Virtual assistants were once the best-kept money-saving asset companies liked to keep secret; such was their invaluable contribution.

However, market research virtual assistants are now commonplace in most businesses. 

Business owners hire remote workers to focus on digital market research by using email and social media to connect with their target audience.

Small businesses on a tight budget hire market research virtual assistants because they are more cost-effective than hiring an in-house marketing employee.

Most market research can be conducted virtually anytime, so your businesses don’t miss out on potential customers. 

Let’s look at the advantages of hiring a market research virtual assistant.

Why Hire Virtual Assistants For Market Research?

Here are the main benefits that you’ll achieve by hiring a marketing research assistant.

1. Cost Savings

When a business hires a virtual assistant for market research, they primarily do so to save time and money.

Business Critical Reasons For OutsourcingA virtual assistant for market research is often hired because you only pay them an hourly rate instead of a full-time salary. Also, they can be employed part-time for the tasks they complete.

In addition, a business will save money by not having to pay all the additional costs that come with employing a fully salaried employee. 

Things like employee medical benefits, holiday/sick pay, overtime, pension contributions, and maternity and paternity pay all add up.

Another saving when you hire a virtual assistant for market research is on equipment and additional office space.

2. Flexible Work Hours

One of the main advantages of hiring a market research virtual assistant is you can be flexible with their working hours to suit both parties.

For example, a virtual assistant may be hired to work part-time, but you can increase their hours during peak times, like running a digital marketing campaign or if online research requires more time allocation.

As well as increasing your virtual assistant’s hours, you can ask them to work different times each week if it is mutually agreeable.

Your virtual assistant will be happy to be flexible with their hours if they see the prospect of you increasing their working hours in the future.

And these flexible hours often suit VAs with families as it gives them the ability to work at times that better suit them. 

3. Hire On A Contract Basis

When you hire a market research virtual assistant, you must ensure you know how many hours you need them to work.

KPIsFor example, if you have an online research project requiring a market research VA to perform data research for a new marketing strategy, calculate how long you expect them to conduct the research. Once you calculate the estimated time it will take them to conduct research, offer them a fixed-term contract of, for example, six months.

When you offer a set time on a contract, the virtual assistant is clear about how long they have to do the market research and compile all the marketing data.

Ideal Research Tasks For Outsourcing 

Here are the main tasks you should consider outsourcing to a VA. 

1. Competitor Analysis

One of the primary roles of a market research virtual assistant is to conduct competitor research through internet research.

To be clear, a market research VA needs to make a proper analysis of all the things your direct competitors do.

Your virtual assistant will need to gather up-to-date information about the services and products offered by your competitors, as well as what sales tactics they use.

Once your virtual assistant has compiled all the relevant comparative research information, they must evaluate the weaknesses and strengths of your competitors against your own. Doing so will show where you can improve your business, and you must conduct a detailed competitor analysis once a year.

2. Demographic Research

All excellent candidates must be able to conduct demographic research before narrowing it down to audience research.

This research will help your business identify your existing customers’ buying habits and likes and dislikes.

Knowing what your customers and potential customers want from your product or service helps you tailor that service or product to their individual needs.

Without this information, you are guessing customer opinions, so it makes sense to do your demographic research correctly.

3. Market Research Planning

Market research planning is an integral part of the whole process of your overall marketing campaign strategy.

Outsourcing In EconomicsYour virtual assistant will have to set the objectives and deliverable outcomes required for conducting the research.

You have to know who your target audience is, the time frame, how much budget you have, and which marketing research methods you need to use.

Your virtual assistant will need to devise marketing plans of action before they start the marketing campaign. Correct preparation will underpin the overall success of your campaign. 

4. Data Collection

A virtual assistant or market researcher must ensure their data collection skills are impeccable. There is no point in researching if the data you collect isn’t reliable information.

All the research information can come via different methods such as customer interviews, surveys, questionnaires, online focus groups, general observations, and data from existing records and documents.

However, if your virtual assistant misinterprets information incorrectly, this will prove harmful to your company.

5. Sales Tracking

Your virtual assistant must use a sales tracking process tool correctly. 

This means collecting sales metrics correctly as well as analysing them in the right way using the quantitative information you have gained.

When implemented correctly, sales tracking helps you to set new marketing targets.

Excellent virtual assistants have to be able to use sales tracker tools. There are various types of sales tracking software available such as Zendesk Sell, Spiro, SalesNOW, FreeAgent CRM, and NetSuite CRM.

All these online tools will help you to monitor and study the sales process more accessible to ensure you are interpreting the information correctly to help your company stay ahead of the competition.

6. Planning Marketing Efforts

When you hire a virtual assistant for market research, they must be able to plan your company’s marketing efforts effectively. 

How To Invest In Real EstateSeveral methods can be used when setting out your marketing plan. For example, you can email customers on your email contact lists and direct mail to potential customers who have shown an interest in your service or product.

The importance of using good communication that gives background information about your company to your social media followers cannot be overstated. In addition, it would help if you made an excellent first impression regarding your business’s services or products.

Some companies will also entrust virtual assistants to help run television, radio, and Google marketing campaigns.

Having a handle on your marketing goals and budget is vital before going ahead without having a marketing strategy that every team member can follow.

Let Us Help You Find A Market Research Virtual Assistant 

For all businesses, the bottom line is how to be cost-effective and still attract customers who generate income which equals profit.

Hiring a market research virtual assistant can prove time-consuming and difficult if you haven’t done this before. Therefore, call us to find out how we can match you with the perfect research virtual assistant.

We can source, train, hire and manage your new hire so that you can get on with running your business.

Take your business to the next level today! ENQUIRE NOW

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