You know you need help marketing and managing
your web business; and knowing is half the battle, so that's
a GOOD thing. The next obvious question: what kind of service
provider should you hire? Copywriter?
Or... virtual
assistant? First, a simple explanation of each professional.
A virtual assistant offers remote help managing
the various functionality aspects of your business. A copywriter,
on the other hand, creates written marketing materials.
Permit me to get logical for a moment. Virtual
assistant is the broader term. By definition, all virtual
copywriters are also virtual assistants; but not all virtual
assistants are copywriters (although some are). Even so, that's
not going to help you determine which one you should seek
out first. So, we move on to specifics.
If your office operations are in shambles
and you need help managing mostly organizational tasks,
then consult with a virtual assistant. What do I mean by organizational
tasks? Soup-to-nuts back-end management. Things like task
scheduling, project management, email and telephone answering,
typing, signing up for website memberships, forum maintenance,
contact list updates, file organization, proofreading, follow-up
calls, ezine mailings, and general business communication
(assuming that you hire a VA who also possesses writing skills--and
a top of the line VA most definitely will).
If you need someone to run your marketing
and communication, get thee to a copywriter. Sales are
lagging and traffic is down? Summon the copywriter. The website
just keeled over and gasped its last breath? Dial copywriting
911. A well-seasoned web copywriter should be able to offer
you: sales copy that sings. Search-engine friendly web content.
A strong handle on all the major avenues of web communication
- websites, articles, blogs,
ezines, sales pages. A strategic
approach to your writing that considers timing (of
information releases), tone (of the target audience),
anticipated outcome; and above all, the psychology
behind the message.
A general difference between virtual assistants
and copywriters: VAs
spend more time in the logical, left side of the brain (that's
the right hand and the "right way" of doing things). A virtual
assistant will typically emphasize the three P's: practicality,
punctuality, and protocol. By contrast, most copywriters lean
more to the right or abstract hemisphere, embracing their
passion for colorful descriptions and original phrasing. The
right-brained copywriter
lends a conceptual approach to your advertising that usually
involves a matching visual to help flesh out the creative.
(Oh yeah - and copywriters frequently use "creative" as a
noun.)
Again, I'm stereotyping here. This is not
to say that there was never a VA who could write killer web
copy, or a copywriter who wasn't perfectly good at keeping
the back office motor humming for prime productivity. If personality
in the writing is of particular importance to you; meaning,
you want that snappy, edgy marketer talk to help lure in new
customers; then definitely choose a copywriter over a virtual
assistant. Why?
Put the "accomplished VA who can also write"
side by side with a top paid
copywriter, and you'll immediately notice that while both
can pull off proofreading, editing and standard business communication
quite effortlessly, the VA is somewhat tone deaf. Meaning,
they seldom possess that versatility of voice (or tone) that
has pro copywriters successfully carving out brand images
of top companies year after year. Again, this is not to say
that there isn't a secret copywriting powerhouse living inside
of more than a few VAs out there, or a virtual
organizing moonlighter who dons the copywriter mask by
day. But for the sake of a comparison, they're on opposing
teams.
A strong VA will utilize her communication
skills to represent The Company. Writing is crisp, structured,
professional, and most decidedly absent of feeling. Conversely,
a choice copywriter's words frequently crackle with raw emotion,
and most definitely harbor some classic psychological manipulation
tactics. Copywriters enjoy playing roles in their writing;
VA's usually opt for that standard, corporate professional
voice.
Both copywriters and virtual assistants
can be a strong boost to your productivity and effectiveness.
Either way, you want an experienced web professional first
and foremost. Seek out someone who can comfortably maneuver
in basic word processing and email, Web 2.0 applications and
SNS (social networking software). Other skills to look for:
familiarity with ezine/email management programs and autoresponders.
Knowledge of basic HTML. Ability to operate web technology
such as FTP (File Transfer Protocol), PDF distillers, and
WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) HTML editing tools.
And, working alongside of someone who has connections in the
business is always a plus!
Finally, don't forget that compatibility
counts for a lot, particularly in the frenzied, hyper deadline-conscious
world of online business. Hire someone with whom you feel
productive and can get along with under pressure. Whether
you decide on a virtual assistant or copywriter, one thing
is for certain. Getting good help is the smartest thing you
can possibly do. Your business will thank you for it.
