Virtual Option

How can Virtual Support Help My Organization Succeed?

Marion Tripp — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:00:39 +0000

OUR Resources! YOUR Choice!

Whether your association is a non-profit, industry specific, or a charitable organization, it depends on busy, talented people to make it run. At VIRTUAL OPTION, we believe their time and skills should be valued and used strategically and effectively.

VIRTUAL OPTION is designed to lift the administrative burden off your Board and staff, leaving them free to focus on what they do best.

Think of the possibilities. Your association will get the benefit of a full corporate resource staff through a dedicated account manager. But you don’t have them on staff. You don’t pay for their downtime, or the traditional fees or have the management challenges associated with employer/employee relationships.

You simply pick and choose the resources you need… when you need them. Our administrative, creative, or bookkeeping services are designed to fit any budget and you pay as you go. That means whether you need a little extra help wading through administrative tasks, or a tradeshow, general meeting or holiday party organized and staffed, VIRTUAL OPTION can step in and make your vision a reality.

Is Your Association (or Business) What People Are Interested In?

Marion Tripp — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:00:47 +0000

“Audiences everywhere are tough. They don’t have time to be bored or brow beaten by orthodox old-fashioned advertising. We need to stop interrupting what people are interested in & be what people are interested in.” Craig Davis Chief Creative Officer, Worldwide J. Walter Thompson (World’s 4^th largest ad agency).

Whether you are producing a print newsletter or an ezine, a print brochure or website, the information being distributed needs to be relevant and useful to your members (or clients/customers). Identify the problems or challenges your members (or clients/customers) are facing today. Offer practical solutions that can be implemented easily. Demonstrate how your association (or business) is the solution for more complex solutions to their problems or challenges. “Be what people are interested in.”

Did You Hear That?

Marion Tripp — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:16:09 +0000

Have you ever wished you could be a “fly” on the wall?

As an association or business you strive to understand the needs of people so your organization can meet their needs. Social media is the modern day “fly” on the wall. It is the tool you can use to understand people’s needs.

What are your members or clients or customers saying? Use social media to listen to your audience.

“The future is all about hearing what your business ecosystem (customers, business partners, constituencies, employees, etc.) has to say and collaborating internally and externally to meet their expectations.” Sandy Carter

4 Steps to Create a Social Listening Strategy

Do you need a “listening post”? Remember VIRTUAL OPTION is a full service social media support company. We can listen, quantify and deliver the information you need to know. Contact us for a free consultation.

Facebook Reaches 55% of Global Audience

Marion Tripp — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:14:07 +0000

Happy New Year to our valued clients, colleagues and friends! We extend our very best wishes for a successful and prosperous 2012!

Now that 2011 is tucked in the history books, data collectors are churning out all kinds of interesting reports. In a report by the global leader in measuring the digital world and preferred source of digital business analytics, comScore:

1 in every 5 minutes spent online is spent social networking; and
Twitter reaches 1 in 10 Internet users worldwide

To sample a few more tidbits of interesting social media factoids take a look at Athima Chansanchai’s article on Technolog.

Report: Facebook accounts for 3 in every 4 social networking minutes

Now or Later

Marion Tripp — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:00:53 +0000

We are in the middle of the holiday season. There are so many things that demand our attention. It is easier to lose track of time. It also feels like there are not enough hours in the day and the days fly by.

How do you distinguish between what needs to be done “now” and what can be done “later”? James Phillipson suggests, “In our daily work lives it is so easy to get swept away dealing with time-consuming tasks that seem urgent. So we procrastinate and often do not attend to, or do not give sufficient consideration to the really important projects.”

Read James Phillipson’s tips for prioritizing the "important" in his article “Focus On The Important Not The Urgent.”

Is Your Board of Directors Resistant To Change?

Marion Tripp — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:00:32 +0000

“But we have always done it this way.”

”This is what our members expect.”

“Change isn’t always good.”

True statements and they are valuable when considering issues. In certain circumstances, they are applicable. However, if Board members are repeating them every time a new issue is up for consideration, then the Board could be resistant to change.

“One of the key responsibilities of boards is strategic oversight – if the board room does not represent current and diverse thinking, it is improbable that our corporations will be able to successfully compete in today’s ever-changing operating environment.” Kaye O’Leary

Innovation in the Board Room – The Time Is Now

2012 Social Media Goals

Marion Tripp — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:28:04 +0000

Remember: Social media is not the only marketing for your business. Did you have a marketing plan for 2011? If you did, now is a good time to review it and assess the goals you achieved. Was social media a powerful influence in achieving your 2011 marketing goals?

"Focus" is your 2012 social media strategy! Just because you are an active member of LinkedIn does not mean you have a social media plan or strategy. Now is the time to set SMART goals for social media. Determine what you want to have accomplished by this time next year. Do you want to increase your connections on LinkedIn? By what percentage?

“By setting goals and objectives for your social media campaign, you’ll have taken the first steps that thousands of businesses fail to take before they start using social media." by Quantum Marketer

Why And How To Set Goals And Objectives For Your Social Media Campaign

Social Media Is A Fad

Marion Tripp — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:24:08 +0000

The earth is flat. No one will watch television. Social media is a fad. Yes. It is true. Popular beliefs or widely accepted opinions of critics have been proven wrong and stood the test of time.

What if social media is a fad? Is it truly in the best interest of your organization to pass up the opportunity to ride the social media wave and attract and retain as many members, clients or customers as possible?

“Avoiding social media and not integrating it into your multi-departmental strategies is a dangerous decision because consumers (members, clients) expect it”

Practical Reasons Why Businesses Need Social Media by Austen Mayor

Which Social Network? There Are Too Many…

Marion Tripp — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:23:39 +0000

Frequent invitations to join a social network can be overwhelming. How do you know which networks to join and which ones to take a pass? The answer is where is your target audience? For example, if your audience is using LinkedIn then you need a presence on LinkedIn.

“Only create channels that enhance the brand message without diluting it. And make sure you have the capacity to keep all the channels relevant.” Says Brian Solis, principal of Altimeter Group, a leading research-based advisory firm. Brian is also the author of the all-new Engage! an award-winning guide for businesses to build and measure success in the social web.

What is “Balance”?

Marion Tripp — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:08:12 +0000

Before the blink of an eye it is so easy for life to get hectic. At times when we feel overwhelmed we seek ways to find “balance.” Does “balance” imply equal time for all you want to accomplish in a day? Have you ever taken a moment to consider what “balance” really means?

According to Dictionary.com balance means, “a state of equilibrium;” in turn equilibrium means: “a state of rest due to the equal action of opposing forces.” Interpretively, balance can be peace of mind due to a variety of opposite activities. Therefore, if you are focused on work and solely work chances are your stress level increases.

Balance doesn’t have to mean all in one day, such as four hours for work, followed by four hours with family concluding with four hours of “me” time. Written that way, it sounds a bit far fetched. Balance can mean when you are at work focus on work. Then after you reach a goal at work balance that with an activity with your family and/or “me” time.

If you would like to read another example of balance Gladys Edmunds wrote Balance doesn’t mean every task in your life gets equal treatment on USA Today website.

Virtual Option

How can Virtual Support Help My Organization Succeed?

Related posts

Is Your Association (or Business) What People Are Interested In?

Related posts

Did You Hear That?

Related posts

Facebook Reaches 55% of Global Audience

Related posts

Now or Later

Related posts

Is Your Board of Directors Resistant To Change?

Related posts

2012 Social Media Goals

Related posts

Social Media Is A Fad

Related posts

Which Social Network? There Are Too Many…

Related posts

What is “Balance”?

Related posts