Those of you that are Virtual Buzz Assistants, Virtual Assistants doing marketing or business owners trying to do social media in your spare time (yeah, sure) should read his blog.

One of the services that many Virtual Buzz Assistants offer is Community Manager.  Chris has an post (and explore those links) on what it takes to be a good Community Manager.

He is focused on bigger businesses that are employing full time managers.  However, a Virtual Buzz Assistant can help small businesses build vibrant, active communities in just a small amount of time each day by participating and engaging other members.  They can also spend some time inviting people that are your target audience to join.

Or you can go hire an MBA to do it full time for $80,000 per year.  Both ways should work.

Added: Connie Benson has a detailed post on this topic as well

However, here is what I have found.  When I outsource to India, I have had the following problems in all three cases:

1. Hours kept going up - and so did price.
2. I did not get what I expected.
3. I spent so much time managing the project that I could have done it myself quicker.
4. People thought they knew what I wanted better than me.

By no means is 3 attempts going to make me an expert, but I have heard similar comments from other people as well.

On the other hand, I am very successful and happy when I work with independent contractors in the US.  Time and communication is a non-issue, and the price actually turns out to be less because they usually get it right the first time.  And you can find very talented people in the US willing to do hourly work on the side for under $25 an hour.

I would go to India for outsourcing for the following two reasons :

1. Super simple tasks - redundant tasks that can be easily explained.  Such as collecting the emails and urls of marketing blogs.
2. Big project with big budget - If I was thinking about building a programming team, I would open an office in India for ongoing development.  Not per project, but as an extension of my business with US trained managers running the show.  (So they understand expectations and are comfortable with communications)

Unfortunately, too many small business owners try to go that middle road.  Outsourcing a small but somewhat complex project that does not get executed properly.  The business owner is not an IT project manager, and the people in India are likely low cost outsourcing individuals that are happy to have the work and may be talented programmers, but not good managers.  In one case, we spent considerable time helping the Indian contractor get trained only to have them use the job and experience to get a job with a big company before the project was complete.

I am sure I will outsource to other countries again for simple tasks.  However, if you are trying to outsource marketing activities you really need to stay with people like in the Virtual Buzz Assistant network.  And for technology, you can also find some talented people in our network or find someone local that is happy to help you on the side.  A local intern or tech person that is willing to do some work at night and on the weekends will often be cheaper in the long run.

I started out writing this eBook as a members-only kind of resource.  Then I realized it could be very valuable to anyone starting any kind of home-based or small business.

People were getting lost in what seems like overwhelming issues, so we lay it out day by day and make it easy to move from idea to income in 30 days.

We are giving it away.  Click here to get your copy.

Since we have launched several ventures, we know the basic stuff you need to get in place, and how important it is to focus on generating revenue quickly.  If you are thinking about starting a business or are trying to figure out what things need done for a business you recently started, this resource is for you.

To review the available Virtual Assistant Jobs, log into your account in the Virtual Buzz Assistant network.  (You must be a member of the network)  Then go to Clients & Projects and choose Available Projects.

Currently the system lets you contact people directly.  We also send out an email of each virtual assistant job once we review it.  We typically leave an job opportunity listed for 30 days unless we hear someone has been selected.

You may not contact clients unless you have reviewed all of the ethics materials.  This is because you will not be able to discuss services if you are not clear on what services break the ethical standards we set.

The best way to get a Virtual Assistant Job through our network is to respond quickly to VA Job requests and address their individual needs, not just a general virtual assistant summary.

You should also look at other broad directories for even more Virtual Assistant Job leads.  Some we suggest are:

• oDesk.com
• eLance.com
• Guru.com

Just keep in mind that in those broader networks, there are many virtual assistant jobs available, but also many low cost virtual assistant service providers competing for the work.

This article will get picked up by people and distributed in blogs, newsletters, etc.  So it is one great back link that should lead to many more.

 You might think that I am unhappy with bad buzz for virtual assistants, but nothing could be further from the truth.  Our goal at Virtual Buzz Assistant is to create a network of people that have specific specialty services that have high value and are in demand.  Plus, we require them to be English speakers.

Part way down in the article, it is mentioned that ideally you could work with a US Virtual Assistant that manages an Indian Virtual Assistant for certain tasks.  That is exactly our goal here.  First our VBA’s become proficient at creating buzz, then I hope they learn how to outsource some of the tasks and oversee the project for quality and proper execution.

I personally think that a Virtual Assistant that does not specialize is doomed to lower pay and has a much more difficult job of selling their general services.  Several times in the past I have thought about hiring a VA for marketing, but I never believed it could be successful because of the generalist nature of the offering.  This network is a direct result.

The biggest reason you need a Virtual Buzz Assistant to help you with this, is that success takes persistance and time - and business owners seldom have it to spare for socializing on the web.  You can request an assistant to help you by clicking here.

1. Trying to participate in too many tools
   If you are siging up and building a profile on every new tool that comes out, you better be a writer for Mashable.  No one can keep up with all the new things.  Find some you like and do a good job in them.  Doing a good job in 2-3 is still so hard that you may need an assistant.
    
2. Expect that just setting up accounts will yield results
   Guess what - you have to do more than just set up an account on a social media site to get results.  If I had a dollar for every person that has told me they set up a LinkedIn account and nothing happened, I’d be rich.
    
3. Not using the tools to connect with people
   Nearly every site makes it possible to connect with other people (I think that is why they call is SOCIAL media).  If you are not connecting, no one is finding you.  Your Virtual Buzz Assistant can help you grow your networks in these tools.
    
4. Giving up after a short time
   Social media is about making and sustaining connections.  The only way you can grow your influence is long term.  Do I see a few hours a month with a Virtual Buzz Assistant in your future?
    
5. Promoting yourself without providing value
   The fact that you signed up for an account does not give you the right to promote yourself constantly.  And it is a sure way to get people to run away.
    
6. Not using the tools to link to other sites and articles
   Similar to not connection to people, if you only link to your website or blog and never bookmark or link to other interesting resources, you will never gain the respect of your audience.  Nor should you.
    
7. Not intentionally building a target network
   Don’t pick the biggest network or the one that your brother said you should.  Find out where your current customers go and your target audience hangs out online.  Intentionally build value and influence in the right communities, even if they are smaller.

If you are a business person trying to get into this social media thing, I fully expect that you have made all of these mistakes.  I promise you that if you get these things turned around, your popularity and influence will rise online, as will your pocketbook eventually. 

And if you need it, get help.  It is affordable and helps you build an audience for the future.

Examples of Ads - These are just two.

We have had a flood of calls and emails, but many people bulked at the $199 to request a virtual assistant.  Many people worried that they would spend the $199 and not get matched or not get enough matches.

Since my concern is to focus on the training and development of the skills of our virtual buzz assistants, the last thing I wanted to do is spend my time convincing people that $199 to be matched with  marketing savy virtual assistants is a good idea.

So I have adjusted the program to be FREE (as of June 2008, subject to change).  It is now automated.  I do not review your plan.  It just goes out to our network and those that have skills that match will send proposals to you.  Since our goal is to have a small, talented group, you will not get flooded with requests.

You will also have the option to subscribe to private tips list on working with Virtual Assistants to achieve marketing goals.  (Included in the fee)

Please note that you CAN put out a project that is just a few hundred dollars, but our Virtual Buzz Assistants are most valuable when your project is an ongoing monthly retainer with clear marketing objectives and goals.

Get the Marketing Help You Need - Click Here

I am a bit hypocritical, as I have made these mistakes myself at times, but maybe my experience can help you get another client instead of lose an opportunity. Here are some tips for your cover letter or project cover page

What do you want to accomplish?

Do not use a template. Instead, ask yourself what you want to accomplish and write towards that goal. For example, if I want to talk with a prospect to find out more details about a project, I would say something like this: “I will call you at [phone number] on Tuesday, [Date] at 1:00PM. If that time is not best for you, please contact me right away to schedule a better time. I am looking forward to finding out more about you and how I can help you with your project….”

That is just an example, but I would go for a firm call if that is the intention – but without being too pushy.

Attention to detail

Just this week I had a client tell me one of our assistants spelled his name wrong in the proposal. If you are writing a proposal or cover letter, you need to give the clear impression (hopefully because it is true) that the person you are addressing is very important to you. Even a small error in something that is personally about them is going to stick out like a sore thumb and kill any chance of further working together.

For those of us doing Virtual Buzz Assistant work, that is especially important. You will be representing these people – you need to represent them accurately and well.

Make them want to talk to you.

Your writing and other items that are delivered to the client also need to leave them wanting more. This can be done with testimonials or stories that may mirror what the client would like to accomplish. I once had a client tell me that we were the best marketing money he ever spent. Why? More results on a much lower budget.

Tell people enough to pique their interest without boring them. Make them want more and close on the follow up call.

Make a clear proposal

If you need to, have someone else read your proposal and ask them if they clearly understand what you are offering. The more clear the package (Benefits, outcome and estimated pricing) the easier it is to move forward.

These are just some of the important things that will help you get more clients in your Virtual Buzz Assistant practice. I work hard to generate leads for the group, and I hate to see opportunities pass buy because of a typo or a poorly worded introduction. These relationships can pay you thousands of dollars for years to come. Make your first impression count.