Due to some personal issues, I have had to take a break from Alluring Innovations. I refuse to take on clients and not be able to fulfill my obligations to them fully and with the best customer service I can offer. As soon as possible the Social Media business here will come back full force and with some surprises in store. 

Today I was reading the McLellan Style blog from photographers Sean and Melanie McLellan and they had a great post about posting things that have helped me in my business. Instead of just one, I am going to post all the business related blogs that I frequent. Each of them helps me in my quest to be a great entrepreneur and customer service person. So without further ado:

Chris and Adrienne Scott, Nashville Photographers - Chris and Adrienne were the first Nashville photographers that I had the pleasure of getting to know, and they are still two of the best. They run a great business and, like me, believe in giving great service to their clients! 

Mod Media

Adrian Hitt, Photographer

Kate O'Neill, Meta Marketer - Kate of Meta Marketer is simply one of the most intelligent, hardworking women I have ever met. 

Kelly O'Neill Bailey, The Artist of Life - In addition to being an incredibly talented artist, she is also on of the sweetest people I know. If more people were like her, the world would be a better place.

Courtenay and Matthew Rogers, Primarily Rye - This sister/ brother team knows how to help a business succeed. 

Dave Delaney - The mind behind Geek Breakfasts, now a national phenomenon, and other social events for the tech crowd in Nashville.

Social Media Club - The source for Social Media, several blogs to choose from.

Fast Company and Mashable - Both of these has a plethora of technology and social media information that I find invaluable. 

Last but certainly not least, Nashville wedding photographers, Sean & Mel McLellan of McLellan Style are giving away business books to help you improve your business. Want one of them?—and want to help other people build their businesses at the same time? Visit their business books blog post!

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When first speaking with someone about what I do, the first question I usually get is, "What does social media mean?" Social media can mean different things to different people and businesses. Let's break it down in the simplest terms. Social, in the context with which we use it here, is defined by dictionary.com as "seeking or enjoying the companionship of others". Media is defined by dictionary.com as "the means of communication ... that reach or influence people widely". So, social media in its simplest terms is using the companionship of others as a means of communication that reaches or influences people widely. 

The way I like to describe the use of social media in business is that the interaction with customers that social media platforms offers allows a business to become personified. Your business becomes more like a friend to your customer than just an entity looking to sell them something. By personifying your business to your customers, you are able to better find out what your customer wants and needs and to meet those wants and needs in an efficient manner. 

At Alluring Innovations we want to help your business define the goals of what social media can do for you and to help you achieve those goals once they have been ascertained. Call us at (423) 582 - 8442 for more information.

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Following are our pricing packages:

Initial Consultation - 2 hrs. $100 Free Consultations through November ($100 fee goes towards any selected package, $100 discount on packages still included for new clients through November) includes:

Step One: Discovery - We look at what you are doing now to advertise and interact with customers in order to see what changes and additions can be made.

Step Two: Design - We design the right package for your company based on your wants and needs.  

Buy as you go consultation fees: $60 per hr. or buy 3 hr. blocks for $150 (good for up to three months and can be used in 15 min. blocks of time via email, phone, or in person)

Set up & Go - Includes setup of up to 5 social media sites for your company and you take it from there. Includes 5 consultation hrs. to use after setup session. $295

Learner Package - Includes setup of 3 social media sites for your company and teach up to 2 employees how to use them. Includes 3 hr. teaching session and 3 consultation hrs. to use after the initial session. $395

Helping Hand Package -  Includes setup of 3 social media sites, daily monitoring, client interaction, 1 post/status update to each site per week, and 5 hrs. of consultation per month. $495/month

We will work to custom design a package for each client but this price list will give you a starting point. Call Cassondra @ Alluring Innovations - 423-582-8442. We look forward to working with you in the future.

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"Image is everything." Or so the saying goes. With that theme in mind, I shall keep this post short and, I hope, sweet. Many updates will be coming to our site in the coming days as we officially launch. This is our biggest update thus far, with the design genius of our graphic designer, Parker Bowab, and help from our artistic director, Joshua Webb, I bring to you:

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Alluring Innovations - ALLURE. It means to entice by charm or attraction. Draw them in. INNOVATION. A new method or idea. That is the basis for Alluring Innovations. But what does that really mean? Let's start at the beginning.

Three years ago a woman named Cassondra, that would be me, decided to move to a little city called Nashville, TN. I believed that Nashville would offer me the opportunities I was looking for while still being close to my family in Chattanooga. I found some of the opportunities I was looking for but also found that a lot was missing. I wasn't happy being at the bottom of the ladder where I couldn't affect change. As I worked, I found that the more ideas I had, the less room there was for new ideas. I wanted to be involved with INNOVATION. Then, like so many people I lost my job due to cutbacks. Instead of just looking for a new job, I started to throw myself into the community. I became involved with the Social Media movement in the Nashville area. I began to realize that some of my past online volunteer experience was work in Social Networking and Social Media Marketing. An idea began to turn in my mind, maybe I should start my own company and specialize in Social Media. 

Soon after, I was offered the opportunity to move back home near my family in Chattanooga. As I observed the online communities and looked for Chattanooga companies I found that the landscape was littered with companies who didn't understand how important Social Media could be to their businesses. Many businesses either don't have networking pages or have ones that have been abandoned. 

My "mission" is clear. I want to help businesses build their social media marketing campaigns. Help businesses bring in, keep, and interact with customers. ALLURE. Help people to understand what it can do for them and how to go about doing it. As we speak I am working with a talented graphic designer named Parker Bowab to develop our logo (and he'll be available to clients for their needs as well!) Additionally, while the website is just this blog at the moment, in time I will work with a web designer to develop a comprehensive website that will help my clients better understand what I can do for them. Finally, we also have a talented photographer who can work with clients on their photography needs. For now, look here for updates as we expand! You can also check out the Twitter feed at AllureInnovate to see some of my favorite social media (and some pure tech) stories. 

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