Hiring VA for Internet Marketing

31 replies
What is the best type of test(s) to give a potential Virtual Assistant to make sure they are competent enough to perform different Internet Marketing tasks? Where are you hiring your virtual assistants from? How has your experience been through the process? Any advice or tips?
#hiring #internet #marketing
  • If you hire them from Upwork.com you can select a freelancer based on the ratings and scores they have received on the test they provide there. But what I like to do with freelancers is give them trial periods of a week or so and provide them with tasks to see how well they do. If they're good, I keep them. If not I get rid of them.

    The key to hiring competent VA's is to be very clear with your expectations and directions. Don't assume anything. Make things crystal clear. For instance for tasks, I want done, I create screen capture videos as training so I can share this with any VA. It makes life a lot easier. I hope this helps. I've been hiring and working with virtual assistances for nearly a decade so I'm speaking from experience.

    Good luck.
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    • Profile picture of the author aronprins
      Originally Posted by InternetMarketingSmarts View Post

      If you hire them from Upwork.com you can select a freelancer based on the ratings and scores they have received on the test they provide there. But what I like to do with freelancers is give them trial periods of a week or so and provide them with tasks to see how well they do. If they're good, I keep them. If not I get rid of them.

      The key to hiring competent VA's is to be very clear with your expectations and directions. Don't assume anything. Make things crystal clear. For instance for tasks, I want done, I create screen capture videos as training so I can share this with any VA. It makes life a lot easier. I hope this helps. I've been hiring and working with virtual assistances for nearly a decade so I'm speaking from experience.

      Good luck.
      Great tips - I've been thinking of hiring people to handle my support but am afraid the level of customer satisfaction would go down... Do you have experience with this ?

      Thanks in advance!
      Cheers,
      Aron
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      • Profile picture of the author EricBernard
        Originally Posted by aronprins View Post

        Great tips - I've been thinking of hiring people to handle my support but am afraid the level of customer satisfaction would go down... Do you have experience with this ?

        Thanks in advance!
        Cheers,
        Aron
        I've hired VAs strictly for customer support from Upwork and have had no problem whatsoever. As he said in his tips, just find VA's with great reviews and go into it planning to hire them for the short term. If they perform well, then think about keeping them around for a long time.

        Cheers
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  • Profile picture of the author coolidge
    Fiverr has really good Virtual Assistants. I'm very happy with their service. I've hired them to build websites, manage pages, data entry, create SEOs, Many good people on there. First contact them and ask them if they can do the job and how much experience they have with it.
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  • Profile picture of the author msalambrothers33
    Originally Posted by DURABLEOILCOM View Post

    What is the best type of test(s) to give a potential Virtual Assistant to make sure they are competent enough to perform different Internet Marketing tasks? Where are you hiring your virtual assistants from? How has your experience been through the process? Any advice or tips?
    If you want to hire a freelancer for a short time, you can hire at the fixed price on the other hand if you would like to hire for a long time, you use the Hourly rate system. There is no hassle to pay on the weekly, it will charge automatically, but you can check what the freelancer is doing.

    You can hire from any freelancing market place. Today there are many freelancing market in the world. You should check their previous work history before hiring anyone. Thanks a lot.
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  • Profile picture of the author Alex The Lion
    If you want to hire a full time VA, take a look at Virtual Staff Finder. They have organised hundreds of high-quality, pre-qualified VAs for entrepreneurs.
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  • Profile picture of the author hagendazz07
    Originally Posted by DURABLEOILCOM View Post

    What is the best type of test(s) to give a potential Virtual Assistant to make sure they are competent enough to perform different Internet Marketing tasks? Where are you hiring your virtual assistants from? How has your experience been through the process? Any advice or tips?
    It all depends on what type of work you're planning on having him do. If it's for article writing you could ask for 1-2 test articles on random subjects and look at their quality and the uniqueness of their content. Have you try looking at the warriors for hire section of the warriorforum ? I personnaly hired va from the warriorforum and fiverr and had a good experience with them both.

    Joel
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  • Profile picture of the author magiclouie
    Greetings,

    Hope you are well.

    The key to making the most out of hiring a virtual assistant is to conduct a thorough interview and a short paid trial test.

    In the interview, ask questions that are relevant to the kind of tasks you want them to complete.

    Likewise, the test should be something like what they would need to do on a typical day at work.

    If a freelancer makes it through both these hurdles, they are probably qualified enough to work for you. The problem is that many qualified freelancers are not afraid to jump when better opportunities are provided. That is when it becomes important to pay them fair market value, and generally treat them well.

    Should you need my help, feel free to contact me.

    Cheers,
    Louie Tugas
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  • Profile picture of the author Kherk Roldan
    [DELETED]
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    • Profile picture of the author DURABLEOILCOM
      Originally Posted by Kherk Roldan View Post

      Test them to setup an autoresponder.

      by the way, did you check my signature?

      Can you share exactly how the Auto responder test would work?
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      • Profile picture of the author Tobric
        I changed to UpWork from Elance (before the merger) and while I didn't get as many applicants on UpWork, you can be much more selective with the criteria you put out for them.

        One thing I do in every job I post, is ask for them to mention their favourite fruit or use the word hypothesis or something like that. It's just so you can delete the template responses instantly.
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      • Profile picture of the author Kherk Roldan
        Originally Posted by DURABLEOILCOM View Post

        Can you share exactly how the Auto responder test would work?
        Email 1: Introduce yourself and say thanks for subscribing
        Email 2: Give them a big benefit of subscribing
        Email 3: Share with them a customer success story
        Email 4: Give them informational content related to your product
        Email 5: Give them another benefit of using your product
        Email 6: Make an offer
        Email 7: Make the same offer in a different way
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  • Profile picture of the author writeaway
    I describe the OUTCOME I need and I instruct the VA applicants how to do the work step by step.
    They send me work product based on my specs and I pick the ones who produced the best results in the least amount of time.

    Pay only for results.
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  • Profile picture of the author DIABL0
    http://onlinejobs.ph

    You can hire workers from about $1.80 per hour and up depending on what skills are needed.

    If your serious, now is the time to sign up, as they have a 38% off special on membership.

    I prefer to use the search feature and find those that look like good potential applicants and go from there, rather than posting jobs.
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  • Profile picture of the author shakeer619
    Try Checking fiverr for VA
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    • Profile picture of the author DURABLEOILCOM
      How can you ensure that the Virtual Assistant is actually doing the Tasks you give them? In the past I hired a VA from India which just took the money and ran.
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      • DURABLEOILCOM,

        Originally Posted by DURABLEOILCOM View Post

        How can you ensure that the Virtual Assistant is actually doing the Tasks you give them? In the past I hired a VA from India which just took the money and ran.
        Don't know what you need done on a daily / weekly monthly basis, though here are a few general suggestions that are drawn from my experience in managing homebased associates since 2005:

        If you aren't dealing with local contractors (or even if you are, depending on the labor laws of your country and the registration of your company) -- First thing you should do is work with a platform that holds weekly deposits or deposits for project-based contracts. Upwork (formerly oDesk) has a good platform that I've tested numerous times both as a service buyer and as a contractor, when dealing with overseas contractors and overseas SME / start-up client companies ...

        Second, assign a daily / weekly / monthly output quota, especially if you're hiring remote assistants who need to do a wide variety of tasks per day / week / month. For example, you may want your assistant to check and respond to emails in the first 1 to 2 hours of the day, check and respond to comments in your blog in the next 1 to 2 hours, and do weekly tasks that you'll assign in the next 3 to 4 hours (like content writing, forum / Facebook group / LinkedIn group / Twitter posting, blog commenting, social outreach for guest posting and private advertising arrangements, etc.) ...

        Third, do the following:

        1. Send instructions, guidelines and comments before the start of each week;

        2. Require them to send two daily email notifications just to let you know that they're actively working on their tasks, Mondays to Sundays. One in the morning (6AM to 11AM) and another one in the evening (6PM to 11PM). Tell them that failure to do this may result to their tasks being re-assigned to your other contractors without prior notice. Also tell them that, in case email is unavailable for any reason -- They should send these daily notifications via SMS;

        3. Require them to be online in Skype or any IM tool that you prefer during their shift, in case you may want to contact them regarding important updates / notifications;

        4. Require them to include in their evening notification a detailed list of the things that they've done. This is a daily report;

        5. Require them to send at the end of each week a comprehensive weekly spreadsheet report of the things that they've done;

        6. Require them to regularly check their emails at least once in the morning, once in the afternoon and once in the evening;

        7. Require them to complete revision requirements, if any, which you may send within each week, within a reasonable time frame;

        8. Require them to respond to all your emails, IMs and SMS in a reasonable time frame, even to just let you know that they've received and completely understood your messages;

        9. Require them to send emergency alerts via email, IM and / or SMS regarding anything that may affect their daily quota / weekly quota / monthly quota tasks and their assigned submission / task completion schedules. Ask them to send these alerts at least 24 to 48 hours before the assigned submission / task completion schedule; and

        10. Require them to send 2-week notices regarding long leaves (requests for time offs more than 2 days) and subcontract termination requests ...

        Well, the key to motivating your remote contractors to continue doing their jobs for you the best that they can would be to throw ridiculous amounts of money at them when they successfully complete ridiculously challenging tasks -- Strike a balance between these, and most of your inhouse and remote staff may want to stick with you for years ...

        When hiring, remember that people can learn, but they can never be taught, because they choose what they want to learn. Simply put, this just means you should assign certain tasks to each person that are aligned to that person's expertise, skills, interests, hobbies and so on. This way:

        They'll fully absorb your instructions and guidelines to the smallest detail ...

        They'll make significant recommendations here and there, drawn from their expertise, which can improve your operations ...

        They'll implement their own high quality standards when it comes to their work output ...

        They'll successfully strike a balance between task completion speed and overall task output quality ...

        Hope this helps. Cheers!
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      • Profile picture of the author DIABL0
        Originally Posted by DURABLEOILCOM View Post

        How can you ensure that the Virtual Assistant is actually doing the Tasks you give them? In the past I hired a VA from India which just took the money and ran.
        Are you just hiring them to perform a single task or project, rather than working part/full time?

        If it is just a task/project, then use one of the freelancer sites and could pay them based on milestones, not upfront. So you fund the project, but release the money as they hit milestones and you can see that the work was performed and satisfactory.

        If you hire them to work part/full time, then pay them weekly or however you set it up. Like any job.
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  • Profile picture of the author kimanierick
    you can hire one from the freelancing sites where I bet you will get very good assistants who will even bypass your expectations. Make sure you pay well and you shall get quality work from a happy assistant, if you pay low then expect the work quality to be low.All you need to do is tell them what is require and then wait for results. they are good
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  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    Originally Posted by DURABLEOILCOM View Post

    What is the best type of test(s) to give a potential Virtual Assistant to make sure they are competent enough to perform different Internet Marketing tasks?
    1) See if they can perform basic tasks such as doing FTP and installing a Wordpress plugin

    2) Test them and give them a few IM chores to do, and see if they can do it within the time frame you specify

    3) Test their quality of writing by having them write you a 500-word article on an issue (or issues) that your product attempts to solve

    3a) Do the same thing with email marketing and autoresponder messages
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  • Profile picture of the author RyanLB
    It's all gong to be about the screening process and the amount that you are willing to pay. I give any VA that I am going to hire a few different tests based on the skills that they already have and the tasks that I will need them to do. But I'll just say this - go above and beyond what you feel is needed in the screening process so that you do not have to constantly find new talent when someone unreliable disappears or drops out. Another option is to go with a VA agency who handles a large number of VAs.
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  • Profile picture of the author DURABLEOILCOM
    Are Potential Virtual Assistants willing to take part of these screening test for free at no charge?
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  • Profile picture of the author dawoodkhan97
    Go with VA at fiverr because..
    They are cost effective and can do a range of tasks.
    I have noticed that there response time is quite high.
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  • Profile picture of the author nicheblogger75
    I have hired several VAs over the course of 4 or 5 years and I've been pretty lucky. I find all my VAs via Facebook. Most of them I have found by simply asking marketers that I'm friends with if they know of any good VAs or if they have a VA themselves I ask them if they could they ask their VA to recommend someone.

    I screen them in several different ways. The first thing I do is contact them via Facebook and chat a little bit just to make sure that they have decent English so I can communicate with them easily and make sure they can properly comprehend my instructions.

    Next, I'll ask them if we can link up on Skype so I can actually speak to them "face to face." That's where I usually outline what their duties would be and make sure that it's something they are comfortable with doing. I usually look for people who have experience doing the tasks I need done, but that is not always possible and if they have no experience it's not necessarily a deal breaker.

    If they are interested in the job after I have explained what their duties would be then I will bring up compensation. I normally ask them what they are used to being paid or what they have been paid in the past, and then I negotiate from that starting point. When offering compensation, I take into consideration their previous experience, whether they have any references, etc.

    If all works out up to this point I will offer them the job on a 30-day trial period. The way this works is I will basically hire them for 30 days at a little lower pay rate than we discussed. If after 30 days I'm happy with their performance, I will offer them a permanent position and I'll bump their pay up to a little more than we initially agreed upon. This gives them incentive to work hard for you and lets them know that you are not afraid to give raises if the work is performed to your satisfaction.

    As far as giving instruction to my VAs about the tasks I need performed, I have found the best way to do this is with screen capture videos. There is nothing easier than simply giving your VA a link to watch a video that visually shows them exactly what they need to do. The best part about this is that you only need to make the video one time and then you can use it for any VA that you hire.

    That's my process in a nutshell.
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  • Profile picture of the author DIABL0
    You could also consider making it a requirement that they use a program like timedoctor/alternative, then they will know that you are tracking their hours and what they do and should make them more efficient and less likely to slack off.
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  • Profile picture of the author johnlagoudakis
    I've hired a few full-time VAs.

    Here's what I do:

    1. Job Description needs to be very specific. Make sure you mention all the tasks you'll need them to do and any skills you require.
    2. Go through job applications in the order they arrive (the quicker they apply, the keener they are)
    3. Interview the first applicant whose resume looks good.
    4. In the job interview, I go over the job description and confirm they can perform all the tasks, have all the skills, and are happy to work the needed days and hours.
    5. On the first day on the job, I give them a task that is a little challenging and will test them on the most important skillsets they need to have. E.g. I might ask them to do a new Wordpress installation with specific plugins installed and configured.
    6. At the end of the day I ask them for a brief report of what they've done. If I'm happy with the work, they stay on. If I'm not happy, I pay them for that day and LET THEM GO STRAIGHT AWAY. The best work you will ever get from a VA is on their first few days. If it's not working out immediately, don't keep them on.
    7. If you had to let go of your VA, repeat steps 2 through 6.


    I could go into a lot more detail but this will suffice
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  • Profile picture of the author johnlagoudakis
    P.S. I hire from onlinejobs.ph
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    • Profile picture of the author nicheblogger75
      Originally Posted by johnlagoudakis View Post

      P.S. I hire from onlinejobs.ph
      There are definitely lots of qualified VAs on that site but I just don't feel like paying a monthly fee just to have access to their worker pool. I've always been able to find top quality VAs for free on Facebook.
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      • Profile picture of the author johnlagoudakis
        Originally Posted by nicheblogger75 View Post

        There are definitely lots of qualified VAs on that site but I just don't feel like paying a monthly fee just to have access to their worker pool. I've always been able to find top quality VAs for free on Facebook.
        I hadn't considered doing that!

        Are there Facebook groups or pages that you post on when looking for a VA?
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  • Profile picture of the author DrForum
    Originally Posted by DURABLEOILCOM View Post

    What is the best type of test(s) to give a potential Virtual Assistant to make sure they are competent enough to perform different Internet Marketing tasks? Where are you hiring your virtual assistants from? How has your experience been through the process? Any advice or tips?
    The best place you will be able to find virtual assistant is upworks.com the former odesk.com. It has in place the exams meant for virtual assistants. The best thing you need to look for in any person you are hiring is the ability to be flexible always. Since the jobs and task keep on changing, it will be great if you have someone who is quick to learn and perform a particular task. Availability is another thing you need to consider. This is just to make sure that they will be available whenever you need them.
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  • Profile picture of the author ClaireCC
    As a type of VA (I'm more a Virtual Manager), I encourage my clients to "test-drive" me for a trial period.

    That way they get to experience the quality of my work, and I get to see if I enjoy working with them.

    It all depends on what you want. If you provide clear instructions, you can get a fairly cheap person to help you, but if you want someone to take initiative, you need to pay a little more.

    You can find VA's on Upwork, Guru and PeoplePerHour.

    Feel free to check out my website if you want someone who will make your life easier : virtualbusinesssolutions.biz.
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    Claire Carradice
    I make online entrepreneurial dreams come true
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  • Profile picture of the author ClaireCC
    As a type of VA (I'm more a Virtual Manager), I encourage my clients to "test-drive" me for a trial period.

    That way they get to experience the quality of my work, and I get to see if I enjoy working with them.

    It all depends on what you want. If you provide clear instructions, you can get a fairly cheap person to help you, but if you want someone to take initiative, you need to pay a little more.

    Many of my clients hire freelancers who they pay for months on end, without results, so my suggestion is that you request progress reports, or provide instructions. Use collaboration tools, like Asana, so you both know what's going on at all times.

    You can find VA's on Upwork, Guru and PeoplePerHour.

    Feel free to check out my website if you want someone who will make your life easier : virtualbusinesssolutions.biz.
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    Claire Carradice
    I make online entrepreneurial dreams come true
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