In my previous post, I discussed the benefits of having a business blog.  Starting and maintaining your business blog, though beneficial, can be time consuming.  Hiring a virtual assistant can really help to minimize the amount of time you need to commit to your blog.  Your VA can handle all of the details, and you just need to provide the content.  Some of the tasks your VA can assist you with are:

1. Blog Set-up – A blog virtual assistant can get your blog set-up on your domain, and customized for your business.  She can keep it up to date and current.  As well as, add and customize plugins.

2. Keyword Research – keywords are very important for your blog.  Optimizing your post for certain words helps the SEO tremendously.  Your virtual assistant can do the keyword research to find topics, related to your industry, which you can write about.

3. Finding Images – your virtual assistant can search for relevant images for each post, as well as upload them.

4. Adding Tags – Tags and categories help to keep your blog organized.  Your VA can make sure each post has the appropriate tag and categories attached.

5. Proofread and Edit – She can check for spelling and grammar mistakes, as well as edit your post.

6. Topic Research – Have a topic in mind, but need to do more research?  Your VA can do the research for you, so you have all the information you need to get the post written.

7. Comment Moderation – your VA can monitor the comments on your blog, weed out spam, and alert you to comments you should respond to.

8. Blog Marketing – your blog VA can assist you with marketing your blog posts, including submitting to social bookmarking sites and social media sites, such as Digg, Delicious, Twitter and Facebook.

9. Submit to Directories – She can submit your blog to the popular blog directories.

10. Help you Brainstorm Topic Ideas – Having to come up with new post ideas on a regular basis can be overwhelming, and prevent you from keeping your blog updated.  Your VA can help you brainstorm topic ideas and do research to find new topics to write about.

So, before you give up the idea of starting a business blog because of the time involved, consider hiring a blog virtual assistant.  You can focus on providing great content, while your VA manages the rest!

Working with a virtual assistant or VA is an excellent way to boost your productivity and increase your business.  VA’s are highly trained, business owners who want to help you grow your business.  Virtual assistants are in the service industry because they love to help you and want your business to thrive.  When first working with a VA, you may not completely understand how to get the most out of the relationship.  I have listed some tips to help make the transition easier on both you and your virtual assistant.

1. Communication – be as clear as possible on what you expect from the project.  This is especially important in the beginning.  The more information you can give the better results you will get.

2. Think ahead – try to look ahead in your schedule.  Look for tasks you can delegate to your VA.  Try to keep the last minute items to a minimum.  You may even find tasks that can be completely delegated to your VA, and you can get them off your plate!

3. Remember your VA is a business owner too –  This means she has a marketing mindset, and understands what it takes to build a successful business.  Take some time to build the relationship and talk with your VA.  Go over your ideas and goals and find out how she can best help you achieve them.

4. Communication – this is such a huge point, that I am listing it twice!  Your VA is not a mind reader, so you must communicate your goals, ideas, and expectations.  This is the only way for your VA to truly help you!

5. Be very specific –  As you build the relationship, your VA will most likely be able to be a step ahead, but until then, be sure to get specific about details and deadlines!

6. Make some time to discuss your current processes with your VA – Virtual assistants have a wide range of experience, and can help you to streamline your processes.  She can help you determine the best way to delegate seamlessly to her, and also help you to create better internal processes for your business.

Remember the relationship with your virtual assistant is ongoing and can grow and change with time.  Keeping communication lines open will really help both of you.  Hiring a virtual assistant may be the best thing you can do for your business!