Virtual Assistants, known in the online entrepreneur community as VAs, are an amazing resource. They are talented self-starters who can help build your business with the general administration tasks that always take so much time. But should they be your social media manager? It is my expert opinion that the answer is no. And it has nothing to do with VAs or their abilities, it’s all about the zone of genius.
Zone of Genius. This is one of those buzzwords that makes me gag a little when I type it. I, Vix Reitano, do not have ONE zone of genius. And you, dear reader, probably do not have ONE zone of genius either.
Of course, there’s zone of excellence as well (and you can learn all about it in The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks ; I did not read this book, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a good resource for you!) and then there are dozens of other ways to describe why you excel at the services you provide.
Do I believe that a VA can also have a zone of genius/excellence in Social Media Marketing?
Yes, absolutely.
Do I believe that it is wise to allow a Virtual Assistant to be solely responsible for your Social Media Marketing strategy?
Absolutely not.
Social Media Marketing is NOT something anyone can do. In the beginning, a decade ago, that WAS true. The platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) were new, evolving and didn’t have the billions of users (yes, billion, with a B) that they have today.
In case you’re wondering, as of Q2 2017 — Facebook has 1.15 BILLION daily users and Instagram has 200 million daily users.
That’s a hell of a lot of opportunity.
I like to say that “followers are clients you haven’t signed yet” [click to tweet] . And do I mean that you should expect that every, single followers will, at some point, become a client? That is NOT what I am saying.
What I am saying is that your followers can connect you to the right people, at the right time. That is a great responsibility and it is one that must be evaluated strategically.
Virtual Assistants have a keen eye for detail — they can spot a typo a mile away. They’re organized, efficient and can help you with scheduling, follow-ups and coordination. I have VAs in my business and love them. They have freed up my mind to work on bigger projects and long-range plans… and I will be eternally thankful that I did invest in this key part of scaling an online business.
But I do not expect them to tell me when it is time to run social media advertising, change up my blogging strategy OR change the way I’m speaking to my community.
That comes from strategy.
Imagine this:
Having someone who can write general copy and who does it for a dozen other entrepreneurs write YOUR copy
OR
Having someone who is trained to take others’ words and turn them into business prospects, sales and PR opportunities
Which would you choose?
The number one reason why you don’t want a VA to be your social media manager? Most VAs have not had the offline experience needed to compete in today’s always-on, uber-connected world.
The offline experience is what can make or break a digital business AND it is the ability to repurpose (or Vix, as I like to say) tactics used in traditional media, traditional offline experiences and migrate them to social FOR you.
THAT level of coaching and support? That’s something you can only get with a social media strategist.
And that is why your VA should not be your social media manager.