06-02-2014
Part One
In a recent online survey 460 small business owners, 63% admitted they spend between one and hours on social media each week. The remaining people spend even more time, with some spending as many as 21 hours a week just on their social media management!It doesn’t take much to work out that’s around half a working week – we wonder how on earth they are getting anything else done to create revenue!
If you're not careful, the majority of time spent on social media can be totally unproductive and should be delegated to a Virtual Assistant for them to manage the promotion and scheduling, leaving you free to focus on what you’re good at, i.e., the client-facing role in your business.
If you've been on Facebook for a while, you'll know that due to all it’s various options it can be difficult not to get sidetracked. However, social media, if used in a productive way, can do amazing things for your online business marketing.
Letting Go
As an owner of a business built on hard work, blood, sweat and and sometimes tears, we understand only too well that it is not easy letting go, but by delegating you will save yourself a lot of valuable time which can be so much better spent on increasing revenue.
Once you have made your decision to "let go", you’ll need to give your VA access to your social media accounts and share your login details with them. You will also need to make them administrators of your social profiles.
Social Media Marketing Model
Some businesses fail in their social media efforts because it just is not possible to build an online presence overnight. You need to create a social media marketing strategy which summarises your goals, recurring tasks and the different achievements you're aiming for.
Social Media Tasks for Your Virtual Assistant to Manage
It’s really important to give your VA an overview of how you have managed your social media to date. This will allow him or her to understand your thought processes as you will want to ensure consistency when your Virtual PA is posting / blogging etc., on your behalf.Drafting Content
Your followers expect you to provide them with valuable information, which is why they chose to follow you in the first place. This is where links and quotes come in as they are extremely popular on LinkedIn and Facebook.
Sourcing quotes, images and links to share across your social media platforms can be time consuming. This is where your Virtual Assistant can really add value by devising a document on a weekly basis, containing draft posts for your approval. As soon as you've authorised them, your Virtual PA can schedule them via HootSuite to be posted when you want them to go to get the best readership for your business.
Increasing your Network
Liaison is crucial when it comes to social media, and sharing and commenting on content which is not your own is really important if you want to increase your network. Be careful not to link back to your own website too frequently or your followers may "unfollow" you if they think you’re just trying to directly promote your business / products / services.
There are lots of ways to encourage social interaction online - here are just a few tasks which can be undertaken by your Virtual PA:
1. Share a content-relevant article or link relating to your industry
2. Add a video from Youtube and comment on it
3. You could even post an online survey to encourage a reaction from your followers
4. “Like” others' pages and interact with the larger names within your particular line of business
5. Post inspirational and amusing images and quotes
Finally, don’t forget to thank your new followers and liaise with those who have re-tweeted your posts and replies.
Check back soon to read the second part of "Which Social Media Tasks Should You Delegate To A Virtual Assistant"
