When hiring a virtual assistant, skills are the most common deciding factor. Having in-demand virtual assistant skills such as communication, time management, and social media management can make you a better candidate for hiring.
In this article, we’ll break down the different virtual assistant skills in high demand right now and what each means.
Social Media
Social media is a great way to connect with people, and it's also a platform where a business can promote its products and services. Aside from promotion, social media is also useful to get feedback on offerings, as well as learn more about the market.
The four most popular social media platforms are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. All of these platforms are unique and work in different ways. They also operate in real-time. Managing these social media accounts, therefore, requires a comprehensive knowledge of each one, something a virtual assistant can help with.
Here are social media management tasks you may be assigned to accomplish:
- Optimizing social media profiles
- Finding relevant content to post
- Creating social media posts
- Writing captions for social media
- Engaging with the community
- Monitoring analytics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
If you’re looking for a virtual assistant that knows social media then schedule a call with us. We may be able to assist you in finding the best virtual assistant that can help you.
To start using social media for business purposes, here are some tips:
- Put your readers in mind. Make sure every post has an image or video attached to make readers feel like they're being taken somewhere fun. Keep them engaged in what's going on in the article at hand.
- Be careful with what you post online. Always review the details you are publishing because once something is out there, it can be hard to take it back. Think about how your words might be interpreted before you hit "send" or "post."
Researching
Researching is a very important skill for a virtual assistant. It can be done online or in person and may not require a huge amount of time, but it does require that you read and understand the available information.
With business owners busy dealing with day-to-day operations, a task as simple as looking up information on a website for relevant information is something they might need help with. Thus, research skills can be in-demand.
Researching can also be a rewarding experience. You'll feel like you're really making an impact on a client's business and helping them to grow. This usually means reading through lots of different materials so that you have enough information to make a good decision or recommendation for your client.
Research is an important part of business because it helps companies:
- Gain insights on competitors
- Develop new products
- Learn more about customers
Research skills enable you to provide helpful suggestions and ensure the business adapts to the ever changing world we live in.
Time Management
Time management is a huge part of being a virtual assistant. You need to be able to schedule meetings, projects, and emails for your clients so that they can get their tasks done on time. You'll also need to plan out events and conferences for them as well.
Scheduling tools like Google Calendar or Daytum which are free can be your partner in managing time. There are also paid versions available if you want more features like conference management or team collaboration tools like Slack or Basecamp.
Time management is a competency that helps virtual assistants navigate better in their roles and prevent working under pressure.
Here are some quick and easy time management tips for virtual assistants:
- Make a to do list
- Create a daily and weekly schedule
- Prioritize tasks wisely
- Provide ample buffer time for projects
- Have a dedicated work space
Designing
Designing is a broad skill set that can be applied to almost anything. A virtual assistant who has this skill set needs to be able to create designs for web pages, logos, artworks, and other projects.
Designing is more than just making pretty pictures or logos. It's also about understanding how people use the internet to find information about products and services. The answers to this are then used to create a website, a social media post, or a poster that people can easily search and remember.
You also need to create responsive layouts that adapt depending on device type - which includes adjusting font size, color scheme, and even layout and screen resolution!
Proofreading
Proofreading is the process of checking for errors in the text. It takes time and effort to hone one’s proofreading skills but it’s all worth it as it can be costly to fix a mistake when it's already out to the public.
Thus, virtual assistants with proofreading skills can help businesses by scanning any manuscript, social media copy, or sales deck and checking it against a list of possible errors so that you don't have to spend time fixing typos yourself.
Unlike editing, which involves making changes or corrections based on an editor's subjective opinion about what needs improvement, proofreading does not require any judgment calls from the reader—it's simply about catching typos and grammar errors before they make it onto your final material.
Be one of the many who’ve entrusted their virtual assistant needs with Pineapple.
Book a FREE Discovery Call today and let our Sales Specialists share to you the many ways a virtual assistant can help you and your precious business.
9 In-Demand Virtual Assistant Skills
When hiring a virtual assistant, skills are the most common deciding factor. Having in-demand virtual assistant skills such as communication, time management, and social media management can make you a better candidate for hiring.
In this article, we’ll break down the different virtual assistant skills in high demand right now and what each means.
Social Media
Social media is a great way to connect with people, and it's also a platform where a business can promote its products and services. Aside from promotion, social media is also useful to get feedback on offerings, as well as learn more about the market.
The four most popular social media platforms are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. All of these platforms are unique and work in different ways. They also operate in real-time. Managing these social media accounts, therefore, requires a comprehensive knowledge of each one, something a virtual assistant can help with.
Here are social media management tasks you may be assigned to accomplish:
- Optimizing social media profiles
- Finding relevant content to post
- Creating social media posts
- Writing captions for social media
- Engaging with the community
- Monitoring analytics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
If you’re looking for a virtual assistant that knows social media then schedule a call with us. We may be able to assist you in finding the best virtual assistant that can help you.
To start using social media for business purposes, here are some tips:
- Put your readers in mind. Make sure every post has an image or video attached to make readers feel like they're being taken somewhere fun. Keep them engaged in what's going on in the article at hand.
- Be careful with what you post online. Always review the details you are publishing because once something is out there, it can be hard to take it back. Think about how your words might be interpreted before you hit "send" or "post."
Be one of the many who’ve entrusted their virtual assistant needs with Pineapple.
Book a FREE Discovery Call today and let our Sales Specialists share to you the many ways a virtual assistant can help you and your precious business.
Researching
Researching is a very important skill for a virtual assistant. It can be done online or in person and may not require a huge amount of time, but it does require that you read and understand the available information.
With business owners busy dealing with day-to-day operations, a task as simple as looking up information on a website for relevant information is something they might need help with. Thus, research skills can be in-demand.
Researching can also be a rewarding experience. You'll feel like you're really making an impact on a client's business and helping them to grow. This usually means reading through lots of different materials so that you have enough information to make a good decision or recommendation for your client.
Research is an important part of business because it helps companies:
- Gain insights on competitors
- Develop new products
- Learn more about customers
Research skills enable you to provide helpful suggestions and ensure the business adapts to the ever changing world we live in.
Time Management
Time management is a huge part of being a virtual assistant. You need to be able to schedule meetings, projects, and emails for your clients so that they can get their tasks done on time. You'll also need to plan out events and conferences for them as well.
Scheduling tools like Google Calendar or Daytum which are free can be your partner in managing time. There are also paid versions available if you want more features like conference management or team collaboration tools like Slack or Basecamp.
Time management is a competency that helps virtual assistants navigate better in their roles and prevent working under pressure.
Here are some quick and easy time management tips for virtual assistants:
- Make a to do list
- Create a daily and weekly schedule
- Prioritize tasks wisely
- Provide ample buffer time for projects
- Have a dedicated work space
Designing
Designing is a broad skill set that can be applied to almost anything. A virtual assistant who has this skill set needs to be able to create designs for web pages, logos, artworks, and other projects.
Designing is more than just making pretty pictures or logos. It's also about understanding how people use the internet to find information about products and services. The answers to this are then used to create a website, a social media post, or a poster that people can easily search and remember.
You also need to create responsive layouts that adapt depending on device type - which includes adjusting font size, color scheme, and even layout and screen resolution!
Proofreading
Proofreading is the process of checking for errors in the text. It takes time and effort to hone one’s proofreading skills but it’s all worth it as it can be costly to fix a mistake when it's already out to the public.
Thus, virtual assistants with proofreading skills can help businesses by scanning any manuscript, social media copy, or sales deck and checking it against a list of possible errors so that you don't have to spend time fixing typos yourself.
Unlike editing, which involves making changes or corrections based on an editor's subjective opinion about what needs improvement, proofreading does not require any judgment calls from the reader—it's simply about catching typos and grammar errors before they make it onto your final material.
Be one of the many who’ve entrusted their virtual assistant needs with Pineapple.
Book a FREE Discovery Call today and let our Sales Specialists share to you the many ways a virtual assistant can help you and your precious business.
Presentation making
Presentations are a great way to get any business’ message across, but not all presentations are created equal. You need to make sure that you're communicating effectively with your audience and not making them bored or confused.
Thus, presentation skills or the ability to create an effective presentation will always be in-demand. Here are things you want to take note:
- A clear introduction that includes the title of your presentation and any other important information (like who it's for, when it starts and ends).
- The body of the presentation should be organized into sections such as "Introduction," "Body 1," etc., which can help keep things organized for viewers who may have trouble following along at first glance. This makes it easier for them to understand what each section contains so they don't have any questions later down the line!
Email Management
Email management is a big part of many businesses. You want someone skilled to help manage your email and keep your inbox organized. For virtual assistants, email management is an in-demand skill as you are helping clients achieve greater productivity and efficiency.
Here are some services you can do with email management as key competency:
- Sort emails. You can create effective and efficient email rules that will transform your client’s inbox to a more organized one and help remove or identify junk/spam emails.
- Help with customer service emails. If you have experience in this area, it's possible that you can manage the number of incoming emails from customers or clients. You could also create personalized replies to each message based on specific needs or goals set by the sender.
- Communicate between departments. Draft effective business emails that can help resolve internal communications between company staff.
- Responding to non-essential email. With the number of emails one receives on a daily basis, a virtual assistant with email management skills will be able to provide quick replies or spiels for non-essential on behalf of the client or business owner.
Customer Service
Customer service is an integral part in delivering better customer satisfaction. Great customer service always results in happy customers which turn into loyal ambassadors for any business. Business owners will always find value in good reviews, word-of-mouth recommendations, and repeat customers. All can be achieved by excellent customer service skills.
There are a number of tasks you may be assigned in terms of customer service as follows:
- Responding promptly to customer inquiries by call, email, or social media.
- Resolving customer concerns.
- Informing customers of current and/or future promotions.
- Keeping an organized record of support tickets from when an issue is raised till resolution has been made.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your content for search engines. This involves a lot of keyword research and optimization, link building and backlink building.
SEO is one of the most in-demand virtual assistant skills because of three primary reasons:
- You can do it for free
- You can expose your business to multitude of audience
- You can gain consistent website visitors that can turn to paying customers.
Being good in SEO means you know keyword research or finding certain terms that are searched in a given time period. Then, you can also infuse these keywords in an article that the search engine can understand. Eventually, the end goal is to make sure these words will be useful when someone searches for them on the internet. Your client’s website should be on top of the search results.
Conclusion
With all these, we can see that virtual assistants are one of the most demanded jobs in the market. So, you can start earning a better salary by getting this one and you will definitely be able to save money in the long run.
So, to learn more about virtual assistants here visit www.trypineapple.com!
