One Size Never Fits All

By Montrie Rucker AdamsAugust 16, 2013 Blog audience, communications, demographics, reach

When reaching your audience, one size never fits all.

Here’s a good example. One client needs to communicate to about 1.27 million people. In doing so, they decide to send a letter. Let’s think about this…how many different demographics can come from 1.27 million different people?

Well…let’s see. There are differences in:

Income
Education
Age
Ethnicity
Culture
Gender
Sexual Orientation
Learning Styles
How One Chooses to Receive Information
Tech Savvy
Differing Abilities
Region

I’ve only included 12. However, these 12 can be broken down further. For instance, a person with a college degree may only read business journals whereas another person with a college degree enjoys entertainment magazines. So, how will one letter reach all 1.27 million. It won’t.

Even though you may think your budget won’t allow multiple streams of communication, you have to at least consider reaching your audience many different ways.

Some may like to read. Others to listen to the radio. Then there are those who will only pay attention to text messages.

Don’t lose out on reaching your audience by not paying attention to who they are and how they receive information. Think about the clothes we buy…one size never fits all.

Be More Visible: The Art of Self-Promotion

By Montrie Rucker AdamsAugust 14, 2013 Blog Center for Women’s Research, Self-Promotion, women owned businesses

Somewhere someone’s Mom is saying, “I thought I taught you that it just isn’t right to boast and brag about how great and wonderful you are. You won’t have any friends.” Some of us remember our “talking to” after we were heard saying, “I can do that better than you!”

Well, Mom was only half right. These days it is not only “right” to let others know about what you have accomplished, it is essential.

The rules have changed. Anyone who has something to contribute, (that should be all of us), should tell others. Who best to talk about you… but you?

In its Key Facts about Women-Owned Businesses, the Center for Women’s Research states that 10.1 million firms are owned by women. These firms employed more than 13 million people, and generated $1.9 trillion in sales (as of 2008). Self-promotion is not only for business owners, it’s for people seeking careers, opportunity, experiences and most importantly, a chance to give of themselves.

“Well, I’m not comfortable bragging about myself.” If this is you, stop! Today, with social media and small businesses skyrocketing, the new mantra is self-promote, which is different from bragging. Here’s the difference, according to Nathan Hangan in his blog The Art of Shameless Self-Promotion:

“…self-promotion is the art of spreading ideas, concepts, and a greater vision. Self-adulation is just the promotion of accomplishments, deeds that have already been done.”

To begin, ask:

What do I want to accomplish? Do you want career advancement? Do you have a product or service? Do you need more clients, patients, students? Think first about the results you want.

What do I have to offer? What are your experiences, accomplishments? What can you do well?

How do I want to get my message across? There are numerous ways to let others know about you. The most compelling and fastest growing is social media. Why? Because people do business with people and blogs, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter are all about connecting with people. However, be careful. Though you may “friend” many, how may friends do you really have? Really. Just be careful what you say. It may come back to haunt you.

Now that’s done. Next, we have to:

Share. We learned this in pre-school. Share your knowledge. Help others. Take “I’m better than you,” and now tell them how you can make them better.

Be authentic. People want to know that you are reliable and trustworthy. No fakers or phonies please.

Be consistent. When using social media, you have to stay visible. This means you are writing often and often writing. Post comments, send messages and respond to others. People will begin to notice you.

Reciprocate. When someone comments or sends a message, do not ignore them. Acknowledge their time and efforts. It’s common courtesy.

Lastly, Stick with it. As social media grows, self-promotion becomes more necessary. Begin where you are and don’t forget to tell Mom about all your new “friends.”

Damage Control: Mamma Said Never Tell a Lie

By Montrie Rucker AdamsAugust 9, 2013 Blog honesty, lies, paula deen, truth

How do you know the appropriate time to tell the truth, keep quiet or lie? I remember as a child my mother saying, “Now tell the truth and you won’t get into any trouble.” I always thought that was a trick statement. I also remember my mother telling me that, “Not telling something is almost as good as a lie.”

Paula Deen is a great example of this. I’ve been watching Paula Deen for years. I would just salivate watching her make all that fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, potato salad, cakes, cookies, pies – heavily saturated with sugar and fat. All the while, she would proclaim, “This is just delicious Y’all!”

So…what is so wrong with that? Well, she had diabetes. She never told anyone until one of the drug manufacturers wanted her to be a spokesperson. Only then did she disclose her disease. Was she being honest with her audience? I don’t think so. Should she have disclosed the fact that she had diabetes and encouraged others to eat healthy? Absolutely.

Fast forward to the most recent news. Deen is sued for derogatory, racist statements. When she got on the witness stand, she answered truthfully this time. She didn’t tell a lie. She stated that yes, indeed, she had used that language. The statement, “tell the truth and it will set you free” didn’t exactly work in her favor. It opened up a whirlwind of gossip, ill will, threats, hatred, pulled endorsements and much more. All of the companies that had backed her suddenly dropped her like one of the boiling potatoes she was once seen cooking.

Paula Deen is a person… but Paula Deen is also a brand. What she said personally has just about destroyed her brand. How will she recover from this? Only time will tell. The one thing I do know is that before you decide to be honest and tell the truth – you’d better be aware of the consequences that may follow. If not, you will be boiling in the pot with a bunch of potatoes just like Paula Deen.

Creating and Customizing Your Google+ Company Page

By Montrie Rucker AdamsAugust 5, 2013 Blog google plus, google+

Google+ is becoming a very popular tool for individuals and businesses. If you don’t have a company page on Google+, this video is just right for you. Developed by Hootsuite University, the video is the second part in a series that breaks down the fundamentals of Google Plus for business and will guide you through setting up your page in four easy steps.

http://youtu.be/7rwJ_tYhFsg

After watching, check out some of the other useful videos Hootsuite has that can help you with your online presence.

You Can Use YouTube to Communicate with Customers

By Montrie Rucker AdamsAugust 2, 2013 Blog communications, entrepreneur, entrepreneuro online, videos, youtube

YouTube is not just for videos anymore.

Entrepreneur.com has a video section called “60 Second Solutions. ” It’s where various business owners and professionals share their tips in 60 seconds to help you with your business. In this video, Shira Lazar, host of YouTube’s What’s Trending, shares information on how using video can help you connect with your customers – 24/7.

If you don’t have a business YouTube account, it may be a good idea to set one up. Using video, customers and potential customers have another way to see exactly who you are, what you do and how you can help them.

5 Ways to Make Your Business “More Visible”

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJuly 31, 2013 Blog be more visible, conferences, seminars, workshops

With today’s marketing strategies focusing primarily with online visibility (websites and social media), many people seem to have forgotten about making themselves visible – that ”face-to-face” interaction has almost gone the way of the payphone.

Below are several ways to make “you” and “your” business more visible.

Register for and attend a conference that is focused on your business or in an area of interest to your customers. Even if you are familiar with the content of the conference – your customers are not. What better way to get close to them than to engage them there.
Get out and visit local business owners that may need your services. Offer to provide them with a complimentary meeting or assessment of their business. Seeing you face-to-face may make them take you up on the offer.
Join the local Chamber of Commerce in your area. Most of these offer monthly breakfast/lunch events that may prove to be very beneficial to your business.
Trade shows are always interesting. Find some in your area and rent a table. To draw visitors, dress it up and make it festive. You’ll be surprised at how many people will stop by. Don’t forget the tchotchkes! Everyone loves a useable freebie (notice the emphasis on usable!)
Develop a basic workshop or free seminar that you can offer potential customers. Make sure that what you are offering will be beneficial to them – that when they walk away, what they’ve learned can be put into action. If they need more assistance, they will more than likely reach out to you for help. Also, if you decide to conduct a “paid” seminar or workshop – chances are, they will pay if value was found in the free seminar.

These are just a few ideas on how to make you and your business “more visible.”

Introduction to Crowdfunding for Entrepreneurs

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJuly 29, 2013 Blog crowdfunding, sba, small business administration

Last week I wrote a blog entitled, “Need Money? Try Crowdfunding“. The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers many free online training courses to help business owners succeed. One of their latest training videos is called, “Introduction to Crowdfunding for Entrepreneurs.”

SBA’s Office of Entrepreneurship Education provides this self-paced training exercise as an overview of crowdfunding (also commonly referred to as ‘crowd financing’ or ‘crowd sourced capital’). The highlighted next steps at the conclusion of the program will help you apply what you have learned and engage you in the process of crowdfunding.

The course is free, online and takes 30 minutes. If you have time, you can click here to participate – http://www.sba.gov/sba-learning-center/training/491091. System Requirements: Acrobat Reader, Adobe Flash Player. Classes will not play in iOS devices due to Flash limitations.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink!

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJuly 26, 2013 Blog bookmarklets, google+, searches

Remember your Mom’s pocketbook? Most people call it a purse, but I think the older generation still refer to it as a pocketbook. My mom had everything but the kitchen sink in there! Tissues, gum, makeup, candy, mirrors, combs & brushes, nail file, sewing kit, pocket knife, pictures…you name it…it was in there. As I recall, they were much smaller than the ones we now carry!

While perusing the Internet, I came across a product called “Pocket.” It is actually a product by Get Pocket. How does it work? It reminds me of my mother’s pocketbook.

Sometimes while perusing the Internet, you may come across many stories you’d like to read or products you may want to buy. Maybe you’re in a rush and you just don’t have time at that moment. Using bookmarks or favorites in your browser used to be the way to go, but there really isn’t a clear way to define what it is or why you even thought to save it.

With Pocket, you add a bookmarklet in your browser. When you come across areas you want to revisit, you click your bookmarklet and it will save to your own Pocket (or Pocketbook as I keep referring to it. Using Pocket makes it so much easier to see everything at a glance and it’s easy to remember why it is saved it in the first place.

So, if you are as busy as I am and you don’t have a lot of time… go to Get Pocket and install it on your computer or mobile device. I am sure that once you start using it, you won’t want to live without it.

The Next Big Story…How You Can Be In On It

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJuly 22, 2013 Blog press release, really simple syndication, rss, story, syndication

I watch several news programs during the day. It’s my way of keeping up with the latest news and venturing into the minds of the public relations pros as they help shape the news. I may switch from NBC or CBS to CNN in the morning as I am preparing for work. I always check back to the national news during the day.

Two of the hot stories right now are the Martin/Zimmerman story and the “big wait” for the birth of the royal baby. All of the major media outlets are on both of these stories. Many have sent reporters and their media crews to London to await the royal birth. As of this writing, there is no word from the Palace that the Duchess is even in labor. However, media outlets have scurried over to get “the next big story.”

You are a business owner, and depending on what you sell or what services you provide – there has to be “the next big story” in your field. So, how do you get your next big story? How do you stay up on the cutting edge of new things? What measures do you have in place to hear the little whispers out there that “the next big story” will pop out at any given time?

A few ways you can get out the gate with “the next big story” is to use an RSS feed from all the blogs and news outlets that you regularly visit. Why get the news second hand from someone on social media hours after it has been published? Most Internet browsers have RSS built in.

All you have to do is look for “RSS” on the various websites, click it and grab the link – or click “sign up.” If you opt for grabbing the link, you can manually input that in the RSS in your browser or – if you use Microsoft Outlook 2010 or higher, you can add the RSS into your email system. The great part about having it in your email is that as soon as it is published – it is immediately delivered into your email.

You can take action immediately on that “next big story.” Whether it’s writing a blog about it and sharing it on your own social media accounts, or writing an email and sending it to your clients.

Staying abreast of “the next big story” in your field and getting that information out immediately – will make you and your business very important to your clients.

If you have never used the RSS feed, try it out. You will find that you can’t live without it.