Digital marketing
Hire a digital marketing virtual assistant, by channel
A digital marketing virtual assistant works on one marketing channel for your business, such as search, paid ads or social media, and reports on it every month. Each channel has its own specialist page, linked below. The Digital marketing rate starts at £6.50 an hour at the beginner level. Pick a channel, or book a free call and we will help you choose.
- Four screening steps before you meet a candidate
- Hours tracked
- Earliest start within 48 to 72 hours of choosing a candidate
The five channels, and what each is for
Help is split by channel because the accounts, the work and the figures differ.
Unpaid traffic from search. The assistant researches keywords and competitors, fixes titles, headings and internal links, and reports on rankings and organic visits. Results arrive slowly: Google’s SEO starter guide says some changes take effect in a few hours and others take several months (Google Search Central, updated 10 December 2025, read 8 November 2026). It suits a business whose customers already search for what it sells.
Paid search and shopping campaigns that appear when someone searches. The assistant builds the account, reviews the real search terms each week, checks bids and budget, and reports spend against results. It suits a business with a clear offer and a page that turns a click into an enquiry or a sale.
Paid campaigns on Facebook and Instagram. The assistant sets up the tracking pixel, builds audiences, tests creative, watches the budget and sends a weekly summary. It suits a business whose customers do not search for it by name but would respond when they see it.
Short video ads. The assistant writes hooks and scripts, briefs creators, sets up campaigns and reports weekly on what each ad did. It suits a business that can show its product in use and has someone to film or edit it.
Organic posting and replies. The assistant keeps a posting calendar, schedules posts, writes captions, answers comments and messages, and reports monthly. It suits a business that wants its channels active and answered.
Other marketing roles
For writing, see the copywriting, content creation and email marketing assistants. For business audiences, see the LinkedIn ads expert. For budgets across platforms, see the paid ads expert and media buying expert.
How to choose your first channel
General guidance, not a promise about any one assistant. Start with one channel, because one set of figures is easier to read and fix than five.
| Your situation | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Customers search for what you sell and you want enquiries soon | Google Ads | Ads can appear at the moment of the search. Results depend on your offer, page and budget. |
| Customers search, and you can wait months | SEO | Gains build slowly and no one can promise a position. |
| Customers would buy if they saw you | Meta ads | You choose who sees the ad and can test several messages. |
| Your product shows well in short video | TikTok ads | The format rewards a clear opening and one message. |
| You want active channels and quick replies | Social media marketing | The work is steady posting and answering people. |
| You cannot yet count enquiries | Fix the counting first | Without tracking, no channel can be judged. |
A full time virtual assistant can cover several channels if one person’s whole week suits you better. The role finder can narrow the choice.
What a digital marketing virtual assistant costs
The Digital marketing rate is per hour by experience, in pounds, and the table shows each level. The other marketing roles start from about £6.50 an hour at the beginner level and rise with experience. Ad spend is paid to the platform and is separate. The pricing page lists every role.
| Experience level | Per hour | Part time, 80 hours a month | Full time, 160 hours a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner (1 to 2 years) | £6.50 | £520 | £1,040 |
| Intermediate (2 to 4 years) | £9.00 | £720 | £1,440 |
| Expert (4 to 6 years) | £12.50 | £1,000 | £2,000 |
| Pro (6 to 8 years) | £16.50 | £1,320 | £2,640 |
A worked example
Illustration, not a quote. You want one channel looked after for 20 hours a week, which is 80 hours a month. At the beginner level, 80 hours at £6.50 an hour comes to £520 a month. At the intermediate level, 80 hours at £9.00 an hour comes to £720. Use the cost calculator to try your own hours.
A call to talk through the channel
A marketing brief you can copy
General guidance, not a promise about any one assistant. Fill in these lines before the first day.
- The offer. What you sell, to whom, and why people choose you.
- The goal as an action. A call, a form sent or an order. One main goal at a time.
- The places. Search, Facebook and Instagram, TikTok, or elsewhere.
- The budget. A monthly ad spend ceiling, and who may change it.
- The accounts. Which exist, and who is administrator. Keep them in your name.
- The rules. Claims you cannot make, and topics that need your approval.
- The report. The figures you want, how often, and which number wins if two tools disagree.
How marketing work is measured
Judge every channel by results you can count, not clicks or followers. Decide the result first: a form sent, a call made, an order placed. Google calls these conversions, and says measuring them shows which keywords and ads drive valuable activity (Google Ads Help, read 8 November 2026). TikTok describes its pixel as code that shares website events with TikTok to measure campaigns (TikTok Ads Help, read 8 November 2026). Meta’s Conversions API connects your own marketing data to Meta, and Meta says to check that events are deduplicated and matched correctly (Meta for Developers, read 8 November 2026).
- SEO. Clicks, impressions and the searches that bring people, then enquiries from organic visits.
- Google Ads. Conversions and cost per conversion, which is spend divided by conversions.
- Meta and TikTok ads. Cost per result for your goal, and what each creative test showed.
- Social media. Replies answered, and enquiries that trace back to a post.
Expect the tools to disagree. TikTok’s own help says its counts can differ from other tools because of attribution methods, in-app browsers and ad blockers (TikTok Ads Help, read 8 November 2026). Name one source of truth in the brief, usually your own enquiry count.
Common marketing mistakes
- Starting five channels at once on one small budget.
- Counting clicks and followers instead of enquiries and orders.
- Launching ads before tracking is tested with an action you completed yourself.
- Letting a provider open the accounts in their own name. Google’s advice on hiring an SEO says “you are responsible for the actions of any companies you hire” (Google Search Central, updated 5 June 2026).
- Believing a promised ranking. The same page says no one can guarantee a number one position.
- Posting paid or gifted content without a clear label. The ASA expects a prominent “Ad” label near the start of the post (ASA, read 8 November 2026).
Questions to ask any marketing provider
Put these to a freelancer, an agency or us. Google’s guidance on hiring an SEO suggests asking for examples of past work, what results to expect and how success is measured (Google Search Central, read 8 November 2026).
- Whose name will the accounts be in, and who is administrator?
- What access do you need, and can it be limited to the job?
- Which result will you report, how often, and from which source?
- What can you change without asking me first?
- Will you list every change you make?
- What do you promise? A guaranteed ranking or sales figure is a warning sign.
- If we stop, what happens to the accounts, data and reports?
Is a marketing assistant right for you?
A marketing assistant suits you if
- You know which channel matters and want steady hands on it.
- You can share access to the accounts and describe your brand.
- You want regular reports and a short list of next steps.
Another option may suit you better if
- You need design files rather than campaigns: a graphic design virtual assistant.
- You need your website pages changed: a web design virtual assistant.
- You need several people at once: a virtual assistant team.
How hiring works
We start with a free call about the work and the hours you have in mind. We shortlist candidates who have passed our screening, you interview them and you choose. We then set up the platforms and tools your assistant needs. Hours are tracked with tools such as Time Doctor, and we run recruitment, payroll management and quality management for you. The earliest start is within 48 to 72 hours of choosing a candidate.
Four screening steps before you meet anyone
- CV screening.
- A first interview on personality and the general benchmark criteria.
- A technical interview.
- A practical task, to test the candidate in the field.
Notice, replacement and fees are set out on how it works. There is no separate recruitment fee.
Questions about hiring a marketing assistant
What does a virtual marketing assistant do?
A virtual marketing assistant is a remote team member who handles one marketing channel for your business, such as SEO, social posts, paid ads, email or copy. They work in your accounts and tools and do the regular production and reporting. Each role page lists the tasks.
Can I hire for one channel?
Yes. Pick the specialist that fits. You can add roles later, or move to a virtual assistant team priced person by person. Reporting is part of every role, and we agree the format on the call.
Should I start with SEO or paid ads?
Start with paid ads if you need enquiries soon and customers already search for what you sell. Start with SEO if you can wait months for traffic that you do not pay for per click. See the SEO and Google Ads pages.
How long before marketing results show?
It depends on the channel. Paid campaigns produce data quickly but need adjustment to read well. SEO is slower: Google says some changes take several months. We make no promise about results. The SEO virtual assistant page says what to expect.
How do I outsource Google Ads or other paid campaigns to a virtual assistant?
Choose the paid role that matches your channel, such as the Google Ads virtual assistant, and give the assistant access to your ad account. They build, manage and report on campaigns. We make no promise about results, and your ad spend is paid to the platform.
Does a marketing assistant need to be near me?
No. Assistants work remotely, in your tools. The UK is our main market, and we also serve the US, Europe, Canada and Australia. Our trading address is 344 Camberwell New Road, London SE5 0RW.
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