She Owns It

Celebrating, Connecting, and Supporting Women Entrepreneurs

Social Media Has Changed Your Small Business Marketing Plan. Ready or Not.

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by Melissa Stewart

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Comcast Small Business, but all the opinions are my own.

=> Curious about how other businesses are using social media?

=> Wondering which platforms work best?

=> Does the term “influencer marketing” boggle your mind?

You’re not alone. Most small businesses owners want to increase their social media impact but worry about the time and money they’ll have to invest. They know they need to integrate social media outreach into the overall marketing plan but they don’t have a Fortune 500 marketing budget. The challenge they face in figuring out how to achieve those goals in the shortest amount of time, and with often limited resources, can seem overwhelming.

I’ve been an early adapter on some platforms (I’m a little Twitter obsessed) but even I can’t keep up with everything! I’m pretty good with Facebook, average with Instagram and Pinterest, but totally out of my element when it comes to video or my kid’s favorite, Snapchat.

How about some facts to get us started.

According to Social Media Examiner, 92% of the small business owners they surveyed agreed with the statement “social media marketing is important for my business” but did not know if their efforts were working (i.e. how to measure the ROI of social media marketing).

How does you small business stack up against the Fortune 500?

The top 3 social media platforms used by the Inc 500 are:

  • 93% of the Inc. 500 have a LinkedIn account
  • 82% of the Inc. 500 have a Facebook presence
  • 79% of the Inc. 500 have a Twitter profile

And according to Heidi Cohen’s article based on info from UMass Dartmouth’s 2015 Inc. 500 research findings, 67% of small businesses don’t have a written social media plan!

You NEED a plan!

I tweet that a lot and it’s true!

“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” 
Alice and the Cheshire Cat from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland

 

SMBs must develop a social media strategy that includes related content, promotion and budget and it must be integrated into the rest of the marketing plan. If you

What actions can be included in your plan to increase the ROI?

  • Go visual. When you can, get photographs and videos of your employees and your customers.
  • Focus on relationship marketing.
  • Include a call-to-action with an offer readers can’t refuse.
  • Invest every marketing dollar wisely, taking risks on less-crowded platforms can pay off.
  • Provide customer focused content to support prospects and customers.
  • Give it time + keep testing. Most SMBs have been using social media marketing for 2 years of less, not enough time for an accurate measurement.

Need help? The Comcast Business Community page is a great resource. Whether you’re a small business, medium business, or solopreneur, you’ll find information to help your business grow.

Here are some links to get you started:

So much to learn and so little time! We’d love to hear from you.

  1. Has Social Media changed the way you do business as a small business owner?
  2. What were your initial thoughts of social media in the business world? Did you embrace it? Fight it?
  3. Do you think it is possible for a small business to survive without social media?

Leave your answers and tips in the comments below!

See How Milkhouse Restaurant Uses Technology To Turn Grilled Cheese Into Big Business

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See How Small Business Milkhouse Is Using Technology To Thrive

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Comcast Small Business, but all the opinions are my own.

by Melissa Stewart

I’ve been working with Comcast Business for a few months sharing how their services could help small businesses. From their Innovation 4 Entrepreneurs contest to their resource page, working with Comcast aligned perfectly with the She Owns It audience. This month I thought I’d write an article that shows you their services in action!

When I watched the Milkhouse video on YouTube, I thought 2 things:

  1. How much are flights from Nashville to Philadelphia because YUM that looks good?!
  2. WOW! 300 + customers just at lunch, multiple locations, and cutting edge technology. Impressive!

I also loved owner Shannon Heil’s comments in the video and the overall feel of the brand.

Want a peak into how Comcast is helping a real life small business? Read on.

Milkhouse is a quality focused concept restaurant in Philadelphia serving grilled cheese, fresh cut fries, homemade soups, and milkshakes in a “fast casual” environment. Owners Shannon Heil and Tommy Guest are true entrepreneurs who wanted to make their own rules while serving comfort food.

As their business grew, they knew they needed a fast, reliable internet provider to “do what they needed done when they needed to do it”. Other providers they used in the past couldn’t get it right. Milkhouse needed service “as quick as their presses” and that’s what they get from Comcast Business.

“We felt like we had a time frame to get things done and our business doesn’t work that way. Our customers don’t work off time frames, they work off when they’re hungry.” – Shannon Heil

Comcast Business wireless solutions allow Milkhouse to offer fast, convenient service to customers with reliable POS systems and Internet capabilities.

With fast + reliable service from Comcast Business, Milkhouse can:

  • Offer WIFI powered POS systems to their 300+ lunch customers to speed things up.
  • Owners can remotely access all store locations POS systems to see how each store is doing. It’s very efficient.
  • Allows customers to order at their convenience via iPhone, POS, face to face with a cashier or even over the good old fashioned telephone.
  • Customers who order over the phone can then do a receipt exchange when they pick up. It’s simple and fast.
  • A complete suite of integrated services that allow all partners to be in communication with each store throughout the day.

Milkhouse needed services that were built for business and so do you. Find out more about what Comcast Business can do for you at the Comcast Business Communtiy Page.

And in closing, if you’re in Philly, stop in and give Milkhouse a whirl (try ordering from your iPad) and then lovingly box me up a grilled cheese and fries and ship it to Nashville 🙂

Small Business Owners Are Overwhelmed By Technology

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by Melissa Stewart

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Comcast Small Business, but all the opinions are my own.

Technology can be overwhelming. According to a recent survey, about 2/3 of business owners feel overwhelmed when it comes to technology. Mobile, social media, cloud services, IT support, it’s a lot to keep up with for even the savviest small business owner. Even so, incorporating technology into your small business is CRUCIAL in today’s environment.

With technology growing and changing so fast, it’s important to have the right resources and help at your fingers tips. Comcast Business wants to be that resource.

  • Comcast Business is responsive – they make sure that their customers can reach one of the 1,900 live, specially trained Business Service representatives within 30 seconds.
  • Comcast Business offers convenient install times, including nights and weekend installations to minimize disruption to your business.
  • If your internet were to go down, Comcast Business won’t stop working until it’s fixed.
  • Comcast Business is always working to make it easy to choose applications that make your business more productive and secure.

Are you ready to get serious about technology planning for your small business? Start with these tips and resources from Comcast Business:

-> Unlock Technology for Your Business

Learn the 3 keys to smarter tech investments like developing a business plan before you buy your tech!

-> Create Your Technology Culture

Every business, big or small, needs a technology culture. Use Technology to produce more, work efficiently & create a better customer experience.

-> Create Your Technology Plan

Incorporating technology into your small business is crucial in today’s environment. Julie Goldman, Founder and CEO of The Original Runner Company, shares how she went about identifying what her key challenges were and then building a technology plan to meet those challenges and unleash her company’s potential.

Want to learn about WiFi Pro from Comcast Business? Check out our article here.

Comcast Launches WiFi Pro for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

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Comcast Launches WiFi Pro for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

by Melissa Stewart

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Comcast. All opinions are my own.

Since She Owns It is a site devoted to entrepreneurship and small business, we occasionally review products and services that would appeal to our community. Such was the case with WiFi Pro recently unveiled by Comcast Business. WiFi Pro is a comprehensive WiFi solution that includes fast speeds, cloud-based controls, marketing tools and other advanced capabilities.

According to Cisco, Wi-Fi devices will power a majority of all Internet traffic by 2017, and a 2015 study by Tech Pro Research found that 74 percent of businesses are using or are planning to use “bring your own device” (BYOD) policies. These, and other trends in consumer and employee behavior are causing demand for Wi-Fi to grow exponentially. WiFi Pro was built to enable businesses to serve both guests/patrons and employees.

Most small business owners want to focus on building their business and not trying to install and configure a wireless network. Without an in-house tech staff DIYing it can be difficult and time consuming. WiFi Pro changes all that.

With WiFi Pro small to medium-size businesses (SMBs) can:

  • Set up an employee and a guest network in minutes.
  • Create a custom splash.
  • Create a custom landing page.
  • Create a custom coupon or offer to encourage repeat business.

Additional features:

  • Access to hotspots across U.S. Perfect when you’re traveling for business.
  • Professional installation and solid security features.
  • Affordable. Some plans are as low as $19.95 per month.

AND there’s an app for that! WiFi Pro can be managed on a smart device through a mobile app or an online portal that gives businesses additional capabilities like on-demand activity reporting and network configuration controls to set schedules and allocate bandwidth.

WiFi Pro complements Comcast Business’ full range of Wi-Fi offerings, including managed WiFi from Comcast Business’ new Enterprise Solutions unit. For more information, visit business.comcast.com/wifipro.