Running a successful business is hard work, but following an ideal blueprint will make things easier and profitable. We all want a successful online marketing strategy or product launch in 2018.

Related: Achieving Goals & Better Work-Life Balance: Virtual Assistants to the Rescue!

With marketing constantly evolving, here are five tips you can do in order to begin the New Year with a bang:

1. Get a Plan of Action

Gather your team together and iron out a plan. If you run the business solo, then know you will have to wear different hats.  The main point here is develop a plan and stick to it.  For instance, you can use a simple calendar for your online marketing campaign. It is one of the best tools to lay out your project plans for all the blogs, ebooks, emails and other marketing materials for the entire calendar year.

Be sure to include due dates for each action, when the rough drafts are needed, when they should be approved and when they should be scheduled for distribution. Delegate each of the task to members of your team.  Hold each other accountable for their contribution to the process.

2. Improve Mobile Accessibility and Optimization

According to eMarketer, mobile marketing is predicted to surpass $100 billion in spending and account for more than 50% of all digital spending for the first time,. In fact, there are some predictions being made saying that mobile will completely overtake desktop next year.

More shoppers are now using their smartphones and tablets to make a purchase, look for a product, compare deals, or find a retail outlet. As people become more attached to their mobile devices, you can…

Make your website mobile friendly-turn visitors into lifetime customers.
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3. Do a Little Bit of Research & Refine Social Media Presence

A little bit of research can go a long way. Figure out what topics your buyers will find interesting. Just like other virtual assistant companies, we often connect with our clients. We ask them questions – what blogs and online resources they turn to? What are some of the topics they are sharing in their social media accounts?

Talk to the individuals in your company that deal directly with your customers or conduct a survey directly on them. What concerns do they have?

Be proactive in promoting your content.  Send email notifications out to your database letting them know about the newly published. Notify your social media audiences.  Reach out to peers in your industry and let them know about the content you’ve created and why they might want to take a look.  Don’t be shy.  If you are not the top expert in your field (most of us are not), that is okay.

For every 1 person who knows 2x as much as you, 3 don’t know a fraction that you do.
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Having a refined social media presence is vital to the survival of the business. Building a Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn page is essential. Companies need to always keep in mind that social media is a way to engage users and build brand trust, not just for self-promotion.

4. Brands Must Get Personal

According to the Direct Marketing Association, 76% of consumers will share personal information with a brand if they believe it will improve their experience and interaction. By collecting key data from consumers, such as past customer purchases, newsletter sign-ups, discount offers and social media, companies are able to build profiles offering targeted content and incentives to purchase.

Related: Online Reputation Management and Brand Monitoring

Personalized one-to-one marketing will be a requirement to acquire and retain loyal customers. Getting personal with consumers equates to more emotionally connected customers who will help drive word-of-mouth referrals and online reviews.

As the co-founder of concierge business Ten Group says,

“Focus on what makes you different – not what is generic.” -Alex Cheatle
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This allows your team, customers and suppliers to all “buy in” to why your business matters, and why it is worth joining, and staying and working with. It also means that everyone is better focused on your competitive advantage and unique proposition.”

Talk about what makes your business what it is. In addition to building brand trust and increase user engagement, businesses need to make sure their websites are up to date. Competition is tough and more businesses are using videos, photos and illustrations to stand out and attract more customers.

5. Accept That You Can’t Do Everything

As an entrepreneur, you’re going to get used to do different duties – bookkeeper, sales agent, customer rep – but that doesn’t mean you can or should do everything yourself! If you want your business to grow, you need to accept that you can’t do everything all of the time.

Look for help from talented individuals who share your vision and values and can help you grow your business.  You can outsource repetitive admin tasks or technical tasks to virtual assistant online services or personal assistants so you can free up some time to do important things. After all, you are only one person.

Plan the Year Ahead

You might not be able to make all the progress you’d like for your business in the next few days, but you can definitely plan for it. As a business owner, you are responsible for your entire online marketing strategy – from conception, to development, to implementation. If you want your business to be successful you need to get your plan working and keep your doors open for customer feedback and trends that will benefit your brand.

Be sure to keep these strategies in mind as you head into 2018. Make your bigger and bolder business year to date!
P.S. If you need help with hiring experienced virtual assistants, 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.

References:
www.salesforce.com
www.bbc.com
www.forbes.com
www.smallbiztrends.com

Data Entry Outsourcing

In the current business world, e-commerce is one of the things that continues to be critical to business success. The    ability of each  company to provide quality and relevant content to every customer inquiry is a top priority. The more relevant information you can provide to your

In the current business world, e-commerce is one of the things that continues to be critical to business success. The ability of each company to provide quality and relevant content to every customer inquiry is a top priority. The more relevant information you can provide to your customers, the more your company will have an edge on your competition. It is a change that most of the businesses have started to implement.

However, the demand is continuously rising and the competition as well. Therefore, you would need to learn the best strategy in order to stay on top of the game. You need to learn how to get an edge on your competition.

That is the importance of Data Entry Outsourcing. It may not be important to you for now. But you will be able to lessen the load of your internal employees working  on a large volume of documents. That is why it is crucial that you would pick a company that can provide you with reputable data entry services.

However, the demand is continuously rising and the  competition as well. Therefore, you would need to learn the best strategy in order to stay on top of the game. You need to learn how to get an edge on your competition.

If you would outsource your data entry you will be able to save on compensation costs, incentives and other allowances required from an internal staff. Internal data entry work would also mean more investment,  with you having to purchase expensive software to do data processing and storage.

On the other hand, if you would outsource your data processing there is no need for you to do that because the company would provide it for you. Your data would be stored safely and your company’s efficiency would be increased.

Data Entry Services

Therefore, from this savings you would be able to invest more on the most important things that will help your company grow and reach your goals.

You may be too stressed with managing your data entry, but when you outsource, you would be able to reduce that stress.  The outsourced data entry company can help you minimize your work load and help you to become more productive.

You need to decide on what would be the best cost effective solution for your company. You may want to keep certain tasks internal and think you can save more, however you would need to see that productivity also means money. You need to run your business smoothly.

Once this is all sorted out, you will be able to focus more on expansion. You will be able to use your extra resources to invest more in your company. This will help your business grow. You can reduce your risks and save on costs if you pick a reputable outsourcing data entry company so that your expectations for quality and productivity are met.

A keyword in programming is a word that is reserved by a program because the word has a special meaning. Keywords can be commands or parameters. Every programming language has a set of keywords that cannot be used as variable names. Keywords are sometimes called reserved names.In search engines, keywords are used in its search for relevant Web pages. (Webopedia.)

In the past, SEO specialists would have to rely on tools like keyword tools to identify new keywords and ad groups to get traffic. As technology advances, so does the use of keywords. Google has been updating and the use of algorithm, and that means, what is true yesterday might not be true today.

However, Google is now combining new tools- the Keyword Tool and Traffic Estimator into just one product and that is the keyword planner.

1. Ideas for looking for keywords and Adwords
2. Enter keywords to learn about their performance
3. Multiply keyword list

Even with the new update from Google, people are still using the old Google keywords that we are used to in searching keywords for blogs, social media and SEO purposes. Determining the right keyword to reach your target market is not that easy as what most thought of and need to consider competition when doing such.

Keyword optimization for your website means categorizing the appearance of your products and services to best serve your perfect customers and target market.  Good keyword search can really help you in your SEO strategy and keyword search can still be valuable. Keyword research still matters and is as critical as ever when it comes to creating the contents of your website. Writing good quality articles and focused content is now the name of the game. The aim now is to produce good-quality targeted content as routinely and as frequently as you can to move up in the ranks of Google’s latest indexing algorithms.

Don’t confuse yourself between an electronic invoice and paper invoices scanned then sent thru fax and email using .pdf files as these are not what the real e-invoicing that we are talking about.

What is E-invoicing?

Electronic invoicing is a form of electronic billing. E-invoicing methods are used by trading partners, such as customers and their suppliers, to present and monitor transactional documents between one another and ensure the terms of their trading agreement are being met. These documents include invoices, purchase orders, debit notes, credit notes, payment terms and instructions and remittance advices. These documents can be exchanged in a number of ways including EDI, XML, or CSV files. (GXS) They can be uploaded using web applications or FTP sites. The company may use imaging software to capture data from PDF or paper invoices and input it into their invoicing system. Some companies have their own in house e-invoicing process. However many companies will hire a third party company to implement and support these e-invoicing processes and to archive the data that passes through them on their own servers.

E-invoicing includes so many different technologies and entry options, it is used as an umbrella term to describe any method by which an invoice is electronically presented to a customer for payment. (Wikipedia)

The straightforward system in the olden days involves emailing a PDF to a supplier. But the real benefits of e-invoicing come when it transmute the entire payment process, as the invoice becomes a request for payment, consolidated with the accounts system and the supplier payment system.

Benefits of using E-invoicing and billing for customers:

1. Convenience
2. Reduced cost
3. Control of finances
4. Strengthened accuracy
5. Swift processing and payment cycles
6. Email reminders
7. Improved cash control
8. Improved conflict and argument handling
9. Payment and finance choices
10. Improved supplier and customer relationship

Benefits of using E-invoicing and billing for business owners:

1. Instant and secure delivery of invoices
2. Less time spent processing invoices
3. Improved visibility
4. Cost reduction
5. Fewer discarded or refused invoices
6. Increased productivity
7. Proficiency of storing soft vs. hard copied of invoices
8. Faster payments
9. Improved cash managements
10. Improved supplier and customer relationship

Hire your virtual assistant from Virtual Assistant Talent and see the difference. We have all the services you are looking for and the best and experts in their field Virtual Assistants in town. Visit our website and sign up your no obligation request now!

We are proud to be a Better Business Bureau Accredited Company (bbb.org).

In this digital age, information spreads like lighting. Digital online marketing has since been part of Internet, social media and business campaign. In fact, online marketing is taking up a huge portion of the global growth. Businesses are shelling portion of the their budget for this type of advertising and marketing campaign.

Two different forms of digital marketing exist:

In pull digital marketing, the consumer actively seeks the marketing content, often via web searches or opening at email, text messages or web feed. Websites, blogs and streaming media (audio and video) are examples of pull digital marketing. In each of these, users have to navigate to the website to view the content. Only current web browser technology is required to maintain static content.  Search Engine Optimization is one tactic used to increase activity. Martin et al. (2003) found that consumers prefer special sales and new product information, whereas “interesting” content was not useful.

In push digital marketing the marketer sends a message without the consent of the recipients, such as display advertising on websites and news blogs. Email, text messaging and web feeds can also be classed as push digital marketing when the recipient has not given permission to receive the marketing message. Push marketing is also known as spam. Push technologies can deliver content as it becomes available and can be better targeted to consumer demographics, although audiences are often smaller, and creation and distribution costs are higher. (Wikipedia)

To have a better understanding on how to create a compelling digital marketing:

1. Identify the business objective.  – You need to identify the objective of your business, and why you need to create a digital marketing.
2. Identify the goal of each business objective. – Like the objective, you then need to identify your goal, and that is to reach out to as much customers and business prospects.
3. Key performance indicators. – Identify the key indicators of the business and where it is leading.
4. KPI targets.–With the help from the management team, market and finance, you will be able to identify targets for each KPI.
5. Identify and analyze success and failure. – If the result is not what you want, revisit the idea, identify and analyze the success or failure of the campaign.

Identifying your business objectives needs brainstorming from the top- level management team to strategize and be able to establish an initiative on how to conceptualize the design for the digital marketing campaign of your company.

1. Establish awareness
2. Generate leads
3. Emphasize and feature events

Hire your virtual assistant from Virtual Assistant Talent and see the difference. We have all the services you are looking for and the best and experts in their field Virtual Assistants in town.

We are proud to be a Better Business Bureau Accredited Company (bbb.org).

English as the universal language is the widely spoken language in the word. This makes English an important part of the day-to-day activities of students, job hunters and businesses to name a few.

Decades ago, learning English was a bit of a problem. English teachers were scarce not to mention the cost of hiring a tutor is quite expensive and only those who have the means can afford to hire one. But with today’s fast-paced and technologically advance world, English tutorial is just a click of the mouse. One can now hire the service of an online English tutor anywhere in the world at a fraction of the cost of hiring one – physically.

Online English tutors are best for students who wish to have tutorials and school assignments at the comfort of their home, university students and those who are taking units in masters but don’t have enough time for additional paper works and thesis, businessmen for their business correspondence and more.

When having online tutorial you need to have the following:

• Computer or laptop
• High speed internet connection
•  Good quality webcam for screen sharing (if needed)
• Good quality microphone for voice calling.
• Skype or any other VoIP software.

Most of the English online tutors are English native speakers or have a degree in Education major in English or a relative degree and are TOEFL / ESL passers. These tutors assist those who are beginners or have little knowledge in English to advance students.

Duties of tutor are the following but not limited to:

1)   Tutor shall to create a lesson plan and fun activities to student.

2)   Tutor is done through Skype or any other VoIP software.

3)   Tutor is expected to submit evaluation / progress of the student to parents.

4)   Record the session so the student can replay the lessons if something was not clear during the lesson.

5)   Review the student of the previous lesson.

6)   Assist with homework.

Other duties:

7)   Assist in creating thesis and other school term papers.

8)   Online projects like PowerPoint presentation, graphs, etc.

9)   Redesigning the curriculum vitae of a job hunter.

10)  Building compelling business plans for entrepreneurs.

How to be an English tutor:

•  Must have a degree in Education major in English or relative course.
• Must have an exceptional command in the English language.
• A good written and oral communication skill is a must.
• Must be proficient at Microsoft applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and online tools.
• Friendly, approachable but professional.

An infographics is a diagram of information in a graphic format that includes histogram, pie charts, mind maps, gantt chart, line charts, bar graphs, etc. Businesses use infographics to convey a message promptly, to streamline the presentation of sizeable amounts of data, of which the main purpose of doing such is to disseminate information to the public.

It is said that 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual and that more people respond to better visual information than text. That means more infographics are read than text articles since it is easy to understand and a fun way to appreciate a message because it is expressed visually.

Every enterprise can benefit from infographics because it does not only help increase your search engine optimization but can also help grow and increase traffic to your website. And social media is one of the many ways in promoting your brand and your business.

How to design a visually engaging infographics

1. Research and read everything about the topic you want to create and convey.
2. Gather as much data about the topic and information you want to relay to your audience. Extensive representation of an article is usually found not in one date but through multiple materials.
3. Sort the data and find the storyline. A great story can be found from a unique and compelling infographics.
4. Identify problems in the infographics. In many instances, the statistics and facts don’t support the story a business wants to communicate to their clients. Data don’t lie, and respectable and worthy clients do not want to be obviously misinformed.
5. Avoid vague titles as this might confuse your reader. Find one that is catchy but still relates to the story you want to share.
6. Engage in originality. Though it is easy to find readily available images for your storyboard from online stock photos but what catches more attention are those created with originality.
7. Find the perfect font. Font is as important as the images in your infographics as it gives the feel and the final touch of your creation.
8. Test the final infographic to people that weren’t involved in the design process so as not to get a bias opinion.  You need to go back and identify the problem if they can’t comprehend the data presented.
9. Present and create a readable infographic that directs people through the data.
10. Finally, share the infographics through social media and start directing people to your website.

We are proud to be a Better Business Bureau Accredited Company (BBB.org).

Email marketing is directly marketing a marketable message to customers and to people using email. It is more commonly used to send ads, request business, marketing campaigns and it is meant to build loyalty, trust or brand awareness.

Since the time technology has taken the business world promoting, educating, growing and managing businesses and companies, entrepreneurs are taking all the possible resources with ease including email-marketing services. Most of these services offer email campaign by just adding names to a database, customizing an easy-to-use template for effective emails. In addition, these email marketing services are constantly upgrading their services to equal with the competition and sell their products as well.

Some tools for email marketing:

• iContact – features include: Message builder toolbar for easy email campaign creation, message coder for custom HTML email creation, social sharing buttons in email, Publishing to Twitter and Facebook. Free 30-day trial
• Mail Chimp – key features: “Forever Free Plan” (up to 2,000 subscribers, 12,000 emails per month), customizable email lists and forms, integration with Facebook, Chimpadeedoo iPad app.
• Get Response – features include: email creator, multiple email templates and limitless editing options, landing page creator, social sharing, email intelligence, one click list booster, form builder, inbox preview. Free 30- day trial.
• Active Campaign – easily design custom emails that match your branding and goals, ActiveCampaign with the goal of simplifying email marketing while at the same time improving your email marketing effectiveness, Comprehensive reporting and analytics are provided to help you analyze your subscribers and your campaigns, social media and email marketing. Free account up to 250 subscribers.
• Constant contact – Its key email marketing features include: “One-click” editing, over 400 customizable email templates, free personal coaching, along with phone, email and live chat support, connectivity with your social media outposts. Free 60-day trial.
• AWeber – features include: email newsletters, manage subscribers, with more than 150 email templates to choose from, email marketing tracker, subscriber segmenting, auto responder follow up, RSS to email, email marketing API. It integrates with WordPress, PayPal, Eventbrite and a few others. It allows you to quickly segment your lists by subscriber opens or clicks, location, and even what pages subscribers visited on your website.

Using email as your marketing tool ensures you of audience, always keep you in touch with your customers and business partners, building strong customer service and relationship and most of all, you are sending your message and your brand.

Hire your virtual assistant from the best virtual assistant company in town – Virtual Assistant Talent.  Visit our website and sign up your no obligation request!

We are proud to be a Better Business Bureau Accredited Company (BBB.org).

By using your computer and telephone you can actually be present in a meeting – hear a presentation (like a conference call) and also see the presenter’s slides (watching over an internet connection). You won’t be able to see the presenter or the moderator, or others attending the program — and they won’t be able to see you.

Small businesses use webinars for a variety of purposes, like sharing information about a new product or service, marketing campaign or just staff collaboration. Moreover, a lot of new online tools are sprouting the market and making it easy for any business to host a webinar.

One of the many ways to attend a meeting, brainstorm and or conference is through webinar. You can attend an important meeting without really leaving your home – and in your casual or housedress or even in pajamas because it is virtual and the presenter, moderator and everyone else who is attending the program won’t be able to see you.

Here are few tools available:

1. Verizon Small Business Web Conferencing
2. Microsoft Office Live Meeting
3. Cisco WebEx
4. Goto Webinar
5. Zoho Meeting
6. Anymeeting
7. Yugma
8. GatherPlace
9. Fuze
10. Brainshark
11. Freebinar
12. OpenMeetings
13. Event Brite
14. MegaMeeting
15. Elluminate
16. Nefsis
17. StageToWeb
18. Stream57
19. Dialcom
20. Amiado

Guide Questions in planning a webinar:

1. Why are you going for a webinar?
2. What is the purpose of the meeting?
3. Is this the right tool for your meeting?
4. Who are the speakers of the meeting?
5. Who is your presenter? (He or she should be knowledgeable of the what’s going to transpire during the meeting.)
6. How do you want your meeting to be? Do you want it to be interview style, panel discussion or with speakers – how many speakers?
7. Prepare an agenda of the meeting.
8. What are the visuals you want to use during the presentation? (ex. PowerPoint presentation)
9. Choose the tool that suits your need and budget.
10. Advertise or announce the event.

Hire your virtual assistant from Virtual Assistant Talent and see the difference. We have all the services you are looking for and the best and experts in their field Virtual Assistants in town.

We are proud to be a Better Business Bureau Accredited Company (bbb.org).