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The Content Loop – Your Guide to Digital Marketing

Content marketing is a commitment, not a campaign. It’s important to remember that when you’re ramping up your marketing efforts, specifically for social media. A campaign is like a pre-packaged product that you launch and then monitor the results. Content marketing is something you must commit to doing consistently, across all appropriate channels, and you don’t stop. Unlike campaigns, which stop before the next separate campaign begins, content marketing doesn’t. It evolves and grows over time, be that new content or repurposing existing content. Furthermore, it’s not always the same content even when it’s published at the same time. It should vary slightly depending on which platform it’s posted to, keeping in mind that particular audience. It’s complex, but it’s not complicated.

“Content Marketing is a commitment, not a campaign.” ~ Jon Buscall, Head of Moondog Marketing

The Formula for Successful ROI

Good content marketing builds relationships, and relationships are built on trust. And trust drives revenue. Producing consistently great content = greater trust = greater ROI. The formula is that simple, but the practice of doing so isn’t always. That’s why we’re taking the time in this article to share our guidelines for effective content marketing. For example, did you know that not all of your content should be an attempt to sell your product/service? That’s right; you don’t like being constantly sold to, and no one else does either. No matter how great your product is. “Content marketing is really like a first date. If all you do is talk about yourself, there won’t be a second date.” Words of wisdom from David Beebe, former head of content at Marriott. As a provider of virtual assistants with broad professional expertise, including marketing, we’re happy to share the knowledge. Read on for helpful tips, best practices, and a valuable infographic to save for your own future reference.

Why Content Marketing is Important

Educate your audience, prospects, and leads about the product and/or service you offer.
Build healthy relationships between your customers and business, which result in increased brand loyalty.
Demonstrate to your audience how your product/service solves their problem or challenges.
Create a sense of community and authenticity around your brand.
Boost your conversions.

Types of Content Marketing

Social Media Marketing

There are over 3.6 million global social media users. It’s a no-brainer nowadays, that social media is where any reputable business should be very active. But it’s important to remember that each platform has different user demographics. So while your message should always be consistent, your voice should adjust accordingly across platforms.

Infographics

Infographics are awesome because they display content, information, and data in an easy-to-understand visual format. They are the perfect method of distilling an educational or complex topic down so all audiences can understand it.

Blogs

Blogs are powerful inbound content. You shouldn’t expect strong ROI on blogs though, as they tend to be better used as a means of supporting your other content. They are great opportunities to be more creative and experimental in their purpose and chosen topics. Having guest writers(or guests writing yourself on someone else’s blog) is a great way to increase exposure.

Podcasts

A 2020 survey found that 49% of 12-32 year-olds in the US listened to a podcast within the past month of being surveyed, with an average of six listening hours per week. People like consuming content while they multitask, like driving, exercising or working. Podcasts are perfect for that, and also allow more creativity and guest opportunities, much like blogs.

Video Content

According to this study, 69% of consumers prefer to learn about a product or service through videos. Like podcasts, they can be put on while someone multitasks, or can be short but sweet pieces of value on someone’s timeline. Use popular songs, feature experts, show off your culture, and highlight customer journeys.

Paid Advertising

The classic practice of paying for advertising is timeless for a reason. It helps you reach a broad audience and position yourself in all of the places you want to be seen. Paid ads can be especially beneficial when paired with inbound marketing efforts. Just make sure that what you pay to boost is proven content, sent to the right audience.

The Content Loop

Below you’ll see our own Content Loop infographic. Our marketing team uses this graphic as a visual aide for remembering the content process. If you’re following the correct content marketing path, it should lead you through all types of content marketing. Furthermore, it should lead you back to step one eventually. Remember; effective content marketing isn’t a single step; it’s a series of steps. Let’s walk those steps together, shall we?

Step 1

Produce engaging content. The first step in this loop is to actually create the content, after deciding what it’ll be about. For example; a video interview with one of your happy clients. They talk about their customer journey that led to your product, what the onboarding process was like, and how satisfied they are with the experience so far. Maybe they even give you some stats as a testament to how your product/service has solved a problem or improved things for them. The video can then be used by your copywriter to craft a case study or blog post about this client. The audio from the video can be repurposed as a podcast, as well.

Step 2

Craft social media posts. This is where you pull apart everything you produced in step one and prepare to spread it out across platforms. Cut snippets of the video out into bite-sized teasers, highlighting an interesting quote or stat the client gave. A snippet from the Podcast can be played over a graphic image. The case study/blog should be posted on places like LinkedIn and Facebook, and sometimes Twitter. So you’ll need to craft captions/messaging to accompany this content when it’s ready to be posted. It’s also nice to have a highlight pinned to your Instagram where you can post relevant images/clips accompanied by links to written content.

Step 3

Upload the finished full piece of content. This is when you are ready to share with the world the finished product. Upload the full interview video to YouTube/Vimeo and then share a link to it on Facebook, LinkedIn, and your Google Business page. Then post the snippets to Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. These teases should also include links to the full video, should viewers want to see more. The snippets can also become evergreen content that you can repurpose or re-post at will, in the future.

Step 4

Craft emails around the content you created. Now that you’ve spread this content in various forms across all of your social media channels, you want to spread the word to those on your email lists. Have your copywriter create short but sweet emails about the topic from your previous content. Maybe include a screenshot or a gif, along with a link to said content and an enticing CTA. These emails should be tweaked to accommodate both cold and warm leads, providing enough value to tease and entice a clickthrough.

Step 5

Lastly, compile this content into something downloadable. This could be an infographic/brochure of some kind, that presents the information from your video/blog in an easy-to-digest format for reading. Or if someone in the video outlined a strategy or guide of some kind, you can present that as its own value-add for easy downloading and sharing. And at the least, convert the video into an audio interview for users to download and listen to later. You can almost always find some form of value in your media content that can be turned into a downloadable freebie.

Attack of the Content Machine

That content loop guide is your plan of attack, in the social media content wars. With that infographic above you now know what to create, how to create it, and what to do with it. Then it’s just up to your social media managers, sales reps, and even internal employees to help spread that content like wildfire. Encourage employees to like and share your content. Give it all to your sales reps so that they can utilize it to hook leads. All the while your marketing team tracks the results and reports back accordingly. Because you cannot forget the analytical side of this. It’s imperative that you keep track of things like post engagement, shares, opens, and clickthroughs. Determining what content performs the best, and when/where it does so, will help you shape future content to be even more effective. Don’t just ship it and forget it.

Content is a hot word these days, as everyone from billionaire CEOs to TikTok entrepreneurs is capitalizing on the opportunity. You don’t have to be the first, you just have to be one of the best. And doing so is a full-time job in itself. That’s where an assistant becomes invaluable. We at MyOutDesk are always adding virtual professionals with marketing experience to our pool of available assistants. So if you ever need help producing content, or at least just utilizing and tracking it, you can’t do any better than a dedicated social media virtual assistant. Use the link below to request a demo. We’ll answer any questions you have, and make it perfectly clear how valuable we can be to you.

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August 31, 2022/by Dan Trujillo

Top 3 Reasons Companies Seek Virtual Assistants

Administrative, Inside Sales, Marketing, MOD Virtual Assistants

There are a lot of reasons for a company to seek out virtual professionals. They range from just needing an extra hand on some mundane busy work, to needing an entire team to manage a particular department. We surveyed some professionals recently to get an idea of what the leading reasons for seeking outside help are, right now at the start of 2022. While the results of the survey certainly help us focus our efforts appropriately, we felt like sharing them outside our organization too. Because sometimes knowing more about what other companies are doing can be beneficial to a company still figuring things out. So here are the top three issues/concerns that led businesses to knock on our door.

Number 1 – Wasting Time / Workload Too High

This one being by far the most common response comes as no surprise. The very definition of assistant is: “a person who helps in particular work”. A lot of companies are facing a situation where even just one pair of helping hands could mean so much to their productivity and peace of mind. It could be that your company is experiencing sudden and rapid growth, and you’re struggling to keep up with demand. Or maybe you’ve always been juggling duties and stretching your team thin to maintain a certain quality of service. Either way, you’re tired of wasting that time and energy. This is when a virtual assistant can step in, remotely, and work all day or all night on just about any task you’ve got for them. Customer service, accounts receivable, marketing, sales, the list goes on. Give your local team some breathing room by adding a virtual assistant or two to lighten the load.

Learn how a VA can help you stop wasting time and energy:

Number 2 – Low / No Prospecting

Another obvious result because sales are something we see a lot of our virtual assistants being used for. The beauty of an inside sales agent(ISA) is that they can be anywhere. All they need is a phone and access to a computer. Educate them on your product and your vision and they’ll do the rest. Why not have a select few expert ISAs locally, and outsource a team of remote ISAs to do all the cold calling and manage email campaigns. It’s the perfect system for effective and productive prospecting. Virtual assistants can bate all the leads from there around the clock efforts, while your local experts hook them. You pay less for your sales efforts while getting more leads in return. We can see why that’d be the 2nd most popular reason to seek out our help.

Learn how a VA can help you tackle low prospecting:

Number 3 – Other

This one made the top three, despite not being anything specific. But if we step back and look at the various reasons leaders come to us and what our virtual assistants end up doing for them, it’s not hard to fill in the blanks. One example that might fit here, is when a business doesn’t need an assistant but is just curious how to maximize their results while spending less. Often times a successful company is successful because they’re doing everything they should be doing already. They’re seeing their success grow for a reason, right? But you can always stand to do a little better.

Where do you fit?

Do you fit somewhere in this top three list? There are many other reasons why companies seek help from a remote working virtual assistant and even more reasons why they choose us over the competition. Not only do we provide experienced, skilled, and often educated professionals who are hungry for steady work, but we do so cost-effectively. We may not be the cheapest service, but we’re also not the most expensive. We do happen to be the best, according to several publications that have placed us as #1 for virtual assistants over the years. We’ve been giving growing businesses the help they need or just want, since long before the pandemic made remote work the new norm.

If you have some questions or concerns, anything at all, please do click the link below to request a consultation with one of our experts. It’s not a pushy sales call, we promise. We just want to at least know what’s on your mind, and then tell you a bit more about us. Like how we can guarantee such high-quality professionals at up to 70% less cost than a traditional local hire with the same experience. So reach out, and let’s see if our service is a good fit for your business.

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

February 9, 2022/by Dan Trujillo

Content Creation Made Easy – Virtual Professionals Use Canva

MOD Virtual Assistants

A mechanic is no good without his tools. Just like a marketer/designer is no good without his own creative toolset. In the early days of graphic and web design, those tools were typically Adobe or Apple software costing the designer themselves a hefty sum. Eventually, the creative and tech-savvy began sharing their work online. Websites would offer templates that one could download and customize to fit their needs, giving designers a kind of headstart. Over time, with the advancements of technology on the web, more flexible and in-depth solutions became available. Like entire websites that resembled the legacy software designers were accustomed to using but hosted entirely online. One of those such websites still going strong today is Canva. An invaluable tool to anyone seeking creative solutions, be they an experienced designer or someone without a creative bone in their body!

What Exactly Is Canva?

For those unfamiliar, Canva is a website that offers a wide variety of creative tools and content. From presentation templates and video files to social media and even printable assets. Much of their content library is free to use, while some of their premium assets are restricted to Canva Pro accounts which cost a monthly fee. Anyone can create a free account from scratch or by connecting Canva to your Google, Apple, or Facebook account. From there you’re able to browse their extensive library of free, customizable templates, as well as sample premium content before signing up for a paid subscription. There’s something for everyone and just about every need.

We did a little research on our end and discovered that Canva was by far the most searched-for technology by a large demographic of our clients. We attribute this to the freedom and flexibility Canva offers professionals looking for help producing attractive visuals. The ease of use means that anyone with a computer can dive in and play around until they’ve got a hang of it. With a bit of practice, even non-creative types can start producing professional-grade content. On the flip side, someone experienced in the world of graphic and media design has enough customization at their disposal to elevate the provided content. They can expand on existing templates or create their own content from scratch using the web-based Canva application. No software download is necessary; just log in and start creating. Plenty is possible using the free service, while the Pro tier opens things up even more and at less cost than traditional software like Adobe.

Why Should You Try It?

Services like Canva come in especially handy when coupled with a creative virtual assistant. Some companies will have a corporate account for services like Canva and share access with hired marketers, designers, etc. Very handy for allowing group access to projects and maintaining branding guidelines, all while making content creation fast and easy. No matter how skilled your designer or marketer is, they don’t need to spend half the day making social media content from scratch. With Canva your virtual assistant can log in remotely without any software, and pick a template that fits the aesthetic of your business. Then they can customize it to fit your branding, share it for review, then download their creation and start posting it all over your channels. From Instagram posts and stories to flyers and brochures, infographics, A4 documents, and even engaging videos. If the designer was a mechanic, then Canva is their auto shop.

A Winning Combo

With the rising embrace of remote work and outsourcing tasks to virtual professionals, web-based services like Canva are invaluable. Simply with access to a computer and internet, anyone can log in and start creating visually interesting and dynamic content to suit any business type. The results only improve when experienced professionals get their hands on a service like Canva. It’s yet another way to cut costs, increase productivity and maintain product quality. And when coupled with a reliable, experienced virtual assistant, the results are limitless. Our clients can attest to that, and we’re happy to show you how and why. Click the link below to request a consultation with one of our experts. They like to hear you out first, and then pitch a plan with one of our virtual assistants that gets you what you need. It’s easy, quick, and has no strings attached. A creative virtual assistant from MyOutdesk using a free and robust service like Canva is a winning combination. Let us help you win.

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MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

February 2, 2022/by Dan Trujillo

Are You Streaming? In 2022 You Better Be!

Administrative, Cannabis & Legal Marijuana, e-Commerce, Financial Planning, Franchise, Healthcare, Human Resources, Inside Sales, Insurance, Marketing, Marketing, MOD Virtual Assistants, Mortgage, Property Management, Real Estate, Recruitment, Technology

You already know what social media knows about you – and successful businesses are leveraging such user behavior to market themselves in the right places.

Billboards no longer work: It’s STREAMING for 2022

While we understand today’s consumer behavior, it’s no secret that people follow their favorite topics and interests on Instagram, YouTube, and even Twitch– much like avid TV show fans watch their favorite sitcoms every week. True marketers follow the traffic. When TV, billboards, and radio ads don’t spread to the masses – targeted content is the answer.

Streaming behavior: Previous years…

The average user spent 2 hours and 24 minutes per day on social.
50.1% of the time spent on phones is done using social media apps.
Facebook was the most popular social media platform, costing people an average of 2 hours and 24 minutes each day.
Youtube took an average of 40 minutes per day.
Users spent an average of 30 minutes per day on Snapchat.
Instagram users spent an average of 28 minutes on the platform daily.
Pinterest users scrolled for ideas for only 14.2 minutes on average per day.

On top of those live viewership numbers, we can assume that many viewers are multitasking as they’re tuned in to popular streamers – checking email while blasting out social media posts via Twitter or TikTok while taking a break from work to watch some press release videos or retweet some memes.

Regardless, these numbers are impressive. And as more and more people begin to depend on social media as a go-to source for news and entertainment, it’s only going to progress.

[Grab a FREE Strategy Call Here]

Where to Begin: Streaming & Video Content Marketing

At first glance, it might seem like a challenge to get your business video content found by your target audience. A consumer could watch over 100,000 hours of video on YouTube in one year and that’s just one platform. That’s an incredible amount of content for a consumer to choose from when they could just as easily spend the time watching cat videos on Instagram or binge-watch their favorite TV show.

Here’s how to begin video content marketing:

Start with Stories! Use Snapchat, Instagram Stories, Facebook Stories, Youtube Stories, (and now) Twitter Stories. These are short videos (or still frames) of visual content that you can use for your accounts. They can be memes, recordings, and interesting video content. Depending on the platform, you can add links to funnel traffic back to your website. Next, use a small budget and start boosting these stories to relevant demographics for your business.
Next, publish short clips. As you develop more video content, you can repurpose them into short clips. People want knowledge, so be sure to curate content that will pique user interest!
Use the Re-Purpose System. The Re-Purpose System shows you how you can multiply your efforts and save time by repurposing content from one event or task. There are so many ways that your unique content can be proliferated out in the world when you have someone to do that cyber-legwork for you.
Once comfortable + traffic is established: GO LIVE. Livestreaming combined with authentic character can potentially generate a strong lead flow for your business.

Grow Your Digital Marketing Operations & Don’t Lift A Finger

With a marketing virtual assistant from MyOutDesk, you’ll have skilled support with your social media (Youtube, TikTok, Instagram Stories, Facebook Stories, SnapChat), email marketing, content management, and/or administrative tasks.

How is it so that entrepreneurs in your networks are outpacing your own content production? They seem to whip up content instantly, like podcast episodes and social posts, throughout all major online media platforms.

Even on a tight budget, you can engage in a full-time digital media presence — and save time while producing high-quality content. It’s no secret that your competitors with media steam engines are leveraging assistant labor, namely virtual assistants.

Expanding traffic by updating your digital marketing

A successful business can have virtual assistants fulfill these roles:

marketing coordinator
graphics designer
traffic coordinator
digital campaign manager
content creator & coordinator

Virtual Assistants are up to 70% less than the cost of a traditional employee and will work or you on a full-time basis. Virtual Assistants are the powerhouse behind quality podcasts, webinars, Youtube videos, Tweets, Facebook posts, Instagram photos, and Linkedin articles.

If you want to launch a high-quality podcast, but need to protect your valued time … you can launch your podcast and upgrade your online presence with a MyOutDesk Virtual Assistant!

Focus on your growth & scale your operations for 2022

ENVISIONING OF A NEW REALITY FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Simply put, MyOutDesk equips entrepreneurs & business owners with tools, strategies, and virtual employees – and when combined, businesses have a competitive edge and find growth while efficient systems and processes are put in place.

MyOutDesk proudly provides additional free business growth guides, books, and strategy calls.

See what we are about, and schedule a free consultation with us. We’ll take the time to learn more about your business and offer solutions to foster top talent and lower operational costs for your company.

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

Did You Know? MyOutDesk’s origin story is set during the last global financial crisis of 2008. Yes, that’s right — our business started by scaling businesses with virtual assistants during a recession! Pioneers of virtual assistant services, our first client in 2008 went from five to seventeen VAs with a completely revamped organizational model in short order, and he told MyOutDesk, “Our virtual professionals have shaved $250,000 off our monthly overhead.”

December 29, 2021/by Jeremy

6 reasons virtual menu being selecting by a hand

Successful Companies Are Hiring Virtual Assistants: 6 Reasons Why

MOD Virtual Assistants

Adding a virtual assistant to your team brings many benefits. They are generally much more affordable than hiring in-house and have the skills and flexibility to support several aspects of your business. The virtual professionals at MyOutDesk are a step above the average virtual assistant with only 2% of applicants making the final grade.

Here are the top six reasons why successful companies hire virtual assistants. You can hire one too, all you need to do is schedule a Double Your Business Strategy Session today!

[Grab a FREE Strategy Call Here]

1. Time is your most important resource

Successful businesses and entrepreneurs know the value of being economic with the use of their time. Low-level tasks like email management and customer support can clutter up your schedule, restricting the amount of time you can spend on the more profitable tasks of your business, like dealing with leads and strategizing for future growth. A virtual professional enables you to free your schedule of non-revenue generating tasks and expand your business without blowing up your budget.

2. Affordable Business Growth

Business growth requires investment. By hiring a virtual professional you expand your operations without drastically increasing your wage bill and the amount of investment needed to grow your business. A virtual professional is not only substantially more affordable than hiring in-house, the continual management and training costs are also far less.

3. Free Yourself from Administrative Busy-Work

Responding to emails, managing meeting times and appointments, and data entry are all necessary daily administrative tasks, but they can easily eat into your schedule. A virtual professional can ensure these tasks are completed on time, enabling you to focus on the more productive aspects of your business. While it’s important to provide clear instruction on what you want your virtual professional to achieve, having these recurring admin tasks taken off your plate will help you focus your time on growing your business.

4. Gain valuable customer feedback and market data

Knowing the needs of your customers and potential clients is crucial to sustaining the growth of your business While monitoring the industry you operate in, keeping informed on what your competitors are up to, and collating customer feedback are all important to help grow your business, they also require an investment of time and energy. A virtual professional can collate all of this data for you, providing a valuable resource for your business. Having up-to-date access to this important data could prove a game-changer for the growth of your business.

5. Maintain Your Online Presence

In the age of social media, businesses are expected to have a strong online presence. However, while the benefits of maintaining the presence of your business across social media and consistently producing content are well known, the work involved can stretch your budget and consume time that should be spent on the more profitable tasks of your business. A virtual professional can help you manage your online presence, respond to customers and prospects on social media, and produce and repurpose content so you can keep your social media posts fresh and engaging.

6. Avoid Burnout

Every professional can suffer from burnout during their career. Hiring a virtual professional to assist in managing elements of your workload can help relieve the stress that a hectic work schedule can cause. Having someone there to help organize your schedule and deal with tasks frees up your work schedule to focus on more productive aspects of your business and also helps to avoid your work leaking into your personal life. A virtual professional can help you maintain a work-life balance that is crucial to optimizing your productivity and general well-being.

Curious how a virtual assistant could fit into your workflow? Click below to schedule a free one-on-one consultation with one of our experts. We’ll hear you out and then discuss if we can be of assistance!

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

December 1, 2021/by Abby

Brand Marketing; with the Real Estate Dude

Marketing, Marketing, MOD Virtual Assistants, Real Estate, Vertical Markets

This right here is probably the most important part of any successful marketing strategy; content. Our CEO Daniel Ramsey had an incredibly valuable discussion about marketing in this video interview, with Mike Cuevas. Mike is the CEO and founder of Real Estate Marketing Dude; a company he started in 2015 after moving to San Diego from Chicago. He and his team specialize in, you guessed it, marketing. But specifically, they excel at video content marketing. They conceptualize, script, edit and distribute video content catered to the audience of their clients. They’ve had a lot of fun making some clever videos with the intention of going viral, and teaching companies along the way how to maintain marketing success. He and Daniel have a very in-depth discussion on the topic of marketing, and how to do it the right way, all the way. They also touch on how and why virtual assistants have been so pivotal to Mike and his team. All in all, some very valuable lessons are being given away for free here…

[Grab a FREE Strategy Call Here]

Stop Chasing, Start Attracting

Marketing is not advertising; in fact, the two are completely different things. Advertising is typically more focused on lead generation, by way of promoting a company often through paid channels. Marketing is more nuanced and complex, as it’s about identifying customer needs and finding ways to allure them with the promise of meeting those needs. Content creation is an important part of marketing because it itself has multiple movie parts.

Make It

First of all, the content itself needs to fit your target audience in an engaging and effective way. Most people don’t want to feel “sold to”, so sometimes it’s best to put your clever idea before your product. Meaning, if you’re making a commercial, don’t spend the whole time babbling about your product. They already know you want to sell it to them. Instead, stand out by making something clever, original, funny, or thought-provoking. Humor and heartstrings tend to get the most viral action, so maybe lean into that if you can. Mike makes a good point in the video above when he talks about the metaphor of friends inviting you out for drinks. If they never see or hear from you, are they less likely to remember to invite you the next time they go out? And if you do show up, and spend the whole good time talking about work, are they less likely to invite you next time? Yes, they are. You don’t always have to be selling, but you do always have to be demonstrating value. It’s a thin line, but with the right team and the right strategy, you can walk it just fine.

Ship It

It’s important to support the content you made, properly. Because it’s not just about making a funny commercial for your product and posting it on Facebook and calling it a day. No matter how good that commercial is, it’ll get lost in a sea of other good commercials if you don’t support it. Mike and his team prefer to re-post good content repeatedly, on a pre-determined schedule. Mike uses those Bed Bath & Beyond coupons as a great example. I bet you have some in your house as you read this! Now if you decide you need some new towels or a comforter, you’ll probably first think of that store and consider looking there first. That’s brand saturation, by way of physical mail. Sure it’s low-tech nowadays, but it’s incredibly effective. The whole purpose of creating content, digital or physical, is to build a brand. And the whole purpose of building a brand is to have a sustainable business. And brand awareness will go a long way towards that sustainability. In fact, Mike breaks down a very clear step-by-step plan for the ideal marketing strategy during the interview. I highly recommend giving it a watch if you want even more juicy tips.

[Grab a FREE Strategy Call Here]

No One Cares About Your Hair

One(of many) things that Daniel and Mike agreed on was that chasing perfection is futile. Perfection is the enemy of progress. Meaning it’s a waste of time to stress over perfecting every little detail, like your hair before you get on camera. What’s more important than perfectly nailing something on the first single try, is just that you tried, repeatedly. You stuck with it. That’s one of the mistakes Mike has seen entrepreneurs make too many times; wasting their time planning instead of just doing. The second big mistake they often make is not doing enough once they finally start. Too many people think their idea is the next big thing, and they expect it to be overnight. They hit the ground running but when they’re not in the lead as fast as they wanted to be, they stop trying. The most successful business starters often were very unsuccessful at first. The difference between them and the guy you’ve never heard of is that they kept at it, relentlessly. Believe in your vision and your team will believe in you. Success will follow.

Key Ingredient: Virtual Assistants

This was probably less a straightforward testimonial and more of a strategy session. But you’re not complaining, right? Our readers just got some free, top-level marketing advice! Who’s mad at that? Alas, our virtual assistants still played a major role in this story, albeit in the background where real heroes often find themselves. Mike and his team couldn’t run such a well-oiled marketing machine without the help of several of our virtual assistants. They utilize our proven, remote-working professionals to handle all the nitty-gritty busy work that perpetually needs doing. Thus freeing up Mike and his marketing rockstars to do what they do best; create awesome content and get it out in front of the world for their clients. It’s a winning strategy for not just Mike and his business, but many others we provide marketing VA’s for.

If you believe your company would benefit from one or more virtual assistant professionals, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. The link below will let you request a free one-on-one consultation, where we’ll hear you out to better understand your business needs. Then we’ll help come up with a plan for how a virtual professional can help. Because we listen first, then strategize. Talk to you soon!

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

October 13, 2021/by Dan Trujillo

Amazon Embraces Remote Work – Are Virtual Assistants Next?

MOD Virtual Assistants

The nationwide shift to embrace working from home just took a big step forward. Yesterday Amazon announced that they will allow working from home to be an option to all of their employees, indefinitely. Essentially, the decision will be left to individual managers to make for their own respective teams and departments. This is a shift from their previous stance, which indicated they expected a company-wide return to the office in January 2022. It was at this time that they expected to enforce a minimum 3-days at the office per week. Now it looks like 0 days at the office will be required, so long as the work is getting done of course.

“The decisions should be guided by what will be most effective for our customers; and not surprisingly, we will all continue to be evaluated by how we deliver for customers, regardless of where the work is performed.” – Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy, in a company-wide email

A Sign of the Times

The pandemic has forced a lot of companies to rethink their stance on working from home. Some have fully embraced the change and made the proper steps to support it going forward, while others have resisted a full adoption and instead gone for a hybrid model, in the meantime. Is your business working from home a lot? Should you embrace this workforce evolution indefinitely? There really is no right or wrong answer, as experts will attest that there are definitely pros and cons to be considered. With so many facets of our jobs becoming digital, a hybrid work model at the least is rapidly becoming the answer. For a lot of companies, they don’t need to dive all-in, nor do they need to resist the growing demand and risk alienating good employees and jeopardizing health. Adopting a mix can give a company the best of both worlds. That’s essentially what Amazon is doing now, by leaving the choice in the hands of managers. Because what works for one company, or one department, may not work for another.

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Less Physical, More Digital

Amazon has over a million employees, globally. They have major centers in cities like Seattle, SF, NY, Boston, LA, and a work-in-progress facility in Washington. One might think this is a problem for them going forward, as more office space with fewer employees using them is a waste. This is a very real concern for big companies right now, as well as for the commercial real estate business. For just one example, in Seattle, the amount of vacant office spaces has been increasing over the past year. While this may be a concern for realtors, it’s a silver lining for other business owners. More employees working from their home office equals less money spent on an office lease. Now a company like Amazon will always need buildings for distribution centers, but they could conceivably reduce overheard costs by way of administrative facilities. More and more companies are turning to outside providers for remote working employees, like virtual assistants. It simply makes sense nowadays, as more and more local employees are essentially becoming virtual assistants themselves!

Perks and Benefits

We’ve recently written plenty of articles about how and why virtual assistants are the way of the professional future. To boil it down to a few of the main positive points is relatively simple because the entire case for utilizing VA’s(virtual assistants) is relatively simple too!

You can get the same skills, experience, and even education as a local hire
You save up to 70% on employment costs vs a local hire
Flexibility. Hire one, or hire 10. It’s one flat monthly payment. We handle the rest.

One of the first things a business owner considers is the quality of employees they get when they outsource. While a valid concern, it’s far less an issue nowadays than ever before. Companies like ours recruit our VA’s from places with a population that fluently speaks English. All VA’s we consider go through a rigorous and thorough hiring process, that includes FBI grade background checks. We ensure all VA candidates come already with the skills and experience necessary for the roles and industries we typically place them in. A lot of them have attended universities and have all the necessary tools for tasks like accounting, marketing, customer service, realty, etc. And all of this comes to US employers at major savings. MyOutDesk handles all of the insurance, PTO, benefits, etc so that our clients only pay a monthly fee per VA.

Who’s Next?

It’s starting to seem like only a matter of time before bigger and bigger companies like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Apple start increasing their outsourced employee numbers. It’s literally a win/win for everyone! Companies can save money hiring VA’s to handle the busy work that can all be done from anywhere in the world, freeing up space and budget for local employees who either need to be more hands and present or require particularly special skillsets. The big names are doing it, and you might be the next big name of your industry. So what are you waiting for? If you have any obstacle in the path to growing your business, you owe it to yourself to reach out. There has never been a better time than now to at least explore the possibilities. Click below to schedule a free one-on-one consultation with one of our experts. We’ll hear you out first, and then discuss how we can help.

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

October 13, 2021/by Dan Trujillo

Zillow and a Virtual Assistant: 5 Ways to Easily Use This Realtor Website

MOD Virtual Assistants, Mortgage, Property Management, Real Estate

Do you need help with using Zillow? Here’s how virtual assistants are changing the real estate business by helping out realtors.

Zillow and a Virtual Assistant: 5 Ways to Easily Use This Realtor Website

The real estate market is an ever-expanding industry that you should take advantage of. Getting into it is difficult, but with the right people and tools, you can make it big. With a virtual assistant helping you out with tools like Zillow, getting in shouldn’t be a problem.

A virtual assistant makes it easier for you to understand the market through provided data. If you need an assistant for a Zillow tutorial, then you’ve come to the right place. Read our list of five ways to learn how to use Zillow with a virtual assistant.

[Grab a FREE Strategy Call Here]

1. Set a Listing

Zillow is a great way to generate leads on real estate houses you want to sell. With over 7 billion visits in the past year, your chances of getting a listing seen are bound to increase. The more listings you put, the higher the chances of generating more leads!

Setting up leads is easier if you have a virtual assistant helping you out. A virtual assistant can help get housing details for you to list effectively. Furthermore, a virtual assistant takes care of lead generation so you can focus on productive tasks.

2. Data is King

To use Zillow with a virtual assistant, the best thing you can do is compare data. Knowing relevant data such as the average housing price keeps you competitive. Use data published on the site to price correctly and get the best returns.

Additionally, by studying the data published on the website, you will gain market insight. An example here is knowing the price ranges for different locations. You can set a virtual assistant to comb Zillow data instead of doing it yourself.

3. Network and Expand

An alternative way to use a virtual assistant with Zillow is to network and expand your business. A virtual assistant can easily do that by setting up your appointments and following up with calls. A clear schedule for networking saves you time and expands your growth and market share.

4. Check Reviews

Going through hundreds of reviews will burn through your time and energy without generating progress. Instead, have a virtual assistant do that for you on Zillow by collecting and following up on client reviews. Use that feedback to make correct decisions for the benefit of your business.

5. Marketing Forward

The best way to market your business is to have a marketing team. On Zillow, a virtual assistant is as good. Use one to send emails to potential leads and buyers. A good virtual assistant can even set up promotional material such as marketing videos and house tours.

Use Zillow Today!

Real estate is always a bit tricky without the proper tools. If you need to get into the real estate market, Zillow is your best bet, and a VA is your best friend.

Are you looking for a reliable virtual assistant? Contact us today and find a virtual assistant to ease your troubles. Get one now and focus on expanding your business!

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

October 13, 2021/by Louie Z. Sawyer

5 Things to Know About WordPress Blogging With a Virtual Assistant

Cannabis & Legal Marijuana, e-Commerce, Financial Planning, Franchise, Healthcare, Human Resources, Insurance, Marketing, Marketing, MOD Virtual Assistants, Mortgage, Property Management, Real Estate, Technology

If you frequently use WordPress blogging, you’re probably wondering how a virtual assistant can streamline the process for you. Here’s how!

[Grab a FREE Strategy Call Here]

5 Things to Know About WordPress Blogging With a Virtual Assistant

Don’t have enough time to handle the intricacies of WordPress blogging?

Blogging is a great way to attract new customers to your site and to keep your existing ones interested, too. However, it’s not as simple as typing away your thoughts and sharing your expertise.

It’s not something you can do on a whim; you need to be consistent in churning out content after content. You can’t, however, spend all your time doing this.

A virtual assistant is a great solution to your blogging problems. Here are five ways a virtual assistant can help you streamline the blogging process:

1. Content Planning and Management

You can spend time writing the content yourself or delegate the task. Either way, a virtual assistant will help you stay organized and take some of the tedious work from you.

Regular blog publishing can result in a significant increase in page visitors. A virtual assistant (VA) can help you with the following:

create editorial calendars to keep track of your posting schedule
assist in content planning
organize topics, giving priority to content your target customers want

This way, you won’t have to worry about having a day where you missed uploading content to your blog. It’s a good way to stay consistent for your readers.

2. Technical Assistance

The WordPress platform releases regular updates to keep sites secure. Even themes and plugins must be up to date. Spending time to do these technical aspects can place overhead on your time.

A virtual assistant can help you upgrade these components. They can even delete obsolete plugins that are slowing down your site.

Your VA can perform regular backups for your entire site. In case of unforeseen events, you’ll be able to restore from the latest backup. This will also result in increased uptime for your site.

3. Marketing Solution and Implementation

A virtual assistant can also help with market your blog. They can do so through different means, but social media is often the best. This is because there are at least 3.5 billion people on social media at any given moment.

They’ll help by promoting your blogs to the right people or groups. This way, you can generate more traffic to your blog site.

4. Blog Interaction

When they love your content, readers usually leave notes on your post. Reader interaction is essential to help build loyal followers and potential clients.

However, as your content grows, it can become harder to respond to all these comments. Your VA can help you stay connected with your readers by handling this task.

5. Search Engine Optimization

Making your blog content stand out on social media platforms is not enough. You also need to make your posts visible in search engines.

Getting your articles to rank on page one will yield a lot of organic traffic. Specific techniques can optimize your content so that it will rank higher.

Finding a qualified VA that can help you with this ensures the longevity of your blog. They can help by researching keywords for you to implement into your content. You can also have them optimize on-site page elements, increasing your organic search rate.

Improve Your WordPress Blogging with a Virtual Assistant

A highly-qualified virtual assistant can be effective in boosting your online presence. You’ll be able to grow your business faster without burnout. Improve your WordPress blogging with the help of a virtual assistant service today!

Do you want to hire a virtual assistant that can perform all these tasks? Contact us and we’ll help you find the VA that’s perfect for you.

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

October 6, 2021/by Louie Z. Sawyer

a team of virtual assistants working remotely

9 Awesome Real Estate Apps

Administrative, Inside Sales, Marketing, MOD Virtual Assistants, Real Estate

There are so many Real Estate apps out there and some of them can be expensive. How do you know which ones are essential? How do you choose those that will be helpful for your business and your remote team? We’ve put together this list of free and affordable Real Estate apps to help in your research. Let’s dive in!

Trello

Trello is one of the most popular projects management tools for real estate for many reasons. It has a free version which would be adequate for most teams but for bigger teams, it has upgraded tools that can scale with any size. Philadelphia Realtor, Jennifer Geddes, uses Trello to streamline her transactions. You customize your Trello board to fit your business processes and gives everyone on your team the ability to see where the project is at and what needs to be done next. She talks about it here:

Trello

HubSpot CRM and Sales Tool

With over 30,000 customers in 91 countries, HubSpot is one of the most widely used free CRMs real estate apps and sales tools on the planet. The best part? It’s FREE. HubSpot is a CRM that also offers marketing and sales tools. Furthermore, with the free version of HubSpot’s software, it offers contact management, deal and task pipelines, email scheduling, email templates, and more. Hubspot reported a 100% traffic increase in the first three months for Rever.VN.

HubSpot CRM and Sales Tool

Clozio

Custom checklists that keep you (and your team) on track. Elegant calendars to keep your clients informed and engaged. All in one central place. A starter account is free! Realtors usually go for Clozio to stay organized. Additionally, it allows you to keep clients on the same page for all the dates and to-dos that come along with a typical real estate transaction.

Clozio

Broker Assist

Broker Assist is the on-demand agent-to-agent referral network real estate app and collaborative marketplace for real estate professionals. BrokerAssist connects agents and brokers in real-time on their outbound referrals and notifies them of inbound referral opportunities in their area. As well, BrokerAssist offers a marketplace solution for agents and brokers to collaborate on fractional assistance for deal-specific tasks (showings, open houses, inspections, etc). Broker assist is Free to sign up, free to request & assist, free referral networking.

Broker Assist

Spacio

Spacio helps you maximize open house lead generation opportunities and increase ROI by automating lead capture for 100% follow-up. Make the best first impression at your open house by inviting visitors to check-in by filling out Spacio’s professional and elegant digital sign-in form. Accurately collect visitor information and automatically send follow-up emails after your open house ends. No more unreadable handwriting no more lost leads. Spacio offers a 30-day free trial and offers affordable packages for as low as $25 a month depending on your needs.

Spacio

Propertybase

Propertybase is a powerful website builder website / CRM combo for advanced lead generation and nurture. Its well-equipped CRM does pretty much everything a Realtor could need from managing projects, opportunities, and contacts. It makes lead and pipeline management easy with a customizable lead scoring platform. You can request a demo and decide how you want to proceed after that.

Propertybase

Amitree Folio

Folio attaches to your Gmail account and automatically organizes transactions, documents, and deal timelines. This gives you the ability to share with your clients. You can also sync calendars, set reminders, and even loop in service providers to make sure everyone is on the same page. It automatically detects a real estate professional’s transactions and organizes them in real-time into Smart Folders. Sign-up is free.

Amitree Folio

Zillow Premier Agent app

Zillow Premier Agent offers a surprisingly robust free CRM real estate app that lets you import leads from Boomtown! or Realtor.com through Gmail. You can set up tasks, reminders, texts, and emails like any good CRM. Additionally, it also gives you a granular look at what your leads are searching for on Zillow in detail if you sign up for their My Agent program that makes you the only buyer’s agent your leads see on Zillow.

Zillow Premier Agent app

ProAgent Solutions

Pro Agent Solutions is a real estate app that works with you to help automatically reach out to realtors who have shown your listings. Additionally, it can get relevant timely feedback from them that you can read and pass on to your clients. You can also have Pro Agent Solutions send it along for you. If you use Supra or another electronic lockbox service, you can link your account, further automating the feedback solicitation process. Lastly, with a 30-day free trial, this is a tool that everyone should check out and see if it is worth the cost, which ranges from $3 to $50 monthly a month (paid annually).

ProAgent Solutions

CONCLUSION

Working from home can make you feel isolated or like you can’t get everything that you needed to be done. Luckily, with the help of these apps and all the amazing online tools that are available. Thankfully, you are now given the ability to stay on top of all the things you need to do remotely, on your smartphone. In conclusion, now all you have to do is choose whether to completely handle these apps yourself or delegate them to your team, or a combination of both.

Now you have the technology, what about people to manage them?

MyOutDesk Virtual Assistants

MyOutDesk is the leading provider of virtual assistants in real estate, generating massive GCI while cutting costs. We have white-glove service and an astringently vetted talent pool. Our virtual assistants can manage your real estate apps, keep you up to date, and research upcoming technology that can give you a competitive edge in the market.

It costs up to 70% less than a traditional employee, yes you heard that right. Realtors can access IPC and GPDR compliant productivity tracking software through the MyOutDesk Client Portal with MyTimeIn timesheets. MyOutDesk Virtual Assistants have professional experience in sales, marketing, transaction coordination, operations, general administrative management, and more.

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

September 28, 2021/by Abby

guy holding magnet and magnifyer with wooden people on table

Recruiting Made Easy with Virtual Assistants

Administrative, Human Resources, MOD Virtual Assistants, Recruitment, Vertical Markets

More often than not, unfortunately, people running a growing business don’t realize they need something until they needed it yesterday. Like assistance; you realize something isn’t working the way it should and hasn’t been long enough to eventually get your attention. That’s when you know you need that assistance, immediately. However, finding help is another task in itself. And tasks equal time. So how about you have fewer tasks to worry about and more time on your hands? It’s possible with virtual assistants.

You Need Help Finding Help

Did you know that the average length of the hiring process here in the US is 23 days? That’s almost a month of your professional time, spent trying to find someone to help you have more time. Silly. The average length of time to go from requesting a MyOutDesk VA (virtual assistant) to having one at your disposal, ready to work; is 14 days or less. That’s essentially 1 to 2 weeks, or, almost half the time as the other way. Correct me if I’m wrong, but you aren’t in the business of wasting your own time. You’re in the business of growing your business, and we’re in the business of helping you do exactly that. So now let’s go over why letting MyOutDesk find the perfect match for you is the most efficient and effective way to get help.

Our Recruitment Process

The professionals apply through our careers page.
We schedule them for an exam, specific to the field they applied in.
Our recruitment specialists review the completed exams and make their selections.
Those selected are scheduled for a Zoom interview with a recruiter.
If approved, they are scheduled for a 2nd/final interview with a manager.
If selected for hire, we begin the next phase…

Verification and On-boarding

Verify all provided references(3 professional, 2 personal) with FBI-grade background checks.
Verify their identity and location.
Run a system check of their computer and home network to ensure it meets our standards.
Place them in a pool categorized by experience and skillset. Ready for work.

Hire The Human

As you can see our hiring process is very in-depth, despite the fact that we receive an average of 150 applicants per day. We’re also not just evaluating them based on their hard skills and experience but on other factors that have a meaningful effect on their eventual job placement. Like their personality, character, and perceived commitment and passions. We want to ensure that everyone we hire into our assistant pool is not just a skilled professional with relevant experience, but a good person who’s eager to work and excited to be a part of something. People with the drive to be rockstars at their job, commitment to their responsibilities, and a positive, outgoing attitude that will mesh well with any office environment. We’re not just throwing assistants into any role at any business, simply because they can manage a spreadsheet or answer a phone. We’re placing hard-working, wonderful people with other hard-working, wonderful people. Because each and every assistant we assign to a company is a direct reflection of us.

Our Expert Is Your Assistant

As you can see, MyOutDesk takes the brunt of the hiring process so that you don’t have to. We take care of all the evaluating, testing, and verifying so that when you come to us for help, you know exactly what you’re getting, and fast. Not to mention, a lot of our assistants are graduates of a 4-year university, on top of years of relevant industry experience. These aren’t rookies coming in blind. On top of all that there is, of course, the matter of insurance, benefits, PTO, etc. We take care of all of that too. No need to worry about the cost of providing your virtual assistant with things like healthcare and time-off. That is all handled by us and through us. You just pay the agreed-upon flat rate for their services, ultimately saving you up to 70% of the cost if you had hired on your own. Not to toot our own horn or anything, but that’s a pretty sweet deal.

We Can Help You Help Yourself

In short; if your growing business needs help, then the quickest, most efficient way to get exactly the kind of help you need is via MyOutDesk virtual assistants. We handle all the parts of hiring(and supporting) professional talent so that you can focus on the other part; utilizing them to your benefit. So if you’re thinking that your growing business could use some extra hands and eyes, save yourself some time and money by reaching out to us. Be it administrative tasks, front-desk services, billing, marketing, customer support, you name it; we have proven professionals ready to dive in. You can count on them because we count on them. Follow the link below for a free one-on-one consultation, so we can discuss your needs and how we might be able to help.

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

September 8, 2021/by Dan Trujillo

Likeable Agent Likes Virtual Assistants For Lead Generation

Administrative, Inside Sales, Marketing, MOD Virtual Assistants

If you’ve used one lead generation service, then you’ve used them all. Except that’s not true in the case of Likeable Agent. They’re a lead generation company that goes the extra mile for their clients, and they couldn’t do it without virtual assistants. In this testimonial our CEO, Daniel Ramsey had a very insightful chat with John Reh, the founder of Likeable Agent. John has been utilizing virtual assistants since 2016, to help him and his team with a wide variety of tasks. Ranging from simple inbox management to conducting research, his VA’s(virtual assistants) have become happy, productive members of his team. Read on, and watch above, to learn exactly how he was able to find so much success employing professionals halfway around the world.

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Hire The Person, Train The Skills

John had years of experience as a recruiter before he founded his own business. That experience came in handy when turning to MyOutDesk for some virtual assistants. We talent match our people to fit specific business needs, but finding the right person goes way beyond just skills on paper. John actually finds more value in finding the right personality first, then building up the necessary skills. Because anyone can learn how to do just about anything, but not everyone is reliable, friendly, passionate or motivated. And John wanted someone he could count on as well as get along with before he trusted them with valuable business duties. Luckily we value personality as well when we hire. Every VA we’ve assigned has not only got the job done well but got along great doing it.

“Consider where you can use help. What can I do and what should I do? Those are often different things; could I be doing something that’s more productive?”

What brought John to MyOutDesk was the realization that he was spending too much time doing work that should be delegated out. He needed reliable help with the busy work so that he could focus his experienced time on more dollar-productive tasks. Like focusing more on client relations, personally. Onboarding his new VA’s was easy because his company already had created templates for most of the tasks they’d be handing over. One such task was able to exist because of the VA’s; customer support. They created an inbox and a text message line specifically for existing customers to reach out to for help. The VA managed incoming questions and resolved issues accordingly.

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They Walk So You Can Run

One of the ways Likeable Agent sets itself apart from other lead generation companies is the quality of leads they provide. They don’t just hand over a list of cold calls, they take time to curate those leads and organize them based on viability. This is another area that our VA’s came in handy; doing the research needed to better understand those leads. They do the homework to learn about every lead and determine who is warm and who is cold. This frees up people like John to focus their time on those warm leads, so they can be sure the leads they provide are truly valuable. And on the flip side, they have VA’s handling new customer intake. Building up the accounts of new clients, welcome them to LikeableAgent while local employees focus on getting more clients. It’s a beautiful cycle.

“They show up early and stay late. Very, very dedicated and I appreciate that a lot.”

It’s now been several years since John and his team at Likeable Agent started using our VA’s, and the success continues. All of the busy work is handled in an organized, efficient manner. Meanwhile, John is free to focus on building relationships and save money while he’s at it. He claims his income quintupled in the first year after onboarding a couple of VA’s. That’s wild! If you’re at all interested in a similarly wild story of success for your growing business, don’t hesitate to reach out. The link is below, it takes seconds to schedule a free one-on-one consultation. We’ll discuss the problems you’re facing and determine if a VA might help solve them.

Experience The Difference
MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment costs
Claim a free business strategy consultation & ‘Grow Virtual’ Guide

September 8, 2021/by Dan Trujillo