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

Blogging

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Transitioning Your Blog to Grow Your Business

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Transitioning Your Blog to Grow Your Business

When I first started Elle & Company, I didn't realize the great opportunities that were available to me through blogging for my business. I saw my blog as an outlet and a way for others to get to know me on a personal level, and I integrated recent design projects in with funny stories and recipes. I didn't see anything wrong with that approach because I hadn't seen others in my industry approach it differently. 

It wasn't until this past summer that I began to recognize how much potential my blog had for growing my business. I slowly began to transition my blog from a catch-all to a blogging, business, and design resource, and I attribute my business growth to that change in perspective. Today, in an effort to help you transform your business through blogging, I'm sharing the steps I took to make that transition.

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Get with the Facts: How Google May Turn Your Blog's SEO Upside Down

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Get with the Facts: How Google May Turn Your Blog's SEO Upside Down

Recently it came to light that Google is reconsidering how they rank websites. According to an article by New Scientist, Google is researching the possibility of changing what they will look for when ranking websites. Rather than basing a website's ranking off of the number of quality inbound links, Google will possibly base search rankings off of facts. Read the article here and the proposal here. 

This article has gotten a lot of attention primarily because of its political implications. Many seem to think that this is one step towards censorship because Google would be the determining party for what is factual and favor that information in search rankings. Regardless of your political leanings, this also has implications for blogging. How could this impact you? Keep reading.

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50 Motivating Quotes for Business and Blogging

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50 Motivating Quotes for Business and Blogging

I believe that we can all benefit from those who have gone before us and have more experience in our industry. I also believe that everyone loves a good quote. So today I'm rounding up some of my favorite quotes on business and blogging from the some of the best to help you stay motivated as you round out your busy workweek.

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One Creative Way to Foster Community Around Your Blog

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One Creative Way to Foster Community Around Your Blog

Engagement is the key to a successful blog. It comes about in many ways - comments, shares, purchases, bookings - but it's something that every blogger strives for; we all want to initiate a response in our readers. While building engagement looks different for each blogger and largely depends on your ideal audience, I recently stumbled upon an unexpected way to foster community around Elle & Company: hosting a Twitter chat. 

What is a Twitter chat, how does it work, and why should you host one? I'm giving you all the details in today's post.

What I Learned from Gaining 3,000 Instagram Followers in One Day

What I Learned from Gaining 3,000 Instagram Followers in One Day

A couple months ago I partnered with some business ladies in similar industries for an Instagram loop giveaway. The goal of the partnership was to pool our followers and have them follow along with all of our accounts in order to enter for a chance to win $500 to J.Crew. An increase in followers on any social media platform give you a greater opportunity to increase sales and attract new clients, so the $170 investment was well worth it on my end; I knew that if I was able to gain one new client because of the giveaway, I would gain a great return on my investment.

I think it's always good to step back and evaluate decisions you make in blogging and business so that you can learn from them and become even more intentional in the future, so today I'm giving you an inside look at the experience. I'm sharing my honest thoughts about it all so that you might be encouraged to step outside the box when it comes to expanding your reach. I also hope that you walk away with a more intentional mindset on why you're doing what you're doing instead of just following along with the trends.