Bloggers: Do You Need a Virtual Assistant?

For me, one of the biggest challenges of blogging has always been the social media. Submitting to social bookmarking sites can be time-consuming and tedious. And I hate doing it. However, as a professional blogger, it's not something I can ignore. So I spent right around 45 minutes a day submitting items to social bookmarking sites, and voting on others' submissions.

I cringed at the amount of time it took, especially since I could be writing, or doing any number of other things with that time. Finally, I hired a virtual assistant to handle my social media submissions, and even to vote on others' submissions. While I still schedule my own tweets, that's something that a virtual assistant could easily handle as well.

MUST READ: My review of OnlineJobs.ph and 9 Tips for hiring Effective Filipino Workers

A virtual assistant can save you time, freeing you up to focus on more important aspects of your business. Even though I'm paying an assistant now, I actually make more money than I did before, since my time is more efficiently used in activities that provide me with a higher dollar amount per hour.

You can find your own virtual assistant on these websites.

What Activities Can a Blogger Outsource to a Virtual Assistant?

There are a number of activities a virtual assistant can do. These are activities that are general considered important, but they might be time-sucks. Having someone else do them can make you a better blogger overall, and improve your business. Here are some of the things you should consider having a virtual assistant handle on your behalf:

• Social media submissions and voting
• Create and schedule tweets
• Carnival submissions
• Keyword research
• Simple SEO updates for your blog
• Online research for blog posts and sources
• Add tags to images, old posts, and other items
• Transcription for podcasts and video posts
• Edit your posts for grammar and usage
• Market research
• Manage your email

It's also possible to hire virtual assistants to manage your schedule, take your calls, and keep your books. For most bloggers, though, having an assistant to help you take care of the more mundane tasks is enough to free up enough time to craft blog posts, put together a marketing plan, or network with others.

What Does a Virtual Assistant Cost?

The cost of a virtual assistant depends on what you have him or her do, as well as where he or she is located. The Philippines is a popular place to find virtual assistants right now, since there is a large English-speaking population, and it's possible to get a an assistant for between $2 and $5 an hour. However, there might be a higher learning curve in some cases, and you have to be aware of time differences.

For someone in the United States, you are likely to find virtual assistants to do more simple tasks for between $7 and $15 an hour. If you are looking for someone who does a lot more, though, including tasks that are very similar to what an administrative assistant does for the CEO of a company, you can expect to pay anywhere between $20 and $50 an hour.

Consider your needs, and how a virtual assistant might be able to help. I've found my virtual assistant a huge help in my blogging business, allowing me to create a more profitable business.