How to Hire a Virtual Assistant for Internet Marketing
An internet marketing virtual assistant is a skilled remote professional who handles digital marketing activities such as performing search engine optimization (SEO) updates, social media posts, content publishing, email marketing, paid ads support, and website maintenance.
Their role is to support a company’s online marketing tasks, ensuring campaigns run smoothly, content remains consistent, and the business maintains an active, optimized online presence. By hiring a virtual assistant, businesses can access specialized marketing skills and expertise without the expense of hiring a full-time, local employee, making it a cost-effective solution for growing and managing digital marketing efforts.
More online businesses, agencies, eCommerce brands, and service providers are choosing to hire virtual assistants because digital marketing requires constant effort. Search engines expect regular optimization, social platforms need daily engagement, and content must be published on time. Managing all of this alone is difficult, and hiring an in-house employee can be costly. A virtual assistant for internet marketing Boffers a practical solution.
At Virtual SEOs, we work with many internet marketing clients and have hired many virtual assistants for SEO, content, and social media tasks. With this real experience, we understand what skills matter, what mistakes businesses should avoid, and how to find the right person for the job. In this article, we share our practical insights to help you hire the best virtual assistant, build a strong workflow, and grow your marketing operations smoothly.
What Does an Internet Marketing Virtual Assistant Do?
A virtual assistant for internet marketing manages daily online marketing tasks to support yor online business growth. They handle social media scheduling and engagement, conduct SEO research and on-page optimization, create and publish content for blogs and websites, and assist with email marketing campaigns. They also help with paid advertising tasks, such as preparing ad copy, monitoring performance, and reporting results.
Additionally, they perform website updates, competitor research, data entry, and maintain marketing reports. Using a variety of digital marketing tools, an internet marketing VA ensures consistent online activity, improves visibility, and helps businesses reach their target audience efficiently.
Social Media Management
Social media is a key channel for connecting with your audience, building brand trust, and driving leads. Maintaining consistent, engaging, and results-driven content can take hours each week. A virtual assistant can manage your social media calendars, create and schedule posts, monitor engagement, respond to comments, and track performance metrics, ensuring your profiles stay active and effective.
By handling these tasks, a VA saves time, improves audience interaction, and ensures your social media contributes directly to business growth without requiring constant oversight from your team.
A VA can handle multiple aspects of social media management, including:
- Content Planning & Scheduling: Develop a detailed content calendar tailored to your brand voice and audience preferences. This ensures posts are consistently published at optimal times to reach the right people.
- Community Engagement: Monitor comments, messages, and mentions, responding promptly to followers. This not only increases engagement but also strengthens relationships and brand loyalty.
- Analytics & Insights: Track metrics such as reach, engagement rate, impressions, clicks, and follower growth. A VA can analyze these numbers to understand what content resonates best and adjust future posts for higher impact.
- Platform Optimization: Customize content for each platform—LinkedIn for professional updates, Instagram for visual storytelling, Facebook for community engagement, or TikTok for short-form videos—ensuring the brand message is effective across channels.
- Trend Monitoring & Competitor Analysis: Keep an eye on trending topics, hashtags, and competitors’ activity to identify opportunities for your brand to stand out and stay relevant.
- Campaign Support: Assist with planning and running social media campaigns, including contests, product launches, or promotional ads, ensuring smooth execution and tracking results.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) helps businesses improve their online visibility and attract more organic traffic by managing a range of time-consuming and technical tasks. By delegating these responsibilities, business owners can focus on core operations, save the costs of hiring in-house staff, and ensure their website remains optimized and competitive, supporting overall business growth.
Key areas a VA can manage include:
- On-Page SEO Optimization: Update meta titles, meta descriptions, headings (H1, H2, H3), image alt texts, and internal links. This ensures each page is optimized for search engines while remaining readable and valuable to visitors.
- Local SEO Management: Optimize Google Business Profile, local citations, and map listings to attract nearby customers. A VA can also monitor reviews and local search performance to improve visibility in your area.
- E-commerce SEO: For online stores, a VA can optimize product pages, category pages, and site structure to improve search rankings and user experience. They can also add schema markup to help products appear in rich search results.
- Keyword Research & Strategy: Identify high-intent keywords your audience is searching for, including long-tail and semantic keywords, and create a content strategy that aligns with these terms.
- Competitor Analysis: Monitor competitor websites, keywords, and backlink strategies to identify opportunities and gaps your business can capitalize on.
- Technical SEO Support: Assist with tasks such as sitemap updates, robots.txt management, fixing crawl errors, and improving website speed and mobile responsiveness.
- Performance Tracking & Reporting: Regularly track rankings, traffic, and backlink quality. A VA can prepare reports that highlight successes, areas for improvement, and actionable next steps.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is a proven way to connect with customers and generate sales. Managing campaigns, subscriber lists, and automation can be time-consuming and technical. A virtual assistant can create and schedule campaigns, manage subscriber lists, set up automated sequences, and track performance, ensuring emails reach the right audience and deliver measurable results.
Key tasks a VA can manage include:
- Newsletter Creation & Distribution: Design, write, and schedule newsletters that provide value, promote products or services, and strengthen your relationship with subscribers.
- Email Automation & Sequences: Set up drip campaigns, welcome emails, abandoned cart sequences, and follow-up campaigns to automate communication while maintaining a personalized touch.
- Subscriber List Management: Segment audiences based on behavior, preferences, and demographics. Clean and update email lists to ensure high deliverability and engagement rates.
- Template Design & Optimization: Create visually appealing, mobile-friendly email templates using tools like Mailchimp, Klaviyo, or ActiveCampaign that reflect your brand identity.
- Performance Tracking & Reporting: Monitor open rates, click-through rates, conversions, bounce rates, and unsubscribes. A VA can analyze this data to optimize campaigns and improve ROI.
- A/B Testing Support: Test subject lines, content, and CTAs to identify what resonates most with your audience and continuously refine email strategy.
Paid Ads Support
Paid advertising is a fast way to generate leads and sales, but managing campaigns effectively takes time and careful monitoring. A virtual assistant can set up and optimize campaigns, manage budgets, create ad copy and visuals, perform A/B testing, and track performance, ensuring ads deliver results efficiently.
Key tasks a VA can manage include:
- Ad Copy & Creative Support: Write compelling ad copy and coordinate visuals to ensure ads grab attention and clearly communicate the offer.
- Campaign Setup & Targeting: Launch campaigns on platforms like Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Instagram, LinkedIn, or TikTok, and optimize audience targeting to reach the most relevant prospects.
- Budget Management: Track ad spend, allocate budgets efficiently, and adjust bids to maximize ROI without overspending.
- A/B Testing: Test different headlines, images, ad copy, and CTAs to determine which combinations deliver the best results.
- Performance Monitoring: Track KPIs such as impressions, clicks, CTR (click-through rate), conversions, and ROAS (return on ad spend).
- Reporting & Recommendations: Provide actionable reports highlighting campaign performance, areas for improvement, and suggestions for scaling successful campaigns.
Website Updates & Management
A website is often the first impression a business makes on potential customers. Outdated content, broken links, or slow-loading pages can cost leads and sales. A virtual assistant for internet marketing ensures the website stays current, functional, and optimized for both users and search engines, so the business looks professional and trustworthy at all times.
Key tasks a VA can manage include:
- Content Uploads & Updates: Add new pages, blog posts, product listings, or service updates quickly and accurately, keeping the website fresh and relevant.
- Technical Maintenance: Identify and fix broken links, improve page loading speed, and ensure mobile responsiveness, providing visitors with a smooth browsing experience.
- SEO & On-Page Optimization: Update meta titles, descriptions, headings, alt tags, and internal links so the site continues to perform well in search rankings.
- CMS Management: Work seamlessly with WordPress, Shopify, Wix, or Squarespace to handle backend updates, ensuring changes are secure and correctly implemented.
- User Experience Improvements: Adjust navigation, layout, or call-to-action elements to make the website intuitive and conversion-friendly.
- Monitoring & Reporting: Track website analytics, note trends in traffic and engagement, and provide recommendations for ongoing improvements.
Data Entry & Reporting
Data is at the heart of every marketing decision. Without accurate and organized data, it’s hard to know what’s working and what needs improvement. A virtual assistant for internet marketing can take care of all the data-related tasks, so businesses can make informed decisions without spending hours sorting spreadsheets or reports.
Key tasks a VA can handle include:
- Lead & CRM Management: Enter and organize leads, customer contacts, and prospect information into a CRM or spreadsheet. This keeps all sales and marketing data in one place.
- Campaign Performance Tracking: Collect data from email campaigns, social media, SEO, and paid ads to see which campaigns are performing best.
- Report Creation: Turn raw data into easy-to-read reports with charts and summaries, highlighting key metrics like conversions, clicks, and engagement.
- Competitor Analysis: Track competitors’ online activity, campaigns, and promotions, and organize insights that help improve your marketing strategy.
- Trend Monitoring: Keep an eye on traffic, engagement, and sales trends, so the business can quickly act on opportunities or issues.
Outbound Marketing
Outbound marketing is all about reaching potential customers proactively, instead of waiting for them to find the business. A VA for internet marketing can manage outbound campaigns efficiently, helping businesses generate leads, follow up with prospects, and grow their customer base without the stress of daily outreach.
Key tasks a VA can handle include:
- Cold Email Campaigns: Research potential leads, create email lists, and send personalized outreach emails that feel natural and engaging.
- LinkedIn & Social Outreach: Connect with prospects, send messages, and follow up consistently to nurture relationships.
- Lead Tracking & Follow-Up: Keep detailed records of all interactions and schedule timely follow-ups to ensure no opportunity is missed.
- Campaign Monitoring & Reporting: Track response rates, meetings booked, and leads generated, providing insights to improve messaging and targeting.
Funnel Creation & Management
A well-structured sales funnel guides potential customers from awareness to purchase. Setting up and managing funnels can be time-consuming, but a virtual assistant for internet marketing can handle it efficiently, ensuring every step is optimized to convert leads into paying customers.
Key tasks a VA can handle include:
- Landing Page Setup: Create high-converting landing pages with clear headlines, persuasive copy, and strong calls-to-action.
- Email Automation Integration: Connect forms to automated email sequences that nurture leads and guide them through the funnel.
- Funnel Monitoring: Track each step of the funnel, identify where leads drop off, and suggest improvements to increase conversions.
- Offer Updates & Testing: Refresh lead magnets, pop-ups, or promotional offers and test different variations to see what works best.
- Analytics & Reporting: Measure key metrics like opt-in rates, click-through rates, and sales conversions, providing insights for continuous optimization.
Additional Tasks & Value-Added Support
Beyond core marketing tasks, a virtual assistant can provide extra support that saves time, improves efficiency, and strengthens your brand. These tasks might not be daily necessities, but they add significant value to your marketing efforts.
Key tasks a VA can handle include:
- Reputation Management: Monitor reviews on Google, Yelp, or social media, and respond professionally to maintain a positive brand image.
- Graphic & Video Support: Create simple visuals, banners, thumbnails, or short videos that enhance content and social media posts.
- Market Research: Track trends, competitors, and industry insights to identify new opportunities or threats.
- Affiliate & Partnership Marketing Support: Manage affiliate communications, track campaigns, and report commissions to ensure smooth collaborations.
With these additional services, a VA can become an integral part of your marketing team, handling time-consuming tasks while providing insights and support that help the business grow smarter and faster.
Benefits of Hiring a Virtual Assistant for Internet Marketing
Hiring a virtual assistant for internet marketing does more than just offload tasks—it provides real, measurable value that can help a business grow efficiently. From saving time to improving marketing performance, a skilled VA becomes a key partner in achieving business goals.
Here are the main benefits:
1. Saves Time for Core Business Activities
Marketing requires constant attention. By letting a VA handle repetitive and time-consuming tasks—like social media posting, email campaigns, or website updates—business owners and teams can focus on strategy, product development, and customer service.
2. Cost-Effective Support
Hiring a full-time, in-house marketing team can be expensive. A VA provides flexible support at a fraction of the cost, without the overhead of salaries, benefits, or office space. Businesses can scale support up or down depending on needs and budget.
3. Consistent Online Presence
Consistency is key in digital marketing. A VA ensures posts go out on schedule, emails reach subscribers on time, and the website is always updated. This builds trust with customers and keeps the brand visible across channels.
4. Access to Specialized Skills
VAs often bring expertise in areas like SEO, paid ads, social media, email marketing, and analytics. This means businesses can access a range of specialized skills without hiring multiple employees or agencies.
5. Data-Driven Marketing Decisions
By handling reporting, analytics, and competitor tracking, a VA provides the insights needed to make smarter marketing decisions. This ensures campaigns are optimized, budgets are spent wisely, and strategies are based on real performance data.
6. Scalable Marketing Support
As a business grows, marketing needs change. A VA can adapt quickly—adding new tasks like funnel management, outbound campaigns, or advanced SEO work—without the need for hiring new staff.
7. Reduced Stress & Increased Efficiency
Knowing that someone skilled is managing day-to-day marketing tasks reduces stress for business owners and marketing teams. It ensures deadlines are met, campaigns run smoothly, and nothing important is overlooked.
Skills to Look for in an Internet Marketing Virtual Assistant
Not every virtual assistant is the same. When hiring a virtual assistant for internet marketing, it’s important to look for a combination of general professional skills and marketing-specific expertise. The right VA will not only complete tasks efficiently but also contribute to the growth and success of your business.
General Skills
Even with marketing expertise, certain general skills are essential for any VA to perform effectively:
- Communication: A VA should clearly communicate updates, challenges, and results. This ensures projects run smoothly and expectations are aligned. Whether it’s via email, chat, or video calls, strong communication keeps everyone on the same page.
- Time Management: Marketing tasks often involve tight schedules, deadlines, and multiple campaigns at once. A VA with excellent time management skills can prioritize tasks, meet deadlines consistently, and maintain productivity.
- Attention to Detail: Mistakes in content, ads, or analytics can cost time and money. A detail-oriented VA ensures accuracy in every task, from scheduling posts to tracking conversions.
- Problem-Solving: Marketing campaigns rarely go perfectly. A VA should be able to identify issues, troubleshoot, and suggest solutions independently, keeping projects moving without constant supervision.
Marketing-Specific Skills
To be truly effective in internet marketing, a VA also needs specialized marketing skills:
- SEO Knowledge: Understanding how search engines work, keyword research, on-page and technical SEO, and basic link-building ensures content ranks well and attracts qualified traffic.
- Social Media Strategy: A VA should know how to create and schedule posts, engage audiences, analyze performance, and tailor content for different platforms.
- Basic Graphic Design: Even simple design skills help create visuals for social media, blogs, or emails, saving time and maintaining consistent branding.
- Email Marketing Tools: Experience with platforms like Mailchimp, Klaviyo, or ActiveCampaign allows a VA to manage lists, campaigns, and automation effectively.
- Understanding of Analytics: A VA should be comfortable reading data from Google Analytics 4, Search Console, Meta Ads, and other reporting tools to track performance and suggest improvements.
- Basic Copywriting: Clear, persuasive writing skills are essential for social posts, email campaigns, ads, and website content, helping to engage and convert the audience.
Where to Find Qualified Internet Marketing Virtual Assistants
Are you interested in boosting your SEO ranking?
Many businesses try to hire internet marketing VAs through freelance marketplaces. While these platforms offer a wide selection, they often come with challenges: inconsistent skill levels, lack of marketing specialization, unreliable availability, and the time it takes to interview and train candidates.
This is where Virtual SEOs makes a difference. We are a SEO virtual assistant agency specializing in providing skilled internet marketing virtual assistants, including offshore SEO specialists and dedicated SEO virtual assistants. Our team is trained in SEO, social media, content management, paid ads, and email marketing, so businesses get experienced, ready-to-work support without the hassle of hiring through a marketplace.
With Virtual SEOs, you can quickly onboard a qualified VA who understands your marketing goals, delivers consistent results, and helps your business grow efficiently.
How to Hire the Right Virtual Assistant for Internet Marketing (Step-by-Step Guide)
Finding the right internet marketing VA requires a structured approach. Following these steps ensures you hire someone who can handle tasks efficiently, align with your goals, and deliver measurable results.
Step 1: Define the Tasks & Responsibilities
Start by listing all the marketing tasks that need support. Include:
- Daily tasks (social media posting, email responses, monitoring campaigns)
- Weekly tasks (content scheduling, analytics reporting, ad monitoring)
- Monthly tasks (SEO audits, performance review, strategy updates)
Step 2: Create a Clear Job Description
Write a detailed job description that outlines:
- Required skills and marketing experience
- Familiarity with tools (CMS, analytics, email marketing, social media management)
- Work hours or time zone requirements
- Key performance indicators (KPIs) like engagement, conversions, or website traffic
Step 3: Shortlist Candidates
After receiving applications, evaluate candidates by:
- Reviewing portfolios or past work
- Checking experience and relevant marketing expertise
- Reading ratings or references from previous clients
Step 4: Interview Process
Conduct a structured interview to assess suitability:
- Ask about their past marketing experience and campaigns they’ve managed
- Give a small test task to evaluate practical skills
- Assess communication skills, clarity, and responsiveness
Step 5: Set Expectations & KPIs
Before starting work, agree on:
- Reporting schedule (daily updates, weekly summaries, or monthly reports)
- Tools they will use for tasks and communication
- Performance metrics (social engagement, website traffic, lead generation, conversions)
Step 6: Onboarding & Training
Proper onboarding helps the VA integrate quickly:
- Provide SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for recurring tasks
- Give access to tools, accounts, and platforms
- Introduce the workflow, deadlines, and communication protocols
How Much Does It Cost to Hire an Internet Marketing Virtual Assistant
The cost of hiring a virtual assistant for internet marketing can vary depending on experience, skills, workload, and location. Understanding the pricing structure helps businesses plan their budget and get the right level of support.
Hourly Rates
Many VAs charge by the hour, which is ideal for businesses with flexible or project-based needs. Hourly rates typically range based on expertise:
- Entry-level: $5–$12 per hour
- Intermediate (experienced in SEO, social media, content): $12–$25 per hour
- Advanced/specialized marketing VAs: $25–$50+ per hour
Hourly arrangements give flexibility but may require careful tracking of hours and tasks.
Monthly Packages
For ongoing work, many VAs offer monthly packages or retainer models. These include a set number of hours per week or dedicated full-time support. Typical packages might range from:
- Part-time: $400–$800 per month for 20–40 hours
- Full-time: $1,200–$2,500+ per month for 160 hours
Monthly packages provide stability and ensure the VA is fully integrated into your marketing workflow. You can also check our monthly SEO packages.
Factors Affecting Cost
Several factors can influence pricing:
- Skills & Expertise: SEO specialists, paid ads experts, and content strategists command higher rates than general VAs.
- Experience: More experienced VAs bring efficiency, better results, and require less training.
- Hours & Availability: Part-time vs full-time work, or flexible vs fixed schedules, affects cost.
- Location: Hiring through an offshore SEO company can provide high-quality marketing support at lower rates compared to local hires, making it a cost-effective option for businesses.
Typical Range for Marketing VAs
- Entry-level VAs: $5–$12/hr or $400–$800/month
- Mid-level VAs: $12–$25/hr or $800–$1,500/month
- Specialized/experienced VAs: $25–$50+/hr or $1,500–$2,500+/month
Tools Your Virtual Assistant Should Know
A skilled virtual assistant for internet marketing should be familiar with key tools in different areas:
- SEO Tools: Ahrefs, SEMrush, Surfer SEO
- Social Media Tools: Buffer, Hootsuite
- Email Marketing Tools: Mailchimp, Klaviyo, ActiveCampaign
- Project Management Tools: Trello, Asana, ClickUp
Analytics Tools: Google Analytics, Search Console
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring a Marketing VA
Hiring remote marketing support can save time and boost results, but certain mistakes can cause frustration and inefficiency. Here are the most common ones:
- No Clear Job Description: Not defining tasks, skills, and expectations makes it harder to find the right person.
- Expecting One Person to Do Everything: Marketing involves multiple skills. Trying to cover everything with a single hire can reduce efficiency and quality.
- Skipping Past Work Checks: Ignoring portfolios or previous experience can lead to hiring someone without proven results.
- Poor Onboarding: Failing to provide workflows, tool access, or guidelines slows down productivity.
- No Communication Structure: Without clear channels and schedules, tasks and feedback can get lost, causing confusion.
How to Manage and Work Effectively with Your Virtual Assistant
To get the best results, managing remote marketing support requires structure, clarity, and consistent communication. Here are key practices for effective collaboration:
- Clear Communication Channels: Use tools like email, chat apps, or project management platforms to keep conversations organized and avoid missed messages.
- Weekly Meetings: Regular check-ins help align priorities, discuss progress, and address any challenges.
- SOPs and Task Documentation: Providing clear instructions and standard procedures ensures tasks are completed correctly and consistently.
- Performance Tracking: Monitor completed work, KPIs, and campaign results to ensure goals are being met and identify areas for improvement.
- Encourage Feedback: Create an environment where questions, suggestions, and feedback are welcomed, fostering continuous improvement and better collaboration.
Signs You Hired the Right Virtual Assistant
- Tasks Delivered on Time: Work is completed reliably and meets deadlines without constant reminders.
- Improved Workflow: Processes run smoother, and daily operations become more organized.
- Strong Initiative: The assistant proactively suggests ideas, identifies issues, and takes ownership of tasks.
- Better Marketing Consistency: Content, campaigns, and updates are posted regularly and maintained at a high standard.
- Positive ROI: Their contributions lead to measurable results, whether it’s increased leads, engagement, or conversions.
Conclusion
Having a marketing assistant helps businesses manage their online presence more easily. They can handle tasks like social media, content, email campaigns, SEO updates, paid ads, and analytics, so the team can save time, stay organized, and focus on growing the business while marketing runs smoothly.
To get the best outcomes, it’s important to define tasks clearly, hire someone with the right mix of skills, set expectations, and maintain structured communication. Monitoring performance and providing proper onboarding ensures they contribute effectively from day one.
Investing in skilled remote marketing support is not just about offloading tasks—it’s about building a partnership that helps your business run smoother, reach more customers, and achieve real marketing results.
SEO Content Strategist
