Why You Should Add These Tools to Your Marketing Assistant Toolkit

As a Virtual Assistant aiming to specialize in marketing, equipping yourself with the right tools is crucial to standing out and delivering exceptional value to your clients. While you don't have to be an expert to add value, having a baseline understanding of marketing tools and platforms is incredibly helpful in standing out and serving your clients. Let’s explore the top five tools every marketing-focused VA should master!

Get to Know Google Analytics

I cannot emphasize enough the number of businesses that have Google Analytics set up but never, ever look at it. If you can do one thing to help a business, it is to understand the very basics of Google Analytics and be able to help them navigate the tools provided.

Why It’s Important: Google Analytics is the cornerstone of digital marketing analytics. With a basic understanding of this tool, you can track website performance, user behavior, and campaign success. Knowing how to interpret these metrics helps you provide valuable insights and recommendations to your clients.

What to Do: Learn how to set up tracking codes, create custom reports, and analyze key metrics like page views, bounce rates, and conversions. Start with the basics and gradually explore advanced features as you get more comfortable.

Resources: Google Analytics has tons of helpful video tutorials on YouTube. Just start with the basic GA4 tutorials on YouTube or go through it on Skillshop. Even if all you do is provide basic reports on traffic and conversions, this is an incredible useful skill!

Try Out Keyword Tools like SEMRush or Ahrefs

Content is queen (as we say here) but content without keywords is kind of just a waste of time. If you plan to put time and energy into content creation, start with keywords and search terms. Having a basic understanding of keywords and SEO tools will automatically set you apart from others in your niche.

Why It’s Important: Keywords are the foundation of SEO. Tools like SEMRush and Ahrefs help you find the best keywords for your client’s content strategy and analyze their competitors’ keyword strategies. With these tools, you can drive more targeted traffic and improve search engine rankings.

What to Do: Familiarize yourself with keyword research features, competitive analysis, and site audits. Use these tools to identify high-performing keywords and monitor your clients’ SEO performance.

Resources: You can usually get a free trial of most SEO tools, which I tend to use when I start with a new client. From there, if the freemium version isn't available, make sure you have Google Search Console set up and use that as a starting point. You can find tutorials here. I also really like a lot of podcasts about SEO and search tools - Search off the record, Best SEO Podcast, and The Recipe for SEO Success are all on my listen list.

Become Proficient in Social Media Scheduling Tools

It goes without saying that most businesses will benefit in some way from having a social media presence. If all you do is help your client schedule posts, you will (I promise!) be doing them a service.

Why It’s Important: Managing multiple social media accounts and scheduling posts can be overwhelming. Tools like Hootsuite or Buffer streamline this process, allowing you to schedule posts, monitor engagement, and analyze performance all in one place.

What to Do: Learn how to schedule posts across various platforms, track engagement metrics, and generate reports. This will save you time and ensure consistent, strategic social media activity for your clients

Resources: Hootesuite, Sprout Social, Loomly

Understand Email Marketing Tools like Mailchimp or HubSpot

Another essential skill to bring to the table is the ability to jump in and help with email marketing. Pretty much every business you will work with uses email to reach their clients. Whether its sending from an ESP (email sending platform) or just direct to customers/clients, knowing the basics of email marketing will help you succeed and stand out!

Why It’s Important: Email marketing remains a powerful tool for client engagement and lead nurturing. Mastering platforms like Mailchimp or HubSpot enables you to design, send, and analyze email campaigns effectively.

What to Do: Learn to create email templates, set up automated campaigns, segment lists, and track performance metrics like open rates and click-through rates. This knowledge will help you manage and optimize email marketing strategies.

Get Creative with Canva or Adobe Creative Suite

What we did before Canva, I truly don't want to recall! But knowing how to use Canva or even better (its still a super sought after skill) Adobe Creative Suite tools can help you differentiate yourself as a visual expert. Not to mention add to your list of marketable skills!

Why It’s Important: Visual content is key in digital marketing. Tools like Canva and Adobe Creative Suite allow you to create eye-catching graphics, social media posts, and marketing materials without needing advanced design skills.

What to Do: Start with Canva for easy-to-use templates and design tools. As you advance, explore Adobe Creative Suite for more sophisticated design projects. Learn to create branded visuals, social media graphics, and marketing collateral.

Resources: Canva Premium, don't waste your time with the basic version. Another skill set to start working on is expertise in AI image generation, I am not well-versed in this yet, but its coming!!