solutions

New York, NY— In case you haven’t heard, everybody’s got a web site. Don’t believe me? Consider this: a friend of a friend of mine recently had a baby (not unusual in itself). However, less than sixty minutes after the child’s birth, this woman posted a link onto Facebook directing visitors to baby Grace’s newly established website. Naturally, I followed the link and discovered that not only could I view Grace’s first photos, but I could also leave a message for the happy family. I can only assume that in the coming weeks, Grace will finally get her blog up and running.

Clearly, for business owners in the year 2009, hosting a successful website is only the beginning of establishing an online presence. There are social networking sites to attend to, blogs to write, and search engines to conquer. Sound a bit daunting? Relax, darling. There are people for that.

Recently, larger businesses, corporations, and even celebrities have begun adding “social-media directors,” “virtual assistants,” and variations/combinations thereof to their staffs.

        Typically, a virtual assistant is in charge of managing blogs, forums, website content, and social networking sites, and sometimes even ghost-tweeting for a company or client. Furthermore, the fact that corporate positions are being created in their honor

                                            con’t page 37

means that the big guns have taken notice of social networks … and so should you.

     Also, in case you haven’t heard: Twitter is the new Facebook, which was the new MySpace, which was the new … well you get the idea. I suspect it all began on a bulletin board in a pub or on the wall of a bathroom stall—people just want a public place to scribble their thoughts, and social networking sites allow them to reach a much larger audience than a Sharpie ever could. The same goes for Facebook and the average Jane’s blog. But even though these sites’ formats seem to be wired for inanity (i.e. expound your deepest thoughts in 160 characters or less), the above-average Jane has learned to use these sites’ lightning-fast yet relatable communicative ability to attract and maintain a global audience.  

     Still, if you are not an above-average geek (and how many among us are?), then you probably feel overwhelmed by it all, no matter how small the character limit. When the new Twitter comes along and Twitter is no longer current, how will you know? Who has time to write a blog? What exactly is the function of a forum moderator? You’re not alone.

It was recently reported among major news outlets that a pop music icon had hired a Harvard graduate just to manage her Facebook profile.

     At this point, you’re probably thinking one of two things:

1. Harvard? Really? Or, if you’re a step ahead of the competition: 2. Where can I get one? Fortunately,

I can help you out.

    Mara Lee, owner of virtualaide.net is one of the best virtual assistants in the biz. She didn’t go to Harvard, but she could probably teach there.                                

    Together with her team of super-marketers, she paints the online images of some of the most successful companies and individuals in business today. Of course, her services are strictly confidential so she can’t reveal the names of any of her clients, but you’d be surprised. In fact, that’s sort of the point.

      The purpose of a virtual assistant is to assume the personality or image of the company they are representing and become a force in the online & offline community. According to Lee, the specific benefits of blogging and social media are twofold:

• Higher Search Engine Rankings: Search engine marketing is hot. The search market has become the Holy Grail of Internet advertising and continues to grow faster than our expectations. We believe search is actually gaining some market share from other types of online marketing.

• Community Building: Corporate blogs and Community Forums provide your business with a chance to share your expertise and knowledge with a much larger audience. It’s the perfect vehicle to build trust.

       Lee continues, “The economy will affect businesses in such a profound way that you can be sure that they will aggressively look for ways to attract more traffic, capture more leads, and make more sales via the web. Social Media is the first step to doing this cost effectively. A current business blog will be as essential as a website in 2010.”

       The team at VirtualAide contracts with its clients on a monthly basis to provide a customized amount of support. Once it’s determined what kind of online presence a company or individual desires, Lee’s team does all of the work—ghostwriting blogs, managing Twitter accounts, direct marketing support and even building websites. That leaves the client free to do what he or she does best: run their business.

    Perhaps it’s time that you took your business into the social-networking age? A call to Mara Lee may be well overdue. At the end of the day, you don’t want baby Grace getting all of the Internet traffic, do you?

     For more information about virtual assistance, call 952-492-6442 or visit www.virtualaide.net or contact us at info@virtualaide.net.

con’t from page 27

...hosting a successful website is only the beginning

of establishing an online presence...

Click on PDF to see why you

should hire a Virtual Assistant?

By Jenna Barsness