I’m going to let you in on a little secret that I’m pretty sure is going to help you a lot in the future. Are you ready for it? Virtual Assistants don’t only perform administrative work! In fact, they can assist you with things like digital marketing, graphic design, process improvement, social media, and MORE! So, if you’ve ever asked yourself, “what all do Virtual Assistants do?”, this here will be a game-changer for you. Keep reading to learn about the many different types of virtual assistants out there!
But First…What is a Virtual Assistant?
To put it simply, a virtual assistant is a self-employed professional who assists others virtually. Sometimes people call them online assistants or remote workers or even personal assistants. However, the most basic definition is the one above.
Now, over the years the words “virtual assistant” have become associated with secretaries, but there’s a reason for that. Back in 1996, when the virtual assistant term was born, individuals provided mostly administrative support remotely, but that’s changed over the years. Today, it’s no longer just a category of secretarial services, but more of an industry for those who provide services of all kinds remotely. This evolution is great for business owners because no matter what you might need help with, there’s probably a virtual assistant out there that can do it!
All Most Virtual Assistants Have a Specialty
We’ve now covered what a virtual assistant is, but let’s go ahead and talk about the different types of virtual assistants. Some VAs out there will boast that they’re good at everything, but you want someone who has a specialty. There’s a common saying out there that goes “jack of all trades, but a master of none”, and that’s pretty accurate.
Almost anytime you hire someone, you want to hire a person that’s proficient in the area you need help with. Proficiency brings with it fewer errors, faster results, and helps you save time and money, so it’s just best to hire an expert. The truth is, there are a lot of virtual assistants out there, but not all of them will be able to meet your needs. As a result, you should look for those whose specialty (aka niche) aligns with the tasks you need help with. Otherwise, they might be learning on your dime and time!
How Do Virtual Assistants Come Up With Their Niche?
Most virtual assistants rely on their previous work experience and education to come up with their niche. In other words, their niche is defined by what they already know how to do really well. There are three ways they may niche:
#1 Defining Their Niche By Industry
Virtual assistants with a variety of skills that have a lot of experience in a particular industry may niche by industry. Some examples would be:
- Virtual Assistant for the Beauty Industry
- VA for Cleaning Companies
- Virtual Assistant for Airbnb and Vacation Rentals
The pro of finding a virtual assistant that specializes in your industry is that they understand the jargon and how things work.
#2 Defining Their Niche By Skill/Service
Virtual assistants with a specialized talent may niche by skill or service and offer their talents to all industries. Some examples include:
- Ecommerce Virtual Assistant
- Pinterest Virtual Assistant
- Dubsado Virtual Assistant
The pro of finding a virtual assistant that specializes in a specific skill or service is that they’re an expert in that chosen area. They’ve likely worked in multiple industries and bring an interesting perspective.
#3 Defining Their Niche By Skill and Industry
The third way that they might niche is by offering only a specific skill to a specific industry. In other words, it’s a combination of the above. Some examples include:
- Digital Marketing Assistant for Life Coaches
- Virtual Administrative Assistant for Realtors
- Graphic Design VA for Health and Wellness Brands
The pro here is that not only do they know your industry but they also are highly skilled in the service you need them to perform.
5 Different Types of Virtual Assistants
We’ve come up with a list of what we consider some of the most types of virtual assistants, but don’t think this is all. You can see based on how they niche alone that there could be literally hundreds of different types of virtual assistants! Let’s now take a look at some of the different types and what they do below:
General Administrative Virtual Assistant
The general administrative assistant is the most common role simply because a lot of CEOs need them! They’re usually very resourceful, efficient, and organized. Some of the tasks that they do include:
- File management
- Research
- Calendar management and organization
- Appointment making
- Data entry
- Email management
- Lite bookkeeping
- Creating correspondence and templates
- And more!
Social Media Virtual Assistant
The social media Virtual Assistant takes care of the time-intensive social media tasks so you can focus on whatever your area of genius is. Most of them are skilled in Facebook and Instagram, but some are also proficient with YouTube, LinkedIn, and more. Here are some of the tasks a social media virtual assistant might perform:
- Create social media profiles
- Develop social media posts
- Respond to direct messages or comments
- Hashtag research
- Develop a strategy for different platforms
- Evaluate the analytics
- Schedule social media posts
- Monitor community engagement in Facebook Groups
- And more!
Tech Virtual Assistant
For business owners that get absolutely freaked out by anything tech-related, this type of Virtual Assistant is perfect for you. Unlike you, they love all things technical and have proficiency developing systems, automations, websites, etc. Some of the specific tasks that a tech virtual assistant may perform include:
- Create sales/landing pages
- Update website plugins and other maintenance
- Set up CRM tools like Dubsado, Honeybook, 17Hats, etc.
- Do lite website creation
- Upload course content to platforms like Teachable, Thinkific, Podia, etc.
- Create automations
- Evaluate Google Analytics results
- Set up email newsletter sequences
- And more!
Content Writing/Copywriting Virtual Assistant
Writing isn’t everyones forte, which is where content/copywriting virtual assistants come in. By the way, copywriters write to sell while content writers write to inform. For instance, this blog post is intended to educate you, so it’s content writing! A writing virtual assistant might perform the following tasks:
- Upload and format blogs on websites
- Create copy for social media
- Write copy for email newsletters
- Proofread content
- Write press releases, white papers, grant proposals, etc.
- Develop podcast show notes and/or scripts
- And more!
Graphic Design Virtual Assistant
Most of have a vision of how we want our brand to look but we have no idea how to put it all together. In such scenarios, we need a graphic design virtual assistant. They are usually really good with using applications like Canva and PhotoShop. Some of the tasks they perform include:
- Develop ebooks and guides
- Edit photos (especially for photographers!)
- Create logos and branding boards
- Make image content for social media platforms
There’s a Virtual Assistant For What You Need
Whatever it is that you need help with that can be completed remotely, there’s a virtual assistant out there that can do it. The list of tasks we mentioned above is honestly just the tip of the iceberg because they offer so much more. However, the key to finding the right online assistant for your needs is first recognizing that there are different types!
We’re all about making sure you get the right virtual assistant for your needs, but we know it’s still easier said than done. Therefore, if you need to find a virtual assistant for your business but you have no idea where to start, contact us! We’ll learn what your needs are and match you to a VA with the skill-sets and experience to get the job done. We can’t wait to help you hire a virtual assistant and watch your business soar!
