We are often asked the types of tasks that can be outsourced to a virtual assistant. We’ve compiled the list below. If you have any more that we may have missed we would love to know.
General administrative tasks
- Arrange meetings
- Task management
- Email management
- Contact management
- Copy typing
- Copy editing
- Proofreading
- Transcription
- Electronic filing
- Telephone answering
- Book accommodation and travel
- Source and buy products and services
- Respond to Customer support enquiries
- Data entry
- Transcribing audio or video
- Locate and book restaurants
- Answer and screen your telephone calls
- Check voicemails
- Source and purchase gifts
- Online research
- Process invoices
- Process receipts
- Reconcile transactions
- Chase late payments
WordPress tasks
- Install theme
- Install plugins
- Update plugins
- Update theme
- Set up daily / weekly backups
- Ensure daily/weekly backups are running
- Research blog posts
- Blog post keyword research
- Write blog posts
- Post blogs
- Schedule blogs
- Create web pages
- Update web pages
- Upload videos
- Embed videos
- Upload images
- Upload digital files eg pdfs, Word, Excel files etc
- Moderate comments
- Reply to comments
- Make comments on external blogs
- Create user accounts
Webinar tasks eg GoToWebnar, GoToMeeting, Instant Teleseminar
- Research webinar platforms suitable for client’s needs
- Set up webinar platform
- Set up webinar event
- Create invite
- Proofread invite
- Send invite
- Monitor sign ups
- Set up event reminders
- Record event
- Transcribe event
- Create replay
- Send out replay
- Follow up event emails
- Data analysis
Event management eg Eventbrite, Find Networking Events
- Research platform suitable for client’s needs
- Set up account
- Set up profile
- Set up events
- Promote events
- Monitor event signups
- Data analysis
- Basic video/audio edits
- Removal of background noise
- Source video/audio intro/outro
- Create a basic video intro
- Create a basic video outro
- Add video/audio intro
- Add video/audio outro
- Anotate video
- Help with promotion of group via social media
- Manage member requests
- Update membership site
- Source speakers
- Source content
- Email members
- Moderate forums / groups
- Webinar management
- Podcast management
- Data analysis
Customer support eg Teamwork Desk, Help Scout etc.
- Research platform suitable for client’s needs
- Set up support desk
- Create tickets
- Respond to tickets
- Close tickets
- Set up website chat eg Many Chat
- Respond to website chat enquiries
- Set up account
- Create profile
- Create cover image
- Follow Twitter accounts
- Send direct messages
- Respond to direct messages
- Create lists (private and public)
- Follow lists
- Hashtag research
- Follow hashtags
- Compose tweets
- Retweet tweets
- Heart tweets
- Respond to tweets
- Data analysis
- Set up account
- Set up business page
- Create business page cover image
- Status updates
- Like comments
- Respond to comments
- Send private messages
- Respond to private messages
- Invite people to like the page
- Set up group
- Invite people to group
- Moderate group comments
- Moderate group access requests
- Data analysis
- Set up account
- Create personal profile
- Update personal profile
- Create company profile
- Update company profile
- Create groups
- Manage groups
- Make connection requests
- Accept connection requests
- Send InMails
- Respond to InMails
- Data reporting
- Like updates/work anniversaries
- Respond to updates
- Publish Pulse articles
- Comment on Pulse articles
- Like Pulse articles
- Respond to comments
- Make comments
- Status updates (personal and company profiles)
- Data analysis
- Make recommendations
- Request recommendations
- Set up business account
- Create profile
- Pin relevant images
- Create boards
- Add pins to boards
- Follow boards
- Like pins
- Link with website
- Keyword research
- Data analysis
- Set up account
- Create profile
- Source images
- Source quotes
- Anotate images
- Keyword research
- Post updates
- Follow people
- Like updates
- Comment on updates
- Share updates
- Data analysis
- Set up account
- Create profile
- Create You Tube header
- Create You Tube channel
- Upload videos
- See video services section
- Keyword research
- Data analysis
Social media third party tools eg Buffer, Hootsuite, Meet Edgar
- Research platform suitable for clients needs
- Set up
- Schedule updates
- Data analysis
Desktop publishing software eg Word / Pages etc
- Create Word templates
- Update documents
- Create documents
- Create an ebook
- Edit an ebook
- Mail merge for mass mailings / labels
- Create charts
- Update charts
- Create tables
- Update tables
- Create diagrams
- Update diagrams
- Create basic macros
- Create forms
- Create spreadsheets
- Update spreadsheets
- Create charts
- Update charts
- Create pivot tables
- Create simple macros
- Create simple dashboards
Presentation software eg PowerPoint / Keynote
- Create templates
- Create presentations
- Update presentations
- Create charts
- Update charts
- Create tables
- Update tables
- Create diagrams
- Update diagrams
- Set up transitions
Email management software eg Outlook (see also Customer Support)
- Set up
- Create folder structure
- File emails
- Respond to emails
- Flag important emails
- Check spam folder for important emails
- Set up auto responder / out of office
Images
- Source images (royalty free and/or paid)
- Create images
- Annotate images
- Edit images
Email marketing eg Mailchimp, Aweber, Infusionsoft, Constant Contact, Active Campaign
- Research platform suitable for client’s needs
- Set up account
- Set up list(s)
- Clean up lists
- Create template
- Create broadcasts / newsletters
- Edit broadcasts
- Send broadcasts
- Create follow up emails
- Edit follow up emails
- Send follow up emails
- Create auto-responders
- Edit auto-responders
- Set up automation
- Create tags
- Edit tags
- Clean up tags
- Proofread emails
- Data analysis
CRM tools eg Infusionsoft, Capsule CRM, Nimble
- Research platform suitable for client’s needs
- Data cleanse contacts
- Import contacts
- Edit contacts
- Add comments to contacts
- Configure third party add-ons
Ecommerce eg Woocommerce / Shopify / Etsy
- Research platform suitable for client’s needs
- Add products
- Edit products
- Automate emails
- Run reports
- Set up podcast on eg itunes
- Add relevant podcast plugin to website
- Publish podcast on website
- Promote podcast
Miscellaneous
- Create pdfs
- Anotate pdfs
- Redact pdfs
- Split pdfs
- Merge pdfs
- Secure pdfs
- Create an online form
- Create an offline form
- Create a survey
- Monitor survey results
- Report survey results
- Prepare training materials
- Research suitable training venues
- Book training venues
- Liaise with training venue
- Organise printing
- Research affiliate programmes
- Apply for affiliate programmes
- Manage affiliate programmes
- Research directories
- Directory submission
- Market research
- Research landing page software eg Lead Pages, Unbounce
- Set up landing page account
- Create landing page
- Proofread landing page
- Edit landing pages
- Set up Google Analytics
- Report on Google Analytics
- Optimise web/blog pages
- Social Bookmarking (Digg, Stumble Upon, Reddit, Digg, Delicious)
- Track social bookmarking
- Linkbuilding