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Women’s Elevation Magazine | January 2013
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WE Magazine: I think that is something that entrepreneurs struggle with because when you don’t take time to schedule out as much as you can you end up doing it all, and your body becomes drained. C. Allen: Exactly, but what you must realize is that it will be there tomorrow. You can do as much as humanly possible, but you have to take those breaks. In planning you should schedule in bathing, eating, and breaks for rest because if you don’t you allow yourself to become unproductive. WE Magazine: What keeps you driven and elevated to continue on the journey? C. Allen: My dream since the third grade was to be a millionaire philanthropist. I have a 10-year-old daughter and an 8-year-old with BIG dreams too. I owe it to them to prove that dreams do come true, as soon as you wake up and make them a reality. Plus, I’ve really gotten used to my freedom. WE Magazine: I want to round out the last part of this interview by asking you to give some advice to our readers. Now I follow you on Facebook, and one of your post, about 8 hours ago, says "If you think you need money 2 start #marketing, you don't. If you're running your mouth for free now, just change what's coming out & who hears it." That statement is so powerful and it coincides with my next question which is what are some of the things that you would like to see entrepreneur’s stop doing in 2013 regarding themselves and their business? C. Allen: Wow, ok that's a tough one (laughs) I would have to say some of my biggest pet peeves are: 1. Making excuses – Stop making excuses. Stop thinking you have to have money to make money. You have to have resources to make money and you have to invest in yourself to grow. 2. Learn how to communicate – step out of your comfort zone. Understand the value of perception.
Being careful of who you give money to, doing your homework because everyone has a hustle. C. Allen: I didn't even think of it from that aspect, but that is very true. You shouldn't buy a system from anyone that you haven’t already connected to. Everybody is not for everybody. Just because it looks good does not mean it is good for you. You have to pay attention to whether or not they will engage with you. You have to educate yourself and pay attention to those that you follow and who they follow. WE Magazine: Staying on topic you said that you didn't think about that statement in that way. Explain to our readers what you meant. This is some valuable information I want to make we get it right (laughs). C. Allen: (laughs) Right, right. What I mean is why would someone buy the cow when they can get the milk for free? If you keep giving your treasures away you are just giving away your gift. Its okay to give but you have to be careful who you give to. Give responsibly. WE Magazine: I want to end this article by asking what is your favorite quote/mantra to go by as you reach for the stars? C. Allen: I would have to say its: Impossible is an opinion, not a fact. WE Magazine: I want to thank you for being a part of this issue, tell our readers about anything you have coming up. C. Allen: Thank you I appreciate it. I am hosting an event in January from the 25-26th it is the Reinvention Revolution in Durham, NC. It is a 2-day event focused on showing you how to reinvent yourself – starting where you are with what you have. It’s about discovering your difference, understanding purpose, knowing your worth and changing your life on your terms.
Women’s Elevation Magazine | January 2013
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Social media has revolutionized the way that business is done globally. Websites like Facebook, Twitter, Google +, and Pinterest give members 24/7 access to their favorite companies. Social media marketing is popular but it needs to be creative to appeal to the masses. The Internet is flooded with information and advertisements so the average person learns to be selective when responding to a constant bombardment of stimuli. Here are five ways you can use social media to effectively promote your business’ products and services: Brand yourself through Facebook. Use the social media giant to build a platform for your company and its customers. Make sure your business name and logo are easy to recognize and relate to. Increase exposure by commenting on other business pages frequently. People will see your name and logo and begin to trust you as a reputable source of information and commerce.
Run a contest through your social media accounts. Hold a sweepstakes that awards its winners something related to your business. Give away products and services that have to do with your company. Use a randomizer like Rafflecopter to select your winners. Encourage additional entries by having members share your Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest accounts with their family members and friends.
Share links to your blog and other articles relating to your business. Use a link shortener like Bit.ly to see where your website traffic is generating from. Hit those social media accounts hard because they’re the sites that are working the best for you and your company.
Create a podcast and use your social media accounts to reach your audience. Podcasts allow you to connect with your customers by answering their questions, announcing the launch of new products and providing information about relevant topics of interest. Make sure to put a plug in for your social media accounts at the end of your recorded program. Here’s How to Record a Podcast Using Skype and Audacity.
Organize Tweetups and invite people to join you online. Pick a subject that will gain a lot of feedback. Ask for honest opinions about your company as well as the products and services you provide to consumers. Address any concerns and thank people for participating. People love to feel valued and appreciated.
No social media technique is flawless. In fact, it’s very difficult to reach all people 100% of the time. Saturation is key if you want others to take you seriously. Don’t expect everyone to love you. Erik Qualmann, author of the book Socialnomics, states that “The beauty of social media is that it will point out your company’s flaws; the key question is how quickly you address these flaws.”
Women’s Elevation Magazine | January 2013
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