Virtual Assistant case study number five. I love working with Social Media Consultants as I find the work they give me really interesting and fun. A bonus is that, because I have a personal interest in Social Media and like to keep up to date with changes, I know where to head, what to look for, and can assess the information very quickly – which a VA with a different speciality might not be able to do.
The Client
This case study is an amalgamation of the work I do for a few different Social Media Consultants. Some have one main client, some work solely in the UK, and another operates on a huge global scale dealing with massive brands and institutions including governments.
All of my clients as well as their clients will remain confidential of course.
What I Do For Them
Strategists and Consultants need to show a potential new account how they would manage their online presence.
They need data for presentations but they don’t always have the time to research, assess, and critique the existing Social Media profiles and online reputation of the client or their competitors.
So they ask me to do the leg work for them.
I also evaluate the value of LinkedIn Groups by assessing their statistics, find the departmental Social Media accounts of an organisation in order to see who’s using what platform (and how they’re doing) so my client can obtain an audit, present examples of Best Practices for a variety of industries across all the main platforms, and suggest ways companies can utilise additional platforms to further their brand and objectives.
Sometimes I’m asked to put the screenshots and URL’s into branded PowerPoint slides for the Consultant to edit later, and other times they’ll just cherry-pick my findings to suit the current needs of their client.
How What I Do Helps Them
1) Although the data I find is important it’s predominantly just needed as supporting evidence to serve a purpose.
By completing the research for them, my clients have more time to write the proposal and presentation, focus on creating the strategy, spend more time with the client, and work on winning the account.
2) By keeping up to date with the constant changes to Social Media platforms, I often know what’s new before my client does.
For example, I recently suggested to a client that I create a private Pinterest board instead of using screengrabs. Private boards had been launched a few days earlier but she’d been so busy that she’d missed it.
This was perfect as she not only used the info on the board in her presentation, she also demonstrated another way the client could use Pinterest.
3) Through repeatedly working with a client, I know how they like their data presented, (whether they like embedded URLs for example) and how they generally operate.
This means they know they can whizz things over and the work will come back presented exactly as they like it. After the first task they also feel confident that I understand their job, what they need, and to what end.
4) Because I read a lot about Social Media, use most platforms myself, and even train people; my clients feel confident that I know what I’m talking about.
They know that my research is thorough and my facts are current. They also appreciate that I understand the terminology and they don’t have to explain every other sentence!
5) I’m often asked to critique usage (one of my favourite tasks) and, as I know quite a bit about Social Media already, my client always seems to agree with and therefore values my opinion.
They will of course review my findings, but being given an impartial opinion both saves them time and enables them to inform their client that the assessment was unbiased.
6) The more research I undertake, the more information I have at my fingertips. Because I now know where to quickly find Best Practices for numerous industries, I can spend more time focusing on the critique and making sure the accompanying screenshots are varied and engaging.
7) I ran this post past my largest client and she said she also uses my research for audits, market research, and competitor intelligence. I didn’t know this because I’m hired to complete the task and not to ask how the information is used.
She travels a lot but is very happy she can arrive in a different time zone and know the information she needs is waiting for her when she lands.
I love doing this kind of work for Social Media Consultants and strategists, so if you are also one or need help with this type of work then please feel free to give me a call!