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Five Simple Social Media Management Mistakes to Avoid

Five Simple Social Media Management Mistakes to Avoid

Social media management would stay as one of the crucial activities businesses have to carry out in order to create more exposure. Without at least one social media account, you could actually consider a company nonexistent. There are also cases that customers’ trust in a business is largely dependent on its social media presence.

If you want to make the most out of social media management in offering your products or services, it is best to avoid mistakes apart from doing the right things. It may sound easy to open your business pages, but mistakes can surely break your marketing strategy. To prevent failure in social media management, here are errors you should avert:

More postings equals success. You should remember that your audience requires quality social media posts from your pages rather than continuous flow of content. You may have tons of things to share on your platforms, but it does not mean that people would benefit from it, leading them to consider doing business with you.

Instead of worrying about finding more content to share, it is best to concentrate on creating postings that will be useful, informative, or inspiring to your audience. The higher the quality of your posts are, the more chances for people to engage with your pages. This is regardless of lowering the quantity of your content.

Going astray in terms of niche. Always consider your niche when creating posts for your social media accounts. It can be fun to share random things, but it is a major danger to your brand.

If you are selling pet care products, for instance, it is best to focus on sharing information relevant to use of the said items. You may also discuss animal health problems and quick solutions for them, which may be indirectly related to your products. However, if you talk about how great the weather is out of the blue or share some news not pertinent to your niche, your audience may actually start clicking that unfollow button.

Automating everything. If you want to provide the best customer service, you should avoid making your clients feel like they are being served by bots. It has been a common mistake of companies to provide auto responses only on their social media accounts. What is worse, they respond after a day or two.

To nurture your clients and give a good impression to your prospects, it is best to assign a person or people to take care of your customer service via social media platforms. The more personalized your treatment to your clients is, the better your reputation would be.

Buying followers and likes. No matter how tempting it may be to show that your social media accounts have hundreds or thousands of followers, you cannot guarantee success by buying followers. This goes the same with likes for your content.

If you are looking into social media as a way to increase your profit or expand your reach, then growing your followers and likes organically is the best way for you. Out of all your fake followers, for certain, you would not have quality leads to convert into loyal customers.

It is best to have a smaller audience, but better chances of gaining more leads. With true and interactive followers, you may even have people to share your business with their connections.

Using all possible social media channels available. To maximize the benefits of social media, you should only use the platforms that would work best for your brand. If you are a small business, two to three social media networks are enough. The more platforms you use, the higher your chances of failing your strategies. Your focus would be divided and at times, you may concentrate on a channel that does not benefit your business the most.

You may try testing the waters in each platform as a start, but narrow down the networks that would best market your brand after some time.

By avoiding the aforementioned mistakes, you may reap more advantages with your social media strategies. If you want to undo the said errors, better review your plan again with your team and recreate one. At times, our mistakes are indiscernible because we are used to them. However, to avoid wasting your team’s efforts, there is nothing smarter than correcting them as soon as possible.

Eight Basic Tips to Make Video Conferencing More Effective

Eight Basic Tips to Make Video Conferencing More Effective

Video conferencing has been a major platform used by virtual assistants or remote workers to communicate with their clients more effectively. Since it provides a more personal feel compared to e-mail and mobile call, it has been used for meetings more frequently.

Besides the face-to-face communication experience video calls offer, there are also added features that many software applications have provided. Good examples are screen sharing, presentations, remote control, and meeting recording among others.

However, to make the most out of video conferencing, there are also tips you should follow. Here are a few that would give you benefits not only for getting the best video call experience but for work-related purposes, as well:

Schedule the call in consideration to every participant’s timezone. You should remember to check the timezone of every meeting participant before scheduling the call. Select the most convenient time for all to also guarantee that the conference would be done more effectively.

Be reminded that anyone would not be in the most stable state of mind if the call is set at a time that should have been his or her rest time. This is also a way of respecting every participant.

Ensure your internet connection is stable. Video conferencing consumes a lot of data whenever in use. This is why it is best to use a stable internet connection if you are joining a video call. Even if you believe your wireless internet is fast, it is safest to use a LAN cable during a video call.

Getting disconnected from the call may cause you and the participants inconvenience since the discussion may be disrupted. This goes the same with screen lagging and choppy or garbled audio, which are often due to internet issues.

Do not be late. You are just a click away from attending the video call. Hence, there should be no reason for you to be late given the convenience you have. Being on time is professionalism and showing concern for participants in the meeting, who may be delayed if you are tardy.

If you could join the call earlier than the scheduled time, it is much better. This is to ensure that if there are issues with the platform you are using or other matters, you can rectify it immediately. You may even position your camera well and check if your audio is working perfectly.

Make sure to look presentable. Your call is not a typical conversation with you and your loved ones. Video conferencing at work requires professionalism, which covers how you present yourself during the call.

If the meeting is with high priority people, it is best to wear semi-formal clothes, as much as possible. On the other hand, if the call would be with your team, smart casual clothes may already do. Avoid wearing pajamas, sweatshirts, or anything that is not appropriate in the workplace. This would give the call participants an impression of you not taking the call seriously. Be reminded that you are still working despite being at home.

This tip also includes checking your lighting before joining the call. It is best to test your video and see to it that you are visible to the participants. Using natural lighting is best, but if there is none, try setting up a lighting kit for your PC or laptop.

Use a noise-cancelling headset. Distraction may also stem out from the background noises heard during the call. If you do not want to put off the people you are speaking to, you should use a headset with a noise-cancelling feature. This would also make you sound more professional since your audio would be clearer while you are talking. It may even make you feel more confident to converse well.

Apart from using the aforementioned headset, you should also make it a habit to mute your end when you are not talking. This would completely avoid the participants hearing any background sounds from your end, such as sneezing, coughing, and typing among others.

Find a conducive space for the call. It is best to use an area that will not only look professional, but keep the participants from being distracted. Make sure that your background is free from clutter and less homey. If you could use a plain background, it will be much more efficient. Alternatively, you may blur your background instead, so you would be the focus of your frame.

A conducive space for video conferencing also means that it should be far from your loved ones’ access. This is for you to concentrate on the call better.

Make eye contact. Consider the video call as an actual in-person conversation. This implies that eye contact is highly necessary. Always try hard to give an impression that you are focused on the person you are talking to. Otherwise, you would appear less professional or probably not paying attention. It can be tempting to look at yourself in the smaller frame, but all it takes is practice.

Prevent multitasking. During a video call and whenever you are not required to speak, you would always have that urge to multitask. For instance, while listening, you would try to check your e-mails or messages. This should be avoided at all costs. If you do not want to disrespect the participants in the call, you should set aside others things while speaking with them.

Once you have scheduled a video conference, make sure to commit yourself to it. If you are not the speaker, listen and digest the information you are getting. This would help you exchange thoughts more competently.

Be reminded that most video conferences are being done to solve organization issues, improve operations, and nurture the team members. By following the aforementioned tips, you would be able to make every video conference successful and effective.

Seven Simple Habits That Make You More Professional

Seven Simple Habits That Make You More Professional

Working remotely requires professionalism as you can also expect when reporting in a physical office. Even if you are not seen by your co-workers, be reminded that your attitude at work contributes greatly to your overall performance. No matter how adept you are in your field, your personality may outweigh your skills anytime.

If you want to be more professional as a virtual assistant, there are simple habits you can start practicing now. Here are a few that you can start learning:

Be punctual always. Being on time is a simple habit but can affect your work performance tremendously. Punctuality shows how relevant you consider your work-related affairs. Regardless of the type of appointment, being on time will imply that you are proficient. You value not only your work but respect those people around you, who would be affected negatively if you are late.

Working remotely gives you more reason to prevent tardiness. You are just a click away from a phone call or video conference every time.

Avoid procrastination. If you procrastinate, it will indicate poor time management. To be more professional, you have to allocate time for your activities properly. Learn how to prioritize and set aside unnecessary activities.

If there are deadlines to meet, then you should make sure to create timelines for tasks and follow through.

Be interactive. You are not meant to work by simply obtaining instructions from your superiors or team members. You are also allowed to interact and share your ideas to make things better for the organization.

You would be more professional if you show regard for how things can be done more effectively. Exchanging thoughts to your colleagues would also promote a healthier workplace relationship since you encourage learning from one another.

Never take all the credit. In an organization, your work is not the standalone reason for the company’s success. Be reminded that every member of the team contributed to keeping the operations going.

If there are successful projects, never take all the credit, even if you took a larger chunk of activities compared to the others. Even if you are the lead, always share the triumph. In such a way, your team would not feel neglected but motivated to keep on winning.

Prevent gossip. No matter how tempting it is to talk about others with your co-workers, professionalism is all about setting aside personal matters while at work. To make this happen, consider yourself in the shoes of the person being talked about.

Instead of sparing time for gossip, dedicate yourself in bettering your productivity every day or learning new skills from your co-workers. Always consider your workplace as a training ground.

Stay organized. As simple as organizing your desk, you could actually look more professional. By making sure everything is in order, you would be free from distractions and you also create an environment that would encourage efficiency all day.

Even if you are pertaining to digital files, organizing your documents will ensure your superiors that referencing would not be an issue whenever you are working. You can carry out your tasks more effectively.

Show respect. The way you treat others, either at a higher or lower position than yours, reflects your professionalism. Regardless of rank, you should show respect to your colleagues. This is how you maintain harmony within the workplace. 

Moreover, respect can also be exhibited by following the organization’s rules. You may have a different opinion at times, but keeping mum to show respect is great professionalism unless the policies are already abusive. 

Working as a virtual assistant may appear easier since you only interact with your co-workers electronically. Nonetheless, regardless of your location, your professionalism would still be reflected by how you communicate, work with your team members, accept feedback, and behave while working.

By practicing the aforementioned simple habits, you would not only obtain a good performance record but become an inspiration to your colleagues. Your professionalism can even set forth your innate leadership.

Five Tips to Make Meetings More Effective

Five Tips to Make Meetings More Effective

Meetings will always be part of your remote work, especially now that communication is a crucial part of being a virtual assistant. Since you are far from the office, you would only depend on meetings to touch base with your co-workers about your tasks, projects, or even issues that need resolution.

However, not all meetings are done properly. There are times that a call with team members turns out to be a waste of time. This also causes delay for the workers’ pending activities given the time consumed by the meeting.

If you want to make your meetings more effective, there are ways that can easily be done:

Determine if a meeting is indeed necessary. There are topics that can be discussed via e-mail or a quick call instead. This is why a meeting that may take up to half an hour or more should be concentrated on matters that require a long deliberation. 

Be reminded that you have to consider each worker’s availability. Furthermore, there are times that a meeting may already be repetitive. It is best to eliminate it so everyone could take advantage of maximizing their work time for more important tasks.

Make sure that an outcome would be obtained. To ensure this, it is best to create an agenda for the meeting. If every participant of the meeting would be made aware of what he or she would input, things would be much quicker and easier. 

For instance, in the first part of the meeting, the topics at hand would be discussed in detail. If it is an ongoing project, then the overview and current status could be talked about. Afterward, the next steps may be reviewed. Lastly, goals for the next meeting may be conferred about.

Be open to exchange of ideas. Even if you lead the meeting or you are superior among all participants, it is best to be open to everyone’s thoughts. A meeting is supposed to serve as a table for everyone to offer what they think is best for the organization and its concerns.

If there are conflicting conceptions, then weighing the pros and cons should be done together. This would be fair to all and the best plan would definitely be recognized.

Eliminate distractions. A good example of meeting distraction is background noise. This could affect not only the person with the background noise, but the rest of the people in the call. 

There are times that one cannot converse well when they hear unnecessary noises. Moreover, there are also cases that one holds himself or herself back to speak since whenever they do, their background may be heard by the rest of the people. This makes them mute themselves all throughout the conversation.

Fortunately, there is a solution to this distraction, which is using a headset with noise-cancelling feature. Alternatively, finding a conducive workspace is a way to go.

Another instance is technology glitch, which will not only put off the participants but possibly delay the meeting. To prevent this, it is best to test the software application you will use for the call for errors or updates beforehand. It is also sensible to use one that everyone considers convenient to utilize in order to set up the meeting with ease.

Invite the right people for the discussion. Meetings become ineffective whenever the people that should be involved are not present. This goes the same if there are too many invitees in the meeting, who would not be able to participate at all since they are not directly involved in the agenda.

Make sure that the agenda should be your basis whenever selecting the participants. For instance, if the urgent recruitment of part-timers is the subject of the meeting, then the relevant people in the Human Resources Department should be invited. If there are certain departments requiring the mentioned part-timers, then their representatives should also be present. In such a way, they could impart what they need for a more effective headhunting.

The provided tips in making meetings effective will save not only you but your team members in wasting resources for discussions that do not result in any good outcome. Always opt for a meeting that solves problems, encourages results, and connects people.

Phrases You Should Avoid Using in the Workplace

Phrases You Should Avoid Using in the Workplace

Professionalism in the workplace, even if you are working remotely, should be practiced at all times. Be reminded that your location is the only changed aspect of your professional life. You are still expected by your co-workers to behave how an employee should.

Your efficiency at work is not limited to the output you provide for the organization. Your personality also exudes how effective you are as a virtual assistant, which includes how you communicate.

With communication as a pillar of your remote work, you should remember to practice avoiding phrases that are not appropriate in the workplace. To give you a few, here are the following:

“You look tired.” Everyone would be tired at some point in their work period. It may also dampen their mood if you even point it out. This could actually keep them from working efficiently since anxiety may sprout in them, particularly from worrying about how they appear among their co-workers. It could either imply that they may not be managing their work properly or they want to show that they are assigned a heap of activities unjustly.

If you prefer to comfort your colleague, it is best to actually invite them for a quick break or offer some help. It could show camaraderie, bringing harmony in the workplace.

“It’s not my fault.” This phrase may indicate that you are either not owning up to your mistake or you want to put the blame on others. To be professional is to resolve the issue at hand rather than finding out who erred. It may be a significant matter to identify the wrongdoer, but for everyone’s benefit, it is best to find a solution first.

If you are the one who made the error, you should admit it. In this way, you could prove that you are open to be reprimanded and corrected.

“That’s not part of my job.” It is simply right to correct your employer whenever you are being tasked to do other things that may go beyond the agreed set of responsibilities. However, if it is something that could improve your skills and open opportunities for you, avoid this phrase.

Be reminded that not all unrelated tasks to your current job are just added work. There are some superiors, who would like to prepare you for a bigger role in the future. Be observant and understand the intention of your employer.

On the other hand, if you feel treated unfairly, there are other ways to say you cannot carry out a certain activity in a respectful manner. Probably, you can give them an idea of your current tasks on hand and how your time would not be able to accommodate it any further.

“I can’t work with them.” Instead of rejecting a team setup from your employer immediately, consider finding a solution to make things work with your co-workers. This is regardless of you having a rift with them or you simply do not like them for certain reasons.

Be reminded that you cannot choose anyone you would work with in the professional world. You would not also learn to deal with different kinds of people unless you challenge yourself. You need it to hone your personal skills, which is as imperative as your technical ability.

“That’s not my problem.” This is a phrase that you should never say at work for it may imply you have no concern for your team members. Know that you are part of the organization. Hence, regardless of whether you are involved in the problem or not, helping out is the best way to go. This is either by simply giving a suggestion or lending a hand in anyway possible.

“That is a bad idea.” Instead of saying frankly that someone’s idea is bad, you should consider the feelings of your co-worker first. If you want to correct him or her, it is best to hear him or her out first. Afterward, state the pros and cons of the said thought. This could enlighten your colleague and lead to proper correction.

“I’m bored.” This could be a very insensitive phrase to use in the workplace. This is regardless of you experiencing it at a rare point in your career. Keep in mind that if you are lacking tasks to do does not mean the others are as comfortable as you are. This could actually make them feel treated in a wrongful way.

Moreover, being bored means you are no longer enthusiastic about your work. A job should be appreciated at all costs for you to perform well not only for your self-benefit, but for everyone in the organization. When you carry out tasks half-heartedly, it could affect everyone, who needs an efficient output from you.

A professional remote worker means that you also think twice before expressing yourself. It is crucial to understand that what you convey is also a reflection of your personality in the workplace. If you sound unconcerned, some may find you difficult to approach or work with. On the other hand, if every word you utter shows confidence and compassion for everyone, you could exhibit professionalism effectively.