Virtual Assistant side hustle for bloggers

Creating a virtual assistant side hustle can be a great way for bloggers to earn extra income. 

As a blogger, you probably possess skills such as organizing, writing, marketing, content production and social media management,

These skills and others are essential to blogging.

And they are the same skills essential to building prosperous side hustles.

A virtual assistant side hustle just might be a perfect fit for you, as it is for many bloggers.

What do Virtual Assistant bloggers do?

The first thing you need to know is that Virtual Assistant bloggers can work for other bloggers or blog sites. 

That doesn’t mean, though, that you are limited to working with bloggers.

Remember, you have acquired a great many skills as a blogger.

And those skills can benefit many businesses, not just blogs.

For instance, your writing skills could benefit a blog site that requires a continual stream of articles.

But it could also be beneficial to any business that needs to reach out to its target audience with articles, social media posting and email newsletters.

In other words, you will need to do whatever is most relevant to the needs of your clients or employers.

What qualifications do I need to be a virtual assistant?

You don’t really need any specific qualifications, certifications, licenses or training to become a Virtual Assistant blogger.

But you will need to have competencies or experience that your clients are looking for.

Your skills need to be relevant to their needs.

And the things you are best at doing need to match their search criteria.

Content creation and marketing, social media management and administrative or scheduling support are typical things prospective clients might list in their searches for a Virtual Assistant..

What skills have you acquired as a blogger?

Think of all the things you do as a blogger.

Then list them as skills that are part of your Virtual Assistant blogger profile, portfolio or resume.

You could offer your skills to any business.

You’ve learned so many things to run your blog, including things like time management, project scheduling, production planning and implementation, accounting, customer service, SEO, web page construction and layout, image procurement and design, project management, customer acquisition, administrative management and many others.

Don’t forget the software you’ve used in your blogging business.

This could include Google Suite software like Google Docs and Google Sheets.

It could include autoresponders like Mailchimp, GetResponse and many others.

What software have you become familiar and even expert in?

Here’s just a few examples of software bloggers commonly use…

• Calendly
• Google Calendar
• Canva
• OnePass
• LastPass
• Mailchimp
• ConstantContact
• Gmail
• Grammarly
• Camtasia
• Screenflow
• Snagit
• Quickbooks
• Slack
• Microsoft Teams
• Todoist
• Trello
• Zoom
• Google Meet
• Skype
• ClickFunnels
• Google Analytics
• WordPress

What are your skills?

Think about what software you are comfortable with.

Consider the processes you commonly use, like email marketing, video editing, content marketing, social media posting, SEO methods, analytics and so many other things you’ve probably been doing and haven’t even stopped to think about it.  

These are all things you may do routinely.

And they could make you a potentially valuable Virtual Assistant blogger in many different roles and businesses.

Can I be a Virtual Assistant as a side hustle?

Some Virtual Assistant bloggers seek traditional employment roles.

If you’re interested in pursuing this route, you simply find a role you can fill and apply for the job.

So, if you want to be a customer service representative, you apply for that job with your blogger credentials just like you would for any other job.

The difference is that you specify you are only available to work remotely, as a Virtual Assistant.

Of course, you would probably only be applying for the job after seeing that it has a remote option.

But you can also apply and pitch yourself as a remote worker who could handle the position.

Besides normal remote employment, though, you can also work as a remote Virtual Assistant (VA) as a side hustle by offering your services on a contract basis.

As an employee, you work for a company at their regular rate of pay and specified hours.

But as an independent contractor, you set your own demand for pay and work during the hours and days that are best for you.

In other words, you become your own boss, negotiate your own rate of pay, and only accept clients that satisfy your criteria.

When you build a Virtual Assistant side hustle as a blogger, you are creating your own business.

This gives you the greatest opportunity for growth financially and is the best avenue to an independent lifestyle, literally working when and for whom you want.

Simply narrow your search for projects that overlap with your specific skill set and individual requirements such as what kind of work you prefer doing, how many hours a day or week you can devote to it and so forth.

You see, to develop a Virtual Assistant side hustle, you just need to show prospects that you can do many things to help them grow their business.

What are those things?

Well, there’s two ways to look at it.

Offering your Virtual Assistant services 

There’s a list of things that prospective employers might want and need in a Virtual Assistant.

And then there’s a list of things that you are able to offer in your resume, such as some of those things listed above.

The important thing for you to consider is not so much what your prospects want, but what you can offer.

And don’t make the mistake of offering everything you can do.

Focus on those things that you want to do.

Remember, as a blogger, as well as a Virtual Assistant, you are your own boss.

You are running your own business, which is your Virtual Assistant service.

And you will be working on your own terms.

That means your own hours, days and at the rate you have negotiated with your client.

And it also means that you will be doing only what YOU have agreed to do.

If you take on responsibility for things you don’t really want to do, then two things might happen.

FIrst, you will become unhappy with your job.

You may have agreed to do certain things that you don’t really enjoy doing, just to get the assignment.

Over time, though, those could be the very things that undermine your ability to do a good job, and to avoid burnout.

A second possible effect is that you won’t be able to do your job well.

Often, if you don’t like performing a certain task, it’s because you’re really not that good at it.

If you take on tasks like that in order to land an assignment, you may not perform as well as you might have if you had avoided those tasks.

So be careful in putting forth what you can do.

What is the #1 job of a great virtual assistant?

Try to offer only services that you are very motivated to do, and that you know you are good at.

Typically, as a Virtual Assistant blogger, you would do things that you do as a blogger.

So, you might write emails, for instance, since you do that routinely as a blogger.

But maybe you’re not that great at scheduling appointments or making travel arrangements because those are not things you do as part of your blogging business.

Don’t offer to do those things.

If it is required for you to get the assignment, simply decline it and move onto something else that is more suitable to you.

Understand that the number one job for you to do in order to be a truly great blogging Virtual Assistant is the job you are best at.

The best job for you to take depends on your own particular strength and skill sets.

That might mean the number one job for you to do is writing and managing emails.

It might mean that it involves coordinating administrative chores, or analyzing data or managing social media accounts.

What your strength is, that is your number one side hustle as a Virtual Assistant blogger, and the one you should focus on contracting for.

I strongly recommend that you work at what you’re best at, and always look to improve yourself to be of even greater value.

Don’t see your Virtual Assistant side hustle as an opportunity to improve your weaknesses, but a chance to dazzle in what you’re best at.

That’s what the #1 job is for a great Virtual Assistant?

And that will also, of course, be what you’re most motivated to do.

So you’ll do a better job, and your client will benefit from your expertise and enthusiasm.

It’s truly a win-win situation. 

Virtual Assistant side hustle for bloggers

People ask me if they can make money blogging.

That’s a typical concern.

Of course you can, but it doesn’t have to be directly from your blog.

As you develop yourself as a blogger, you are also building skills and attitudes that are very marketable.

You can transfer those skills into a regular job, a remote job or a Virtual Assistant side hustle specifically for bloggers.

=Donna

PS: Don’t forget to share this article on your favorite social sites. Much thanks 🙂

• Bio
• Blogging Magic

Donna Merrill

Donna is a well known blogger and creator of "Blogging Magic" - an intensive guide to blogging. "Blogging Magic" is for beginners who are trying to figure out how to bring their blogs to life with tons of visits, comments and social media interaction. It's even for advanced bloggers looking to reach new levels of authority and engagement with their audience.