In this blog post, we will discuss 10 non-obvious task categories and a bunch of tasks that you can outsource to your creative virtual assistant.
A creative virtual assistant can help your startup with a wide array of duties like content creation, brand building, and so much more!
Why hire creative virtual assistants?
Do you have creative tasks that you need help with but don’t want to hire a full-time employee? Or maybe you’re just not sure what tasks your virtual assistant can do for you beyond the obvious things most virtual assistants do like scheduling appointments, admin duties, data entry, or sending invoices? If you are feeling overwhelmed with creative projects or just “all the things” — a creative virtual assistant can make all the difference in saving valuable time, reducing stress, and helping you focus on your area of knowledge and expertise while also keeping up with creative projects.
Top 10 Creative virtual assistant tasks
Here’s our list of the top 10 things you can outsource to creative VA — we’ll go into more detail on each one further down in the article!
- Graphic Design: Design logos, flyers, website graphics, create templates and illustrations for digital products, design branding elements (i.e. business cards, letterheads), as well as infographics to engage users/customers with your product or service.
- Social Media: Manage social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.), curate content that is relevant to your company/brand/industry and post regularly, respond to customer inquiries and messages, monitor industry conversations and trends related to your brand or industry, create targeted campaigns for new product launches or promotions, etc.
- Creating Content: Write blog posts on topics related to the company’s services or industry trends, draft press releases and other announcements for distribution via news outlets and websites, write email newsletters and other marketing materials such as brochures or flyers that provide detailed information about the company’s services or products, collaborate with internal teams on marketing campaigns and lead generation (i.e create copywriting content for banners/ads).
- Video Creation/Video Editing: Edit videos showcasing products or services which can be used in promotional campaigns on TV channels/social media platforms, develop tutorials/how-tos about specific product features, collaborate with internal teams on storyboards for unique video ideas targeting specific audiences.
- Social Engagement: Connect with influencers in the industry who have large follower bases on Twitter & Facebook in order to increase the reach of a brand or service among potential customers, interact with customers through direct messaging platforms such as Twitter & Facebook
- Brand Building: Develop & manage marketing initiatives that will help strengthen a brand’s image through events (conferences, webinars, etc.) , manage relationships with external vendors like graphic designers & copywriters who can help promote the brand online, devise comprehensive strategies that will help build an online presence & maximize visibility across all important social media channels.
- SEO Optimisation: Research keyword phrases that are relevant to the company’s services/products & use them strategically throughout website content including blog posts & meta-tags to improve online rankings in SERPs (search engine results pages). Monitor competitors’ content & stay ahead of their search engine optimization efforts by updating website content accordingly.
- Paid Advertising Management: Plan & execute pay-per-click advertising campaigns using Google AdWords / Bing Ads / Yahoo Ads etc., track performance metrics such as click-through rate/conversions from these ads, and optimize ad copies if needed in order to achieve better performance.
- Email Marketing: Compose email newsletters aimed at promoting services/products offered by the organization, segment users based on their interests & demographics, and craft personalized emails after careful analysis of customer behavior so as to improve open rates.
- Website Maintenance: Take care of day-to-day technical aspects of a website such as security updates/plugin upgrades/troubleshooting errors; update website content when required; analyze website analytics data regularly and make necessary changes if needed; ensure high uptime at all times by using reliable hosting providers.
Ready to start working with a creative virtual assistant?
The list above might be enough to get you started assigning creative work to your VA — but if you need more inspiration or detail — we’re going to dive into each of the 10 categories below!
Graphic design
Graphic design tasks are a great use of a creative virtual assistant’s skills. There are a ton of applications of graphic design skills a creative VA can put to use.
Here are a bunch of ways your VA can help with graphic design:
Design logos
While a full visual branding exercise is probably out of scope for a VA – they are certainly capable of drafting some early logo concepts or using tools like TailorBrands, and Canva, or acting as project managers for a logo creation project on Fiverr or Upwork. Provide your VA with a solid creative brief and they’ll be off and running in no time! Not sure how to create a creative brief — sounds like a great research project for your VA.
Flyers
Using simple web tools like Canva or Miro a creative virtual assistant can create amazing flyers to support your marketing efforts for your event, product, or service. They can also be responsible for finding and contracting a printer to handle printing and ensure you have your flyers in hand when you need them. Similar to logo design, they can also simply act as a project manager for a freelancer on Fiverr or Upwork to leverage someone with more specific design skills around this type of marketing collateral.
Website graphics
One of the many benefits of having a virtual assistant is that they can help you with web graphics. Whether you need a landing page, or product page, or simply want to spruce up your blog or website, your virtual assistant can create web graphics that will help give your online presence a professional and polished look. They can create logos, banners, and other graphics that will make your business stand out and ensure visitors are impressed. A virtual assistant can take care of any number of tasks related to web graphic design so you don’t have to worry about it yourself.
Create templates and illustrations for digital products
A creative virtual assistant can help you design templates and illustrations for digital products, saving you valuable time and energy. With their skills and expertise, they can help you create professional-looking templates that are easy to use and customize. They can also provide you with creative ideas for illustrations that will help your products stand out from the competition. In addition, a creative virtual assistant can handle all of the administrative tasks associated with creating and releasing digital products, freeing you up to focus on other aspects of your business. Whether you’re looking to create an eBook, an online course, or a new website, a creative virtual assistant can be a valuable asset to your team.
Design branding elements (i.e. business cards, letterheads)
A creative virtual assistant can help you with all sorts of branding elements for your business, including business cards and letterheads. VAs are often creative professionals with an eye for detail and a knack for design. They can help you come up with a creative concept for your brand and then translate it into beautiful, professional-looking designs. Plus, they can take care of all the logistics of printing and shipping, so you can focus on running your business. So if you need help creating branding elements for your business, consider hiring a creative virtual assistant.
Infographics
When it comes to promoting your business, an infographic can be a powerful tool for helping people to understand what you do and why they should care. But creating an infographic can be time-consuming and require specialized design skills. That’s where your virtual assistant comes in. Your VA can help you to research and develop ideas for your infographic and then work with a designer to bring it to life. The end result will be an engaging and visually appealing way to communicate what you do, and why people should care about it.
All Things Social
Social media skills are among the most valuable for a creative VA. Many creative virtual assistants work solely on social-related efforts.
Social Media Management (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.),
As a business owner, it’s vital to have a strong social presence. But managing all of your accounts can be time-consuming and overwhelming. That’s where a creative virtual assistant can be a lifesaver. Your VA can help you with content, schedule social media posts, and engage with your audience on all of your social platforms. In addition, they can keep an eye on trends and analytics, so you can adjust your strategy as needed. With a creative virtual assistant managing your social media accounts, you’ll have more time to spend on running your business.
Curate content relevant to your company/brand/industry
A creative virtual assistant can be a lifesaver when it comes to content curation. With so much content out there, it can be difficult to know where to start or what to post on your website or social profiles. They can help by researching and finding high-quality content that is relevant to your company, brand, or industry. They can then compile this content into a format that is easy for you to use. This way, you can be sure that the content you are sharing is of the best quality and is relevant to your wider audience. Having creative virtual assistants handle your content curation can save you time and ensure that the social media content you share is of the highest quality.
Respond to customer inquiries and messages
Having a virtual assistant can be a game-changer for small businesses, especially when it comes to social. A VA can help by responding to customer inquiries, comments, and messages on social media on your behalf. This can free up your time so that you can put time into other aspects of your business. In addition, a creative virtual assistant can help you to make and schedule content, track analytics, and engage with your audience. As a result, hiring a VA can be a great way to save time and grow your social presence.
Monitor industry conversations and trends
As a busy professional, you may not have the time to constantly monitor industry conversations and trends. But if you want to stay ahead of the competition, it’s essential to be aware of what’s being said about your industry. That’s where a virtual assistant can help. By monitoring industry conversations and trends, your virtual assistant can help you identify potential opportunities and threats. They can also keep you up-to-date on the latest news and developments in your field. As a result, you’ll be better informed and better able to make strategic decisions about your business. So if you’re looking for a way to stay ahead of the competition, consider hiring a virtual assistant to help you monitor industry conversations and trends.
Create targeted campaigns for new product launches or promotions etc.
A virtual assistant can be a valuable asset when it comes to creating targeted social media campaigns. By taking care of the administrative tasks related to campaign management, a virtual assistant can free up your time so that you can focus on developing strategies and creating content. In addition, a virtual assistant can also help with tasks such as identifying target audiences, scheduling posts, and analyzing data. As a result, a virtual assistant can be a valuable resource for anyone looking to create social media campaigns that are effective and successful.
Creating Content
Write blog posts
Virtual assistants can be a huge help when it comes to research, writing, and publishing blog posts. They can help you find relevant information quickly and efficiently, freeing up your time to focus on the writing itself. Additionally, they can handle some of the tedious tasks involved in publishing a post, such as formatting images and adding tags. And if you’re working with a team of virtual assistants, they can even help promote your post once it’s live, ensuring that it gets seen by as many people as possible. In short, virtual assistants can be invaluable assets when it comes to creating successful blog content. So if you’re thinking about starting a blog or are looking for ways to streamline your existing process, consider enlisting the help of a virtual assistant.
Draft press releases
As a business owner, you probably wear a lot of hats. You’re the CEO, the salesperson, the accountant, and the one who has to draft all the company’s press releases and announcements. It can be tough to keep up with everything, especially when you’re trying to run the day-to-day operations of your business. That’s where VAs can help.
Creative Assistants can take on the task of drafting releases and other announcements for distribution via news outlets and websites. This will free up your time so that you can focus on more important things, like growing your business. Plus, your creative assistant can help to ensure that all your announcements are well-written and error-free. So why not let them take on this time-consuming task so that you can do what you do best?
Write email newsletters
If you’re like most people, writing email newsletters can be a bit of a daunting task. After all, you need to come up with fresh content on a regular basis, format everything correctly, and then make sure it all gets sent out on time. Fortunately, your VA can help take some of the burdens off of your shoulders. Here are just a few examples of ways they can assist you:
Your VA can help you come up with ideas for content by conducting research, brainstorming topics, and making suggestions. They can also help with the actual writing by drafting articles, proofreading for errors, and ensuring that everything is properly formatted. Additionally, they can manage your email list, handle bounced emails, and track reader engagement statistics. In short, your Creative VA can be a valuable asset when it comes to writing email newsletters – so why not put them to work?
Collaborate with internal teams on promotional campaigns
A virtual assistant can be a valuable asset to any marketing team – and with the right training, they can even help to create promotional materials. Copywriting is an essential skill for creating effective banner ads and other marketing collateral, and a good virtual assistant will already have a solid understanding of basic grammar and syntax. They can also help to research target markets and compile data that can be used to create more targeted campaigns. In addition, a virtual assistant can often offer fresh perspectives on old ideas, helping to breathe new life into tired campaigns. By collaborating with a virtual assistant, your marketing team can tap into a wealth of knowledge and experience — and promote your products more effectively than ever before.
Video Creation
As a business owner, you’re always looking for ways to promote your products or services. And one of the most effective ways to do that is through video. But creating videos can be time-consuming and expensive. That’s where your virtual assistant comes in. Your VA can help you create videos that showcase your products or services, develop tutorials or how-tos about specific product features, and collaborate with internal teams on storyboards for unique video ideas targeting specific audiences.
In short, your VA can help you create high-quality videos that will promote your business and help you reach your target customers. So if you’re looking for a way to promote your business, consider using video. And if you need help creating videos, be sure to enlist the help of your VA.
Influencer Engagement
Any business owner knows that social is a powerful tool for promoting a brand or service. With the ability to reach a wide audience with just a few clicks, social platforms like Twitter and Facebook offer an unparalleled level of customer engagement. However, businesses often struggle to maximize their social reach due to a large number of users and the ever-changing algorithms. Fortunately, there is a way to overcome these challenges: by partnering with influencers who have large follower bases on Twitter and Facebook. By connecting with influencers and working with them to promote your brand or service through their social media posts, you can dramatically increase your social reach and interact with potential customers on a more personal level. In today’s competitive marketplace, partnering with influencers can give your business the boost it needs to stand out from the crowd.
Brand Building
As a VA, there are a number of ways you can help develop and manage marketing initiatives that will help strengthen a brand’s image. One way to do this is through events such as conferences and webinars. By organizing and promoting these events, you can help raise awareness of the brand and build positive associations in the minds of potential customers.
Another way to support the brand’s marketing efforts is by managing relationships with external vendors such as graphic designers and copywriters. These professionals can help draft compelling marketing materials that will reach a wide audience and generate interest in the brand.
Finally, you can devise comprehensive strategies that will help build an online presence for the brand across all important social channels. By taking an active role in promoting the brand online, you can significantly increase its visibility and reach. By implementing these various marketing initiatives, you can play a key role in helping to strengthen a brand’s image.
SEO Optimisation
Search engine optimization is a complex and ever-evolving process, but there are a few basics that any business can do to improve its online ranking. One of the most important is to conduct proper keyword research — phrases relevant to your company’s products or services —› and use them strategically throughout your website content, including blog posts and meta tags. Another key element is to monitor your competitors’ content and stay ahead of their search engine optimization efforts by regularly updating your own website content. By following these simple tips, you can improve your chances of being found by potential customers — and convert them into loyal, lifelong fans.
This is a laborious and time-consuming process, which makes it perfect for a creative VA to handle for their clients.
Paid Advertising Management
A creative VA can bring a lot of value to a startup by planning and executing paid ad campaigns. Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Yahoo Ads are all powerful platforms that can be used to reach a wide audience. But simply placing ads is not enough. A creative VA will also track performance metrics such as click-through rate and conversions.
This data can be used to optimize ad copy and achieve better results. Paid advertising can be a great way to reach new customers and grow a business. But it takes more than just placing ads to be successful. A creative VA who understands how to track and optimize performance can make all the difference.
Email Marketing
A creative VA can be a valuable asset to any company, big or small via assisting with email marketing. They can help to promote services and products offered by the company, segment users based on their interests and demographics, and craft personalized emails after careful analysis of customer behavior. They can also test subject lines to improve open rates. In addition, a creative VA can also help to design and manage email campaigns. As a result, they can play a vital role in the success of any business’s digital marketing campaigns.
Website Maintenance
A creative virtual assistant can be a huge help when it comes to website maintenance. They can take care of all the day-to-day technical aspects of a website, such as security updates, plugin upgrades, and troubleshooting errors. They can also update website content when required and analyze website analytics data regularly to ensure the site performs optimally. Plus, they can ensure high uptime at all times by using reliable hosting providers.
This is particularly important with easy-to-use CMS platforms like WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace. By outsourcing website maintenance to a creative VA, you can free up your time to focus on other important tasks and rest assured knowing that your website is in good hands.
Ready to get creative?
Are you feeling overwhelmed by the thought of all the creative tasks that need to be done in order for your startup to succeed? That’s where a creative VA can help. By taking care of everything from designing social graphics, creating email newsletters, and even writing website copy, you can dial in on what’s important while your VA supports a myriad of creative jobs important to the success of your startup. Ready to lighten your load? Book a call with us today and let us show you how we can take care of all your creative needs so you can focus on what makes your organization unique.