Passionate about social media and technology, Michelle Arbore was looking for a new way to work from home when she launched Savvy Social Media in 2010. Six years later, she is busier than ever helping small business owners create the social media presence they need in order to give the best impression to new and existing customers.

Prompted to work from home due to health reasons, as well as the desire to start a family, Arbore began searching for the right fit for her. “I was looking into virtual assistant jobs when I got on social media myself, and I fell in love with it,” enthuses Arbore. “The more I talked to my clients about it, the more I knew that there was a need.” Now the mother of an almost 5-year-old, Arbore loves owning her own business so she can be home with her son.

Savvy Social Media offers customized social media training for small businesses virtually, or through in-person, one-on-one coaching. “I can coach them on how to manage and use social media themselves,” says Arbore, “or I can do it all for them—find content, look at when their audience is on, interact with their audience, research hashtags and keep track of all the constant changes that seem to happen on a daily basis. This way, they can focus on growing their business and not worry about their social media presence.”

Arbore also speaks on different aspects of social media. She has spoken at networking events, women’s organizations and conferences, numerous chambers of commerce, as well as being interviewed for webinars, telesummits, seminars and podcasts. She has also created and hosted local workshops in the Rochester, New York, area where she lives, as well as online challenges designed to help businesses grow. She hopes to expand her reach even further this year by creating her own webinars and telesummits.

Arbore is certain of one thing: a social media presence is necessary for businesses of all kinds. “It used to be that you had to have a website, but now if you’re not on social media, you’re behind the times,” she explains. “Your current and potential clients on social media. It’s great for customer service, growing your business, getting your product out there and showing you’re the expert in your field. It’s about the ‘know, like and trust’ and bringing people to your website.”

For those that have an aversion to social media, Arbore suggests starting off slow. “You can’t be on every social media platform because then you will get overwhelmed and frustrated and not want to do it,” she cautions. “Start with one platform, and stick with it for six to eight months and see how it goes.”

It is also important, she notes, to know what your social media goals are and who your target market is. In order to help with this, Savvy Social Media offers a free social media marketing plan, available at SavvySocialMedia.net/social-media-marketing-plan. Arbore says, “It helps business owners figure out their goals, think outside the box about who their target market is, where their audience is, which networks they should focus on and more.”

For more information, call 585-506-6291, email [email protected] or visit SavvySocialMedia.net. See ad, page 13.

Michelle Bense is a freelance editor and writer for Natural Awakenings. Connect with her at [email protected].