WalMart: An Entrepreneur’s Dream

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJuly 12, 2013 Blog get on the shelf, walmart

Getting your product on the shelf of one of the big brand stores is an entrepreneurs dream. If it’s yours WalMart, the quintessential I’ve-got-everything-you-need-store, is holding a contest called, “Get on the Shelf.” Last year, Walmart announced they were launching this innovative contest (see 2012 Press Release below).

If you, or someone you know, has a great product – please share this blog!

How it works… create a short video showcasing your product and upload it to https://getontheshelf.walmart.com. Video submissions will be accepted from now until July 31 11:59 p.m. EST. The first round of public voting will take place later this summer and the second voting round will begin in early Fall.

Why Sharing Blogs Correctly is a Good Idea

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJuly 10, 2013 Blog blogs, facebook, linkedin, traffic, twitter

If you have a business, one of the best free marketing resources you can use is a blog. If your website does not include blogging capabilities, you should consider it. Most people use social media to share blogs written about other businesses, products and services. Sharing your blogs on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn and other social media platforms are great. It’s never a bad idea to share. That’s what we learned in pre-school, right? However, this will drive web traffic to those companies, not yours.

By setting up your blog and sharing your content – you will drive traffic to your website. There are five key reasons why this is a good idea. You can…

acquire new customers
drive more traffic to your website
build quality relationships with your customers
provide a way to interact with customers and followers through comment boxes
build trust by providing quality and reliable content worth sharing

The more you blog and share, the more traffic you will start to receive. If you have good Search Engine Optimization (SEO) built inside your website and/or blog, you will probably see even more traffic.

Your blog should focus around your business, products, services and most importantly …. your expertise on the subject matter. Write your blog like you own it and write from personal experiences. People like “stories,” so incorporating stories into your blogs that mix with your business will also be very helpful.

Lastly, don’t overdo it! Keep it short, sweet and informative. There is no need to write a blog a day. Your plate is full, so three per week is fine. Schedule your blogs to go out at varying times of the day and different days of the week. Remember… your audience is all over the world… and in different time zones. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to share.

Happy Blogging!

Help a Veteran Become an Entrepreneur – Become a Mentor

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJuly 8, 2013 Blog entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, veterans

On this July 4, we not only celebrated our freedom, but we also needed to celebrate those individuals who helped us keep our freedom – our Military personnel and Veterans.

These brave individuals put their lives on the line for us – and are doing it even as we gathered with family and friends, enjoyed our BBQ meals, games, fun and activities. When they come home, what will they see and experience? For those who left jobs behind, they may or may not have them when they return.

If they don’t have a job when they return and if they are injured, it will make their transition a little harder.

Have you considered helping our Veterans? Did you know that many are college graduates, have learned excellent skills while serving our country, and have a great work ethic.

On July 1, I saw an article entitled, “Entrepreneurship Bootcamp Give Wounded Veterans a New Life” (http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/227306). The EBV Program offers training in entrepreneurship and small business management to soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines wounded while serving or supporting combat operation in Iraq or Afghanistan. On their website, it states that their mission is to:

Raise donations and provide funds to the participating schools for their EBV programs.

Provide mentors to participating veterans to assist in the development of their business plans.
Provide seed capital to veterans to start their business.

Interested? To become a mentor, visit their website at – http://www.ebvfoundation.org/index.php?page=become-a-mentor. That’s it! But, if you are unable to become a mentor, you can still support the program by making a donation here – https://www.ebvfoundation.org/index.php?page=make-a-donation.

Don’t forget our military personnel… they haven’t forgotten about us.

Business Going Stale? It May Be Time to Re-focus, Re-think and Re-brand

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJuly 5, 2013 Blog branding, facebook, linkedin, marketing, rebranding, twitter

If you’ve been in business for a while and sales and service requests have dropped, it may be time to re-focus, re-think and possibly re-brand.

A friend found that her original business slowed tremendously. She started thinking about re-branding – starting with a new name. Her immediate concern was if people would know her by the new name. What if current clients couldn’t identify with her? After careful consideration, she decided to start a different company – with a new name – but providing the same services and adding on a few new ones.

After a few months of sharing this new identify on the Internet, specifically Twitter, LinkedIn groups and other group forums, she began receiving random inquiries. As time went by, her business has picked up even more.

Sometimes, you have to leave your comfort zone in order to focus. Sometimes, in order to be successful, you have to seek out other relationships besides friends and family members. One mutual friend, I’ll call her Dana, was able to experience a rise in new business – merely by changing her identify, re-branding and marketing herself to a different audience. Below are six tips she shares about the process:

Get out a piece of paper and write (yes, I said write) down your current business name on one side, draw a line vertically down the paper and put your new business name on the other side.
Under the current business – write down your products and services and other offerings. Then duplicate that under the new business. If there are any aspects of the current business that won’t be included in the new one, don’t write it. Under the new business, if there are new services/products you want to offer – include them.
Under the new business – write down Twitter and Pinterest. (Dana didn’t include Facebook or LinkedIn, but you may want to consider those as well).
Also under new business – write down several domain names. Keep them short and sweet so prospects can find you. It also makes your email address shorter and easier to remember.
Now, register for a new Federal Tax ID number and register with the state in which you do business. You can also revisit the SBA for opportunities you may have missed the first time.
Lastly, purchase your new domain name and hosting. Find a reputable web developer to design your new site.

If you’re in a business slump, it may be time to do what Dana did…look beyond your comfort zone – your hometown, friends, family and former clients. The World Wide Web is open 24/7. If your business is one that can take advantage of something new (and most are), then think about re-focusing, re-thinking and re-branding. You may be surprised at your results.

Sometimes Business Owners Need a Pick-Me-Up

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJuly 3, 2013 Blog black enterprise, entrepreneurs

No, not the kind that comes in a glass or bottle, but the kind that comes from celebrating others’ success.

Last month I attended the 2013 Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference in Columbus, OH. Oftentimes as an entrepreneur, the uphill climb can be long and hard. Throughout the years, I’ve participated in numerous breakout sessions and conference workshops, but what I have learned throughout this process is that I get rejuvenated from the success stories of others.

I was waiting to take a photo with Clark Kellogg, basketball commentator and former classmate. Clark had just finished interviewing Magic Johnson, the quintessential entrepreneur. Johnson was the catalyst that got the conference in a winning frame of mind. While waiting, I asked an eager fan to take the photo. At the time, I didn’t know that the chance meeting would turn into the most profound two hours of my entrepreneurial experience.

While leaving, Dee Tolber (who took the photo), president and founder of A Blessed Cookie Company, and I struck up a conversation about our businesses. An hour later I was filled with encouragement and a renewed energy as she told me about the many obstacles that were “divinely” moved out of her way. After listening to her, I knew that as long as I remained true and faithful to the vision, nothing will deter me.

In this tough economic climate, it’s easy to feel defeated. When others tell of their woes, having an empathetic heart can weigh you down. It’s times like these when you need to find encouragement and inspiration from others that have good news to share.

I was also inspired by Dr. Dennis Kimbro, author of the new book The Wealth Choice: Success Secrets of Black Millionaires. I was first introduced to Dr. Kimbro while reading Think and Grow Rich, A Black Choice and my favorite What Makes the Great Great. It was Great that inspires me to move forward with my next project, Just Do Your Dream.

Conferences and seminars are a great way to gather new information. However, I’ve always found that the people who are in the trenches along with us, have possibly even more to share than those on the dais.

SBA Announces Winners

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJuly 1, 2013 Blog sba, winners

I’m all for rooting for others. It gets my entrepreneurial spirit in gear. I always think: If they can do it, so can I.

I mentioned the SBA’s Small Business Week in an earlier blog. If you weren’t able to attend, here’s the information about the winner and runner-up of Small Business Person of the Year.

In my blog, Sometimes Business Owners Need a Pick-Me-Up, I mentioned that hearing positive stories from others like you can spark your flame and get the gears moving againg. Inspirational stories can inspire you to greatness. That’s why we share – so that others can know and feel the excitement and exhuberation of success that we sometimes feel.

Congratulations to John Stonecipher, Noah Leask and Kari Block. Their success and innovations are helping all small business owners. Their success is our success.

Are You a Lonely Business Owner? How to Build a Support System

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJune 28, 2013 Blog

Starting a business can be a very lonely job. If you start your business by yourself, not really letting anyone in or around you while we are building your company you will work yourself almost into the ground 24/7.

When I decided to work on Visibility Marketing full time, everyone knew it. I had many people offer assistance and many times, I accepted. I called local colleges and universities that offered internships to their students. I had much success with them as they learned the business and I had valuable assistance.

Entrepreneur Online shares useful information on how to build a support system. A few of the ways they shared are: 1) Check out an incubator or accelerator in your area, or 2) Find a mentor to guide you. You might also consider building a board of advisors, who can bring expertise in a wide variety of areas.

Watch this video to see how building a support system can help you.

Be More Visible: Buy Ads on Local TV and Media Websites

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJune 26, 2013March 20, 2019 Blog advertising, Media Outlets, News, TV

My web developer, who also provides web marketing consulting, offersa lot of tips about online marketing. One of the biggest areas missed by business people is using local media outlet’s online version of newspapers and television stations. Most people think that the advertising rates will be enormous, when in fact they may be reasonable. Below are several ways to use these media outlets:

Contest Sponsorships

While having a discussion with her, she mentioned one particular opportunity where the TV station had an online contest. They were looking for advertisers to sponsor a local sporting event. The highest sponsorship level would give them full exposure. They would be able to have their information on all of their marketing materials, which included guest handouts. Their logo would appear on tote bags, hats, cups and signage. They would also benefit from game day shout outs and website recognition. Another sponsorship level did not include marketing collateral, but was still well worth the sponsorship.

Advertise on TV Stations Videos

Have you ever missed the news and decided to catch up on the TV station’s website to find the video? Prior to the news is a commercial. These ads may not be expensive and… they can be narrowed down to target your audience.

For example, your business services only one or two zip codes. The marketing professionals at the TV station can develop an advertising campaign that will only show your ads online to IP addresses in a specific zip code. This would be great as a way to test how many people visit or call your company from these ads. If you are getting a great number of calls, you could then expand your campaign to other zip codes.

Banner Advertising

Banner advertising can work almost the same way. Each TV station or newspaper has their own way of producing ads on each of the pages. For example, if you are in the sports business – you could ask for ads in the sports section only. Or, if you trying to reach high school athletes – you could place an ad on the high school sports pages.

These types of campaigns require expertise by the sales professionals at each media outlet. Contact them for a meeting. The sales professionals are helpful and courteous and will be happy to explain everything to you.

So… reach out to your local media outlets! You may be surprised that you can actually afford to advertise with them.

64 Google+ Content Strategies [Infographic]

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJune 24, 2013 Blog facebook, google hangout, google+, infographics, linkedin, twitter, yourtube.com

As I was reviewing some of my bookmarks, I came across a blog written by Maria Peagler, founder of SocialMediaOnlineClasses.com and an award-winning publisher and author, who had written this article for Copyblogger back in February. I don’t know how I missed sharing this, but it’s never too late to share.

In this article she expands her discussion on a few of her favorites from this list. You can read them here – http://www.copyblogger.com/google-plus-content-strategies/. Below is an Infographic that breaks down Google+ into areas you can use to create your own branding strategies.

Like this infographic? Grab a proven framework for content marketing that works from Copyblogger.

I hope you will find this useful. If you have a chance, please let me know how it works for you.

Crisis Management from a Three-Year-Old

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJune 21, 2013 Blog crisis management, honest, pr, public relations, truth

This is the second blog in a 3-part series. Didn’t see the first one? Click here…
Check out the second one here….

After taking a class in crisis management, the first thing I learned was the same thing my mother taught me.

Remember when your parents told you not to do something, and you did it anyway? Then, something happened that you were hoping wouldn’t? The first words out of my mother’s mouth after she asked what happened was, “Tell the truth.” After I hesitated, she would then say, “If you tell the truth, you won’t get in trouble. I want to hear the truth about what happened.”

Isn’t it interesting that the same applies in adulthood. Many public relations blunders happen when the truth is not told immediately. Can you say, Bill Clinton and Anthony Weiner?

The second thing I learned happened after I learned to tell the truth. Although in the instance of public relations, you actually do this first, tell it first. If you know that a company accident happened and several people were hurt…YOU be the first to get the information out to the public. YOU take control of the media. Do not let false information leak.

Lastly, make sure you take responsibility and correct the problem. For me, I had to either apologize, pay money or suffer the consequences. In the cases of Clinton and Weiner, they both suffered the consequences of their actions. Would it have been different if they had told the truth first? Probably.

The art of public relations is knowing how to handle the public. As mentioned in the previous blog, you have to know your audience and act accordingly. You audience may be stakeholders, employees, parents, senior citizens…you name it. Each responds differently to the same situation.

Did I learn my lesson about telling the truth? I think so. At least it’s the first thing I said to my children when they did something they weren’t supposed to. “Tell the truth.”

Does Your Social Media End at 5pm?

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJune 19, 2013 Blog facebook, hootsuite, inbound marketing, linkedin, sharing, social media, twitter

Occasionally I receive emails from my web developer who also assists VMI with our blogging and social media activities. She often reminds me that social media doesn’t stop when I shut down. “Your business is open 24/7 and is seen all over the world…. and in different time zones… so why don’t you tweet after 5pm?,” she asks.

Back on May 3, 2013, she sent the following email out to her clients – Subject: “Does Social Media Stop on the Weekends.”

To my social media clients,

A client recently contacted me to see if I would also do their social media on the weekends. I said sure because social media is ongoing – it’s going on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To be honest, why share only during your regular business hours. Your website and business technically is open for business all over the world. Are you missing an opportunity to reach out and touch one of your customers in a different city, state, country? Time Zone matters!

This intrigued my client because I told him that I now have clients in Alaska (4 hours behind me), California (3 hours behind me), Texas (1 hour behind me) and one in London, England which is 5 hours ahead of me. So what about the people in those areas? Are they even seeing what you tweet/share? Probably not if you are doing it only in YOUR time zone.

Donald Trump says, “Your Fired!”… My Client says, “Girl, you are HIRED.” Made me laugh.

As I was reading a few news items and blogs today, I came across a blog from Inbound Marketing Agents entitled, “Social Media 101: Your Perfect Posting Schedule.” There is a great infographic found in the blog stating the best time to post to Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest. For instance, the best time to post to LinkedIn is from 7am to 9am and 5pm to 6pm but not between 10pm and 6am. It says avoid posting in the evening because traffic fades. I am also assuming that in most places, many people may be asleep.

If you’re working in different time zones, you can always adjust your post times. If you’re using Twitter, there’s HootSuite, an online tool that helps you schedule when your tweets will go out. I’ve talked about HootSuite before in my blogs.

Take a look at their blog. They have useful tips for creating a posting schedule that will meet your posting needs.

Montrie here’s the link to the blog – http://www.inboundmarketingagents.com/inbound-marketing-agents-blog/bid/294669/Social-Media-101-Your-Perfect-Posting-Schedule

Google+: What’s New and Why You Should Use It

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJune 17, 2013 Blog facebook, google hangout, google+, infographics, linkedin, twitter, yourtube.com

It seems that the mediums for sharing information will never end. There is, and probably always will be, a way for you to connect to anyone, anytime and anywhere.

Are you familiar with Google+?

Google+ has a fresh new look. Looking at it – it reminds me a little bit of Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter all rolled into one. PR Daily wrote an excellent breakdown of some of the changes to the Google+ platform. A few of the items noted that I particularly find interesting include:

#3 – Infographics will display in a nearly useful size at full length in the new layout. The estimated dimensions are 503 × 930 for desktop viewing. An influx of infographic posts is likely. Keep an eye on ensuring readability.

#7 – A Hangout is now any form of group communication. This can include Video Call, Group Chat or Group Calling. This new feature means many messaging and calling products can now merge.

#8 – Google has released a standalone Hangout app that replaces Google Chat and allows for text and video chat across Android, iOS, and Chrome.

#12 – YouTube expands its live-streaming feature to all channels with more than 1,000 subscribers.

Some of these can prove very useful when communicating with business colleagues, family and friends. No need to set up multiple accounts with different service providers – you have one-stop shopping right inside Google+.

To view the entire lis , go here (http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/19_things_you_need_to_know_about_the_NewGooglePlus_14559.aspx. You may find you have more favorites that I did!