Here is a Method that will Help you to Make Money and Save Time

Regardless of whether you blog for personal or business purposes, it comes with its share of mundane and repetitive tasks. Running a successful blog requires a considerable amount of time and effort, but unfortunately there are just 24 hours in a day, and just so much we can prudently do within that period. On a brighter note, there are a number of ways to ease your blog related workload such as newsletter and blog management, Pininterest Pins, data gathering and online research, social media scheduling and management and email management. The best and most successful way to free up some time, and use it along with your efforts in other areas of your business is by hiring a Virtual Assistant (VA).

Before we get into how this technique helps, let’s take a look at what is the role of a virtual assistant so that there are no misunderstandings with the concept. A virtual assistant is just that, a person who’s doesn’t sit in your office or even in your country, but maybe located in some tip of the globe. Although this individual is located in a far off country or zone, you are still able to maintain meticulous communication with them using VOIP or other online platforms. The primary job of a virtual assistant is to help you with your tasks that you are basically overloaded with, but some people have used them to assist with their kid’s homework and plant pranks on their mates on the other side of the globe, which is not recommended.

For blog and other related help, a VA is a perfect choice, and helps you use the time saved to focus on other areas of your blog. You can hire a virtual assistant to upload your posts, videos, manage comments and SEO, and some may even be able to compose your blog posts from scratch, which will save you even more time and money. At present, your blog may be the frontline for your business or bringing a handsome monthly passive income, which will be business and usually or even better with the help of a virtual assistant.

Are Virtual Assistant Services Expensive?

Well, this completely depends on your budget, and how much you think these services are worth to you, but in most cases is around $5 - $8 per hour. Some VA’s may offer you their services at rock bottom prices, and not because there are inexperienced, but due to the rather low cost of living in their country. That said, the chances of finding a VA for $5/hr in the United States are rather slim to none simply because the minimum wage starts at $11/hr, but is definitely possible in countries in Asia.

Another aspect to considering when determining the best price for a VA is the tasks they will be doing. Some virtual assistants may charge a bit more if the jobs are of a technical nature, copywriting, or even multitasking. Then there are VA’s that charge based on their experience and although you will need to consider it, it is not something to base your decision on. There are two sides of your blog that your VA can manage – Technical and Non-Technical. On the technical side, you can have your VA cater to aspects such as updating plug-ins for your blog, keeping your blog up to date and backing up your blog. On a non-technical note, you can assign your VA tasks such as generating blog post ideas and keyword research, drafting blog posts and writing the final copy, optimizing blog posts maintaining a blog bank and managing and replying to comments.

Daven Michaels CEO of 123Employee.com shows how to manage your VA

How do you monitor a VA’s Performance?

Although most VA’s provide daily reports, you will want to monitor their performance to ensure you are getting value for money, and there are a number of tools to help you do just that. You can choose a VA from a dedicated virtual assistant placement agency, which not only provides you with the workforce, but also tools to keep track of their performance. When deciding on the best VA agency, it is important to peruse their portfolio and their reputation.

Moreover, virtual assistants can be hired through most freelance websites, which is great way to get the cream of the crop for a number of reasons. First, websites such as Elance and Odesk provide tracking tools at no extra cost, which allows you to keep track of your virtual freelancer and obtain performance reports in real time. By taking this route, the freelancer only gets paid for the hours worked, and you can dispute any inconsistencies with the billing.

Another notable aspect about hiring virtual assistants through freelance websites is that their feedback from previous clients and their portfolio is readily available. Lastly, all the billing and invoicing is handled through the website so you literally have an end to end virtual workforce online. Additionally, these websites are free to join in most cases, but there may be a small project fee involved that can be shared between the employer and contractor.

With the tools available today, virtual assistants can be as productive if not more than traditional employees in your workspace, and at a fraction of the cost. In the beginning and speaking from personal experience, it may feel weird getting used to the extra time created by your virtual assistant, but you will become a productive team before you know it.

It is important to test the waters in order to find the best virtual assistant, and you can do this in a number of different ways. Be clear about your expectations, because each VA works at their own pace and schedule, and take into account different time zones, which may not be in line with your working hours or when you would like the work to take place. For your first VA project, it is recommended that you select a few candidates and assign them a small task to evaluate their performance. When hiring virtual assistants, you have to keep in mind that some may outperform over the rest, while others may lack the skills needed in certain areas. You can always hire more than one virtual assistant to do perform different tasks, but this may prove to be an expensive ordeal. In conclusion, if you’re looking to free up some time that you can use towards other aspects of your blog and personal life, getting a virtual assistant is a profound solution.

 Hope you enjoyed this article. We would love to hear from you about your experience with Virtual Assistants. Do you have any recommendations about VA's or do you have any further questions? Comment below and we'll get back to you!