Hire Us (Photo credit: Dita Margarita)
- Check reputation
- Communicate clearly
- Outsource "busy tasks"
- Maintain control over important tasks
- Check in on success regularly
The following is a guest post by Sarah Clare. Her bio is at the end of the article.
Managing your social media marketing can be a full-time job. Who has time for that when you are already managing your blog and marketing your business? You could hire a social manager, but that could cost you hundreds of dollars per month.
Hiring a virtual assistant can help you to manage your social media while also saving money. However, it is important to develop a strategy for working with a virtual assistant to ensure that outsourcing your social media management is successful. Here are a few tips:
Check reputation
What others have to say about the person you are considering will tell you a lot about what you can expect. Online marketplaces where you can connect with virtual assistants allow previous employers to leave feedback and reviews. If you don’t hire through one of these marketplaces, do an online search to find out what people are saying about the assistant. Make sure your potential contractor has a lot of positive reviews and feedback before you move forward.
Communicate clearly
You can make sure that your project goes smoothly by communicating as clearly as possible. Be specific and outline exactly what tasks you want the assistant to accomplish. Discuss what your goals are for your social media campaign and how the assistant can help you to meet those goals. The more specific you are in your discussions, the more smooth sailing your relationship will be.
Outsource “busy tasks”
There are a lot of menial tasks associated with social media management: linking to blog posts, retweeting and sharing followers’ posts, adding fans and followers, finding people in your niche to follow, and so on. These are the tasks that you want to outsource. They are tasks that anyone can do, and they are the tasks that take up most of your time. You should save your own time for the tasks that have more of an impact.
Maintain control over important tasks
In many cases, you are your brand, and there is no replacement for you. Social media is all about building relationships, and when you are representative of your brand, it is important for you to be primarily responsible for building those relationships. You should maintain control over important tasks such as responding to personal messages (either those that are posted publicly or sent privately) and posting personal annoncements.
Check in on success regularly
Make sure that you are staying on track to meet your social media goals by checking in regularly with your assistant. Plan for weekly or bi-weekly chat sessions or video conferences, and e-mail as often as needed. These regular check-ins will ensure that you continue to meet your goals and your relationship is successful.
Hiring a virtual assistant can help you get your social media management under control so that you can meet your goals while clearing up the time to manage other aspects of growing your blog. Using these tips can help you to ensure that your relationship with your virtual assistant is a successful one.
Have you ever hired a virtual assistant to help you with your social media management or other aspects of managing your blog? Share your experiences or tips for success in the comments!
Sarah Clare is a writer and oversees the site projectmanagementsoftware.com. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking and scrapbooking.