The Essential VA

The Power of Digital Fundraising with Twitter and Facebook

2010-01-15T14:24:00.000-08:00

When I started with social media, I didn't really know how it fit into the grand scheme of things. I actually started with social media long before I knew it was social media, or Web 2.0 when I published my first blog. I was just blogging for the heck of it. I'm guessing that many other people of my generation (the baby boomers) had the same issue.

When I initially learned about MySpace, Facebook and Twitter, the first question I had was what did all these sites have to offer me, a regular person? I had seen how Facebook was used by college students, and MySpace was nothing more than something to do in my spare time. Now these tools have exploded onto the social and business scene and seem to be unstoppable in terms of popularity among all ages. There's no better example of the power of social media than the recent disaster in Haiti.

If you were wondering how it could be used, this week's natural disaster in Haiti should answer all questions and remove remaining doubt you had about it's power. According to a recent CNN article related to the earthquake, donations resulting from text messaging and social media has surpassed all expectations in terms of helping people to locate the missing, communicate with loved ones, and raise money.

This morning, "Red Cross" was among the 10 most popular topics on Twitter. Celebrities and other Twitter users were able to utilize their large following to send messages of support and provide information on how to make donations to various charities. Facebook groups were quickly formed and established as well to raise funds and distribute information on the missing.

The Red Cross and other charitable organizations have been amazed at the amount of money that has been raised since the weekend. However they will need more money as they strive to rebuild. If you would like to donate, please visit the Red Cross and the White House website for more information. All of this shows that with the power of social media, networking and teamwork, great things can be accomplished. For more information on social media marketing check the books available on Amazon.com.

What is a Virtual Assistant?

2009-11-24T00:43:00.000-08:00

Virtual Assistants (also called VAs) are highly skilled professionals who use remote technology to perform administrative, creative and technical services on a contract basis from a home office.

Many busy professionals find themselves wearing most or all the hats in their organization, salesperson, office manager, bookkeeper, graphic designer, IT tech and the list goes on. They spend so much time supporting their business, that they don't have time to focus on the reason they were in business in the first place! VAs provide the support services needed for busy professionals to focus on revenue generating activities.

Using this kind of relationship offers many other benefits for busy professionals. They can have the support they need on a limited or long term basis as business requires. With this kind of relationship staff can be ramped up or scaled back without the overhead involved with full time employees. Virtual assistants can be used to handle overflow work during seasonal or peak periods.

Independent professionals, non profit organizations and companies that partner with virtual assistants gain these benefits:

•Increased Productivity
•Stay Focused on Core Business
•No Payroll Expenses
•No Equipment Necessary
•No Pay for Lunch Hours, Sick Leave, or Vacations
•Only Pays for Time on Actual Tasks
•No Office Space Required
•No Employee Benefits like health insurance, life insurance, taxes, or 401K
•No Recruitment or Training Costs
•VAs can Handle Seasonal, Project or Overflow Work
•VAs Work on a Retainer or Per Project Basis

Our specialty is not only in providing popular support services, but we also specialize in creating document templates that can be customized for use in most common applications to make document creation consistent and more efficient. If you want more information, visit our website to learn more.

Customer Loyalty Programs - Part 1 Effective Communication

2009-11-23T23:51:00.000-08:00

This is Part 1 of a series on customer loyalty and how it affects the bottom line. If you're responsible for managing the customer loyalty program for your organization or if you're thinking of implementing a program, this is information you'll want to review.

It's amazing how many customers are lost due to inactivity or indifference. One study showed that 7 out of 10 customers are lost to competition because the competitor made them feel more appreciated. I can't think of any thriving business that would want to lose 70% of it's customers. So customer loyalty is crucial to any successful business. Yet is something that many companies have taken forgranted.

What are the elements of a successful customer loyalty program, otherwise known as customer retention or customer relations programs? It's a given that if you don't talk to your customers, your competition will. Effective communication is key to maintaining customer satisfaction and loyalty so it's the first area we will look at in this series.

It's also a given that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. So we'll start by saying that having a plan is the most important element of any program. These ideas won't work unless you can detemine how you're doing now, and set reasonable, measurable goals with an action plan to achieve them.

Whether its by direct mail, phone, fax, email, or social media, or all of the above, create a plan for regular, two way communication with customers as a basis for your customer retention program. Regular, two way communication involves obtaining feedback from your customers and providing regular outgoing communication that says, we appreciate your business and how can we serve you in the future. This element doesn't have to be anything elaborate. It can include simple things like newsletters, cards, surveys, coupons, gift certificates etc.

Items like coupons, gift certificates, and discounts show appreciation and give customers a reason to return to your organization. Surveys allow for regular feedback on how you're doing in terms of providing the right products and services to meet the needs of your customers.

Customer communication occurs every day through your sales force and customer support team. Do they have items that they can use to enhance the service they provide to customers? What about the area of your company that deals with problem resolution and/or troubleshooting? How are they communicating with customers? Are they going the extra mile to be helpful or are they maintaining status quo? Helping your employees improve their communication on the phone or in person, will go a long way to making your customers feel appreciated.

When sending out invoices, catalogs, direct mail and other printed materials, coupons, discounts, surveys, etc and other lightweight items like custom printed magnets, calendar cards, and stickers that fit well in #10 envelopes. These items provide an excellent way to send helpful information like reminders or greetings. Include custom printed pens, sticky notes, reminders on magnets, cups, magnet frames, picture frames, t-shirts, key tags and other items in the materials left behind on in person sales calls.

Provide information in employee work areas like custom references and job aids to help employees who communicate by phone. Place important informtion in areas where they can be seen and used on a daily basis.

The end of the year presents an excellent opportunity to reach out to customers that you have lost touch with during the year. For end of year gift ideas, custom printed calendars make excellent leave behinds during the holidays and at the end of the year, because they are relatively inexpensive, have high visibility and they're appreciated by everyone who receives them. Most of all they keep your name in front of customers all year long. Coupons and other helpful information can be added to wall calendars as well.

For more information on customer retention view this video, Enhance Your Customer Retention Program.

Custom Printed Holiday Gifts for Everyone on Your List

2009-11-02T06:31:00.000-08:00

If you're buying custom printed items or planning fundraisers and parties for the Holidays, this catalog has items in lower minimum quantities and full color imprinting on some items. You can order for smaller groups and have your imprint on items in full color without having to pay higher pricing for the imprint. Whether you're planning for a small group or a large fundraiser this may provide a solution for holidays 2009.

http://promote07.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/custom-printed-holiday-gifts-for-everyone-on-your-list/

De-Aging Your Resume and Social Media 101 - Oprah.com

2009-09-18T15:44:00.000-07:00

A new approach is needed to get a job and thrive in an economy where technology rules, and paper is a thing of the past. Especially now during these challenging times (I know they say the recession is over, but whatever) many people have learned that reinventing one's self is a necessity. The article link at the bottom, is about a journalist that did just that.

If you're having struggles right now, especially in the job market this article is a must read. Read it and let it start you on the path to thinking of new ways to market yourself in the new world of work.

And if you weren't sure about it, we have entered a new world of work. All the rules have changed. For example, experience is the thing that most people strived for to obtain career growth, stature and job security. However, many people like the journalist in the article, are finding that it can be a limiting factor if you're in today's job market.

Job security has also shifted for many workers to the point that today's graduates can pretty much count on making many job changes throughout their careers. So in essence, career strategies that worked for your parents, may not work for you today. Things that worked 5 years ago may not work today.

The best advice for today's economy is to embrace change and use technology to network with others who have made changes and benefited from a new way of thinking about work, and life. As the old saying goes, if you keep doing what you're doing, you'll keep getting what you got. Here's the article...

De-Aging Your Resume and Social Media 101 - Oprah.com

A Real Calendar of National Holidays and Observances

2009-09-17T20:18:00.000-07:00

When looking for popular observances and holidays, I've never been able to find the information in calendar format. Most sites that I've seen will place the items in a list. Lists are nice, but it's good to be able to see the dates in a layout that's more visual.

So if you're like me and looking for a real calendar of National holidays and popular observances, look no further... Here is a list that goes a step further with all the popular observances in an actual calendar layout that's flexible and easy to use.

If you're working for a client that plans events or promotions for health/wellness, cultural, family and social observances this is the calendar for you! This calendar is also good if you plan a lot of marketing campaigns for clients and need a way to easily view important dates, especially if you're planning back to back projects.

It allows you to look at the current month or scroll ahead to previous or upcoming months to see the dates, holidays and observances that apply to your industry. You can also view by week, month and it even has an agenda format.

The layout makes it easy to plan. It's also a great calendar to have if you're interested in supporting popular health related causes and stay informed.

If you're with a company that buys promotional items, there are many of those to choose from on this site as well. But whether you like promotional items or not, this calendar is a great source of information. Check it out.

Promotional Calendar of Events

Getting Paid to Type – Typing for Money

2009-09-03T14:36:00.000-07:00

If you're a great typist and you're thinking of freelancing, but don't know where to start, the article in the link below is worth the read.

It's about a freelancer that decided to take her career and future into her own hands, making the decision to leave the 8 to 5 behind. She found an opportunity to make money by literally typing at home. It sounds easy, but as she found, the road to making steady, reliable income can be tricky.

She talks about some of the challenges she faced in signing up for freelance sites, and not winning in the bidding war that makes them so competitive. She found out quickly that it can be a bumpy road to working for yourself and establishing an honest, scam free, recession proof, freelance business.

She had to be creative in her outlook and came up with a different perspective on typing from home, about the things she knows and enjoys.

With a little creativity, opportunities are available in a down economy that might make you better than before. Sometimes you have to make your own opportunities as well. This may be a solution that will spark an idea that you had not thought about in your own search to freelancing and working at home. Organize Your Time with a Virtual Assistant.

Here's the article for your review:

Getting paid to Type – Typing for Money

Branding Basics in a Down Economy – atyourlibrary.org - ALA | Get A Job!

2009-09-01T19:13:00.000-07:00

With national unemployment rates projected to reach as high as 10 percent in the coming year, creating a stand-out persona in your job search is more important than ever.

As the number of jobs decrease and the pool of applicants increase, job seekers must find ways to effectively communicate their best attributes to prospective employers.

Branding basics in a down economy – atyourlibrary.org - ALA | Get A Job!:

Making the Most of Conferences - ALA | Get A Job!

2009-09-01T19:06:00.000-07:00

Attending conferences and networking go hand-in-hand when looking for a job. I have always looked at attending conferences as in investment in my career, both from the standpoint of making contacts (networking) and professional development.

Making the most of conferences - ALA | Get A Job!:

What to Do If You’re Laid Off - ALA | Get A Job!

2009-09-01T19:03:00.000-07:00

"While some people see a job loss as a challenge which opens up new opportunities, most associate losing a job with strong negative emotions. It is natural to have negative feelings after a job loss.

Some of the feelings and experiences:

* Loss of a network – the loss maybe worse if your social life is tied to your job
* Loss of personal identity
* Emotional upheaval – those who have never been unemployed may not be emotionally prepared for a job loss and may be devastated when it occurs."

The article in the link below shows some actions to take when you lose your job. You need a plan for recouping and taking advantage of new opportunities. Check this story and other similar articles for useful tips for getting back on track.

Need help staying organized and focused in your job search? Use a virtual assistant to help by keeping track of appointments, providing resume updates, creating a portfolio of work samples, and creating marketing materials like business cards, brochures and more! Pay only for the time and services you use, no overhead and no administrative costs involved.

What to do if you’re laid off - ALA | Get A Job!:

Twitter Crowns Bit.ly As The King of Short Links; Here's What It Means

2009-08-25T19:29:00.000-07:00

If you use Twitter (and who doesn't these days!) this article will be really interesting. I hadn't heard of Bit.ly six months ago and now it's being crowned the king of short links. If you take a closer look and realize what it does for users as part of the Twitter, My Space, social media, Facebook marketing craze, it makes sense.

A big part of making sense or "getting" social media for business is in the ability to pull useful data out of sharing by people through those little 140 character tweets, and in analyzing pages and resulting traffic generated on websites and blogs.

The tweets are great by themselves, and people make a lot of great connections by using these services. There are all kinds of games and apps that make these services fun, a real past time. But as a business, you miss a lot if you don't look past the surface to examine what happens to your bottom line by engaging in social media each and every day. Are you reaching the right people, and are you getting the results you want?

Not only does Bit.ly shorten the URLs used on Twitter and other services, it also creates a redirect from the shorted link out to a longer link on any web page. Along the way the service analyzes the page being linked to, pulls out the key concepts discussed on that page, and then provides real-time statistics about where the link is being shared and how many people are clicking on it. I'm a newbie to social media, but that sounds pretty impressive to me. And you just thought it was a convenient way to send your Tweets? I know that I'll be using Bit.ly going forward and using some of that data to enhance my marketing efforts.

Twitter Crowns Bit.ly As The King of Short Links; Here's What It Means

National Health Observances: healthfinder.gov - Your Source for Reliable Health Information

2009-08-24T22:41:00.000-07:00

I was looking on the web and found this great site that has information on health observances for the year. Health observances are special days, weeks, or months used to raise awareness of important health topics. Examples include National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, World AIDS Day or the Great American Smokeout."

On this site you'll find a full listing of health observances by month and date, including sponsoring organizations and contact information for materials. Check it out when you have a minute, it has documents in HTML and PDF format, along with planning calendars as well.

If you work on awareness programs for your clients, this will be an invaluable tool that you'll want to bookmark and use again. Don't forget to organize your time with a virtual assistant!

National Health Observances: healthfinder.gov - Your Source for Reliable Health Information: "

6 Simple Ways For Freelancers To Increase Productivity

2009-08-24T02:30:00.000-07:00

Introduction

This is my first blog post and I thought it would be appropriate to start off with the subject of productivity. It's the one thing we all strive for in our professional lives. We think we have it down pat, and then the phone rings (the one on our desk as well as the one in our pocket), our children skin their knees, the social media hubs light up and email messages come flowing in. We get a little off track as the day progresses, and before you know it, a week has passed.

As a freelancer or independent professional, you don't have the boss looking over your shoulder... you are the boss. And it takes time, especially in the beginning to make the transition and mind shift from being an employee, to managing one's self. In the new world of work, we're finding that we have to make more than a few changes in the way we think about making a living. Sooo, I found this article that I thought was an excellent starting point for my new blogging adventures. Please read this post, and share it with your friends, then read the original post in it's entirety. You'll be glad you did.

The biggest attraction to freelancing for many people is in having the freedom to set your own schedule and make your own rules. This can also be a pitfall as well. Without the structure of an office environment, many would-be freelancers find themselves wondering at the end of the day where all their time went. And as a freelancer, having a constant sense of accomplishment and getting the most out of your workday can be tough.

So to help, here are some simple ways that freelancers can increase productivity:

Set a schedule - Define your work hours and set a schedule. Sounds simple, but it needs to be something you sit down and plan, then execute that plan, each day until it becomes a non negotiable part of your existence. Which leads to the next step...
Make a plan - Including setting goals, and creating to-do lists, tracking your time, and evaluating your performance. A good rule of thumb is to take the first 15 minutes of your day to plan the day. Prioritize tasks and set time limits on how long you will devote to performing each one. At the end of the day, look back at how well you measured up to the goals you set. If you didn't accomplish what you wanted, ask yourself why and plan to improve.
Get focused - Do one thing at a time, identify time wasters and eliminate distractions. Set aside time during the day to return phone calls, catch up on social media, and surf the web. All of these things, while they have lots of positive benefits, can eat up your day and lead to wasted time.
Get Organized - Consolidate and organize your email, and update all your social media accounts at once.
Set up Your Office Properly - Respect your office by keeping it neat and clean. Thriving in a messy, cluttered office gets old really quick so get comfortable and keep only your essential items on top of your desk. Go mobile to get a change of scenery. Grab your laptop and work in the park, in a local coffee house or cafe. This does a lot to get the creative juices flowing, takes you away from some of those distractions and clears your mind.
Get help - Outsource some of your non core tasks to free up time to concentrate on the reason you went into business in the first place. Hire a virtual assistant to perform tasks that you don't have time for, like creating that brochure you've been putting off for three months, keeping track of your schedule, updating your social media pages and "tweets", ordering items for events, etc. Learn from other freelancers by participating in freelancer forums. They are a great way to network and learn from those who have been where you are. Share a few tips of your own.

Please feel free to contact me and share some of your experiences. Read the original story By Tim Mercer.

6 Simple Ways For Freelancers To Increase Productivity | How-To | Smashing Magazine