Tag: Social Media

14 Opportunities and Ideas to Help Add Additional Income During the Pandemic

Hello loves!  I wanted to share some information that may be helpful for those that recently were laid off and/or you are looking to supplement your income during and beyond the Convid-19 Pandemic. Like many online business owners,  I have a unique birdseye view because of the work that I do and the business I run. None of it is a secret or a ninja trick, and much of it you already have likely heard about, so most of it is just a re-iteration.  

I have compiled a list of 14 opportunities and ideas to help add additional income during the pandemic for yourself and your family in these times of uncertainty.  

As we start to do more and more delivery and curbside shopping, eating and etc… we will see that we simply do not have the force to support it.  Here are places that you can look into if you are looking for work.

1) Grocery stores are hiring and their services are in high demand.  Check into Clicklist and Instacart shoppers particularly

2) Doordash and Uber Eat Drivers – Even Pizza Delivery as well

3) Talk to your local marijuana dispensers and liquor stores – See about helping them with their curbside services…and in some cases delivery options

4) Amazon warehouses are hiring as well as drivers and customer service agents.  Amazon alone is providing over 100k jobs

5) Become a secret shopper.  I know that times are different right now, but there are many online secret shopping opportunities, for instance, customer service secret shopping with Expedia.  The restaurant and retail store options won’t be available (unless they pivot) is my guess, but there are other opportunities. Let me preface that this is NOT a huge moneymaker, but it is great for supplemental income. https://www.bestmark.com/  I always had fun with secret shopping and I think you could too.

If you are looking at making some extra money in the online sphere here are some pretty great options. 

6) For online work look into https://jobs.sykes.com/ , these are customer service jobs that you can do from home.  You must have a dedicated phone line (not a cell phone) and highspeed internet. 

7) Working Solutions is another home-based customer service opportunity as well – www.workingsolutions.com/

8) United Health Care for those that work in more of a medical field, they are hiring to help with the influx of calls that are coming in.  

9) If you have a special craft, like content writing, graphic design, etc… you can look into www.upwork.com  or www.guru.com and if you make and sell your own goods, look at facebook market place, www.etsy.com and www.ebay.com.   

10) I realize that the stock market is a pretty scary place right now, but it also offers a lot of opportunities.  Stocks are at a record low right now. The market will not be this unstable forever and it is guaranteed that there will be a boom (just don’t know when).  The beauty of that is if you can get in at a cheap buy-in, like now, it could provide a huge return in 6-months. Only look into this if you feel empowered to do so.  You can start up through Robinhood, which is a free platform for buying and selling stocks in the stock market. It is pretty intuitive and if you use this link you can earn free stock to start your journey with. Truly investing in stock (if you have the means) now might set you up for life. It could be like buying Amazon in 1997 if you get my drift!  For Robinhood, though, it doesn’t require any investment right now, just sign up, get your free stock and start dabbling. Use this link to get your free stock >>> https://bit.ly/freerobinhoodstock-jg 

11) For those that are toying with taking their business or ideas to Facebook, I have a free mini-training “8 Ways to Revive your Facebook Business Page Organic Reach” that you can take. It is a tiny bit outdated, but the content is still very relevant. www.va.alpinesbsolutions.com  

12) If you are looking to take your vision into an online setting and getting serious about taking this time to pivot instead of panic, I would like to offer up some of my time to help you brainstorm. While I do have limited time,  I still would like to offer up my own time as a resource. I am offering free 30 minute consults for a limited amount of folks (no strings attached, just value, value, value) the rest of the month. Private message me if you are interested.  

13) I am also working on some additional free training and webinars to help people with making supplemental income online or to finally start your own online business journey.  If you have a topic you would like me to touch on or have someone in the community talk about, please private message me or put your request below.

14) Lastly (for now), I would love to create a container for those interested to network together and join in on the opportunity to join think tanks, masterminds, engagement circles, and other self-promotion threads so we can all build each other up, stay connected, and love one another.

Do you have things to share or add to my list, please do? The more the merrier. The more information we can put out there the better.  I will continue to harvest more ideas around this as the days and weeks unfold.  

For those that are in a position to help, please help people, offer your time and what resources you can. This is a time to band together, practice impeccable hygiene, be compassionate and remember we are all in this together.  Do not lead in fear…keep being amazing and I am rooting for those that are having a hard time. Please share with someone that you think might benefit from this information as well. I love you!

What is Facebook Live? 6 Tips on How Virtual Assistants Can Use It

While Facebook Live has been available for a while for elite users, the tool finally made its way to the average user. Facebook is beginning to push for users to take advantage of this great tool, even altering the Facebook News Feed algorithm so Live Videos rank higher. As a result, the tool is growing in popularity in the marketing world and is becoming a new resource virtual assistants needs to take advantage of. Using Facebook Live is relatively simple, but there are a few tricks of the trade to ensure the live videos meet a virtual assistant’s goals.

What is Facebook Live?

Facebook Live allows users to share live video from their mobile devices. The option is included in the iOS app so there’s nothing you need to download. Individuals create a Facebook Live video from their personal account, and virtual assistants can create this video and then share it to their organization’s page.

Mark Zuckerburg’s goal for Facebook Live is for the tool to offer “a way for people to have a more authentic and intimate experience sharing about their lives.”

This goal, of course, fits right into a marketer’s efforts to humanize their organization and foster relationships with their audience. Virtual assistants can use Facebook Live in a variety of ways: sharing a daily/weekly message, hosting a question and answer session with someone, sharing breaking industry or company news, sharing industry secrets, walking audiences through the steps of a how-to, product or service demo, providing a behind the scenes glimpse, the list goes on and on!

fblivestream7 Tips on How to Use Facebook Live

Part of the beauty of Facebook Live is the opportunity for spontaneity by organizations-but that doesn’t mean virtual assistants should abandon any planning or strategy! Virtual assistants can be intentional about how they create videos to ensure they gain the most marketing bang for the buck when they create scripted or spontaneous videos. The tips below will help you be as effective as possible when creating Facebook Live videos, and follow the timeline of before the live video, during the live video, and after the live video.

  1. Identify the focus and purpose of the video. You don’t need to write a script word for word, but as with any social media marketing effort you do need a clear understanding of why you are doing it. Ensuring your video has a clear and concise focus prevents it from becoming a convoluted rambling video that will bore audiences. Articulating the purpose of the video helps shape the direction of the video, and provides a foundation for measuring whether the goal of the video was met.
  2. Inform followers of an upcoming live video. Make sure your followers know you are planning on streaming and what time they can expect the video with a simple post (“live streaming our fundraising event in an hour”). To kill two birds with one stone, you can later tweak that informative post to make it the description of the video when you create it. You can even have viewers subscribe to know when you are going live.
  3. Pursue variety in the video itself and among the videos you create. In each video, vary your voice and use front and back cameras to change up the scenery to keep your audiences engaged. Utilize a variety of topics and structures when you create videos. Just like you wouldn’t follow the same Facebook post structure each day, don’t fall into a predictable video pattern either.
  4. Interact with followers. During the live streaming, viewers can send in comments. When relevant, acknowledge individual users and answer their questions or respond to their comments. Give them a personal shout out! This is a great, simple way to really strengthen that relationship and show your organization’s devotion to its consumers.
  5. Include a call to action. Always. Always. Always. In your marketing you want your customer to DO something. Give them a task. Give them somewhere to go. Every social media effort needs a call to action, and live videos are no different. A call to action can be as simple as encouraging people to visit a website, sign up for your newsletter, or send them to your lead page. But use a call to action to keep the relationship going.
  6. Edit the video. After the video is published, go back and make sure the thumbnail, category, and call to action clearly represent the video’s focus. Always be thinking of your brand. Does this video match what you want to represent?
  7. Play around with various broadcast lengths and times. Just as you should be with post creation, vary up the length of video and the time you stream to see when your audience is most responsive.

fblive2
Make sure you go Live often and be creative. Have fun with it and enjoy getting to know your fans!

Facebook Live offers many different uses for virtual assistants to reach their audience in an engaging and personable way. If you know you want to take advantage of this great tool, but aren’t sure how to get started or want guidance, Virtual Assistant Roadmap is here for you! We’d love to help guide you through Facebook Live video (or any other aspect of business building). Just shoot us an email!

 

Why Facebook Groups are Better than Your Virtual Assistant Facebook Business Page

Facebook page likes should not be a key metric of social media marketing success. Surprised? Most marketers are. A virtual assistant can mistakenly over value the number of page likes, and end up wasting too much time building this number when they should be focused on more effective ways of measuring marketing success.

The Problem with Facebook Page Likes

Facebook is continually decreasing organization’s organic reach, making it harder to reach a sizable audience without paying. As a result, the audience who actually sees your posts is a fraction of your total Facebook audience. Total Facebook page likes, then, provide little insight of the success of your virtual assistant marketing efforts.

fb group1Sure, you want as many followers as possible. But the mere total number of followers does little to reflect your relationship marketing success, which is the driving motivation behind social media marketing. Total page likes show you the number of people willing to connect with your virtual assistant organization, but does little to reflect your effectiveness at actually reaching and connecting with them. Growing your follower count, then, should not be a driving force behind your Facebook marketing efforts.

Granted, consistent posting on Facebook is still a necessary aspect of social media marketing. Organizations still gain marketing benefits from Facebook, but it is weakened by the limited organic reach. Posting from your virtual assistant business page to your followers is an important aspect of reaching your audience, but it should not be the only aspect.

The Better Tactic

Insert Facebook Groups. These see fantastic online reach since they aren’t saddled with the algorithm-driven reach reduction that business pages are. Groups are joined by individuals interested in that topic, so when you post in a virtual assistant group you’re posting to a great targeted audience.

You can join already established groups or create your own, and there are benefits to both.

fb group3Joining an already established group opens you up to getting your virtual assistant business name seen by new contacts, such as leaders in your industry or potential new customers. You can showcase your value to these individuals by answering questions with your expertise or sharing valuable content from your virtual assistant website. Consistent quality posting can translate into new valuable connections.

When you join a group, take some time to familiarize yourself with the group’s tone first. See the general style of writing (formal? casual?), length of post (short and to the point? long and in-depth?), and topics to make sure your posts will match. Be sure to join a few groups and post consistently, rather than joining several but rarely posting. To see the benefits of groups, you’ll need to be active and consistent in them.

In addition to joining relevant groups, you can make your own. The benefit of making your own group is you can reach individuals wanting to connect with your organization more effectively than you can reach individuals from your virtual assistant business page. But you shouldn’t repeat posts from your page in your group since individuals in both will see their newsfeed cluttered with identical content. You can post the same content sparingly, but make sure it’s on different days and worded differently. You want to make sure there is value for individuals to be involved with both your page and your group.

fb group4Measurement of group involvement can be done through a variety of ways, including analyzing engagement on your posts or visits to your virtual assistant site from links posted in the group. Metrics that come from group activity paint a more holistic picture of your marketing success than just page likes, making it a more effective analytic of your social media marketing efforts.

Want to take advantage of Facebook marketing, but need some guidance? Virtual Assistant Roadmap is here for you! We’d love to assist with this or any aspect of business building. Reach out with an email today!

Back to School Organization for Virtual Assistants

Back to School Organization for Virtual Assistants
Number 2 pencils are being sharpened, school buses are traversing through the city, kindergarteners are waddling around wearing backpacks as big as they are – it’s back to school time once again!

The start of the school year is a natural fresh start in our calendars, regardless if you are sending children off to classes (or heading off to class yourself). It’s a time to shift gears from hopping aboard the boat at the lake to hitting the books. Back to school organization is just as important for virtual sssistants as it is for students.

Get ready to start the year strong with our back to school organization guide for virtual assistants.

  1. Get Your Schedule Sorted Out

Students rely on a schedule to be where and when. Sure, virtual assistants may not have to report to geometry in room A203 anymore. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t follow a schedule.

It’s the paradox of the virtual assistant life. You hold autonomy over your schedule, but you should use that autonomy to set restrictions. Ask any successful virtual assistant and they will tell you a schedule is key (not convinced? Check out this post on why you need to set your work hours when you work from home).

Take some time to develop a work schedule that will work for you. Maybe your peak productivity hours are early morning and late afternoon. Schedule your workout for the midday slump. Maybe at 3 you need to shuttle your kiddos around to after school activities. Start your workday a bit earlier. Making a schedule sets you up to be organized and ready to rock this year.

  1. Stock Up on Supplies

Most stores host back to school sales for supplies like paper, pens, post-it notes, and even electronics. Conveniently, all tools you use to run your Virtual Assistant business! Take advantage of these sales and stock up on anything you will need throughout the year.

If you are lucky enough to have a storage area, pack it to the brim with discount supplies. If you haven’t already, make sure your supplies are organized and easily accessible.

  1. Get Ready to Learn

Students everywhere are getting ready to learn and so should virtual assistants! Plan out a duoable learning schedule you can follow throughout the school year.

Maybe you take an online course through Udemy where you dedicate one hour Tuesday evenings to. Maybe it’s reading a business development book for twenty minutes a day (try this list of top books every Virtual Assistant should read). Always be learning. It’ll make you a better Virtual Assistant (and more well-rounded person).

  1. Gather Up the Timelined Checklists

Checklists are a great organizational tool for virtual assistants. They help you remember those dozens of small tasks you need to do without letting something fall through the cracks. Checklists are a virtual assistant’s friend. At the start of the school year, collect ones you will rely on the following months.

Here are a few we recommend:

  • Beginning of the Year Checklist
  • Summer Slump Checklist
  • End of Year Checklist
  • Linkedin Personal Branding Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly Checklist

  1. Test Out Productivity Hacks

Productivity hacks are great for virtual assistants. They let you work smarter, not harder. Pick a few new productivity tricks to try out this school year. You can even pick a new trick each month to continually make yourself a more effective Virtual Assistant.

Here’s a round-up of some great tips to get you started:

  • Streamline your business with these free tools
  • Keep your to-do list short (a few items or less)
  • Test out the pomodoro method of time management
  • Try batching your tasks
  • Plan your day the evening before

Use these organization tips to start your school year off right. Don’t forget, The Virtual Assistant Roadmap is always here to lend a helping hand. We can assist with any aspect of building your Virtual Assistant business. Let us help your company grow this school year. Reach out today with a quick email to get started.