Creative Virtual Assistant − What's That?

We recently had someone asking us what a creative virtual assistant is. But talking about a virtual assistant can sound a bit Greek. Let’s strip the jargon, and explain what a virtual assistant is, and more so, what a virtual creative assistant is. A virtual assistant is not the same as an employee. However, what is a virtual creative assistant and what would be a remote creative assistant’s tasks?

Defining the term ‘virtual assistant’

Virtual assistants (VAs) are self-employed workers. They work remotely for companies, mostly located abroad. These virtual assistants work as social media managers, content producers, graphic designers, and many other work types, although some are virtual general assistants. In most cases though, these assistants have specialized in a certain field. The benefit of hiring a virtual assistant relates mostly to the cost. Because these assistants work as consultants, the business owner does not pay medical insurance, taxes, pension contributions, or any benefits. The money saved allows a business to scale faster.

Is a virtual assistant the same as an employee?

Some people believe that virtual assistants are employees, however, this is incorrect. Virtual assistants are independent contractors or consultants. As a staffing solution, they can fill the position of an onsite employee; however, they do not receive the benefits of an employee. For any progressive business, a virtual assistant is tremendously advantageous especially in terms of cost savings. A company can save up to 70% on their business overheads. The business owner also gains free time, and through delegation, has more time to focus on the core tasks.

Your virtual creative assistant

Virtual creative assistants have a great eye for design. Being creative, they are well versed in the various online platforms. Their skills will depend on their preferred focus areas. For instance, creative assistants will focus on graphic design, video editing, and marketing. Let us unpack the various roles.

Roles of a creative virtual assistant

Graphic design for advertising and marketing

Graphic design can help with conversion and lead generation. Plus, graphic design increases the visibility of a brand, which can lead to sales. Great visuals are also an effective communication tool used by marketing managers and brand managers to increase traffic to their websites or to drive the consumers to stores to buy their products. However, onsite graphic designers are a luxury many businesses can’t afford. For this reason companies outsource their graphic design work.

Photo and video editing

With businesses wanting to stand out and to beat their competition, many are looking towards video marketing. With video marketing come certain challenges, largely, the high fees professional video editors charge. Yet, excellent video and photo editing are within reach – with the help of a virtual assistant. Such an assistant can complete this arduous and complex task, preparing material for the marketing department.

Website design

A base of any business is their website. There are several types of website, each using different website platforms. Even for basic marketing you need a website. A website can be used to host your eCommerce site, or as a lead magnet to increase your database. Using a virtual creative assistant means that business owners can gain a professional website that is optimized. They can also apply regular updates to your existing site, adding extra landing pages, or refreshing the site so it appears renewed.

Branding

Brands need to be recognizable and have a strong identity, which is why brands must be correctly marketed. Additionally, branding helps companies to stand out and lends the brand some credibility in the marketplace. A virtual assistant can help with the brand identity, ensuring that the brand is represented correctly on the various platforms, both online and in print. A virtual assistant can not only create a new logo, but can craft a story that can be woven throughout the marketing efforts to expand the market and increase the sales.

Social media content

Social media as a marketing tool helps marketers to engage and connect with their budding customers. Moreover, marketers can connect with them wherever the consumers are. These platforms include Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, and many more. Each of these platforms attracts a different audience. Marketers know to direct their message in terms of each particular group of customers. A virtual creative assistant such as a virtual social media assistant can manage all the various social media accounts and their associated social media calendars. A virtual video-editing assistant can also be useful in posting videos on channels such as Instagram and TikTok, to boost engagement.

Newsletters and email marketing

Emails still are an effective marketing strategy. While social media is useful for the top end of the marketing funnel, email marketing drives clients down the funnel. Email marketing helps to build a relationship with various leads, while reconnecting with old customers. However, the message needs to be appropriate and useful. Nonetheless, a creative assistant can design newsletters to be eye-catching, yet avoid them landing in the spam folder.

Infographics

Infographics are exceptionally useful for marketing. This is a compact spread of info that is easy to grasp. People love them, especially males. Infographics present a solid summary of your work in a small space. Infographics also convey your knowledge of a subject. As bit-size reports, they give a strong punch. Infographics are appealing, easy to read and follow and can educate your audience. Infographics can be placed on your website, or offered in print format and on social media, especially Pinterest. This is a great task for a virtual creative assistant.

Brochures and posters

If you want to promote an event, even an online event, you need great marketing material. One such material is stunning posters − brochures are also a useful marketing tool. A creative assistant would be able to put these marketing materials together.

Presentations

If you are trying to gain more business, you might want to offer presentations. It is always easier to sell to a person than to a brand. However, presentations can also be used for training, onboarding, and teambuilding. They can equally be used during conferences, and do not have to be limited to sales presentations. A virtual assistant can create visually appealing presentations which are tailor-made for your audience.

Endnote

If you are a business owner or manager, you will know the importance of great design. If you lack these skills, it is advisable to hire someone to complete these tasks. However, hiring a creative onsite person is pricey. The alternative is to hire a virtual creative assistant. This is a cost-effective staffing solution. You will obtain top-quality work at an affordable rate. Below is a list of the various virtual creative assistants available at Aristo Sourcing.

Creative Virtual Assistant − What’s That?