Happy Holidays

 

I wish all my readers a Happy Holiday season !

Plan now for a more effective 2011: Outsource non-core tasks !

by Sarah Santacroce

As a small business owner you constantly have to wear different hats: the Marketing Hat, the Social Media Hat, the Administrative Hat and many other hats. Honestly, sometimes you forget what your actual core business is. When things get really out of control, you even trespass the sacred personal time: you skip your daughter’s ballet audition, postpone date night for the third time and cancel the gym membership – because who has time for that, right ?

But this was 2010 – let’s focus on 2011. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could outsource some of your tasks to a helping hand ? Someone who could wear some of those hats for you ? Guess what, that someone exists and is called a Virtual Assistant.

There are numerous benefits of working with a Virtual Assistant (short VA). Here are 5 of them:

• Benefit Nr. 1: with a Virtual Assistant you do not waste precious time on training. If you choose the right VA, she comes highly qualified, experienced and skilled in her field of expertise.
  
• Benefit Nr. 2: if you hire a Virtual Assistant you don't have to pay fees to a temp agency. Let's say your business goes through a tough time and you need immediate help with your administrative tasks. If you go through a temp agency, you always pay a certain fee to help you find an temporary help. Just hire a Virtual Assistant and you can save yourself that fee.
  
• Benefit Nr. 3: Have you ever had an assistant that serves the net all day and makes too many personal phone calls? If you work with a Virtual Assistant you only pay for the time she spends on your project!
  
• Benefit Nr. 4: Since VAs work in a virtual world, place and time no longer matter. You could work with a Virtual Assistant who lives thousands of miles away, even in a different time zone. In fact, different time zones can actually work to your advantage. Your VA works while you sleep!
  
• Benefit Nr. 2: a Virtual Assistant is not affected by bad weather conditions, traffic jams & public transportation strikes

Now that we know some of the benefits, let’s look at how a Virtual Assistant could help you with those hats:

The Marketing Hat:

1. Add a press page to the company website
   Every website should have a press page. A Virtual Assistant can create a press page, and add links to articles in which your company appears on a regular basis.

2. A VA can post your company videos on Youtube
   Youtube and video branding becomes more and more important. Did you know that Youtube reaches 1 Billion views per day? You will have to agree that it would make sense that your company’s videos get posted and marketed on Youtube. A VA can set up an account for you, post the videos, send out links on Facebook and Twitter or embed them on your website.
   

3. Help you distribute your press release and articles on various directories
   It’s very important to write regular articles and press releases. But it’s even more important to distribute them online so people actually read them. A VA can help you distribute them to various directories online.
   
   

The Social Media Hat:

1. Create a Social Media Strategy
   You have made the decision to give Social Media a try – but you don’t know where to start. A Virtual Assistant can help you with that too. Together you will define your business objective, target audience and from there she will create a tailor made Social Media Strategy for your business and will help you implement it.
   
2. Update your Linkedin Profile
   Did you know that your Linkedin Profile is like a mini website and should be treated as such ? Many business owners get new leads through Linkedin, but only because their Linkedin Profile is complete and updated with their product brochures, links to their websites, keywords and even videos.
   
3. Create a Facebook Page for your business
   In my opinion every business who has a website should also have a Facebook Page. A VA can help you take full advantage of this marketing channel, customize it and teach you how to use it.

The Administrative Hat:

1. Organize venue arrangements: seating, meals, beverages, flowers etc
   Next time you have to organize a big event, why don’t you hire a VA instead of trying to prepare your speeches and organize everything at the same time? A VA can get in touch with the venue provider and arrange seating, meals, beverages, podcasting etc.
   

2. Setup an online backup system for your computer
   Honestly, when was the last time you backed up the data on your computer? A Virtual Assistant can arrange an online backup system so that you’ll never have a nightmare about loosing all your files again!

3. Enter the business cards you collect into your contact management software or database
   Is your desk drowning in piles of collected business cards ? Your Virtual Assistant is equipped to scan those cards and easily import them in your customer database. You really don’t have time for that !

These are just a few ideas to show you how a Virtual Assistant could help you make 2011 more effective than ever. You can find a more complete list here.
Plan for your outsourcing needs now, you will not regret it.

Sarah Santacroce helps small business owners with their administrative tasks, Internet & Social Media Marketing. You can contact her by sending her an e-mail to sarah@simplicityadmins.com

Newsletter Marketing - Tips

by Sarah Santacroce

This is the third and last post of a 3-post series about Newsletter Marketing. You can find the first post that explains the benefits of Newsletter Marketing here and the second post that features Newsletter Marketing Tools here.

So by now we know why it makes sense to write a regular newsletter and we have have chosen the tool to do so. In this post today I would like to give you some additional tips that will help make your Newsletter Marketing campaigns a success.

Ask for feedback
Since the success of your newsletter is entirely in your audience’s hand, don’t forget to ask them for feedback. You can ask if there is a specific topic they would like you to cover in the next edition, you can simply ask them what they think about a tool, product or service you are using (and have them post their comments on your FB wall) or you could add a poll and discuss the results in the following edition. Whatever you do, involve your readers !

Promote your newsletter
There are two moments to promote your ezine: before you send it and after.
Before you want to make sure that you have a pretty sign-up form on your website, your blog and your FB page. This way people will be added to your list.
After don’t forget to use Social Media to let your network know that you have just sent out a newsletter. Tweet about it, post it on your FB wall, tell your Linkedin friends, add a link to your e-mail signature, refer to it on your Skype status.

Archive previous newsletters on your website
If you sign up for a magazine or a paper you usually want to look at a couple of their editions before you commit, right ? The same goes for newsletters. People like to get an idea of what you are writing about, that’s why it’s good to give them that option – on your website. Create a specific page which explains the benefits and content of your newsletter. Below the sign-up form you should have links to your archive of previous editions, so they can browse through them before trusting you with their e-mail.
This is also beneficial from an SEO (Search Engine Optimization) point of view. The search engine spiders love regularly updated content on your site and will therefore come visit more often !

Measure your success
Don’t forget to measure the success of your newsletter. The online tools which we discussed last week come with handy reports. You can see how many e-mails have been sent, how many have been opened and how many people have clicked on your links.

Treat your “unsubscribers” well
You will also be able to track your “unsubscribers”. If they leave you a comment on why they unsubscribe, I think it’s a good habit to write them a short e-mail. Say that you are sorry to see them leave, answer their comment and learn from their feedback. Remember that 1 unhappy customer used to tell 3 others – nowadays with Social Media he might tell 3 Million.

So there you go, you should now have all the knowledge and tools to write your very own first newsletter. If you would like some help from my side, send me an e-mail to sarah@simplicityadmins.com.

To sign up for my newsletter simply fill in your name and e-mail in the form to your right.
Thank you.

Newsletter Marketing – Available Tools

by Sarah Santacroce

This is the second post of a 3-post series about Newsletter Marketing. Find the first post about Newsletter Marketing Benefits here. Come back soon or subscribe to my RSS to be sure to get the last article next week.

Which tools are available ?

This week I would like to show you which tools are available to simplify the newsletter edition and management for you. The truth is there are lots of  E-Mail Marketing tools on the market. But some of them are better than others. Below are my picks for small businesses.

Mailchimp

• Free Forever Plan for 1’000 subscribers
• Unlimited e-mails sent
• Cost per month: 15$
• Recommended for: Small businesses with limited ecommerce needs
• Special Feature: Can upload existing list
• Little extra: very funny interface

If you have a pre-existing list that you want to import, you will either have to choose Mailchimp or Contant Contact. However, since your readers have not actually subscribed to your newsletter, I would mention this in your first mailing and give them the option to unsubscribe in the first paragraph.

Aweber

• 1$ for first month
• Unlimited e-mails sent
• Cost per month: 19$
• Very complex reports
• Special feature: Blog integration
• Little extra: great customer service, very good videos

Constant Contact

• 60 days for free
• unlimited e-mails sent
• Cost per month: 15$
• Special Feature: Can upload existing list
• limited reporting features

Personally I have never used Constant Contact yet. But according to other reviews I have read, it is very easy to use. However their reporting features are not as advanced yet as the ones I know from Mailchimp and AWeber.

To summarize:

If you are a small business owner who tries e-mail Marketing for the very first time I would recommend you try the free version of Mailchimp. If however you think you will rapidly reach 1’000 subscribers and then also need more advanced reporting features, I suggest you take a pick between AWeber and Constant Contact, AWeber definitely being more complex.

Are you using another tool ? Tell us about it in the comments !

 

Next week I will give you some final tips before you start creating your own newsletter !

If you would like to start exploring this marketing technique but don't know where to start, contact your Virtual Assistant or send me an e-mail to sarah@simplicityadmins.com.

To sign up for my newsletter simply fill in your name and e-mail in the form to your right.
Thank you.

Newsletter Marketing – Benefits

by Sarah Santacroce

This is the first post of a 3-post series about Newsletter Marketing. Come back soon or subscribe to my RSS to be sure to get the next articles.

Did you know that e-mail is still the number 1 sharing method for content ? After Facebook and after Twitter ? Think about it… Do you know a person who does not have an e-mail account (Grandparents don’t count). Not likely… Do you know a person who still resists Facebook and Twitter ? I know quite a few and I’m sure you do too !

That’s why Email newsletters are still an essential part of an effective Online Marketing Strategy. Newsletters are a good way of building relationships with your existing customers and network. They are very targeted and effective and with the available tools also very measurable. But let’s look at what other benefits a well prepared newsletter has to offer:

Benefits

It creates trust
Receiving a regular Ezine (which is another word for Newsletter) creates a feeling of trust in your customers. They feel like they know you a little bit more with each edition and when the moment comes, where they need the services or products that you have to offer, they will think of you first.

It shows your expertise
If choosing the content of your newsletter wisely, you can demonstrate your expertise in your area of activity. So don’t just try to sell your product, act as an expert, give advice and consult your readers.

It offers continuity
Compared to other marketing channels, a newsletter offers continuity. Your subscribers know that they will hear from you every week, month or quarter. They will start to look forward to your e-mail.

It increase referrals
Every newsletter should have a “Share with a friend” button at the bottom. This way the subscriber can forward your e-mail to someone else who he thinks might be interested in your news.

It increases traffic to your website
I mentioned before that the point is not to just sell in your e-mail, but every once in a while it’s ok to slip in a special offer, coupon or just feature one of your bestselling products or services. And by default the footer of your letter will contain a link to your website, so chances are that your traffic will increase.

It increases sales
Let’s be honest here: we are not just writing newsletters because we are nice people and want to help the rest of the world. In the end our main goal is still to increase our sales. And this will happen if you apply all the above suggestions :-)

What do you think ? True or not true ?

Next week we will have a look at 3 of the best e-mail marketing tools on the market which will help you create a nice newsletter.

If you would like to start exploring this marketing technique but don't know where to start, contact your Virtual Assistant or send me an e-mail to sarah@simplicityadmins.com.

To sign up for my newsletter simply fill in your name and e-mail in the form to your right.
Thank you.

Perfect team work: a coach and her virtual assistant

by Sarah Santacroce

I like to work with different client profiles, that’s what, in my opinion, makes the job interesting. But if I had to describe my ideal client, I would probably choose an independent coach. I think that coaches (or public speakers) benefit the most of the skill set that a Virtual Assistant has to offer: marketing and self-promotion, organization and administration.

If you think about it, a coach has quite a lot in common with a Virtual Assistant. Both run their own business, usually as a solo-entrepreneur, both are responsible for their own marketing and both work with clients on a one on one basis.

In order to “walk the talk”, coaches should focus their energy on what they do best (and what produces income) and delegate the rest. There are many tasks which a Virtual Assistant can manage and by doing so, free up time for the core business. Below are a few examples.

What can a VA do for a coach ?

Marketing

• Blog Design & Maintenance
• Website Design & Maintenance
• Search Engine Optimization
• Facebook page Design & Maintenance
• Social Media Set Up & Management
• Powerpoint presentations
• Welcome Package Creation and Management
• New Client Questionnaire Creation and Management
• Event promotion (via offline and online marketing)
• Autoresponder Set Up & Maintenance
• Monthly newsletter creation
• Article Submission and Management

Administrative tasks

• Venue research and reservation
• Registration of exhibitions and fairs
• Contact & Database Management
• Email Management
• Survey Creation & Management
• Travel Arrangements
• General Research
  

These are just examples. Every coach has his/her own specialties and the corresponding tasks.
In most cases a Virtual Assistant will be able to help.

Are you a coach and new to the idea of working with a Virtual Assistant ? Would you like to start delegating some tasks but are not sure yet how this works exactly ? Please have a look at our website or contact me, I’d be happy to answer your questions.

Are you a Virtual Assistant? Who is your ideal client ?

How do I get found on Google?

by Sarah Santacroce

…that was the question somebody asked me at a networking event last Thursday. Hmm, I had prepared my Elevator Pitch, but wasn’t quite ready to answer this complex question in 30 seconds ! Instead I said: “I can help you, give me a call and we’ll discuss it”. In order to prepare for that call, I thought I’d write a blog post and share it with my readers.

As most of you know, I’m not a professional Search Engine Optimizer, but I can share my tips and tricks with you, and I know that they work. Just Google “bilingual Virtual Assistant Switzerland” and have a look at the results.

So let’s start with first things first:

Submit your website and company info to website and local directories

It’s not the most interesting task, but there is no way around it. You will have to spend some time (or money if you have it outsourced) and submit your website to major website directories. The main one is the dmoz directory, which is free. Then there are thousands of other ones, some free some not, some general some industry specific. You can find them all here. All submissions take at least 4 weeks until they are confirmed. So you need an extra dose of patience …

I also recommend you submit your company info to local directories such as Google Places, Yelp, Yellow Pages etc, especially if you are a brick and mortar business. Research which ones are the most relevant in your area and submit your company info.

Good online content

Content is king ! The Search Engine spiders are hunting and crawling through your pages in search of good content. So if you want to make the first page of Google, you will have to supply good online content. There are many ways how to do that:

Write regular blog posts

In blog posts you can share your expertise about your industry and create trust towards your company. Blog posts are very well indexed on Google and if the blog is hosted on your website, they create big traffic to your site. If on the other hand you are using a hosted blog version (such as blogspot.com) there’s less direct traffic to your site but it does present an advantage from the link building point of view.

Write a monthly press release and distribute it online

Today press or news releases can be used even by small companies, and the whole wide world has access to them. By distributing your press releases online (for example on pitchengine.com) you will be reaching out to a huge audience and therefore increase your website traffic (and hopefully your sales!). Don’t forget to create a “Media Room” on your website and also post your releases there. The spiders love new content on your website !

Submit articles on article submission sites

Another great (and free) resource to increase traffic to your website is via article marketing. You write compelling, informative articles (or repurpose previously written texts) and post them on article marketing publisher’s sites (such as ezinarticles.com). They get free content that can be employed by others looking for great information to post on their websites. Every article contains a so called “author resource box” where you post a short bio and a link to your website or a free e-book.

Scribd, Slideshare and Posterous

You can upload your content in pretty much any format: PDF, Word or Powerpoint and share it with the world’s largest community of readers. Those sites are ranked highly in Google searches.

Social Media

The use of Social Media is also recommended to complete your online presence and increase your chances to figure on the 1st page of Google’s search results. Social Media content is instant and it’s everywhere. If somebody “googles” your name to find out more about you, he/she should find at least those 5 links with your name: the “about” page on your website, your Facebook Page, your Twitter profile, your Linkedin profile (and/or Xing and Viadeo) and your Google profile. So how many of those do you already have ?

Keyword optimization and SEO

As I mentioned before, I’m not an SEO specialist. What I do know though is how to target specific keywords and implement them on your website and throughout all your internet marketing strategy. So before you start with the SEO, take some time to brainstorm and come up with at least 3 very specific, very targeted keywords or key phrases. Once you have done that, move on to the SEO:

Use unique title tags (containing your keywords) for each page

When you look at your website in a browser, you’ll find the title tag on the top left hand side of the screen. Each page should have a unique title tag that tells the search engines what that page is about.

Create a unique meta description for each page

The search engines index the meta descriptions to learn what your page is about and some will display your description in the search engine results. The meta description should not be more than 150 characters.

Use Alt text for images and integrate your keywords in the image file name

When inserting images into your website, make sure you use your keywords in the Alt text attribute and in the image file name. Example: if I upload a portrait of myself I would name the file:”Sarah Santacroce, bilingual Virtual Assistant” and put the same text in the Alt attribute.

That’s all, folks. I hope you have found value in these tips. Don’t forget to leave a comment (they also increase your online visibility !)

I have also created a free e-book called “21 Proven Ways to Increase Your Website Traffic”. You will find the above and more information in a handy pdf format. Get it here !
Or just subscribe to my RSS Feed to receive all my blog posts directly in your preferred feed aggregator.