How Hiring A Virtual Assistant Can Boost Your Blog

Content marketing is quickly becoming the most relevant advertising tool. Large billboards and paid ads are no longer the only way to get your business’ name out there. Instead, developing an engaging online presence and cultivating a community have become the preferred ways to attract clients and customers.

But blogging is not as simple as banging out a post about your company’s latest activities and hitting “Publish”. While blogging sounds like an easy advertising strategy, like most things in life it is only effective when done well. In order to make the most of any content marketing strategy, business owners have to plan interesting posts, review their analytics, share their content on social media, and keep their site up to date.

And then of course they have to actually write.

Previously I discussed how helpful it is for virtual assistants to find their niche. Blogging and content management can be one of those specialties. Hiring a virtual assistant can help take your blog from an obscure diary someplace on the web to a thriving community hub for readers and clients. Virtual assistants help you do this by assuming several key roles.

Publisher

Sounds like something you can do on your own, right? Not so fast. Publishing a post takes a lot of additional work that can be a time drain for a busy business owner. Before an article is made public it needs to be formatted, the in-text links must be checked, and pictures have to be inserted to make the text less intimidating. And that’s just before you hit publish!

After that is done, links to the post have to be shared on social media to ensure your writing reaches the widest audience. All of these steps are vital for making your site look professional.

Community Manager

A blog is much more interactive than a spread in a magazine or a TV advertisement. You’re not just building an audience – you are cultivating a community. To do this, you need active engagement. Most business owners would be happy to do this, but in addition to running a business, writing blog posts, and living their personal lives, there simply is not enough time.

Virtual assistants act as community managers in a sense. They can approve comments on your blog, engage with regular readers, and answer or screen your emails. You reap what you sow, and if your blog audience notices you taking an active interest in them, they will reciprocate by sticking around to participate in your growth.

Staff Administrator

Perhaps writing is not really your thing and you have some room in your budget. This means you may want to hire ghostwriters and guest bloggers to contribute to your website. Sure, this removes the creative burden, but it does add an administrative layer. Freelancers need assignments, direction, questions answered, and payment. All of these are menial but necessary tasks that use up valuable time.

Instead of answering the same questions multiple times, relay your expectations to a virtual assistant and let them take the reins when it comes to coordinating with your freelancers. If there are any concerns, you only need to communicate with one person – your virtual assistant – who can handle the rest.

Technical and Analytical Whiz

Running a successful website means having one that is operational, and this requires a decent amount of updates and tune-ups. Your virtual assistant can keep tabs on plug-in updates or address specific bugs. Additionally, virtual assistants can compile reports on your site’s analytics. Many bloggers have access to extremely useful data about their site’s performance, but do not have the time to look them over which prevents them from acting on helpful insights.

Your company website and blog are vital tools for your business’ success. Leverage them to the best of your ability by hiring a virtual assistant that can help facilitate a smoother operation.