On average 63% of business owners spend anywhere from one to five hours weekly on their social media channels. Let’s be honest: this group is only focusing on one or two platforms, maximum. Yet, to get the best out of social media, you need to spread your net a bit wider. As such, you need to be on at least the main social media site. These sites are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and if you are a B2B company, LinkedIn is a must. However, creating fresh content, editing the text, then scheduling and posting takes time. As an entrepreneur wanting to scale your business, you can’t be spending half your week managing your social media channels. For this reason many entrepreneurs are making use of a virtual assistant for social media management.
What is a virtual assistant for social media?
Virtual assistants are people who work remotely as a contractor to a business. They supplement the on-site staff, but are not employees of the company. A virtual assistant who engages social media is referred to a social media assistant or a virtual social media assistant. Moreover, a social media virtual assistant (social media VA), is a much more economical staffing option compared with an onsite worker. There will then be fewer business overheads to deal with. For instance, the business need not invest in office space, a fully equipped workspace, or spend additional funds on pension, taxes, or benefits.
The true benefit of virtual social media assistants
Social media is vital to a business brand value and identity. More so, social media can either help you strengthen your brand, or prove damaging to it. It is therefore key to ensure proper social media management of these platforms. Simply posting the odd item now and then will not afford you the benefits this marketing channel can offer. Instead, companies need engaging content that adds value to the user. Content must also inspire, create a report, and bring the client into the brand as a valued family member.
Here are a few things social media marketing virtual assistants can do:
Such people can maintain an up-to-date social profile
Regular posts are important, but so also is immediate response to your clients. Clients need to see that the business is there and ready to help them. This builds trust and gives the client the perception that the brand cares about them and their concerns. Therefore, a social media VA can schedule the daily posts to go live at optimal times, responding to client enquiries.
Conduct research and draft fresh content
Social media is content driven. It also means ongoing, fresh content should be released. However, this content needs to fit in with the marketing campaigns. Therefore, what a social media assistant can do is research the content, draft the copy, and get the social media calendar ready for posting. Additionally, the virtual assistant will need to ensure that the copy is suitable for all the various social media platforms. For instance, on Twitter the copy must be 280 characters or less, whereas for Instagram the caption limit is 2,200 characters. Also, the tone of the language would be more formal for LinkedIn and much more casual for Facebook or Pinterest. Not to forget, the copy should be optimized, and keywords should be embedded into the text.
Managing the campaigns
The social media virtual assistant can also design marketing campaigns with the goal of keeping the audience hooked. For example, the assistant can post polls, release status updates and photos or videos, post inspirational quotes, or run social media contests. The goal of these campaigns is to create a great deal of hype for the brand. In addition, it is to keep the consumers engaged over the long term.
Tracking metrics
The ROI for social media is difficult to measure. However, virtual social media marketing assistants are able to track their performance, as well as the goal’s progress. For instance, virtual assistants would measure metrics such as followers, likes, posts, and also general engagement. This data can then be released with monthly reports. The insights gained from this type of reporting allow you to know where to focus.
Time to hire a social media virtual assistant
When you are ready to hire a virtual assistant to help you manage your social media accounts, contact us. Aristo Sourcing will source you the best social media marketing virtual assistants available. Aristo Sourcing understands the needs of their clients. Sourcing quality social media virtual assistant services is only one aspect. We suggest that interested parties book a complimentary consultation so our outsourcing expert can discuss your needs in detail.