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© 2010 Yvonne Thompson, Virtual Partner - All Rights Reserved
When we think of our business standards, mostly we think of never lowering them to get or keep business. Have you ever had an experience where raising standards caused a problem?
Sometimes we work on a project or with a client that we especially cherish and find ourselves upping the ante, so to speak.
Here’s an example. A relatively new client with a new business in a field that was also new to her was enthusiastic about getting off the ground and building her client base. We both got caught up in the excitement and freshness of her ideas and implementing her new web site, blog, and teleseminar.
Her industry was exciting and the work so challenging and stimulating that I often worked off the clock and provided turn around times way beyond standard commitment time frames. Needless to say, we had a thriving relationship and enjoyed working together.
However, as the business started to settle in and my schedule changed, things shifted and commitment times slowed to standard turnaround and the business fell more in line with the regular schedule.
You can likely guess what happened next. The client started to feel she was no longer a priority and was less than satisfied with the service she was now getting. Who could blame her? She had become accustomed to a service level way beyond the expected standard. Getting less than that was certainly an adjustment for her.
While it is often good customer service to exceed expectations, it is not ideal to do so to the point of setting expectations of a new standard. That might seem to be a fine line to walk. But it actually isn’t.
Here is the lesson I learned. Stand by your standards. When you go beyond them, find a gracious way to make it clear it is not standard, but letting client know you have made a special effort. That way you are both well served.
Recently, Sandy McDonald, of Why You Must Blog and fellow LinkedIn group member of Inspiring Women Online posed this question to the members of the group:
Do you have a daily social media checklist, and if so, what is it?
Sandy then shared her own rather extensive list of how she keeps up with social networking. I was really impressed, for several reasons. The main reason was she chose, what I believe to be, the key tools to focus on in her social media strategy. They included:
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Blogging
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LinkedIn
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Facebook
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Twitter
She didn’t list hers in this order, but this happens to be the order I favor, and find them to be most effective, for me. Now that, of course, varies depending on your business and your target audience.
Another I like to use is YouTube. Much of what we use in Facebook and Blogging can be re-purposed on video for YouTube. Many of you may have products or services that are best showcased with visual representations.
The point, really, though is Sandy had a clear plan that she was willing to share. It reminded me of a previous post, How to Manage Social Media Effectively. Sandy’s post was an excellent representation of Part III, The Participation Plan of the social media strategy I outlined in that post. Sandy’s is an especially effective participation plan.
If you haven’t already, take a look at Sandy’s list and see if it gives you some ideas how to build your own participation plan in your social media networking strategy.
Or maybe you have some other ideas you’d like to share?
Related articles
- How and Why a Social Media Manager is Essential for Your Business (performancing.com)
- Social Media: Hop On and Enjoy The Ride (iheartkansascity.wordpress.com)
Life’s Plans
The moment I started writing this post all sorts of cliches and quotes flowed through my mind. Before I can get started here, let me vent and clear my mind of a few. . .
“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans”
“Expect the best, plan for the worst, and prepare to be surprised.”
“The best laid plans of mice and men. . .”
These, in particular, came to mind because they explain best what’s happened to me and my blogging schedule recently. Even with the blog content strategy that I usually keep on hand so that I always have good topics and information ready to share, it happened.
Yes, life happened while I was busy with blogging, marketing, and making all types of other plans.
I continue to expect the best, but I was surprised and some life things happened and my best plans were delayed.
But I’m back and expect to be sharing more regularly again.
A Plan and A Strategy
One of the things I was always taught and believe in, when it comes to blogging is consistency and planning. The first is not likely to happen without the second.
My strategy to make sure I am consistent is to keep a blog content strategy. After working with Scott Bradley and Bea Fields in the Become a Blogging Master program, I found the blog content strategy to be an extremely useful tool in keeping me on track with valuable topics.
You might have your own way of staying on track or you might want to learn more about how to build your own blog content strategy. It’s simple. Once it’s in place, keeping it full and up to date takes no time at all, just the time it take to jot down some notes.
Let me know if you want some ideas on how to build a blog content strategy or want to share ideas on how you do it. I am sure there are many of you that have some interesting and effective ways of managing your blog schedule. I would love to hear some new ideas on this topic.
Related articles
- Are You Utilizing a Content Strategy? (bloggingtips.com)
- 5 Great Content Strategy Resources (shaicoggins.com)
- What Makes an Awesome Content Strategy? (bjconquest.com)
Nothing jazzes me more than working on WordPress sites for clients. Everything from the first consultation where we discuss the two phases of the process to completion to the signoff and ongoing maintenance is exciting.
Here is a snap shot of how it works for me. Phase I is the design phase where we discuss key questions and background. For instance, my client will show me two or three sites that they really like with aspects they would like to implement on their own sites.
There are some other pieces of information to gather in Phase I before we go through the most critical piece which is the layout and navigation or the site map.
Once we have this information, we can then choose a theme for the site. I have my personal favorites that I like to choose from. They include iThemes, Studio Press, and PageLines, pretty much in that order. However, I have recently worked with another one called Yoothemes. This one mostly serves the Joomla platform, though they do have WordPress themes and some support.
3 Things to Remember When Choosing a Theme
Choosing a theme is one of the most, if not the most, important part of designing and building a WordPress site, for me. After building several WordPress sites and managing even more, I have found there are 3 things that I need to always consider when choosing a theme for a new site.
- Look and style – be sure the theme can carry the look that the client wants and fits the industry or business he or she serves.
- Modularity – check to be sure that the theme will support the modules that you will need in your design or at least has the flexibility for you make changes in the CSS style sheet to adapt it.
- Support – when purchasing a theme you want to know that you will have a reliable support team if you run into any problems with your plugins, widgets, software, or anything you are working on. Good support means no more than a 24-hour response time for forum posts.
If you have numbers 1 and 2 when you select a theme and not number 3, you have not made a good selection, in my estimation. Chances are, it is not likely you will overlook item number 1. Item 2 can often be adjusted with the proper support. So having good support is irreplaceable.
Phase I is usually a complete success when I keep these three things in mind. Then we can go into Phase II, where we fill in the content and finalize the design knowing everyone is satisfied with the foundation.
Thinking about updating changing the look or content of your blog or website? Google loves WordPress and so do I.
Let’s talk about some ideas.
Related articles
- Daily Tip: Quickly Clone a WordPress Theme File from the Dashboard (pressography.com)
Image via Wikipedia
Most everyone has heard that old phrase, “neck of the woods.” For those of you who might not be familiar, it means in your own vicinity or area.
Face to Face vs. Online Networking
Being a virtual assistant, I do most of my networking virtually or online . That wasn’t always true. When I first started my VA practice in the Los Angeles, CA area, face-to-face networking in my “neck of the woods” was almost 50 percent of my marketing effort. Now that I have relocated back to my hometown, a small town in the south, online marketing has proven to be more productive for what I do.
Today, though, I had a really interesting experience. Here is what happened. I attended an information session for the formation of a new BNI chapter here in town.
Just before we started, a woman entered wearing shorts and a T-shirt. She was all smiles, deeply tanned, with a ball cap pushed back on her head. The BNI director welcomed her and asked her to join us. She declined.
Instead she announced that she had her van out front and was selling fresh fruits and vegetables. She explained her offerings and the prices clearly and quickly, making it all sound cool and delicious on the hot afternoon. Several people bought. She even “custom-designed” one of her baskets for me, when I asked.
3 Marketing Lessons
I learned 3 things from this experience. Two were things we should remember whenever we plan our marketing strategy. But the other is just a good reminder for me, personally, about networking in my “neck of the woods” here.
1. Think out of the box when marketing your products and services as the produce vendor did. Most fruit and vegetable vendors in the area park their vans in one location and wait for drivers by. This vendor took her wares to her customers. She charged just a bit more, of course, to cover the cost of gas. But we all appreciated the convenience so much that the additional cost was not a even consideration.
2. Be flexible, make your offerings fit your customers and clients, not the other way around. She was immediately willing to adjust what she offered to satisfy a customer when asked.
3. You’re not in Los Angeles any more! I could never have imagined this happening at a BNI meeting there.
Have you had any interesting occurrences while networking in your “neck of the woods”?
What do you think of first when you think of value? What pops into your head? We bandy the word about all the time, each of us possibly thinking of something different. The simplest, most concise one I found online was this
one from the Oxford Dictionary: the worth of something compared to the price paid or asked for it.
This definition made me think of a recent encounter. A business owner contacted me, needing some help. When we talked, it led to a discussion about value. She was unsure about the value, for her, of partnering with a virtual assistant. She knew she needed help but wasn’t sure if the return would be worth the cost.
Value and Virtual Assistance
Here is the conclusion we arrived at on the value of a virtual assistant.
If you have a distinct list of services you need and you want those particular services and no other, then you might be able to quickly put a flat dollar price on what you are willing to pay for the services. As in the definition, you can see the worth compared to the price you are willing to pay.
On the other hand, if you see your business in a broader scope, where you need someone who supports your vision and will fulfill your mission as you build toward your goal, then you have to think in terms of full worth.
Virtual support, today, is not just about dollars for hours. It is about value for service. Ask yourself: How will my business prosper or improve with the additional time, expertise, and creative support a VA can add? Or how much more time and focus will I have for generating revenue with her on board?
Of course, we do charge for our services. Many of us have hourly rates. But the rates are not only based on tasks performed. If you partner with the right VA, you get a well-trained, experienced professional to support you in the growth of your business. Her skills and experience should be broad and varied enough that there is little she can’t do or get done for you.
When you agree to partner with a professional virtual assistant today, you should get an online business partner who’s always there for business operations and to grow with you on an ongoing basis.
How much is that worth to your business?
If you do not subscribe to TED Talks, you are missing out on peeking in on some inspiring, funny, and informative video talks and events. Every so often, I see something that just begs to be shared.
This short video is about being successful. It is an excellent reminder and inspirational break for any entrepreneur or business owner who might be feeling a bit stuck or in a rut. Take a look.
Before you scan the title and decide you might not want to read another post on social media, think strategy, not specifics.
Nearly every time I see a request on the AssistU Registry of prospective clients looking for virtual assistants, they list “need help with social media”. It is taking up too much of their time and energy. Or maybe they don’t even have accounts set up.
If they have accounts set up, they lie dormant. Whatever… they need help. This request is not a “by the way” or “if possible” part of the list either, it is usually at the top.
Planning Your Social Media Strategy
Social media marketing has become a staple of our marketing strategy. So I found myself wondering why so many business owners and entrepreneurs find it so overwhelming. The answer is simple. No strategy. You need a plan. There are 3 major steps to a social media strategy:
- Write it.
- Implement it.
- Manage it.
Within each of those you have a series of steps or processes. It might sound tedious. But it isn’t. If you have it already under control, you likely do it without thinking of it in those terms.
For the purposes of this post, I am going to give you a suggested outline just for No. 1, writing a social media strategy. I have used it more than once with different clients, different businesses.
The inner layers of the outline will vary depending on your own specific requirements. However, I have found by starting here, I can usually build almost any client’s plan.
Your Social Media Strategy
I. Goals
- What are do you want to accomplish? The answer to this question will determine which social media sites will work best for you, as well as what you share and how often.
- You should have at least 3, but no more than 6.
II. Determine Your Target Audience
- This is easy. You probably already know this from your marketing plan, if you have one.
- Join appropriate social media sites/services where your target audience is likely to be found. Be specific, to start.
III. Develop a Participation Plan
- Plan how/when you will participate for each site or type of service; example micro blogs, such as Twitter and networking sites such as LinkedIn.
- Develop a blog content strategy
- This is key – your blog is the flagship of your social media strategy. Your entire strategy will rely upon it.
This is a general outline to get you started thinking about how to manage your social media. Within each step there are some details. Like anything else, it takes some time to set it up. But once in place, you can move effortlessly to the next step, implementation.
Implementing Your Social Media Plan
The implementation phase will be just a matter following the plan. After a couple times, you will find yourself doing it automatically, taking less time each you go through it.
As your business grows and changes, so will the plan. That means you will have to manage it, periodically tweaking and making adjustments.
Social media has become a large part of how we connect with our customers and clients. It’s why so many businesses owners seek help. Whether you do it yourself or use in-house or virtual support, it can’t be neglected. Not anymore.
Related articles
- Social Media and Strategy (online-pr.blogspot.com)
- Social Media Strategy – June 21 (dannedelko.com)
- Have Your Business Started Measuring Its Social Impact? (diystuffandbits.wordpress.com)
Image via CrunchBase
Do you have scores of friends in a business category on Facebook personal profile? Even if you don’t, if you keep the Info section of your personal profile professional, you can use it to promote your business.
Take a look at this quick, easy way to link to your business Facebook Fan Page. A VA colleague shared this with me, and I found it very helpful.
She recommended this process on her blog, Virtually Distinguished-Virtually Speaks. Here are the steps, but visit her blog for even more tips and info.
- First note the exact name of your page, note the “name” of your page. Not the id or link, you will need the name including spaces, dashes, etc.
- Log into your Facebook account.
- Click profile on your personal page.
- Underneath your name and slightly to the right, click “Edit Profile”.
- Select Education and Work on the left hand side.
- Click Edit on the right
- Locate the box that reads “Employer.” Click inside the text box to place your cursor and type the exact name of the fan page.
- Press “Enter” to open the employment details.
- At the top of the Employment Details page to see the name of the employer. Hopefully you will see your fan page, as well as the icon for your fan page. If you don’t see it, delete the employer and try again. Again, you have to use the exact “name” of the page.
- Complete any additional work information in the available boxes and “Save.”
Wasn’t that easy? After you finish, go back to your Facebook Profile and click on the Info tab on the left. Then you will see your Fan Page. Click on it and you will go directly to the page. Anyone who finds you on Facebook will do the same.
Thanks to Virtually Distinguished-Virtually Speaks for this tip!
Related articles
- Useful Marketing Tip For Facebook (cash-bandit.com)
- Why Would I Want to Migrate My Facebook Profile to a Fan Page? (epiphanysolutions.co.uk)
- 12 Reasons You Need a Facebook Fan Page and 5 Easy Steps for Creating One (blogs.sitepoint.com)
- Turn Your Facebook Profile Into a Fan Page (ducttapemarketing.com)
Virtual Assistance in the Past
As you read this, I would like you to think back to when you first discovered the concept or idea of working with a virtual assistant.
Did you think about getting all those pesky admin tasks off your plate?
Maybe you thought, now I can get help on following up with my networking contacts and actually nurture them into clients. Or was it keeping your shopping cart up to date?
These are all things virtual assistants helped with initially and still do. It is valuable support and clears the clutter so you can focus on the money making aspect of your business. But things have changed now.
We no longer get that vacant stare when we tell people we are virtual assistants. We are more likely to get a wide-eyed smile accompanied by “That’s great!”
At least that’s how my experience has evolved over the last 8 years.
Virtual Assistance in 2011
Here is a bigger change, though, and the one that you are going to benefit most from knowing about. Since you know what we do and how we can help you, you no longer need to be sold on that.
Entrepreneurs, business owners, and freelancers like you are quite savvy. You likely have found more efficient or cost effective ways to manage the more rudimentary tasks.
You need a different type of support. At least, that’s what I hear as I talk with prospective clients.
They say they need support from virtual professionals who can become a part of their business, rather than someone who serves as an adjunct that gets handed off tasks and projects.
The virtual assistant they want needs to actually share their vision, buy into their brand, think along with them, providing value beyond counting hours for service. That means they need to have a broad set of skills and experience.
From Virtual Assistant to Virtual Partner
The virtual assistant becomes more of a partner. What does this virtual partner do? That’s not the correct question.
The correct question is: what skills and experience does this virtual partner bring to the table? With the appropriate skills and experience for your business and a compatible work style, your virtual partner can do anything you need.
Think of a list of skills/experience such as:
- Writing and editing
- Project management
- Team recruitment and management
- Social media management
- Blog creation and management
- Marketing
This is just an example. Make your own list. Now list some work style requirements, such as .
- Organized with consistent follow through
- Requires little supervision
- Ability to work with a team
- Meets commitments and deadlines
- Keeps meticulous records
- Ability to commit to company visions and mission
Just by getting the right skills and experience, along with a compatible work style, you can partner with a professional who provides help beyond specific tasks. Of course, if you need shopping cart updates or any other more specific skills, you can to include those in your requirements.
The point I am making here is, if you need more than the standard tasks, try to review broader skills and experience. It will make for a more lasting, satisfying relationship as your business grows and your needs grow along with it.
