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As virtual assistants, we have to continuously keep abreast of the latest tools and technology. Back when I started in 2001, you could do well just providing general administrative services, and to be honest there just weren’t that many cool tools to utilize like there are today. Don’t get me wrong, you still need to have great administrative skills and there are clients out there who only need this type of support. My largest clients are what I call, “general admin clients.” However, I encounter aspiring virtual assistants who want to become a VA, but don’t have any experience with Internet technologies. In my opinion, I strongly believe that in order to compete in today’s virtual assistant industry you need to obtain training and become skilled in the various Internet technologies. 

The technology tools that I’m speaking of are widely used in many online businesses today. Clients utilize these tools to market their businesses on a daily basis. Most of these tools require some sort of daily maintenance and clients are more than willing to delegate these day-to-day tasks to a savvy VA. 

I listened to a recorded call that had a panel of several business owners who had all worked with a Virtual Assistant. The one thing that they all shared in common when asked what they were seeking in a good VA was that he/she have a strong technical background. 

If you’re thinking of become a Virtual Assistant, below are some online tools that you should have some experience with or obtain knowledge in: 

1ShoppingCart, Constant Contact, Aweber set up/maintenance. Clients use this tool to send ezines. It’s also used to sell products, keep in contact with customers and potential customers via autoresponder. 1ShoppingCart even has an affiliate feature. You would be responsible for getting their shopping cart set up and maintaining all of these features for them. 

Article Submission. Clients can have you submit the articles that they write to various article submission websites. This helps them market themselves by showcasing their expertise through their writing. 

Teleseminar set up. Clients utilize teleseminars to hold courses. You would be responsible for obtaining the bridgeline, getting the word out about the teleseminar, and all of the various details for getting the call set up. 

Blog set up/maintenance. You could set up the client’s blog, if it isn’t set up. You would also be responsible for posting the posts, creating categories and tags as well as marketing the blog. 

Social Media account maintenance. You could schedule the client’s tweets in advance; create their fan page or group, etc. There are many things that you could do to assist them with their social media marketing. 

Having the above mentioned skill set will get your business off to a great start. Stay tuned as I will cover these skills individually in the coming weeks.