Your Virtual Assistant Is Not a Magician: 7 Things They Can’t Do for Your Social Media

We live in a “microwave” society, an AI-powered, fast-food, instant-communication, “I want it now” world. 

Working with other people has its benefits but one big downside. We all too easily forget that people are still… human. We have a lot of amazing tools and tech at our disposal, but we also have our limits.

And we are not magicians. 

This truth is an especially good reminder when working with a virtual assistant. You have hired a VA because you want that human touch. You desire the level of service that is part of working with a good assistant. 

But even the best, most experienced VA cannot work miracles or create something out of nothing.

In our series on Social Media Management, here is your reminder that your virtual assistant is not a magician and expecting things they can’t provide is a recipe for disappointment.

7 things your Virtual Assistant CAN’T do for your Social Media.

1. Make a post go viral.

We all hope for that, don’t we? We hope the algorithm loves us, all the right people find us, and we receive those thousands of views and engagements that define “success” in social media.

The reality is that you can do all the “right” things or copy what someone else did in a video, but nobody can guarantee the magic of a viral post. 

Going viral is great when it happens. But even if it does happen, steady engagement with your audience and a consistent presence go further in the long run than one post that does well.

2. Make people follow you or engage with you.

“Why is nobody commenting on my posts?” 

Of all the things a virtual assistant can control—graphics, brand colors, engaging copy, time of posting, repurposing your content—what they cannot control is other people.

Again, consistent presence over time, aimed at the right audience, will eventually bring engagement. This process can take longer if you have not shared on social media for a while or if people are unsure what you are about.

3. Read your mind.

A good virtual assistant will ask for your goals, the content and resources you want to share, the kinds of posts you wish to create and will then curate a content calendar for social media that fits what you want.

But if you forget to let your VA know that you published a new resource, they can’t be expected to automatically know about it.

Or if your ideas are too vague, they can’t be expected to interpret them exactly as you would.  

For example, if you say you want posts that are “bold” and “bright,” you might be picturing city skylines with towering buildings in the background and colorful shops and businesses.

But don’t be surprised if your VA interprets “bold” and “bright” as neon colors with a 70s vibe. 

The more specific you are in communicating your ideas, the better.

4. Make people buy something they don’t need or want.

What if you and your virtual assistant have worked out branding and a content calendar that all seem to fall into place . . . , but you have a product that is not resonating with people?

People engage with products, individuals, and quick fixes that solve their specific problems. 

If your main draw is a book you might write someday about how wonderful love is, people will not see it fulfilling an urgent or specific need. 

However, if you have daily inspiration cards people can print when they purchase from you, with ideas for how to express love to their kids, that product is specific, actionable, and accessible. And moms are looking for ideas like this.

You need to have something for your VA to promote that people need or want before people will engage with the product and follow you because of it.

5. Create content from nothing.

Social media sharing, especially for a business or ministry, works when you already have published content, a project going on, a published book, a podcast running, a website to promote, etc. 

If you try to do it backwards—get on social media and then build from there—it is not going to work as well. And it may not go anywhere at all.

Social networks are a place to spread the word and engage in real time with people about what you already have going on that can help them or solve their problems. The social networks are not a starting place.

6. Replace your expertise.

Social media takes time. Scrolling through notifications and guaranteeing you don’t miss any comments takes time. Ensuring something is posted daily so you build a consistent presence takes time.

A virtual assistant is beneficial exactly for these reasons. They take the time to manage the details, so you can pursue the creative or business side of things.

One aspect of that online presence you are building is connecting with an audience who needs your expertise. When you start consistently posting about your resources, your systems, and your wisdom and knowledge in your area, people will begin to ask questions that only you can answer. 

If your VA is managing comments and DMs on your social media networks, they can give generic answers or provide go-to links from your content, but they cannot give the same quality of answers that you could.

Be willing and available to offer your answers and expertise on things that come up. And make sure your virtual assistant knows when to tag you in and why.

7. Fix everything overnight.

Hiring a virtual assistant does not equal magic and instant results. Hopefully, that fact is clear by now. 

If you have not paid attention in a while to your social media for your business or ministry, or you have not been present on socials at all yet, you may feel rushed into getting it all going and flowing.

Often, you must go through a setup phase. This phase can include processes like connecting your VA as an admin and all the network’s verification you both will go through as well as checking that settings and systems are in place.

Then, you may progress into a review phase, where you go back and forth with your VA, verifying that branding, voice, and content are exactly what you want.

Working with social media is all about consistency over time. The job feels tedious and slow, not magical. But it does pay off.

What to REALLY expect from a VA managing your social media.

You have a message or a special area of expertise, and people out there need it. Social media is one of the easiest ways to get what you have to offer out there.

It is not magical or instant, but it is important in our world today. Your presence on social media legitimizes your platform and gives you real-time access to the audience you are trying to reach.

A virtual assistant managing your social media can make all the difference.

We ensure your business or ministry is regularly present on social media with well-put-together content that showcases what you are all about.

We make sure you never miss a notification, if that is a struggle for you.

You might skip a whole month (or year!) of posting because life gets crazy. But your VA won’t because that is their job. 

If you are ready to experience this difference, reach out to Alyssa Avant & Company about hiring a VA to manage your social media.