Adobe Illustrator is my go-to software for anything and everything design-related. It's the one program I truly couldn't work without.
And while it's easy to assume that the program's primary focus is illustration based on the name, there is so much more to this design software.
With tools for type, color, photo cropping, image tracing, drawing, and much more, it has innumerable benefits for bloggers and business owners, alike.
To get your creative gears turning, here's a look at 40 ways Adobe Illustrator can take your blog and/or business to the next level.
First impressions are crucial, especially in business.
Potential customers and clients make judgments about your business within the first few seconds of coming into contact with it, whether it’s through your website, your social media accounts, or a simple blog post graphic.
And those initial thoughts - whether they’re spot on or far off from what you want them to be - are within your control. You have the opportunity to make a killer first impression through high-quality, branded visuals.
If your blog is a large part of your business or you’re hoping to drive more traffic back to your site through your blog, you have to have eye-catching blog graphics to not only generate a positive first impression, but to encourage readers to share your posts on sites like Pinterest and be seen by an even wider audience.
So how do you create eye-catching blog post graphics? And better yet, how can you set them apart so they’ll stand out from the rest and be recognized time and time again?
“When I discovered YouTube, I didn’t work for 5 days.” - Michael Scott
Video platforms like YouTube (and more recently, Periscope) are easily the world’s greatest time-wasters. We’ve all been guilty of losing track of time on YouTube at least once, because videos are easily consumable, very addicting, and highly entertaining.
As a matter of fact, studies show that a whopping 78% of us watch videos online every week and 55% watch videos online every day.
Which is why Youtube is also the world’s greatest overnight-success-maker. If you’re on the production-side of a video and you’ve come up with a clever idea, you might just have a viral hit on your hands.
Video holds a lot of potential for interaction, engagement, and shares for creative businesses. And for that reason, it’s one of the best visual marketing tools you can use.
But it producing videos can be a little overwhelming, can’t it? Even with helpful video tools out there like Animoto, many of us struggle to come up with simple ideas for video content that would appeal to our audience.
And that’s where this post comes in. I’ve rounded up 40 easy, engaging video content ideas to help get your creative gears turning. My hope is that you’ll find a few ideas to implement and as a result, bring your business more exposure.
If you’re looking for a good way to kill at least an hour of your time, type in the word “infographic” in the Pinterest search bar.
Thousands of clever graphics will pop up on everything from “how to make a salad taste awesome” to a baby’s first year in a review. There’s even an infographic that answers the pressing question, “Is your dog sleeping a little too much?”
Then, after you’ve admired the genius creativity behind them, take a gander at how many repins and likes each of those infographics receives. Thousands upon thousands.
In fact, infographic volumes have increased by over 800% in 2 years. Publishers who use infographics grow in traffic an average of 12% more than those who don’t.
What is it about infographics that makes them so appealing? And better yet, how can you come up with some clever infographics for your business so it gains more exposure through likes and shares?
I have all the answers for you in this post.
Is your headline the first thing you consider when you sit down to write a post?
Probably not, but creating a catchy blog post title is one of the most important aspects of each blog post. It's the gateway to your content; it convinces people to click or scroll right past your latest post'.
In fact, studies show that 8 out of 10 people will read your headline but only 2 out of 10 will read your entire post.
Here are a few pointers for drawing in potential readers and a couple "templates" to help you create a catchy headline for your upcoming posts.
If I had to choose one thing I love most about designing brands and websites, I don’t know if I would be able to do it.
But I do know that somewhere near the top of the list of favorites would be differentiating each individual brand.
It’s a fun creative challenge to make each client’s brand completely distinct and unique.
And it helps when the mission behind the brand is unique and special all on its own.
Much of the branding process takes place before my clients send me their initial design inquiries. The design direction isn’t developed in the inspiration stages when I pull images from their inspiration board or even when I look over their client homework; it’s developed far earlier.
Brands are developed at the start of a business through their interactions with their audience. They’re developed through every point of contact, whether it’s through an Instagram post, product offering, or the copy on their website.
My job as a designer is to identify the existing brand and display it visually.
Which is why designing for Olivia Purvis was an exciting opportunity.
With every client branding project, I make it my mission to not only create a distinct visual identity for each business but to develop a system for how all of the design elements work together.
Not only does it make for a more polished, professional brand in the long-run, but it makes it much easier to implement a brand into my client's website and collateral items like business cards, social media images, product packaging, etc.
Jen Neal's new brand goes down as one of my favorite design projects because of the system we created with her vibrant colors, bold patterns, and classic typography. I'm excited to share the design process with you and offer a behind-the-scenes look at how I strategically incorporated each design element into her brand.
My 2-week design process has made things a little busy around here! I've booked over 20 projects for 2015 and it feels like this year has flown quicker than all the rest.
With little turnover time between clients, e-courses in full-swing, and the launch of the Collaborative in less than one week, I have a few fun brands that haven't made an appearance on the blog quite yet.
So if you enjoy Elle & Company client project reveal days, you're in for a treat. I have 3 new brands and websites to share with you today (along with a little snippet of the process behind each one)!
Back-to-back weeks of client launches? It's like Christmas around here!
My 2-week client process has been keeping me busy, and I'm excited to not only give you a look at the finished brand and website for one of my latest clients, Reveleigh & Co., but also share a behind-the-scenes look (and a video) at how I created it.
