Hiring a Digital Marketing Assistant for Your Subscription Box Business | EP 184

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As subscription box business owners, we wear all the hats—marketing, customer service, tech, fulfillment—you name it, we do it. But trying to do everything can hold you back from growing your business. That’s where hiring help–a Virtual Assistant (VA) or a Digital Marketing Assistant–comes in.

If you've been thinking about hiring help but aren’t sure where to start, this episode is for you!

I sat down with Emily Reagan, who specializes in training smart women to provide digital marketing services to online business owners. Inside her Digital Marketing Assistant School, Emily teaches the core marketing skills businesses need, from SEO and blogging to email marketing and funnels and so much more. She also runs the Digital Marketers Workgroup, where experienced freelancers continue honing their skills. Emily brings online business owners’ needs to her experienced freelance digital marketing assistants, often resulting in a match made in online business marketing heaven! 

I turned to Emily to hire my first VA who is still on my team many years later and has grown far beyond her original VA title and role. 

What is a Digital Marketing Assistant?

You’ve probably heard the term Virtual Assistant (VA) before—it’s a general term for anyone working remotely to help a business. A Digital Marketing Assistant is a specialized VA who focuses specifically on marketing tasks that drive growth for online businesses.

A Digital Marketing Assistant can help with:

• Email marketing
• Social media management
• Blogging & SEO
• Funnels & automation
• Affiliate marketing
• Tech setup 

In short, they help you get more done in less time—so you can focus on growing your subscription box.

Why You Should Hire Help (Before You Feel Ready)

If you’re thinking: I’m not ready to hire someone yet, the truth is that by the time you feel ready, it’s already too late.

You don’t have to hire a full-time employee. Start small! My first VA worked just 10 hours a week, and she got SO much done in that time. These team members often work faster and take things off your plate—especially those tasks you keep putting off. (I’m looking at you, tech stuff!)

Instead of feeling overwhelmed and unproductive, focus on the things you love to do and those things that will move your business forward. And delegate the rest. 

How to Find & Hire the Right Digital Marketing Assistant

Where do you even find a digital marketing assistant for your subscription box business? Emily makes it easy—just head to hireaunicorn.com and post a job. Up to 10 digital marketing assistants will reach out, and you can get on Zoom or Google Meets and have a conversation with the ones who seem to be the best fit.

Sarah’s tip: Personality matters. You want someone who’s not only skilled but also a great fit for you and your business.

Setting Your Digital Team Member Up for Success

Hiring a digital marketing assistant is just the first step—making it work is just as important. Give both of you the best chance of success by: :

1. Being clear about expectations – Communicate exactly what you need.
2. Providing feedback – Open communication leads to better results.
3. Vetting before hiring – Talk to at least a few candidates and consider a paid test project.
4. Onboarding properly – Give them what they need to succeed from day one.

Emily said it best: “No one successful does it alone.” And something I say inside Launch Your Box and Scale Your Box: Hire before you feel ready. Because if you wait until you finally feel ready, you’ll already be drowning in tasks that could have been delegated months ago. 

In this episode, Emily Reagan shares why hiring a Digital Marketing Assistant can be a game-changer for your subscription box business. We talk about what a DMA does, how to find the right one, and how hiring help—even for just a few hours a week—can free you up to focus on growth.

Find and follow Emily: 

• Emily Reagan on Facebook 
• Emily Reagan on Instagram
• Emily Reagan’s Website
• Emily Reagan’s Podcast
• Hire from Emly’s Digital Workgroup