Business, Blogging
Lauren Hooker
40 Ways to Use Adobe Illustrator to Improve ...

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.

40 Ways to Use Adobe Illustrator to Improve Your Blog and Business
Blogging, Business, Branding, Design
Lauren Hooker
How to Create Eye-Catching Blog Post Graphics

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?

How to Create Eye-Catching Blog Post Graphics
Business, Visual Marketing
Lauren Hooker
40 Easy, Engaging Video Content Ideas for Your ...

“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.

40 Easy, Engaging Video Content Ideas for Your Creative Business
Business, Visual Marketing
Lauren Hooker
Why You Should Be Using Infographics for Your ...

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.

Why You Should Be Using Infographics for Your Business (And How to Create Them)
Blogging
Lauren Hooker
How to Create Catchy Headlines

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. 

How to Create Catchy Headlines

Sept 2017

Why I Switched My Courses Over to Teachable

Why I Switched My Courses Over to Teachable

Online courses are gaining in popularity nowadays, and for good reason.

They’re great for sharing actionable information with your audience, they can be fantastic sources of passive income, and when done right, they’re able to position you as an expert in your industry.

For these reasons, new platforms for hosting online courses are popping up all over the place, like Memberspace, Teachery, Thinkific, Teachable, and more.

But with so many to choose from and so many different reviews and preferences from online business owners, it can be difficult to decide which platform will work best for your business.

I recently made the switch to Teachable after trying a few other online course platforms in the past, and I wanted to share my honest experience with it. 

Why did I make the switch? Would I recommend it? What would I change about it? Keep reading to find out.

How I Grew My Waiting List to 250+ Prospective Clients

How I Grew My Waiting List to 250+ Prospective Clients

For new service-based entrepreneurs, one of the greatest challenges is finding, attracting, and booking clients. You may not have a large portfolio, a large audience, or client testimonials. You may not have much experience or expertise. And chances are, you’re probably in a very saturated, competitive industry.

I remember being in that position. And in less than a year and a half, I was able to grow my client waiting list to well over 250 prospective clients. 

If that sounds crazy to you, than this will be even more shocking: I didn’t do anything out of the ordinary to build my waiting list. All the steps I implemented can be executed by you, too. 

The Ins and Outs of My Client Offboarding Process

The Ins and Outs of My Client Offboarding Process

Your client project is officially coming to an end.

You’ve finalized revisions, your client is pleased with the final outcome, and you’re ready to stick in a fork in it because it’s done!


Not so fast, my friend. 

Before you wipe your hands of the project, there are still some offboarding tasks to complete to make sure you end things on a good note.

Everyone’s offboarding process looks a little bit different, but today I’m giving you an inside look at mine. 

My hope is that you’re able to glean a thing or two from my system that makes your offboarding process a little easier on both you and your client!

Everything Design School Didn’t Teach Me About Starting My Own Business

Everything Design School Didn’t Teach Me About Starting My Own Business

Design school taught me the principles of design, typography, and how to use Adobe Creative Suite - all of which I use on a day to day basis as a graphic designer.

But in the grand scheme of things, design is only a fraction of what I do as a business owner.

Even if you aren’t a graphic designer, you can probably relate to the feelings of overwhelm and self-doubt when you entered into the world of entrepreneurship and learned that many of the tasks you do each day don’t have anything to do with your field of expertise.

If so, you can probably relate to these 6 things design school didn’t teach me about starting a business.

24 Time-Saving Hacks for Busy Entrepreneurs

24 Time-Saving Hacks for Busy Entrepreneurs

If you have ever started a business, whether full time or on the side, you know the feeling of not having enough hours in the day to get everything done. 

As a business owner, your time is limited. You’re wearing several different hats and juggling many roles, each of which requires precious time out of your day. And chances are, you probably don’t have many hours to spare.

I know when I was pursuing Elle & Company on the side, and working a regular 9-5 job, the way that I used those hours, whether it was at night, or on the weekends, was extremely important and I didn't (and couldn't) waste any of it. 

So, if I could find any work arounds, any ways to save time, I would take 'em.

So I’ve rounded up my 24 favorite time-saving hacks - one for each hour of the day - in hopes of helping you create a little more room in your busy schedule.