100. Utilize Pay-per-click campaigns – Running a PPC campaign can be a little daunting especially when you don’t know what tactics to use. This time the VA will utilize search engine advertising by running well-designed PPC ads as part of your SEO strategy.
101. Build quality content for users – Finally, the writer VA will create useful content with the proper keywords generated (#60). Long-form content ranks better in Google so he or she can definitely help your business become more findable.
102. Create landing page – SEO VA to create, publish, and optimize landing pages that sell–equipped with right keywords and tags. The goal is to stay on the top and be visible as possible to clients.
103. On-page/site optimization – SEO VA to design and implement the strategies on all pages to lead visitors to your website. He or she will analyze pages that are getting the least and the most traffic, the key metrics like page views, backlinks, bounce rate, outbound links; and monitor traffic.
104. Off-page/site optimization – Furthermore, an SEO VA can perform tasks outside of your actual website in order to improve its ranking position and increase links towards the website. This includes guest blogging and commenting, backlinking, forum participation, etc.
105. Find popular blog posts – Dig blog articles in your niche that rank higher in search engines and have gone viral in social media channels. A VA can review what made their posts popular across the web and apply the same tactics for your blogs.
106. Social bookmarking – VA to add, organize, search, store, and share bookmarks of web pages (Digg, Stumble Upon, Reddit, Digg, Delicious). This can help introduce your site to others with relevant tastes.

Human Resource VA Services

An HR virtual assistant can almost do everything just like your regular HR office employee except that you get to keep them for a fraction of the normal cost.

107. Job posting – The HR VA will find you serious and relevant candidates by posting a list of open positions with their descriptions and requirements. He or she can post online on top job boards or social media to get lots of application.
108. Administer screening tests – As part of the hiring process, online screening tests or pre-employment test are needed to understand if the job seeker knows what their goals are. Your VA will be the one to screen out the candidates who are not fit for your organization or company.
109. Resume/profile review – When the applicants pass the initial screening, your HR assistant will then conduct a personalized critique of resumes. No need to plough through hundreds of profiles—the professional VA will handle it.
110. Background checking – Simultaneously, he or she will perform background checks or background investigation on the candidates to spot potential issues that could affect your company. Assessment will include employment history, employer feedback, and authenticating the credentials and references.
111. Initial phone interviews – Phone screening is another way to determine whether an applicant might be suitable for a position and therefore whether or not they should qualify for a physical interview. HR manager can ask question such as what they are ideally looking for in their next role or where they are up to in their job search.
112. Book in-office physical interviews – When all the initial screening is done, it’s time for a face-to-face interview. The VA will simply call the candidates and book them in to see you.
113. Send congratulatory email for new hires – New job congratulations email is a smart and courteous way to welcome the new hires onboard. The VA will include several ways to contact you, including email, phone, website and social media, along with the next steps to take.
114. Send work requirements and job contracts – As a standard procedure, the assistant will send requirements and employment contracts to outline both party’s rights, duties and obligations. This will ensure a safe and secure working environment as well as a smooth transition.
115. Database management of employee files – The VA will also compile and secure all of the employee data into easy-to-review employee database.
116. Facilitate new hire orientation – He or she will also facilitate orientations for new employees to ease them into their new positions and help them develop and understand the company’s mission, values, rules, etc.
117. Employee payroll tracking – HR staff to set up payroll system to keep track of your employees’ DTR. Let your VA manage scheduling and calculate payroll, reporting and invoicing.
118. Employee attendance tracking – Similar above, the VA will set up an attendance tracking template to record all employees’ time off and document whether they worked or took vacation, personal or sick days, etc.

And there’s more! Some companies may require specialized skill set that should be best handled by virtual assistants who are professional and/or had training.

These tasks can be:

119. Accounting – VA is a qualified accountant or CPA able to do accounting or bookkeeping tasks such as preparation of documents and tax filing, reconciling accounts, payroll, monthly-end closing reports, financial reports, budgeting, inventory control/analysis, and other accounting tasks.
120. Bilingual Virtual Assistant – Professional assistants who can speak two or multiple languages can assist business owners to reach customers from other parts of the world in different language.
121. Translating – Additionally, bilingual virtual assistants can transcribe documents in two languages, and can provide phone and email support. They can also act as global customer service representatives.
122. Blogging/Writing – Blogging and content writing is a great way to attract web visitors. A blogger VA marketing by positioning you as an expert in your field and showing people you can help solve their problems.
123. Copywriting – One of the most important elements of effective online marketing. Professional VA copywriters to craft a compelling copy for your landing page or customized pages to promote your products and services.
124. Write press releases – These are branding and credibility tools. Listen to your audience and have a VA share your story by creating irresistible but informative press releases.
125. Distribute press releases – The VA will then send it into the hands of local press, reporters and publishers, and to the best free and paid press release sites (optional).
126. Create/edit a mockup – Make custom branding layout for e-book and gadgets like iPhone, iMac, MacBook, T-shirt, and Print Media etc.
127. Format e-books – Have your e-books look professional with a consistent style and feel, error-free and grammatically correct.
128. Project management – A project manager is what you need if you are working with a team and doing a project launch. If you don’t have time to supervise everything, then a management VA can assign tasks to team members and make sure they hit the deadlines and desired output.
129. Diary management – If you are someone who is super busy and need to ‘to-do’ reminder everyday, you can use a VA to act as your PA. He or she will manage and protect your time, book in your appointments and keep you right.
130. Proofreading – Send your message out professionally by getting rid of loads of typo and spelling errors. A proofreader VA can review and correct your piece so you get it right the first time.
131. Setting up FB ads – Social media VAs can work their magic and make your ads amazing. Not only that, they can discuss with you on budget and proper targeting so that you will see results for your hard-earned cash.
132. Creating auto-responders – Send automatic replies to your customers or subscribers by using auto-responders. Have your VA configure them to create a consistent level of service and reach your recipients at the right time.
133. Write or proofread launch sequence emails – Guide your leads efficiently down the sales funnel by using email sequence. Your VA can strategically set up a campaign such as welcoming them to your business, motivating them to learn more, and eventually thanking them for their purchase.
134. Create opt-in freebies – A savvy VA can write, edit or design an opt-in freebie related to your business to increase the number of prospects in your mailing list and gather leads.
135. Create Canva images – Fact: images are one of the best ways to get traffic and keep people talking and sharing. A VA can easily create graphics from excellent drag-and-drop tools like Canva—anything from social media images to infographics, blog headers, e-books, flyers, etc.
136. Work with printing company – The VA can also send design to your printing company to have them printed and shipped to you.
137. Copyright images – Task a VA to put a copyright or add a watermark on your layouts, photos, videos or documents. It’s another way of branding too!

Personal or administrative assistant services and Real Estate Virtual Assistant (REVA) are most requested but you can also find VAs with more specialized and technical skills. They accommodate demand across a wide scope of top industries.

Discover and enjoy the endless possible tasks you can assign to your virtual personal assistant.
If you are interested in learning more of how an online employee can help you, give us a call at 1-866-596-9041 .

Reference:
thegirlsmeanbusiness.com
virtualassistanttalent.com
freelancetofreedomproject.com
vasumo.com

VAT Business Continuity

In response to COVID-19, the organization is actively monitoring the ongoing outbreak and taking precautions to address the safety of VAs. The good news is, Virtual Assistant Talent is still in operation and in fact, the ongoing crisis has a minimal impact only, since we are working from home. Currently, the Philippines is under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), but the main advantage of work-from-home set up is that the VAs can stay safe and be with their families without losing income.

Workforce from Home

Because of the social distancing and quarantine requirements, each of us are required to stay home. As mentioned above, this has virtually no effect for the VAs. The only difference is that we cannot  just go  anywhere or go visit our loved ones.

How VAT Can Help You

VAT understands the situation and that how companies and businesses are being asked to work from home as well. The downside is, some of your staff members are not yet ready for this type of arrangement. Some do not have enough bandwidth (equipment, power, work space) to go on daily operations or work assignments. This is where Virtual Assistant Talent comes in. VAT can help you manage your business from home. The VAs are trained and experienced for years so they are already equipped on working from home and know the WFH culture and processes. VAT can also help with your staffing problems and we assure that VAs can still work efficiently and deliver quality output amidst the quarantine.

Your Business Continuity Plans

We also know that our customers are dealing with business disruptions across the board. Unplanned events such as COVID-19 and travel restrictions make it very difficult to continue “business as usual.” Many companies across the globe are enabling employees to work remotely, maintain productivity, increase connectivity, and provide for continuous secure access to applications regardless of the endpoint. VAT can help our customers meet these increased demands. We can help our customers prepare for the following scenarios related to business continuity and remote workers.

These are just some of the business activities you can delegate to our Virtual Assistant (VA):

• Customer Service – Phone/Chat/Email support
• Prospecting calls – Sales, Telemarketing, Appointment Setting and Follow-up (inbound/outbound calls)
• Administrative Tasks – Paperwork, Email Management, Research
• Linkedin Marketing for B2B, for MLM and  for Insurance & other industries
• Recruitment & Bookkeeping – Hiring, Onboarding, Payroll, Taxation, Accounting
• Social Media/ Digital Marketing – Create posts, Graphics, Videos, Flyers, Blogs, etc
• Website Development / SEO

As always, Virtual Assistant Talent is committed to your success. We encourage you to reach out for support during this time. With any additional questions, you can send an inquiry to info@virtualassistant.com or by calling 1-866-596-9041.

Thank you for your continued partnership. Know that we are here to help you – as your support system, as marketers, and as your extended business family. Virtual Assistant Talent will continue to serve and deliver, crisis or not. We pray for everyone’s safety. 

Sincerely,

​John Davern, President & CEO
Your Virtual Assistant Talent Family

Find out how you too, can come up with successful holiday marketing campaigns that will effectively stimulate prospects to do business with you…

Identify Objectives in Marketing Your Business During Holiday Season?

Think about what you want to accomplish this year. Do you want to get…

• more awareness
• more customers
• new customers
• more sales per customer
• higher spend per customer
• more loyalty (or to bring back former customers)
• lower costs/spending
• or a combination of these?

When you know your goal/s for this year, you can then start marking the key dates for the best time to promote your business.

If you’re not sure when to start the holiday season for your business, check last year’s records for reference.

Related reading: Ways to Market Your Business Online During Holidays

Top Things to Consider

Before implementing these holiday marketing ideas, it’s best to consider factors such as budget and staff.

1. Plan and budget in advance – Managing your inventory effectively is crucial during this season. You need to ask yourself

• Are my suppliers reliable and available?
• Do I need to pre-order? (Remember, it’s better to order too much than running out)
• Do I have backup suppliers on call for ‘must have’ products/services?

Always check when your orders will arrive. Don’t worry if you have more than enough stocks if you can sell it after the holidays.

For example, if you are running a retail shop, these are the top things you need to consider…

• Ordering
• Processing
• Delivery
• Payment
• Customer service (in-store or online)

These are the common bottlenecks of a business operation. And it may get worse during the holiday season. Isolate the problem areas and take action to improve efficiency.

2. Hire extra staff for busy periods – Now that you have set your objectives and budget plan ahead, consider employing extra assistants to keep up with expected demand. You can get them by:

• Putting up a ‘We’re hiring!’ sign in your store
• Sharing a post via social media
• Asking friends, family and your employees for referrals
• Announcing it on your website
• Or contacting recruitment agencies

Related reading: What a Virtual Assistant Can Do During Holidays

8 Different Holiday Marketing Strategies

1. Promote your products early
   Starting early is the real deal. Don’t wait until after October to start planning for the promotional campaign. At this time, people are already talking about holiday shopping so that means they already expect more deals around the corner.

Use the calendar that you have set up and build audience anticipation by spreading messages about your products and services. Then, make a list of regular and potential customers to target with your various promos, discounts and add-ons.

2. Create a personalized campaign
   As you welcome more people by spreading awareness, take the next step and invite them to physically insert themselves into your ad.
   

   ---

   With a customized campaign, OfficeMax drew 193 million visits with their “Elf Yourself” social media post.
   Click To Tweet
   

   ---

3. Offer discounts and deals to stay competitive
   Perks such as buy one get one, free shipping and guaranteed-before-Christmas delivery dates can draw in more customers! Just make sure you are being realistic about these timelines (order-process-delivery).

One of the business marketing ideas for holiday is adding a countdown feature to your website (see #5) or app letting customers know the drop-dead dates for delivery by Dec. 25. Keep your packaging and shipping supplies in stock to help get orders out on time.

4. Engage by hosting social media contests
   If your small business has a social media presence, let your audience know that your product or service is up for grabs! With a few rules, a hashtag and incentive such as a prize or discount on your offerings can excite your visitors and draw them into your business.

#SocialMediaContests can help popularize your brand and engage your customers during #Holidays.
Click To Tweet

5. Upgrade your website and make sure it is up-to-date
   This is also a great time to enhance your website design. Add some holiday features and functionality such as a countdown timer for order cut-offs. Make sure your content is also accurate and up-to-date. Include important information like your store opening and closing hours over the holidays.

   ---

   Your #website is your biggest store. It never closes and your customers can buy your product 24/7.
   Click To Tweet
   

   ---

6. Attract new or existing customers
   The best holiday marketing campaigns always include getting referrals. If you provide excellent service and nurture your customer base, they’ll keep returning to your store and will be happy to recommend you to others.

You can attract more people by giving:

• Discounts
• Free samples
• Vouchers
• Freebies
• Seasonal giveaways
• Limited coupon codes
• Other incentives

7. Get published
   Aim to update your company blog at least three times a week and reach out to local media outlets offering yourself as a source in your area of expertise.

Holiday gift ideas, age-appropriate crafts, recipes, getaways, and hosting/housekeeping tips are always popular this time of year.

8. Reward customer loyalty
   Looking after your existing customers is often just as important as bringing in new ones.

There are plenty of marketing trends during holidays and it’s possible to attract customers all season long. For example, you can reward your most loyal customers with ‘members only’ gifts to keep them coming back for more. Segment marketing campaigns to send customized messages, rewards points, discounts and offers to frequent customers.

Make your customers happy by managing their expectations. If your customer service or chat support is only available during certain periods, let people know. And because your full-time employees are already planning their respective vacations, you may not have the bandwidth to do all of these during the season.

In this case, the smart move is to hire virtual assistant services to handle customer inquiries and website maintenance.

A virtual assistant (VA) can be a cost-effective solution to your business needs and processes during the holiday season.

TOP 5 AREAS Where Business Owners Use Virtual Assistants:

1. Virtual customer support – Phone, chat, email
2. Digital marketing / Social media marketing
3. Web design tech assistance/maintenance
4. Search Engine Optimization
5. Blog management

The VA tasks can range from basic admin to technical such as the following:

• Customer service – handle phone/email inquiries / chat suport
• Telemarketing/prospecting – offer your customers promos, free shipping, discounts for the Holidays
• Create flyers, product demos, and online brochures
• Promote these across your social media pages
• Up the quality of the images you use online
• Add new features to your website
• Make sure your website is mobile-friendly – test different screens and devices

…and more depending on your needs.

Virtual Assistant Talent is one of the leading providers of  virtual assistant services. CALL US at 1-866-596-9041 to learn more.

We would love to hear if these tips worked for you! If you have questions or any Business Outsourcing related success stories, please leave a comment below.

References:

• xero.com
• care.com
• sba.gov
• mashable.com
• entrepreneur.com

Take a look at the following best apps for insurance agents that will improve your work efficiency and that will serve both clients and prospects alike. Bear in mind that success in insurance involves utilizing the right technology to help all facets of the business.

Feel Free To Share

Share this...

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Linkedin

15 Insurance Agents Productivity and Marketing Tools

1. DocuSign

Going paperless speeds up processing times and increases productivity. One of the most popular insurance agent sales tools is DocuSign. With this app, agents can obtain immediate client signatures, regardless of location.

• Enables storing, signing and transmitting just about any document.
• There is no need for faxing documents.
• Documents stored in the cloud are sent out for signature via email.
• Document ‘tags’ direct signing parties’ attention to areas requiring action.
• Most importantly, electronic signatures are secure and widely accepted.

2. Slack

Slack is one of the most effective insurance agent marketing tools for communicating with your team. This app is used exclusively by the TrustedChoice.com and Agency Nation marketing team.

It’s a simple, intuitive messaging app that works on desktop and all mobile devices.

We’ve reduced our internal email usage by 90%+ since we started using Slack. ~AgencyNation
Click To Tweet

3. Go

Comparing insurance is often times a hassle that’s why there’s a number of insurance agency management software to make agents’ job a lot easier. Go car insurance app on iTunes can help insurance agents find the best car policy coverage for clients in 60 seconds.

• Find packages that can actually save your clients money.
• Chat with a seasoned experts: Even independent insurance agents need advice from professionals who have been in the industry for a while.
• Chat with agents who can give you tips on getting cheaper rates for your clients.

4. Kaggle

Not a data scientist? Kaggle helps you get a handle on your data. You can upload a data-based problem, such as identifying fraudulent claims within your database, to the Kaggle community, who will then come up with different models to solve the problem.

You’ll have the opportunity to tap into the minds of several data scientists via one service and you can also use the winning model to protect against future instances. This encourages creative thinking and helps you get to the best solution possible.

5. Google Docs

Google Docs is a free counterpart to the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).

The advantage with Google Drive tools is the ability to collaborate on documents and files with other team members in real time, anywhere as long as there’s internet connection.

Google Docs is a great tool to use while collaborating on a new business proposal or creating a sales/marketing letter.

6. CamScanner

With CamScanner, scanning process is reduced to a few taps on your smartphone. You can capture images of technical and legal documents like insurance agreements, policies, etc.

• Scan on the go: A mini scanner that you can carry around with you and use whenever you come across an interesting document that can help you service your clients.
• Convert images to PDF files: Just take a picture of the document you want to scan, edit to your satisfaction, then convert into a PDF file. You can then share the PDF with clients or colleagues.
• Get crystal-clear documents: CamScanner takes pretty clear and crisp images that don’t blur even when you zoom into them. It has several modes that you can use to customize your scans and make them look more professional.

You even have options to send scanned documents via email and social media and to even upload them on third-party cloud services.

7. Evernote

“For everything you’ll do, Evernote is the workspace to get it done.” And indeed, strong reviews are backing up this potentially game-changing tool for on-the-go insurance agents.

Insurance professionals can use Evernote to:

• Write in any format, from lists to extensive research
• Real time discussion, sharing and communicating projects with others
• Collect items such as Web articles, handwritten notes and photos
• Present work as it progresses without creating slides
• Easy accessibility for all documents and files from any device that supports the apps.

Basic Evernote version is one of the free insurance agency management software out there.

8. OmniFocus

OmniFocus is a handy productivity app for Mac, Apple Watch, and all iOS devices. It allows you to manage and sync your email inbox, to-do list, calendar, ongoing projects, and much more from one platform.

Everything is organized through different perspectives, allowing you to separate various personal and work-related activities.

9. InnoCentive

InnoCentive@Work allows you to create a closed crowdsourcing groups of specific employees and individuals. This private network leads to more efficient problem resolution and idea generation by allowing you bringing together employees, partners and even clients.

In addition to its “collaborative SaaS-based innovation management software,” InnoCentive also offers Challenge Programs for solutions generated through externally crowdsourced programs and competitions.

10. Dragon Dictation

The Dragon is a software line from Nuance that offers professional-grade dictation for a variety of specialized needs. This app allows you to speak into your phone with 99% accuracy to draft emails, Word documents, Evernote notes, and other documents—with no word limits.

If you’re pressed for time or simply don’t enjoy writing, Dragon dictation is a fantastic way to create content. Also, the Dragon Anywhere app is what most insurance agents will be most interested in.

11. PR Underground

PR Underground has described itself as a “search engine optimized social media news release tool,” that uses Google News and social channels to facilitate and manage businesses’ release of news and promotions.

Press releases are such effective marketing tools for insurance agents because getting the word out about an agency’s successes makes people take notice.

This tool ranges from $39/month to $119/month, with volume pricing available for agencies.

12. Effective CRM System

Customer relationship management (CRM) is essential for managing all of your leads and clients and growing your agency efficiently. Check out the following best CRM for insurance agents:

• Salesforce
• Insightly
• Infusionsoft
• SugarCRM
• Zoho

Be sure to find the right CRM for your insurance agency by comparing costs and features, including whether or not the CRM software integrates with your agency management system.

For example, TechCanary, an agency management system, has built-in integration in Salesforce CRM. This is an exciting feature for the sales-focused independent insurance agency.

13. 30/30

30/30 is a task manager that makes it easier for you to schedule your day and maintain high productivity. When you break up a to-do list into 30-minute chunks, you avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Among other independent insurance agency software, the basic idea is simple: NO DISTRACTIONS!

You work for 30 minutes, focused only on a single task. After which you give your mind a break and do something different, also for 30 minutes. And then you repeat the cycle: work/break, work/break – 30/30, 30/30.

14. Social Media Apps

You always want the ability to communicate with prospects and current customers, as sales opportunities are always present 24/7 on social media.

LinkedIn’s mobile app is mandatory for insurance reps, and also Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. If you’re really into social media marketing (SMM), you can also try promoting your services on Snapchat as well.

15. Insurance Agent VA Services

Last but not the least, find yourself someone with the right skills to handle specific projects. There are a lot of virtual assistants to “tackle any job, any size, any time.” Freelancers perform a wide range of jobs, from CRM management to prospecting to administrative support. You can pay at an hourly or project basis.

Once implemented, these great insurance tools for agents can make business and life simpler and more productive.

Selling insurance? Find out how insurance agent virtual assistant  can help you in prospecting, do research, find deals and other daily admin activities – call us at 1-866-596-9041 and see how our highly qualified and trained VAs can assist in your everyday tasks and objectives.

We would love to hear if these tips worked for you! If you have questions or any insurance apps & tools related success stories, please leave a comment below.

Reference:

http://agents.insurancequotes.com/
https://www.agencynation.com/
http://insurancethoughtleadership.com/

Feel Free To Share

Share this...

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Linkedin

Imagine most of your business and personal needs are all taken care of without having to pay for a full-time office employee. It’s definitely time to take advantage on these highly skilled and reliable VAs to help propel your business forward.

39 Straight Out Privileges of Outsourcing to Virtual Assistants
Click To Tweet

1. Weekends or after-hours support
2. Access to new and creative resources
3. Savvy and high-level support
4. Efficient and reliable personal assistant
5. Flexible working hours
6. Quality output
7. Increased productivity
8. Access to wide knowledge and experience
9. Utilize diverse skill set and talents
10. Freedom to assign various tasks
11. Ability to stay on schedule
12. Professional administrative support
13. Ability get unique insight
14. Cost-effective business solution
15. Pay only for the work you need when you need it
16. No training required (except for specific business-related needs)
17. No payroll taxes
18. No employee benefits to pay
19. No office equipment/supplies needed
20. Less time and money to spend on recruitment
21. One-on-one delegation
22. Extra staff anytime you need it
23. Special/technical skills available
24. Dedicated assistant for your business
25. Option to go from one VA to another
26. Collaborative and modern working style
27. Economical alternative to retaining workers
28. Tailor made business services
29. Create a positive working relationship
30. Assign daily, repetitive tasks
31. More time to focus on high priority goals
32. More savings to expand your business
33. Simplify mind-boggling tasks
34. No need to manage (top VA companies manage their own staff)
35. Cover different areas of your business
36. Help you generate more money than you are paying
37. More free time for yourself and family
38. Get the tasks done while you sleep
39. Vested interest in your success

You see, capitalizing on virtual assistant services is one of the best investments you can ever make to grow your business. And the best part about outsourcing is, if the assistant’s performance is below expectations, the VA company will find and replace him/her for no additional charge—no need to hire again!

If you need help with finding the right fit for your business, contact us at our main number 1-866-596-9041 (510-400-8006 local). We have client representatives on standby from 8am to 9pm EST to assist you with any questions.

Reference:
www.emily-cooper-tvdt.squarespace.com

According to Hostingfacts, this year, there will be more internet traffic than all prior internet years combined.

Take a look at these key digital marketing tactics that will give you the edge in 2017 and the future and how you can utilize virtual personal assistant services to help promote your brand and generate more revenue.

Feel Free to Share

Share this...

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Linkedin

1. Content Marketing Trends Are Still Going to Rule

A study from Smart Insights revealed that content marketing has been in the top 3 trends for the last 3 years. A team-up with HubSpot also shows that more businesses (40%) are now using a strategic approach when it comes to content in 2017.
As Joe Pulizzi, Founder of Content Marketing Institute puts it, “Determine the kind of content that interests the members of your community in a way that is useful to them.”

According to experts, the only way to get attention is through personalized content. Relevant content triggers the customer and pushes them to…

• Subscribe to your email list
• Build brand loyalty
• And encourages them to visit your website again

Top Content Marketing Trends for 2017

• More focus will be placed on live video, interactive content, visual content, virtual reality (VR), personalized and niche content, content promotion and distribution.
• More businesses will seek out content writers and marketers
• World-renowned marketer Guy Kawasaki strongly suggests Live video
• John Jantsch, marketing consultant of Duct Tape Marketing believes that “Lead capture is personal – Driving traffic to your content is essential, but the ultimate payoff is capturing a lead for future content.”
• Shift towards writing longer, more in-depth quality content – 1500-2000 words with lots of value
• Most businesses will need a promotion and distribution strategy.
• “Virtual reality will be mainstream in a few years. This will change how we tell our stories and connect to customers in profound ways.” ~Mark Schaefer, author of The Content Code
• “2017 needs to be the year of doing what I call… Looking People in the Eye Digitally, which means Listening, Connecting, Relationships.” ~Ted Rubin, social marketing strategist, acting CMO of Brand Innovators

2. Videos will Dominate in Smartphones

The trend of video marketing has shot up in the past few years and will continue to increase in 2017.

Tubularinsights reported that 73% consumers would likely make a purchase after watching a video.
Click To Tweet

Don’t know how to create compelling videos for your business? This is one of the tasks you can outsource to a virtual assistant (VA). Video making tools like VideoBurst makes simple but professional videos to engage your viewers.

“Smartphone madness” is another thing. Just look around you—people are glued on their smartphones—be it in the office, streets, parking lots, bus, or just about everywhere. When combined, videos in smartphones are one of the most powerful ways of connecting with your customers.

“Business decision makers love online video because it gives them the most amount of information in the shortest amount of time.” ~Robert Weiss
Click To Tweet

What does it mean for you and your business? Take advantage of it and start building brand awareness! Customers are always on the go and mobile phones have become part of their everyday life resources for online shopping, banking, entertainment, etc.

3. Marketing Automation and Mobile SEO

Like content marketing, marketing automation has been in the top 3 trends for the last 5 years. This includes CRM, behavioral email marketing and web personalization.

Virtual assistant companies are also starting to implement mobile SEO or Mobile marketing SEO techniques, which will be particularly important in 2017 with Google’s recent announcements about the mobile index and AMP.

Smart Insights have been covering these announcements and improvements in these posts:

• How Google’s mobile-only index will change search in 2017
• Google to start penalizing sites that use pop-ups
• Stop everything and implement AMP pages

4. Targeted Email for Sales and Marketing

Don’t ever think that email marketing is dead. Email is age-old digital technology that is here to stay. It is considered the most organic way of driving traffic. Remember, it is your job to keep interested customers happy and engaged to have a strong and solid email list.

Email is also the most effective medium for getting conversions even today. Here’s why:

70% of email readers open emails from a brand in search of a deal, discount, or coupon. ~The Social Habit
Click To Tweet

Email is 40x more successful at getting new clients than either Facebook or Twitter. ~McKinsey & Company
Click To Tweet

You are 6x more likely to get a click-through from an email than you are from a tweet. ~Campaign Monitor
Click To Tweet

81% of online shoppers who receive emails based on previous shopping routine are likely to make a purchase as a result of targeted email. ~eMarketer
Click To Tweet

5. Social Media Marketing Amplificatio

Right here right now there are new profiles being created on various social networking platforms every 2 seconds.
Click To Tweet

Social media including Social CRM and Social Customer Care is still a big hit. The good thing about it is that it is a great source to build good relationships with industry influencers and connect with them.

There are social media marketing packages that can help you set up a campaign in sites like Facebook and Twitter. Keep on bringing best user engagement practices to gain more attention!

Social Media Research Statistics Summary

• Overall continued growth in social media usage.
• Reduced popularity of some social channels in some countries.

For example: Twitter and Facebook are in lapse in many western markets while Snapchat, Instagram and Pinterest are still expanding in usage.

• Trends are often controlled by the efforts of the social networks to monetize.

For example: Facebook and Instagram, in particular make changes such that businesses now need to ‘pay to play’ to get the reach they need to have an impact.

Social media giants have continued to innovate in their targeting and remarketing options among other marketing platforms that many of us are currently using.

Thus, it is imperative that you choose one marketing activity and sync it with virtual assistant services that you think will give your business the biggest incremental upgrade in leads and sales for this year and beyond.

So let the #NewYear sink in and start implementing each of these techniques that will be smoking hot in 2017!  If you need help, a Virtual Assistant can be a low-cost and effective solution to get you on the fast track to implementing these emerging digital marketing trends.  Give us a call at 1-866-596-9041 or fill out our online no-obligation Phone Consultation Request Form to learn more.

References:
www.smartinsights.com
www.writtent.com
www.entrepreneur.com

One thing’s for sure. A lot of entrepreneurs are still struggling to accomplish more and employ faster and simpler working methods. And here you are, trying your very best to make it all work out over the next few months of the coming year.

Feel Free To Share

Share this...

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Linkedin

Don’t feel bad. Every business has slow periods. So if your business gets slow, work on these 45 things. You may have done some of these and some are new so go see what you can come up with!

Marketing During the Holiday Season

1. Buy your clients or customers a special but inexpensive gift

Show your appreciation by giving something back to your loyal customers or clients. A useful business gift is great for encouragement and inspiration.

Good items include travel mugs, notebooks, or business card holders. For long-term clients you can give epic gifts like leather briefcases or a portable Bluetooth speaker. The list goes on and you can think of creative ways to market these items as well by putting your logo or contact info.

2. Promote a giveaway for your business

Offer something for free like a one-hour consultation, an email-delivered gift card to Amazon, or a small product or service.

At Virtual Assistant Talent (VAT) we always offer free phone consultation for people who would just like to know anything about working with virtual assistants. Or, occasionally we offer a monetary discount or promotion when they start a subscription.

3. Send out handwritten note cards

The holiday season is all about giving, and giving thanks. So take time to thank your clients and give them some free business ideas or tips. Be amazing! They will remember how much they like you and may hire you for future projects.

4. Identify 3 areas of life/business where you can start saving money

Saving money is just as important as generating income. More savings means more money to allocate for important business needs. Start simple by giving up Starbucks for a month and make coffee at home. Or, think about finding less expensive phone plan or car insurance.

If you have a local secretary why not think of outsourcing those admin tasks to remote virtual assistants who are a lot cheaper? Look for reliable virtual outsourcing companies who can provide you quality Virtual Assistants (VAs).

5. Send a Holiday-themed newsletter or press release

Another way to send your season greetings is through newsletters. Include an interesting topic and feature someone or something in your business.

6. Create limited-time special discounts and free shipping

People tend to buy items out of urgency. Take advantage of holiday shopping by offering discounts and free shipping.

7. Clean up your email inbox

Clear up email clutter and unsubscribe from blogs you haven’t read in a year.

8. Build up your email list

Create a signup form and give away your free downloads as bait. Then, send out a nice email campaign by using free mailing programs like Mailchimp.

9. Record and post a free video tutorial

Make a short video that will add value to your customers. An example would be how to use your products, or how to do something useful related to your business.

10. Do some pro-bono work

Donate some of your money or volunteer your services to a charity, business, or random organization. You will be doing good for others as well as your portfolio.

Getting Ready for the New Year

11. Do write an actual online marketing plan

Even if you don’t have a definite well thought-out business plan, just start on making a simple outline—even if it’s only a few pages. To get started, here’s a free resource you can download: Business Plan Workbook

12. Create a marketing planner

Make a planner that breaks down your key tasks into daily, weekly and monthly.

13. Give your website a “face-lift”

Consider revamping your web design a bit. Maybe it’s time to update the navigation buttons and colors? Do you need to add more valuable links to direct your visitors to more helpful content and other sources around the web?

Does your website benefit your business with these 7 items? See what your web pages should be.

14. Build up your LinkedIn profile and connections

Take time to optimize your LinkedIn profile by adding more skills, summary, posts, etc. Build connections and relationship with the people in your niche.

15. Strategize your next blog post

Different styles of posts that attract readers:

• Lists
• Tutorials – articles, slides, videos, audio instruction
• How To Articles (DIY posts, recipes, quick tips)
• Inspirational/Motivational
• Current Events/Hot Topics – including news related to your industry or controversial topics

If just don’t have time to blog or don’t have anything in mind to write, here’s what a blogger/content writing VA can do to help promote your business.

16. Be more lovable! Create a free resource for your visitors to download

Free resources page can not only help but delight your clients as well. Here is an example of a blog resources page.

17. Offer a freebie as a resource when people land on your website

Give something in exchange when your website visitors sign up for your email list. It can be an eBook, a PDF, recording, etc.

18. Follow up former prospects via email

Check in on past clients who expressed interest in your business. Send some emails and ask them how the (insert product name/service) you provided for them last year is doing. Do they have further questions? Suggestions?

They might be ready to hire you for their project or purchase from you, and they’ll be thankful that you refreshed them.

19. Ask testimonials from your clients/customers

At VAT, we send out a short email asking for reviews from our clients. Stack these all in your website and you have some irrefutable praises for your business. Take a look at this testimonial page.

Also, you can embed any tweet testimonial in your website by using Twitter Search

• Search your business name and Twitter handle to see what people have been saying about you.
• Click “More” on the Tweet you want to embed
• Select “Embed Tweet”
• Then copy the code that pops up and
• Place it on your website’s Testimonial page

20. Draft your business/project workflow

Write out what should happen from the moment a client contacts you to the moment you deliver your goods or services. How will you manage the project on your end? How long should each step take, and so on. If you are working with a VA, write out the whole process to ensure you follow the same steps each time. This will help ensure a smooth transaction with all the clients.

21. Conduct a website blog post audit

Check if:

• All links are still working
• You’ve linked to other content on your site whenever applicable from within each post
• All your images are displaying correctly
• All the information you share is still up to date

Add new information when necessary, and continually make your blog content attractive.

22. Check Google Analytics

Are there any pages with an extremely high exit rate/bounce rate? Find out why and identify which posts and pages are most popular.

23. Don’t forget SEO

Make sure all your blog posts and pages are optimized for search engines. If you use WordPress, check out the search engine optimization (SEO) plugin.

24. Take new and vibrant photos

Get new photos of you, your products, your team at work, your office, or your customers enjoying your products. New pictures always entice readers, regular and new visitors, social media followers, etc.

You can do so by hiring professional photographers or doing a few photo tricks with your iPhone or Android device.

25. Find yourself a peer group

Same with reading, you can acquire new information by talking business ideas with other people. Look out for peers who live the small business lifestyle as well like your colleagues, friends, and online communities. Talk with them once a month or whenever possible to keep you on your “A game.”

26. Learn to use a social media platform expertly

If you think you find a social media channel that might be valuable to your business, take the time to really learn it. For example, Pinterest is really good for showcasing products online so play around it for a few days.

Note the ‘pins’ that draw your attention and see why they are most effective. Then, find some top pinners in your industry and see what they’re doing right.

27. Time for a new, appealing banner

Design a new Facebook or Twitter cover photo for your business. Use a free drag-and-drop tool such as Canva, Pixlr.com, or PicMonkey.com to make your graphics.

28. Ask yourself, how will I make my business succeed in the coming year?

Write out a detailed goal list on how you are going to spend the 240 mornings available to you each year to make your business grow.

Things You Can Do On the Side When You’re Laid-back

The following are activities you can do while sitting around this year with “nothing to do”.

29. Organize the files on your computer AND your desktop screen

Yes, you should do it whether you like it or not. It will help you focus better and avoid distractions. Put one folder for all your “Desktop” items, and then separate one for any documents or projects that require immediate attention.

Add another folder or notepad that will hold all your to-do items. Everything else should be stored away in the most logical folder for it.

30. Get new business cards

If you’ve updated any information on your business card such as website url or logo, it’s time to order new cards. You can go to popular business card printers like MoxyOx, MOO, and GotPrint.

31. Buy a good book on business or online marketing

When you buy a book in Amazon, it is recommended that you read its full description and reviews. Reading is a great way to increase your knowledge—it’s like compound interest as Warren Buffet puts it.

32. Keep your creative juices flowing

Do something creative even if it’s not directly related to your business. Write a short story, paint, blog about something you love, cook a delicious meal you’ve never tried cooking before, etc.

33. Make a financial plan to save up for something you need for business

Get that next item you can use for business such as a camera, laptop, or software. Think about cutting on expenses when it comes to dining out, entertainment, and other vanities.

34. Read a free eBook

Same as #15, continue learning by taking advantage of free resources. You may want to take a look at this: The Ultimate Facebook Marketing Blueprint for Business – Learn top techniques to generate leads/customers for your business using Facebook.

35. Create email templates

Simplify your work by creating standard reply emails that you can quickly edit whenever a potential client emails you.

36. Take an online course

Look for online classes or local small business class from lynda.com or Skillshare.

37. Repurpose all of your marketing materials

Review all the articles, images, and videos your company has that can use a change. Design it yourself or hire a designer VA.

38. Create some useful content you can sell

Pull out all the useful information and how-to resources that you have, lay them out chapter by chapter, and create a passive income stream! Share your helpful knowledge through selling an online course, eBook, printed book, etc.

39. Start a new project, or collaboration with other business

Most entrepreneurs and business owners are good at more than one thing. So if you think you can do other stuff other than running your business, start it!

40. Running out of tweets?

Upload your Buffer queue or Hootsuite account with a tweet each month for every blog post or free info on your website. It’s so much easier than looking for something you wrote months ago.

41. Go into research mode

Search several interesting and highly trafficked blogs in your industry that you can learn from. Or, find great information about a certain topic and save it as a resource for a new blog post on your site.

42. Create a style guide for your blog

Follow your new style guide. It will help you achieve conformity, consistency, and visual appeal. See instructions here.

43. Use Gravatar next to your comments

Make sure your picture shows up next to all your blog comments.

44. Call sales leads and set appointments

If you are just sitting around why not call some of your prospects to do some sales talk. Better yet, hire a virtual personal assistant to set appointments so you can talk to them further.

45. Post ads in Craigslist and other business directories

Similarly, in your down time, you can do some Craigslist posting to get your business out there. A VA can assist you if you don’t know the ins and outs of ad posting.

Hopefully, these items will get you going this holiday season and will give you a head start for 2017. So go on, start on a few things right now and don’t forget to share it with your fellow small business owners!  And remember, you don’t have to do all of it yourself – consider outsourcing certain tasks to a VA to save you time and get that better work-life balance in the New Year!

Reference:
www.byregina.com

The rocketing “real-time” online interactivity has made customers more demanding these days. They want quicker service, greater flexibility, and faster resolution. That’s why more and more brands are using live chat support among other virtual assistant services.

Live chat agents or chat support VAs help customers in their online product-buying decisions; answer product questions in a timely manner; and resolve customer service or tech support issues.

Reports show that a whopping 94% of customers are actually satisfied with live chat customer support. See how important it is to your customer service offerings:

Related: What is A Virtual Assistant?

Why Do Customers Love Chat?

• Customers can multitask without spending time or money on a call.
• Chat saves time. 42% of customers prefer live chat because they don’t have to wait on hold.
• They want it fast! 45% of consumers will abandon an online transaction if their concerns aren’t addressed quickly.
• Customers can have their own record of transaction.

Studies show that 77% of customers won’t make a purchase if there’s no live chat support.
Click To Tweet

10 Main Benefits of Chat Support for Businesses

1.  Quick and easy implementation

Live chat support is growing more popular in the recent years. It doesn’t only allow businesses to provide instant online support but it also requires minimal customer effort.

2. Cut problem resolution time

A Zopim study revealed from an analysis of 85,000+ chats that it takes only:
23 seconds average time for a rep to initially reply; and 42 seconds for him or her to resolve a problem.

Customers want their questions answered quickly. In fact, 79% of customers say that they prefer live chat because of the immediacy it provides. Chat specialists can help customers get the answers they need in the fashion they want.

3. Better support efficiency

Studies show that 44% of customers considered that having a live person answer their questions while buying online was one of the most important features of a website. Overall, 90% of customers find live chat helpful.

4. Lowered customer support costs

Chat support is better for a business because it is cost effective. Agents can support multiple chats but not multiple calls. The result? Chat reduces the number of live calls.

Some businesses reported 70% deflection rate from calls to live #chat.
Click To Tweet

5. Greater customer engagement

More than half of online shoppers say that a lack of interaction has kept them from purchasing. 77% of them want to contact a real person before buying.

6. Customer satisfaction

Better communication builds business. 94% of customers who were proactively invited to chat were somewhat or very satisfied with their live chat experience.

73% customer satisfaction is coming from live #chat.
Click To Tweet

Satisfaction levels for customer service communication:

• 73% – Live Chat
• 61% – Email
• 53% – Apps
• 50% – Post
• 48% – Social media

7. Less Shopping Cart Abandonment

Live chat assistance has been found to decrease sales cart abandonment by up to 30%. Additionally, 60% of customers said that they hated waiting longer than one minute for a reply.

8. Higher website conversion rates

83% of customers said they needed live support for assistance while making an online purchase. Also, 62% of customers were inclined to purchase products online if live customer support is available.

9. Increases sales and ROI

38% of customers have made a purchase due to a good live chat session.
Click To Tweet

10. Chat support creates loyal customers

Statistics show that 63% of customers were more likely to return to a website that offers live chat compared to one that doesn’t.

Best Practices for Using Live Chat Support

Feel Free To Share

Share this...

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Linkedin

• Don’t leave customers waiting– Respond to new chats as quickly as possible
• Create templates– Make a list of model responses for the most commonly asked questions
• Improve customer-agent interactions– Have management review chat transcripts
• Proactively offer live chat– Consider using automatic triggers to entice customers to chat
• Past business hours?– Disable live chat when the business is closed or whenever agents are unavailable
• Always use the brand voice– Train agents to promote whenever possible
• Positioning and timing– Experiment with where and when the live chat button appears on the website
• Have other customer support channels available– Recognize the limitations of live chat and be prepared to switch to email or phone when necessary

The bottom-line of a great customer service is to provide fast assistance by answering questions and resolving problems in real time. Chat support is a quick, direct way to connect with an actual virtual assistant.

Overall, live chat support means more sales because it keeps your customers or clients happy and returning. On top of that, it benefits both costumers and companies. Chat saves time and money; and builds transparency, trust, and loyalty.

If you need help in setting up a chat support system in your website, contact us at 1-866-596-9041. Virtual Assistant Talent will also endorse chat support VAs or agents to assist your customers and website visitors.

References:
business2community.com
happyfoxchat.com
blog.zopim.com
providesupport.com

What is MeetUp?
Been around for over 12 years now, MeetUp.com is the world’s largest network of local groups. It makes it easy for anyone to organize a local group or find one in which people meet in person. Involving a live event is one of the terms and conditions that Meetup groups must adhere to.

The network boasts of impressive stats as follows:

As of this writing, there are 7,145 Meetups Happening Now. Many of these groups are focused around causes or events, each one with the goal of improving themselves, communities, and make a difference.

Ready to reach out to new local prospects with the potential to become loyal customers? Look no further.

7 Ways to Use #MeetUp to Promote Your Business
Click To Tweet

Feel Free To Share

Share this...

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Linkedin

1. Create Own Business Target Personas

To start off, you need to fully understand the kind of personas you want to target with your business. On Meetup, one can have more than one persona for their customers. This will give you a good idea of what sort of activities and events to launch for each persona.

Once you do this, you can then start to create several descriptions that will entice prospects to join your Meetup group and engage with other members.

2. Start a Meetup Intended for Each Persona

There are times that a business will have more than one persona. For example, a restaurant can target customers who just want to eat but at the same time, they can also offer culinary studies to those who would like to learn how to cook.

As of now, you can lead up to three Meetup groups on a single account so if you have different customer personas, it’s best to create a separate Meetup group for each one. You can then customize each of the events and activities you put together to suit each persona.

Create and promote events that will give each group a taste of your business’s ability to accommodate their specific needs. Provide a catchy name for each of the groups that represent the audience you want to attract well.

The organizer of Hudson Valley Hikers describes it as an extremely active group with hikes every weekend for people who like being outside, hiking, backpacking, camping, kayaking, cycling, mountaineering, rock / ice climbing, caving, etc.

3. Start Forming Connections

Join Meetup groups and meet members. Don’t pitch too soon. Instead, get a feel for the individual group, its interests and offer costless but helpful information.

They will be drawn to know what other knowledge you have in store for them. As a plus, they will most likely to spread the word about what you know and what you are doing.

4. Activate Your Social Media Presence

Set up social media pages like a Facebook Group, Twitter account, or Instagram for your Meetup Group to give them another way to keep in touch and get updates about upcoming events.

5. Build an Email List

Meetup is a pool of future subscribers. Encourage members to join the list. Then send out notifications of new events to all members. Members can also download the Meetup app on their smartphones so they don’t miss out on notifications.

6. Freebies! – Give Out Free Information & Samples to Meetup Groups.

Everybody loves free stuff. So during the events, make sure as a group organizer that you will pass along some freebies to other members.

You can then simply include your company’s contact information for each of the giveaways so Meetup members can easily reach you.

7. Promote Your Meetup Group

You can easily promote your event because Meetup.com will display it to local visitors when they’re searching for Meetups within your city. You can do the following to give your group a head start:

• Use an attractive header image
  
• Write an introduction that defines exactly what you’re organizing and for whom – This will be the first thing that new members of your group see, so make sure it attracts the right kind of people.
• Add two of your most active members as Organizers so that they have an access to promote your group to their own social networks.
• Print up flyers to announce your local Meetup event and post them in your neighborhood. Motivate members to take their friends along and invite more to join your group.

For example, if you are a business coach who helps entrepreneurs increase their profits and improve their trade, you can organize a workshop for these owners so that they get an appetite for more information. Eventually, you will introduce the concept and importance of business coaching.

Groups like the New York Entrepreneurs and Startup Network  is ideal for a startup business or entrepreneur to create because it will attract your ideal prospects.

The main reason for creating and organizing a Meetup for your business is for your customers to know you more in person and also to bring in more potential buyers through events and referrals.

It is proven that people are more likely to do business with those they like and respect. Being the organizer allows you to showcase your abilities as a businessperson and the capability to influence people to trust your brand more.

Register for our Upcoming FREE Webinar on How to Use Meetup.com to market your business and generate new prospects each month!

We will cover proven techniques on how to leverage your Meetup.com account to generate new prospects and build your opt-in/marketing lists.

This webinar will feature Ken Varga, who has built 35 successful, profitable businesses in his career of 38 years. One of Ken’s off-line businesses had over 460,000 ongoing customers. He has also developed and sold multiple businesses for over 9 figures.

Sign up for one of our upcoming webinars that is most applicable to your business:

For Business Owners:  Wednesday, September 21, 2016 from 8:00am-9:00am PST / 11:00am-12:00pm EST

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7292910370967727876

For Insurance Agents: Thursday, September 22, 2016 from 8:00am-9:00am PST / 11:00am-12:00pm EST

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6635610225255493124

For Network Marketers: Wednesday, September 28, 2016 from 8:00am-9:00am PST / 11:00am-12:00pm EST

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6557567989427615748
 

References:
www.blogbrandz.com
www.business2community.com

In a poll conducted by Smart Insights, they asked readers to give their views on which digital marketing technique gives them the most profits to their businesses in 2016.

This graph shows the results of the survey
(as of 8 February 2016).

We’ve gathered six broad online marketing trends you be watching out for to continue into the rest of 2016.

6 Digital Marketing Trends

1: Mobile Usage Is A Must

For those who are not aware, a “responsive” website is one that adjusts to fit the width of the browser, making the viewing experience optimal for any device it is loaded on.

It’s reported that the number of mobile users worldwide is predicted to exceed 2 billion in 2016.

So, undoubtedly, the use of mobile marketing and responsive websites will continue to increase for the rest of this year and the next year to come.

What this means to your business:

It’s definitely a time to build responsive websites and landing pages, as well as invest into mobile advertising. If mobile-specific content is a thing to mobile users in mind, then more and more websites should take action on becoming responsive.

In all your marketing efforts, you should always ask, “Will this look good on mobile?
Click To Tweet

2: Content Marketing Continues to Dominate

Content marketing is a growing force in the online world. Research shows that 80% of decision makers in businesses will most likely get information about a company from articles rather than from advertising.

When Buzzfeed became one of the biggest Internet sites of 2013, it was known that interactive content is one of the most effective marketing strategies. Buzzfeed had a series of quizzes such as a personality quiz. They were able to turn it into a viral activity that whenever someone would take a quiz, it would stimulate them to share their results and encourage their friends to take it as well.

As Amanda Maksymiw of Content Marketing Institute puts it: “Traditional advertising shouts at prospect customers whereas content marketing talks with them.”

What this means to your business:

The demand for more content is hotter than ever. Your move is to create landing pages with keywords and phrases a reader might search for so they know they’re in the right place. Once they’re onboard, continue with a strong marketing message offering useful content like eBooks, demos, free trials, and How-To articles or videos.

3: Social Media and Real-time Engagement

Businesses are going more and more social. In 2015, marketers spent an estimated $8.3 billion on social media advertising alone. The marketing trend now is personalization across all social media channels.

People can deliver targeted messages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, as well as Pinterest. Virtual Reality (VR) technology goes mainstream and everyone starts to connect and engage in real time.

Top 4 social media trends to utilize:

• Live Video – two of the biggest sites are Periscope and Facebook Live
• Real-time Engagement – customers and prospects expect a fast response time
• Go Mobile – people use social media on their phones 82% of the time. Make sure your website, Facebook ads, and posts are interesting on mobile.
• Data Driven Decisions – nowadays people don’t have to guess on what’s working. Let the data guide you. Analytics tools are there to help you out.

What this means to your business:

Maximize the power of real-time engagement on your social networks. Make them contextual and personalized, and always respond to customer inquiries.

Websites can also offer a virtual brand experience from creating virtual stores to guiding visitors through virtual representations of real estate offerings, etc. This will help convert landing page leads and turn them into customers or clients.

4: Live Video Streaming

It is proven that videos are able to engage users at a much higher rate.

Live video is becoming a much bigger content platform. It’s like having your own reality show.
Click To Tweet

What this means to your business:

With over 10 million users and 2 million being active, Periscope is just one of the platforms that you can try out. Facebook Live is another. In this way, you can gain more followers and  build trust and loyalty by showing your authentic side.

5: SEO Isn’t Dead

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) will continue its shift to content marketing. What was once seen as a shady practice is now evolving into what many marketers are calling “Content Marketing”.

The search engines algorithms become more advanced, and they are constantly filtering what content you have published and what is truly useful for the users.

6: Necessity of Design and Speed

How many times do you have to leave a website and look for another just because it took ‘too long’ to load on your screen?

Yes, design and speed matters. A poorly designed website with heavy graphics and videos can affect the overall user experience. The websites that get more visitors are not just those that provide the best content but also the most effective and efficient way possible.

The way your pages are designed and how quickly they load determine whether the visitor becomes a lead.
Click To Tweet

One’s goal should be to provide useful content that is visually attractive and quick to load on the end user’s screen (whether viewed using mobile or desktop).

Online marketing evolves at a rate everyone could hardly keep up. But it happens and will continue to happen so the best time to act is NOW. Let’s do the best we can in the remaining months of 2016 and watch out for the digital marketing trends in the coming year.

Resources:
http://www.inc.com/dan-scalco/5-digital-marketing-trends-to-watch-for-in-2016.html
https://instapage.com/blog/3-online-marketing-trends-to-follow-in-2016
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/4-monster-social-media-trends-you-must-pay-attention-2016-gremaux
http://www.smartinsights.com/managing-digital-marketing/marketing-innovation/marketing-trends-2016/