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30 Tasks You Can Outsource to a Virtual Marketing Assistant

There has never been a better time for marketers. Thanks to the internet and social media, even startups and home-based entrepreneurs can reach their customers directly. On the flip side, there has never been a worse time for marketers either. The same technology that makes consumers more accessible has also made businesses more vulnerable.

Today, every company’s competition is just one click away. Even big and established businesses can suffer flak from regular consumers with just a single bad review.  Now more than ever, business owners need to amp up their marketing game to keep winning the hearts of customers and remain relevant. 

As Kindred CEO and co-founder Ian Schafer says, “Innovation needs to be part of your culture. Consumers are transforming faster than we are, and if we don’t catch up, we’re in trouble”. 

There’s no better place to start and practice this philosophy than digital marketing. As a business aspect where customer relations and innovation overlap, marketing is too crucial to be taken lightly. Thankfully, you can always work with a virtual marketing assistant to help you out. 

What is a Virtual Marketing Assistant and Why Should You Hire One?

A virtual marketing assistant is an independent and remote marketing specialist that works with businesses on an hourly, contractual, or per-project basis. Traditionally, companies work with in-house staff or hire a third-party agency for their marketing needs. As business becomes more mobile and more people become entrepreneurs, however, the need for a more flexible and affordable marketing service becomes more urgent. 

Virtual assistance enables business owners with limited budgets and short-term projects to get professional help. Unlike traditional employment and third-party advertising firms, working with a virtual marketing assistant is easier and more straightforward. For one thing, entrepreneurs would only pay for the specific hours or projects they require. This frees them from other employment responsibilities like health insurance, severance pay, and retirement plans. For another, entrepreneurs can hire as many people as they want whenever they need to. This makes it an ideal employment set up for growing companies or companies with a fluctuating workload.

Of course, it is still tempting to handle your own marketing efforts. After all, social channels, blogs, and eCommerce platforms today already have built-in marketing and analytics tools to help users expand their reach. Why should you go out of your way to pay for virtual marketing assistant services?

Here are a few reasons: 

• Businesses with a blog get 55% more website traffic
• There is an 86% increase in conversion rate for landing pages that use videos
• 60% of millennials make a reactive purchase for fear of missing out
• 70% of online shoppers check product reviews before making a purchase
• 64% of consumers admit they want brands to connect with them in social channels

These facts and figures show the many facets of marketing and how each one affects consumer behavior.

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30 Marketing Tasks to Outsource

Now that it’s clear why a marketing VA is worth the investment, it’s time to verify the different tasks that you should delegate. Here are 30 examples of marketing virtual assistant services:

1. Market Research
   

   In-depth interviews with focus groups, customer surveys, and general buyer observation help you test a product before its launch, understand what specific consumer needs you can fulfill, and analyze how other brands have approached your situation. A complex process such as market research is best carried out by a specialist. 

2. Keyword Research
   

   It’s not enough to write an engaging blog and social media content. Your posts must also have the right keywords in order to be discoverable. This will ensure that your blog and social pages come up when people search for your services or industry online. A high-impact task such as this should be left in the hands of a virtual marketing specialist. 

3. Building Buyer Personas
   

   A virtual assistant for marketing is skilled in online consumer behavior. They also have a strong suit of online tools for different purposes. These abilities make a marketing VA the perfect person to build the ideal buyer persona for your brand. A semi-fictional embodiment of your ideal customer, a buyer persona would help you fine-tune your campaigns. 

4. Content Creation
   

   Many marketing trends have come and gone, but the content has reigned for years. Your website and social media content educate customers about your brand, generate leads, and make you a cut above the rest. With so much at stake, content creation is a task best outsourced to a content specialist. 

5. Content Formatting and Publishing
   

   According to a report, 73% of people skim through a post while only 27% read it thoroughly. While different factors affect a reader’s interest or engagement, its formatting and time of publication no doubt influence it. A marketing VA would know how to layout content in a way that attracts and encourages people to read. As for publishing, check out this guide on the best times to post on different platforms.

6. Guest Posting
   

   Guest posting helps a brand establish a promising relationship with other brands. It also increases one’s website traffic and brand exposure. As clear as these benefits are, guest posting is an intricate process that demands thorough research, strategic pitching, and creative writing. It’s a job a marketing VA is cut out for. 

7. Social Media Management
   

   People expect businesses to be active on social media — whether it’s to provide customer customers or general business information. However, managing different social platforms can be a challenge, especially since each one has different dominant audiences and algorithms. To optimize social media, it’s best to have a marketing VA manage your accounts. This 4-part social media marketing strategy should help. 

8. Moderating Social Media Reviews and Comments
   

   Word-of-mouth recommendation is still a strong influence on people’s purchase decisions. Only now, word-of-mouth recommendations have gone digital in the form of social media reviews and comments. Have your VA monitor and answer any comments people leave on your social accounts. 

9. Creating and Running Social Media Contests
   

   With thousands of businesses on social media, it’s hard to gain traction. Hosting exciting contests is one way to spur attention and create a name for yourself. As a promotions expert, a marketing VA would have creative ideas for social media contests. 

10. Graphic Design
    

    Graphic design and creation is a basic skill in marketing VAs. Marketing virtual assistants know how to convert text into visual campaigns that attract, educate, and leave an impression on consumers. They also know the best tools for creating both print and digital graphics. 

11. Paid Ads Management
    

    Pay-per-click, pay-per-impression, and social media paid ads to go hand in hand with your organic campaigns. Of course, you need to factor in your budget, returns, and market demographics to make the most out of paid ads. Work with your marketing assistant to thoroughly research the logistics, carefully create the content, and correctly evaluate your paid campaigns. 

12. Updating Web Content
    

    Ongoing promotions, change in business information, product and pricing modifications — these are just a few reasons why you need to update your web content from time to time. Make sure your website and social media content are always correct and up-to-date by outsourcing this responsibility to your VA. 

13. Collecting and Moderating Customer Reviews
    

    Reading product reviews help shoppers make quicker purchase decisions. A prominent display of customer reviews in one’s website or social channels also establishes authority and transparency. With huge benefits such as these, it’s only fitting to have your VA solicit or answer customer reviews. 

14. Customer Correspondence
    

    Reliable customer service is in itself a great marketing strategy. Make sure that each customer contact is promptly answered and each problem resolved. As product and customer relations experts, marketing VAs will be great at handling customer correspondence. 

15. Competitor Research
    

    Your competitor is just a few clicks or taps away. Don’t let customers be nabbed by your rivals! Be ahead of the game by having your marketing VA monitor the strategy, pricing, and campaigns of your top competitors. 

16. Content Monitoring
    

    Which blog topics gained the longest time spent on a page? What type of social media posts garnered the most engagement? Monitoring content reveals valuable marketing insight that you can optimize in the future. It’s a task best suited for your marketing VA. 

17. Monitor Google Search and Trends
    

    As customer behavior fluctuates, Google search and trends also change. Your marketing VA needs to keep an eye out on these changes to ensure that your campaigns are relevant. 

18. Backlink Generation
    

    When more websites link to yours, your online visibility expands, and your niche authority becomes stronger. As a result, search engines will promote your website and more users will find your brand. Backlink generation is an essential digital marketing strategy and is, therefore, best left in the hands of experts.  

19. Analyze Website Stats
    

    Accessing website statistics is one thing, analyzing and using them to your advantage is another. Have your VA read and interpret the analytics of your website to make the most of this information. 

20. Create Marketing Reports
    

    When you work with a marketing VA, you can expect to get a detailed report of your campaigns before, during, and after its launch. This ensures you stay on top of things and visually see the performance of your campaigns. 

21. Monitor ROI
    

    Marketing isn’t cheap. Even with several free and inexpensive tools, marketing still demands time and effort. Your marketing VA should monitor the returns of these investments, so you know what campaigns to pursue, leverage, or discontinue. 

22. Search or Organize Events
    

    Promoting one’s business also entails networking and participating in industry conferences. Have your marketing organize or search for events where you can meet possible investors, partners, or clients. 

23. Webinar Assistance
    

    By hosting webinars, you can help people make the most of your products or understand your services. It also gives you a chance to engage with your customers and establish your niche authority. Your marketing assistant can help you research on topics, write a script, and prepare the tools needed so you can host a successful webinar. 

24. Podcast Assistance
    

    Podcasting is a unique and sustainable way to promote one’s brand. It also opens your business to more audiences. Look for a marketing VA who is also adept in podcasting to leverage this promising branding platform. Here’s how a podcast VA can boost your content. 

25. Manage Product Listing
    

    Listing and updating your products on different platforms is tedious, but necessary. Luckily, managing product listings on different eCommerce channels is a task that marketing VAs train for. 

26. Create Email Campaigns
    

    Issue monthly newsletters to existing customers or send out promotions to prospects. Whichever you use email for marketing, your VA can create emails that recipients will open, read, or respond to. Here are 6 email marketing tips to start you off. 

27. Build Email Lists
    

    Want to create meaningful connections with prospects? Building an email list is a solid way to start. As a marketing expert, your VA should know legitimate and effective ways to build an email list. 

28. Create Customer Retention Campaigns
    

    Every day, you compete with dozens of similar companies that may have better pricing or trendier campaigns. Don’t let them capture your customers by creating campaigns targeted to long-time and high-paying customers. Work with your marketing VA to design campaigns that reward and encourage loyalty. 

29. Lead Generation
    

    Lead generation is an intricate process of rousing prospect interest in sales or brand exposure. It entails technical tools and marketing ideas and should, therefore, be outsourced to your VA. 

30. Create a Strategy
    

    Marketing is dynamic. Your campaigns must be monitored and assessed properly so you can build better campaigns in the future, fine-tune your products, and improve your processes. It is your marketing VA’s job to create and regularly tweak your strategy to achieve optimal results. 

An online marketing virtual assistant knows the balance between innovation and customer relations. Let an expert handle your business marketing today, starting with these 30 tasks you can outsource to a virtual marketing assistant. 

Recommended Reading: 12 Things to Know Before You Hire a Telemarketer

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12 Things to Know Before You Hire a Telemarketer

Telemarketing is one of the oldest techniques in the marketing book. Before social media, chatbots, or email campaigns, businesses have been ringing people up to promote their brand or services. Though telemarketing has earned a bad rap over the years, it’s still thriving today. 

Why? Because it works — at least when you hire a telemarketer specialist to do it. 

The difference between cold calls that work and ones that don’t is simple: having a professional to do it. 

Just like any other branch of marketing, telemarketing is a move to increase your sales or introduce more people to your business. As such, it’s important to understand why exactly you need to hire a professional telemarketer, how you should do it, and what you can do to make this practice work for your business.

When you view telemarketing as objectively as possible, you’re better positioned to leverage it to promote and grow your brand. 

To help you in this regard, have a look at the 12 things you need to know before you hire a telemarketer:

4 Reasons Why You Need a Professional Telemarketer

Ringing up customers to promote your brand and services sound easy enough. So, why should you go through the motions of hiring and working with a professional to do it?

Here are 4 reasons why it’s worth investing in a telemarketing specialist:

1. First impressions matter. Imagine receiving a call from a company that you’ve never heard of. The first few seconds of that call are extremely crucial in forming your impression. Does this brand sound interesting and worth looking into? Do they have products worth trying? According to a study conducted by RAIN Group, businesses only have 5-10 minutes to present their value proposition to prospects.
   
   Unlike blogs and emails where you can link people to a certain page for further details, calls should include all the information that a prospect needs to know. A specialist in telemarketing would know how to be as concise and as informative as possible in that 5-10 minutes window. They would be ready to answer possible questions and handle hesitance without coming off as too pushy.
2. Other brands are doing it. While it’s important to have a brand identity, knowing what other businesses are doing will help you stay ahead of the curve. Remember that you are competing against many companies, some of which may have deeper pockets or wider reach than you do. These competitors are no doubt reaching out to your target customers with every resource at their disposal, not the least of which is cold calling. In fact, 27% of sellers admit that telemarketing is extremely effective in reaching new contacts.
   
   Whether you take telemarketing seriously or not, your competitors are leveraging it to reach the same target market. Don’t let your customers be nabbed by your rivals — hire a telemarketing professional to connect with your prospects. Here are 5 other ways your brand can beat competitors. 
3. Cold calling is a specialized task. Despite the bad implications that cold calling has earned over the years, it is still regarded as a productive marketing source today. A research revealed that 41.2% of salespeople agree that the phone remains the best selling tool.
   
   This finding underscores how cold calling is a specialized task that requires people with proper training and skill set. Just as you delegate social media marketing and SEO to experts, you should also leave telemarketing in the hands of specialists. Just as people dislike clickbait and heavily promotional copy, they’re also turned off by substandard calls. You need a telemarketer who can promote your brand in a brand-focused but engaging way. 
4. Existing customers appreciate it. It’s no secret that existing customers are more likely to spend more than newer ones. It turns out, existing customers also like getting calls from their preferred brands.
   
   The same research from RAIN group has revealed that businesses are more likely to succeed in promoting a new product by directly calling existing customers.

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3 Ways to Hire a Telemarketer

It’s easy to see why it’s worth knowing how to hire a telemarketer when you know what’s at stake. Here are 3 ways you can source a telemarketing specialist: 

1. Local Hiring. As a traditional form of employment, hiring people close to one’s establishment is the first thing that a business may consider when looking for a telemarketer. With local hiring, you can hire a telemarketer in person and work with them in your office. While communication and collaboration are much easier and simpler, local hiring comes with a hefty price tag.
   
   For one thing, you need to invest time and money for onboarding. Though you can hire experienced telemarketers, you still need to spend time and resources for product-specific training. You also need to cover their payroll, insurance, and other employee benefits. As your team expands, overheads such as rent or utilities will also increase. 
2. Virtual Assistance Direct Hire. Another option to solve your telemarketing needs is to hire telemarketers online. You can create a job post on your website or virtual assistant sourcing platforms to get direct applications.
   
   With direct hire virtual assistance, you can garner the many benefits of remote working such as accessing a global talent pool and saving on rent and utilities. However, you would still need to be hands-on with hiring, training, onboarding, paying, and supervising your VA.
3. Virtual Assistance through Staffing Agencies. Another way to source a telemarketing virtual assistant is through a staffing agency. Staffing agencies are the bridge that connects a business and a VA to make remote collaboration faster, easier, and more secure.
   
   For instance, it is a staffing agency’s responsibility to prescreen applicants before hooking them up with employers. Other employment aspects are taken care by the staffing agency also include training, VA management, and payroll. There are many agencies and virtual staffing platforms that businesses can choose from. Find one that suits your needs, budget, and goals here.

5 Tips on Effective Telemarketing

Marketing is multifaceted and you need to invest in all its components to see returns. 

A good email campaign comes with a captivating headline. An effective social media post includes engaging visuals. Cold calling also requires a strategy to generate results. 

Make sure your telemarketer VA has the proper practices and resources for the job. Here are 5 tips on how to hire a good telemarketer and work with one:

1. Tap on the Global Workforce. While local hiring has many benefits, it also comes with a number of restrictions, not the least of which is a limited talent pool. You have a better chance of finding a good telemarketer when you look in an expansive talent source. By outsourcing telemarketing to a virtual assistant, you can work with people who have more experience, qualifications, and remote work know-how.
   
   Another benefit of working with a VA is that it expands your business accessibility. VAs can work off-hours to call or follow up leads. Having this option is especially helpful if you are dealing with more workload from seasonal sales or gearing up for market expansion.
   A global staff also means a chance to work with multilingual and multicultural employees. If some of your target customers’ first language isn’t English, they would find it more helpful and comfortable to talk with a telemarketer that speaks their mother tongue. 
2. Be Proactive in Hiring, Training, and Monitoring VAs. While you can delegate recruitment, training, and VA management to a staffing agency, it pays to be proactive in these processes.
   
   During recruitment, select a VA that reflects your company’s core values to go with their communication skills. Make sure that your VA also knows the frequently raised concerns of customers and your ways of handling them. Monitor calls to assess the performance of your VA. This way, you can help your VA become an extension of your business rather than a third-party caller. 
3. Continuously Improve Your Script and Workarounds. Another reason to closely monitor calls is to see opportunities for improvement. How can you tweak your spiels to get better results? What questions frequently come up and how can you resolve them?
   Realize that effective telemarketing doesn’t necessarily mean hard selling. Cold calls are still successful if it makes a prospect leave their contact details or sign up to an event or promotion. Once you understand this, you may find better ways to use and handle the cold calling. VAs can also build better connections with a prospect if they don’t always go in for the hard sell. 
4. Use the Most Appropriate Telemarketing Tools. Your VA only has a few minutes to win over a prospect. Make sure the call goes as smoothly as possible by using quality telemarketing software.
   
   Select one that suits your budget and needs. Among the popular tools is ICTBroadcast that starts at $199/month and packed with features, and CrankWheel that is hailed as Best Ease of Use software for 2020. Check out and compare user-rated telemarketing software here. 
5. Follow up, follow up, follow up! The average sales agent only makes two attempts to contact a customer. If calls go to voicemail, make sure your telemarketing VA leaves a message or call back as promptly as possible. According to Harvard Business Review, companies that followed up on prospects within an hour were 7 times likelier to establish a better customer connection than those that waited longer. 
   
   Successful telemarketing doesn’t end with a single call. In fact, it doesn’t have to end with a call per se. Telemarketers can also follow up and nurture leads by contacting them through email or direct message in social media. The important thing is to raise brand awareness and give people as many options as possible to connect with your business. 

It takes a skilled telemarketer virtual assistant to transform a cold call into a meaningful conversation. Hire one with 20four7VA today.

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Recommended Reading: 50 Remote Work Tools to Help You Through the Pandemic

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20four7VA Service Expansion To Help Small Business Owners Impacted By The COVID-19 Pandemic

20four7VA has expanded its services to help small business owners navigate the current global crisis. The company announced that it has begun accepting requests for Project-Based Virtual Assistants or VAs. Project-Based VAs can provide short-term support for entrepreneurs who are currently managing limited resources and are unable to commit to an ongoing subscription.

20four7VA hopes that this new service will enable the company to meet the needs of more small business owners, solopreneurs, and professionals during the COVID-19 crisis.

Short-term VA support for these trying times

In an email sent to clients, President and CEO Catherine vanVonno shared the impetus behind the company’s service expansion. “Over the last few weeks, we’ve heard from an increasing number of entrepreneurs who need help with one-off projects and who require short-term business support because of the ongoing pandemic,” she wrote.

20four7VA’s services have always been geared towards long-term VA-client partnerships, with virtual assistants paid an hourly rate. Now, for the first time in 10 years, the company is opening up its business model to incorporate remote staffing on a per-project basis.

This new service is the ideal solution for business owners struggling to move projects forward because on-site employees are temporarily unable to work. It’s also for those who have been having difficulty meeting business demands because of the added personal responsibilities created by the lockdowns.

To further support its clients, 20four7VA recently launched its VA Profiles page, where anyone can easily find remote staff with the skills and availability they need. Clients who self-select a virtual assistant from the page will receive a 50% discount off 20four7VA’s setup fee.

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51 Remote Work Tools to Help You Through the Pandemic

As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, small business owners find themselves facing a difficult decision. Should you throw down the towel now and minimize losses or take a risk and aim for growth? The number of organizations rallying together makes the latter more achievable than you might think. The novel coronavirus may have grounded the world to halt, but that doesn’t mean your business should do the same — especially when there are a plethora of remote work tools to keep you going.

 

Running a Business Amidst COVID-19

Cengage CEO Michael Hansen says, “You’ve got to get ahead of the curve, don’t try to deny it or put your head in the sand, and wish for the best. These are the times when culture and an organization gets tested.”

Your business stands a better chance of surviving the pandemic when you know your rights and options. Here are 3 practical solutions to keep in mind:

• Government resources. US-based businesses can get loans and legal assistance from the SBA. In the UK, businesses can take advantage of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, Job Retention Scheme, and Tax Deferrals. Make sure to check official pages in your location to see how you can tap on government resources for small business support.
• Virtual Assistance. Virtual assistance isn’t just a pandemic contingency plan. Still, hiring a virtual assistant (VA) now can really help you ease your business toward online operations. If you hire a VA from a full-service agency such as 20four7VA, you no longer have to worry about hiring, employee management, and payroll.
• Remote Work Management Tools. The key to smooth business operations is having the right set of tools to work with. Make sure you have the proper software, apps, and tools for communications, team management, marketing, and other important business aspects.

 

51 Best Remote Work Tools

Communication tools

1. 8×8 Video Meetings. 8×8 Video Meetings removed its service restrictions in response to the pandemic. Now, users can enjoy audio calls and video conferencing. Businesses can also integrate Outlook and Google calendars to their 8×8 meetings, access meeting history, and record conferences.
2. 3CX. Offering free service in response to COVID-19, 3CX is available to unlimited users for 3 years. 3CX has mobile apps for office extension, LiveChat for customer communication, and WebMeeting for virtual conferences.
3. Loom. The loom is designed for fast recording with or without a camera, instant file sharing, and easy editing. Basic Loom features are available for free, while the Pro package is $4/month with a 30-day free trial.
4. Pronto. Pronto is a user-friendly and free platform where users can stay connected through chat and video conferencing and get everyone in the loop through Announcements, Message Translation, and File Sharing.
5. UberConference. UberConference lets users chat, call, and share screens in an instant, thanks to its no-download, no-PIN feature. Signing up is free and only takes a few seconds. UberConference also features Voice Intelligence for meeting transcription access.
6. Discord. Although usually used for gaming, Discord can be useful for work too. Discord users can download the app for free or directly use the tool in their browser to host conventions, teach webinars, or create a virtual community through built-in or customized templates.
7. Jamm. Jamm specializes in lightweight voice, video, and screen-sharing tools. With one click, users can chat, access files, and share links through the app. The tool is built to work for global teams, so members from different time zones can monitor projects and capture or share spontaneous conversations.
8. Join.me. With Join.me, users can customize their meeting URLs and background, and access quality video and audio communications. The tool also features one-click screen sharing for faster conferences.
9. BirdEye. BirdEye lets businesses communicate with customers while maintaining social distancing. This customer interaction tool unifies live chat, texting, and bulk messaging in one intuitive platform.
10. Vonage. To help businesses continue operations amidst the pandemic, Vonage offers a 90-day free service. This includes access to video conferencing, SMS alerts, and mobile licensing. US-based businesses can get up to 250 softphone accounts with 3 months worth of Vonage Business Communications.

Project management and collaboration tools

11. FreedCamp. Designed for personal and professional use, FreedCamp is a must-have for independent contractors and entrepreneurs. Users can create an intuitive task list, track milestones, edit files, monitor time, and bill clients.
12. ClickUp. A one-stop app for communicating, team management, and file sharing, ClickUp features time and task management, app integrations, and reporting for smarter project management.
13. Stackby. Stackby lets users combine spreadsheets, APIs, and databases in one simplified platform. The tool enables real-time remote collaboration, reminder setups, and data integrations to popular apps like Slack and Google PageSpeed.
14. Trello. Organize projects, customize boards, and create lists in a fun but smart platform. Trello helps teams work together whether it’s a one-time project or recurring tasks. Trello can be integrated to Slack, Dropbox, or Google Drive for seamless collaboration.
15. Wrike. Wrike has unique solutions for specific teams, such as marketing, IT, or content creation. The tool helps users create a project, plan and collaborate its delivery, and report its results. Wrike is free for 5 members, with paid plans starting at $9.80/month for every user.
16. nTask. Another free software, nTask is an online collaboration tool featuring to-do list, project tracking, scheduling, and task prioritization. nTask enables multiple workspaces so users can simultaneously work on different projects.
17. Project.co. Work with your team or clients through Project.co’s intuitive platform for chatting, sharing files, and processing payments. It also features a Reports tool to view and assess project performance.
18. Apploye. Apploye is a time tracking, productivity, and employee monitoring tool providing you an intuitive platform for managing remote and in-office employees. Automatic time tracking, employee activity tracking, apps, website tracking, screenshots, project and task tracking, payroll, and invoicing.
19. Asana. Stay focused on goals, create projects, and collaborate on different tasks with Asana’s free features. The tool features workload tracking, work automation, and multiple app integrations.
20. Teamwork. Work with your in-house staff or remote team with Teamwork’s seamless collaborative platform. Users get project planning, marketing, and resource management features through customized templates and a centralized board view.
21. ProofHub. ProofHub is a project management software that helps teams to collaborate and manage their tasks in a single place. With Proofhub, users can easily organize tasks, collaborate on projects, and integrate the tools or apps that they are currently using.

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Marketing and analytics tools

22. SEO PowerSuite. Power up your SEO in the comforts of your home. The SEO PowerSuite is a one-stop marketing powerhouse that enables task automation, search optimization, and branded SEO reports.
23. MonitorBacklinks. A must-have for marketers and entrepreneurs, MonitorBacklinks identifies good and bad backlinks and high-performing keywords from your website or competitors’ content.
24. Buffer. Manage multiple social channels smoothly with Buffer. Buffer lets users plan and publish content and analyze social media posts through comprehensive reports.
25. Later. Visually plan and virtually collaborate your social media content with Later. This tool enables creating, scheduling, and analyzing posts on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook.
26. Hootsuite. Manage all your social profiles in Hootsuite where you can schedule posts and measure results. Hootsuite will let you listen to social conversations through keywords, hashtags, and location.
27. Agorapulse. Schedule and analyze posts while engaging with your followers in one platform. Agorapulse is a comprehensive tool where you can plan content and communicate with your team or audience.
28. Notism. This design and video collaboration tool helps content creators plan and edit projects through live cursors, targeted highlights, and direct sketches.
29. Stencil. This user-friendly tool helps bloggers, entrepreneurs and marketers create graphics and tell stories. With Stencil, you can create, save, and share ads, banners, and blog headers in seconds!
30. Invideo. Create and edit powerful video content for your website or social channels with Invideo. The tool also lets users convert high-impact articles into video content shareable in different platforms.
31. SendX. Send unlimited emails, build your subscribers list, and automate sequences through SendX. Here are other things you can do for email marketing success.

Security and support tools

32. 1Password. Secure your team’s data, delegate responsibilities, and generate reports through 1Password. This scalable tool features a support team, activity logs, and multi-factor authentication.
33. Untangle. Untangle offers simplified network security through products and solutions for enterprises, small businesses, and remote workers. Untangle even issued a host of COVID-19 resources to help users work securely from home.
34. Netscout. Explore business continuity options unique to your brand. Netscout features cyber threat protection, network performance management, and data centre transformation.
35. Cyber Risk Aware. Get phishing simulation, security awareness training, and risk reporting through Cyber Risk Aware. This tool helps you create a human firewall to keep your business safe from cyber threats.
36. Push Technology. Integrate data sources, secure access, and optimize data delivery in one platform. Push Technology combines multiple security tools for easy real-time management.
37. Delinea. A tool offering cybersecurity for remote workers and comprehensive access management to leaders, Delinea is a leader in business security. It features free tools like customizable templates, Secret Server and Connection Manager.
38. Vectra. Vectra has specific IT solutions for different industries like Manufacturing, Health, and Finance. Vectra tools reduce risks of a data breach while securing data and cloud assets.
39. Darktrace. Darktrace promises to understand your business DNA to give it the best protection from cyber threats. It features email and cloud security, threat visualization, and cyber AI platform among other solutions.
40. Egress. Egress aims to protect businesses from human-led security gaps. Egress products include email security, secure file sharing, and protected web forms.
41. ReliaQuest. Automate threat detection and response with a unified view. ReliaQuest lets users measure and manage security programs through built-in analytics.

General operations tools

42. Freshworks. Keep your customers informed and engaged amidst the pandemic. Freshworks features customer messaging and support, sales CRM, and IT service to keep business going online.
43. MindMeister. One of the remote work tools combining collaboration, project management, and virtual meeting in one platform, Mind Meister is user-friendly and available in iOS and Android. Its basic package is free while paid plans start at $2.49/month.
44. ScreenLeap. Share your screen without downloading or installing anything with ScreenLeap. This tool lets you share screens with a browser so you can start training your team, hosting a webinar, or engaging with your audience.
45. I Done This. Track your team’s daily progress, access robust reports, and keep everyone on track with IDoneThis. This tool is trusted by thousands of customers including big brands like Shopify, Zapier, and TripAdvisor.
46. Harvest. Track time, manage people and projects and issue invoices to clients using Harvest. Easily integrated to other apps such as Asana, Slack, and Trello, Harvest will help you win back your time. Another way to better manage your time is by hiring a virtual scheduling assistant. Here are 23 everyday tasks you can outsource to one.
47. Qualtrics. Collect customer feedback, increase employee engagement, test product pricing, and optimize brand advertising all in one platform. Qualtrics is a comprehensive tool for managing your audience, team, and brand. The brand offers multiple services for free in response to the pandemic.
48. Wave. Make, move, and manage your finances with one tool. Wave helps entrepreneurs understand and manage their finances better with its accounting software and invoicing tool.
49. Spendesk. Now more than ever, you need a better way of managing business expenses. Spendesk is designed to help you create a workflow for controlling, spending, and tracking funds. Here are 5 simple ways to lessen business expenses for inspiration.
50. FarEye. FarEye is a digital logistics platform that enables flexible scheduling, real-time parcel tracking, and customized delivery options. With FarEye, you can let your customers access an easy-to-use app where they can schedule deliveries or communicate with drivers.
51. Scoutbee. Digitize supplier sourcing or gain supplier data and get holistic data in one place. With Scoutbee, you can digitize the scout-to-source processes, share documents, and communicate with suppliers online.

 

Emerge from these trying times as a stronger, smarter, and more cohesive company. Use these 51 best remote work collaboration tools to keep your business going amidst the pandemic.

 

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50 Reasons You Need a Sales Virtual Assistant

Sales tactics that work today may no longer be as effective tomorrow. As a business owner, you need to continuously assess and update your plan to ensure a fruitful, cost-effective, and efficient sales process. As a sales strategist, Jill Konrath said, “What differentiates sellers today is their ability to bring fresh ideas”.

This is why having a sales virtual assistant is extremely important. As specialists in the field, sales assistants have a unique perspective, training, and skill needed to determine what works, what can be improved, and what needs to go away. But why choose a virtual sales assistant over one you can employ locally?

Here’s one good reason: virtual is becoming the new normal.

In-House vs Virtual Assistant for Sales

How do you turn passive customers into regulars? How do you determine why some products are more lucrative than others? How do you ensure that orders are fulfilled on time and inventory logistics always run smoothly?

The answer: you work with a sales assistant.

Apart from keeping your organization running smoothly, a sales assistant can also provide unique input to drive sales and contribute to growth. If the current economic climate is any indication, now is as good a time as any to work with a virtual sales assistant online.

Although people have been working from home for many years now, the Covid-19 pandemic is quickly changing global business. In its wake, virtual assistance is becoming the apparently sustainable working setup versus traditional employment.

Virtual assistance, and remote work in general, are more than just a passing trend or a temporary response to global lockdowns. Virtual assistance is a staffing solution that is proven to work in the present and the foreseeable future. Even before the world was ravaged by the pandemic, people already preferred to work from home, and businesses benefited from this setup.

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50 Reasons Your Business Should Hire a Virtual Sales Assistant

Just how much can you benefit from hiring virtual assistants versus in-office employees? Here are 50 reasons your business should hire a sales virtual assistant (VA):

1. Oversee sales performance. Are you meeting your sales targets? What do your past and current sales activity indicate? A virtual sales assistant has the proper training to evaluate your sales performance. They can interpret numbers and translate them into practical plans to increase or manage sales over time.
2. Generate better leads. A virtual sales assistant doesn’t only generate leads —they make sure you get quality ones. Being remote workers, sales VAs have a strong suit of online tools and workarounds. They can channel this strength to target leads with higher value and conduct a faster turnaround.
3. Research prospect partners. Whether it’s another company to complement yours, an influencer to expand your audience, or an investor to give financial support, finding a business partner can quickly grow your business. This essential task entails extensive research that you may not have the time for. Outsource it to your sales VA so you can focus on creating your pitch instead.
4. Conduct cold calls. Cold calls are one of the oldest sales tricks and the book that still works! The trouble is, it can take hours of your day and requires expert sales techniques to work. If you delegate this task to someone who has the proper training for it, cold calls can do wonders for your business.
5. Organize meet-ups with new clients. Meeting with new clients can be unnerving. You need to present your best proposal and prepare for questions and misgivings. Get more time to prepare by delegating the appointment setting a task to your sales VA. Your VA can organize a place and time that works for everyone and make the necessary preparations.
6. Reach out to old and dormant customers. There’s a wealth of potential waiting to be uncovered in old or dormant customers. These are people who have already tried your products or are already interested in your services. Your sales VA can reach out to them to win them back or remind them of how much they enjoyed their previous purchase.
7. Draw up sales reports. Monitoring your sales activity is key to honest performance evaluation. You need a detailed sales report that you can study and analyze with the rest of your team. A sales VA can draw up a comprehensive sales report and help in interpreting results.
8. Optimize social media followers. Social channels have shown enormous marketing potential in the past years. It’s no longer enough to gain followers; you must also optimize them to increase your revenues. This is a task that your sales VA can do. To get started, here are 10 social media tricks that will boost your sales.
9. Manage sales team. Expanding one’s team is inevitable in a thriving business. When you get more people on board, you need an expert to serve as your second-in-command. A sales virtual assistant can help with your executive duties and ensure everyone is right on track.
10. Strategize and update sales plans. Knowing how to adjust and cope with different external and internal factors can go a long way. This is why you need a sales virtual assistant that knows how to strategize and modify plans as necessary. With their skill and relevant know-how, sales VAs know how to fine-tune a plan to make it more effective.

11. Prompt lead management. With their busy schedules, entrepreneurs may take a longer time to follow up with leads. Don’t let hard-sought prospects lose interest by promptly responding to inquiries and delivering results. A sales VA can ensure timely lead follow-up to win customers and close deals.
12. Nurture leads. Lead nurturing is another sales-boosting practice. Take note that not everyone who expressed interest in your service will end up purchasing. A sales VA can nurture these leads and ensure these hesitant prospects still get the proper media to pique their interest in your service.
13. Encourage social media selling. Virtual sales assistants are in the know about the hottest selling platforms, not the least of which are social channels. They can apply their sales skills with their ability to run social media to market and create selling opportunities.
14. Create customer retention plans. Companies compete against dozens of similar brands over the same audience. You need to be creative and strategic to keep your customers happy. A sales VA can brainstorm, execute, and manage retention plans to keep existing customers satisfied.
15. Create and test CTA plans. There are many ways to prompt customers into action. The more creative and strategic you are, the more results you get. Have your sales VA create call-to-action plans, monitor them, and test variations until you come up with the most effective one.
16. Oversee PPC ads. Paid ads are 50% more likely to convert compared to organic traffic, according to a report. You need to play your cards right so that your PPC campaigns will turn in more favorable results. Virtual sales support can help you in this regard. They can create an ad copy inviting enough to elicit a click and a landing page relevant enough to convert.
17. Collect and optimize testimonials. Testimonials are social proof that when used properly, have the power to increase sales. Your sales support VA can set up emails to ask for testimonials, moderate feedback, and ensure these are prominently displayed in your digital properties.
18. Plan and execute a service guarantee. Another way to increase conversion is by adding a service guarantee. This encourages customers to buy and shows that you’re confident in the quality of your products and services. Your sales VA can create the terms and help execute this, whether it’s a refund warranty or a price-match guarantee.
19. Refine branding strategy. Is your marketing plan bringing you close enough to your target audience? As a selling expert, a virtual sales assistant knows what factors turn a casual visitor into a paying customer. They can refine your branding by adding elements that you might have overlooked.
20. Craft a clear value proposition. You compete with brands with more advertising funds and a longer run in the industry. For customers to pick you, you need to show them your unique advantage. A sales assistant can help craft your value proposition so you can edge out other brands.

21. Practice top-notch customer service. With so many communication channels used in business today, customer service can get overwhelming. When you hire a virtual sales assistant, you ensure that quality customer care is executed in all your digital channels.
22. Offer after-hours support. You can’t man the desk round-the-clock, but customers expect a prompt reply all the time. Virtual assistant sales support can offer after-hours support to reply to customers, process orders, or solve a problem.
23. Push for word-of-mouth recommendations. As someone who works directly with sales, your sales VA is the first to witness successful transactions and satisfied customers. They can leverage this and ask for endorsements and testimonials to push for word-of-mouth recommendations.
24. Manage live-chat inquiries. Live chat gives customers and prospects a quick, convenient way to clarify issues. It’s only fitting to have someone offer live chat support to turn inquiries into sales. As a sales and customer service specialist, your VA for sales perfectly suits this job.
25. Handle real-time sales issues. Change of address or order, payment issues, shipping questions — there are many problems that can stop a sale. Your sales VA can handle issues that may come up before, during, or after shopping to close more deals.
26. Manage reputation. Under-delivered expectations and product or shipping mishaps can frustrate customers. Be sure to have your sales VA deal with upset customers and de-escalate issues. As someone who knows the ins and outs of your products and service terms, sales VAs are the best people to manage brand reputation.
27. Send abandoned cart emails. There are many reasons why customers don’t finish placing orders. Whatever they are, an email reminder can help them reconsider or remember their unfinished shopping. Get your sales assistant to automate sending of abandoned cart emails to increase returns.
28. Conduct social listening. What people say about your products or how they react to your campaigns is valuable information. It’s information that must be collected and handled by no less than your sales assistant. You can then share this input with the rest of your team for product development or advertising techniques.
29. Bridge gap between customer care and promotions. You no longer have to identify between a customer-centric or a sales-driven brand. Having a sales support VA can bridge the gap between customer relations and promos. Sales VAs can combine their customer skills with their selling expertise to create campaigns that resonate with the audience.
30. Encourage brand loyalty. Win new customers and make sure they stay. Get your sales VA to come up with loyalty plans and execute consistent customer care to encourage repeat purchases.

31. Data entry and management. Updating databases is a time-consuming part of running a business. Delegate this to your sales VA so you can focus on core responsibilities.
32. Manage and update CRM. As a virtual worker, a sales VA likely knows many CRM tools. When you work with one, you no longer have to teach them how to manage and update your CRM. What’s more, they can offer input to improve your CRM system.
33. Do target market research. Go beyond the basic demographics of your target audience. What are their goals and misgivings? How can you make their day-to-day better? Get your sales VA to research your target market. The more you know about your prospects, the better your chances are of winning them over.
34. Source better suppliers. Offer competitive pricing by getting better suppliers. Your sales assistant can research suppliers with better offers, terms, or rates. Your VA can also reach out to them and organize a meeting so you can strike a deal.
35. Manage orders. Process orders correctly and fulfills them on time. No matter how busy you get, you can ensure orders are taken care of when you work with a virtual sales assistant.
36. Manage refund requests. Refund requests may be unfortunate but managing them can appease customers and build your credibility. Have a sales VA evaluate, process, and confirm refund requests to keep your customers happy.
37. Organize calendar. Stay on top of things with the help of a sales VA. Your VA can coordinate with you or your prospects to ensure you don’t miss anything. This gives you more time for more important tasks.
38. Draw up proposals to investors or partners. As a selling specialist, a sales support VA knows power words and techniques that close a deal. Have them assist you in creating proposals to investors or partners to get favourable results.
39. Create digital content. As virtual workers, sales VAs know the tools and psychology behind digital content. This makes them the right fit for creating digital media for promotions or customer education.
40. Update and monitor content. Need to change business info? Adding a new product in your roster? Make sure your website visitors and social media followers are up to speed. Get your VA to monitor your digital content and update it so all details are correct.

41. Reduce business costs. The longer you run a business, the higher your overheads are. If you need support for sales, you’re better off getting one virtually. Have a look at these 5 business expenses you can reduce by hiring a virtual assistant.
42. Access diverse and global talents. Never settle for a lesser qualified assistant for hiring convenience. You can access sales assistants with better training, more skills, and more experience when you hire them remotely.
43. Boost productivity. People have a better chance of finding a work-life balance when they work from home. This results in increased productivity and better work output. Expect higher productivity from yourself and your assistant when they work from home.
44. Secure service continuity. The current business climate has highlighted the sustainability of virtual assistance. Shoulder economic or internal crisis better when you work with a virtual sales assistant. VAs work from home and are immune to transport issues and various safety threats that traditional employees encounter.
45. Manage seasonal highs and lows. Peak season demands an extra pair of hands while slow months may need reduced working hours. Virtual assistance is a flexible work arrangement where you can hire more people and add or reduce work hours as needed.
46. Smoother recruitment and onboarding. Why waste time and resources in recruitment, onboarding, and training when you can have someone do it for you? Hire a sales VA through a staffing company to take care of these aspects of the business.
47. Scale with the company. Need to get more people in your sales team? Have a one-time project that requires specialized input? Hiring sales virtual assistants answers your staffing solutions without the restrictions of traditional employment.
48. Better time management. Delegating low-impact and repetitive tasks can boost your productive time tremendously. Of course, you can’t delegate tasks to just about anyone; you need to outsource them to people with sales training and expertise.
49. Better employee retention. Because people are more productive when they work from home, they are less likely to quit their job. Employee retention is one of the many perks when you work with a virtual sales assistant online.
50. Access to professional input. Have someone proofread and improve your sales pitch. Get an expert eye to review your proposals and campaigns. Virtual assistance makes it possible for businesses to access professional sales input.

Get sales expertise in a sustainable and flexible working arrangement. A sales virtual assistant is a great investment you can’t afford to miss.

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