10 Surprising Tasks to Outsource to a Virtual Assistant

10 Surprising Tasks You Didn’t Know You Could Outsource to a Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants (VAs) are no longer just for calendar management and inbox triage. With an expanding global workforce and a wide array of digital tools at their fingertips today’s VAs bring diverse and specialized skill sets to the table. From marketing to tech support, they can help entrepreneurs, executives, and growing businesses scale smarter—without the need for expensive in-house teams.

Let’s dive into ten high-value, unexpected tasks that virtual assistants can handle for you and why you should hire one.

1. Podcast Production & Editing

Podcasting is booming—but behind each polished episode is a time-consuming workflow. Many VAs now offer podcast production services, including audio editing, sound leveling, intro/outro insertion, guest coordination, transcript generation, and even episode publishing. Whether you're running a weekly interview series or a branded podcast for your business, a VA can turn your raw recording into a professional, ready-to-distribute episode—saving you hours of post-production time.

Podcasting has quickly become one of the most popular and personal ways to engage followers, offering a unique mix of storytelling, expertise, and authenticity. With its on-demand nature and intimate audio format, it allows creators to build deeper connections with their audience while expanding their reach across platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

2. Graphic Design & Branding Support

If you thought only agencies could deliver polished visuals, think again. VAs with experience in Canva, Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, and other design tools can create everything from social media graphics and slide decks to lead magnets and email headers. Whether you need branded Instagram templates, event flyers, or digital product packaging, a design-savvy VA can bring your vision to life at a fraction of agency costs.

3. CRM Management & Lead Nurturing

Customer relationship management (CRM) is essential but tedious. VAs can be trained on platforms like HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, and Zoho to handle tasks such as contact segmentation, pipeline updates, lead follow-up emails, data entry, and analytics reporting. A VA who manages your CRM can streamline your sales process, ensuring no opportunity slips through the cracks while you stay focused on high-level strategy.

4. Market Research & Competitor Analysis

Need to know what your competitors are doing or want to understand a new market before launching a product? VAs can conduct in-depth online research, track competitor pricing, compile SWOT analyses, gather customer sentiment, and even summarize industry trends in digestible reports. Whether you’re developing a new service, pitching to investors, or planning a rebrand, a research-oriented VA can deliver powerful insights quickly.

5. Social Media Strategy & Scheduling

VAs are no longer just posting captions—they’re driving social strategy. From content calendar planning, hashtag research, influencer outreach, and engagement tracking to scheduling tools like Buffer, Later, or Hootsuite, a good VA can help build and maintain a consistent brand voice across platforms. Some also manage community interaction, responding to DMs and comments in your brand tone.

6. Bookkeeping & Invoicing

Tired of chasing payments or categorizing receipts? VAs trained in QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks, or Wave can handle invoicing, reconciling transactions, expense tracking, and even tax-time organization. While they’re not a substitute for your accountant, they can ensure that everything is tidy and ready for review—saving you stress and time.

7. Customer Service & Inbox Management

First impressions matter. A professional VA can manage customer inquiries, complaints, returns, refunds, and even tech support tickets. Many work through tools like Zendesk, Gorgias, HelpScout, or email to offer fast, polite, and effective service. If your inbox is overflowing, they can also categorize, flag, and respond to emails—so you’re only looped in when necessary.

8. Blog Writing & SEO Optimization

Content is king—but consistent blogging takes time. VAs with content marketing experience can write or repurpose blog content, conduct SEO keyword research, format articles in WordPress, and optimize meta descriptions and headers for better search visibility. Some also analyze performance via Google Analytics and suggest new content topics based on audience behavior.

9. Online Course & Membership Management

If you run an e-learning business, your VA can act as a behind-the-scenes operations manager. From uploading modules, creating quizzes, managing student emails, issuing certificates, and handling platform troubleshooting (on Teachable, Thinkific, or Kajabi), your VA can make your course delivery smooth and efficient. They can also monitor engagement to ensure your students get the best experience.

10. E-commerce Store Admin & Product Listings

Running an online store? VAs can manage your backend operations, including product uploads, inventory tracking, customer communication, order fulfillment coordination, and even writing SEO-optimized product descriptions. Whether you're on Shopify, Amazon, Etsy, or WooCommerce, a VA can take over the repetitive admin so you can focus on growing your sales.

Conclusion

The virtual assistant role has evolved from a support function to a strategic partnership. As digital tools and remote collaboration grow more advanced, the value of a skilled VA is only increasing. Whether you're a solopreneur, a startup, or an enterprise leader, it’s worth asking:

What are you still doing that a VA could do better?

Outsourcing these “surprising” tasks can help you reclaim time, scale operations, and improve business efficiency—without the overhead of full-time hiring.