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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6 Engaging Ways to Humanize Your Online Business

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6 Engaging Ways to Humanize Your Online Business

I remember all too well the days of working a 9-5 office job, sitting in my cubicle and dreaming of working from home. I longed for the days when I could run an online business from the privacy of my own apartment, ditch my long commute, work in stretchy-pants, and not have to pack a lunch. 

The grass is always greener, isn’t it? While I’m extremely grateful that my work-from-home dreams came to fruition, I’m able to see a fuller, less-glorified picture of what running an online business looks like in actuality. There are numerous benefits, but there’s one aspect that’s been difficult for a people-person like myself - the lack of human interaction.

Sure, I receive tweets, blog comments, and Instagram feedback, but it isn’t quite the same as one-on-one, in-person conversation. 

As a reader, you might experience this same problem from the other side as well. While I know reading this is awesome (am I right?), it’s not quite the same as sitting down to coffee with me and having a 2-sided conversation. In-person connections will always be a thousand times better than anything you can experience online. 

And for an online business, this poses a problem. People want to support a business they can personally connect with.

Think about it: Why do people buy handmade clothes and jewelry from Etsy, drink craft beer, and shop local? They want to support a cause they can get behind instead of supporting a big, generic corporation. They want to put their money towards something they can relate with. Consumers are more interested in buying an experience than a product. 

So how can you connect with your readers in a more personal way and provide an experience (while also adding a little more human interaction to your workweek)?

Getting Your Blog Organized with Trello

Getting Your Blog Organized with Trello

I’m all about organizing and creating systems to make business easier. So when we started getting everything ready for the launch of The Collaborative a couple months ago, I knew we needed to find a system for keeping up with submissions, due dates, to-do’s, etc. 

We tried creating and sharing access to a Google calendar, but it didn’t help us keep up with contributors or cut back on the amount of emails that were necessary to communicate with everyone on board. Evernote was another option, but it wasn’t as simple or intuitive as we hoped it would be.

And then we heard about Trello, a collaboration tool specifically geared toward organizing projects. After doing a little bit of research to figure out how to utilize it best, we set up a free account and were amazed at how such a simple tool could have such a huge impact on the organization of our blog. 

Those of you who blog regularly understand all of the moving parts and details involved with each post, especially if other people partner with you to create content. So today we’re sharing a behind-the-scenes look at how we use Trello to keep up with blog post ideas, create editorial calendars, and stay on top of all of our to-do’s for both the Elle & Company blog and The Collaborative. 

12 Proven Methods for Increasing Your Blog Traffic Today

12 Proven Methods for Increasing Your Blog Traffic Today

I’ve never met a blogger who wasn’t at least a little interested in their blog traffic, especially those who blog for business.

A higher number of visitors has the potential to open doors down the road, whether it’s a sponsorship opportunity, collaboration, job offer, book deal, client booking - the possibilities are endless. 

But it isn’t always easy to find an audience and appeal to them. I remember the struggle all too well, so today I’m sharing 12 strategies that have proven to be effective for growing Elle & Company’s following. My hope is that they’ll make a large impact on growing yours, too.

15 Easy Ways to Grow Your Blog Tribe

15 Easy Ways to Grow Your Blog Tribe

Building a loyal audience is a popular topic these days. As bloggers, we all desire to have a following that’s interested in what we have to say and engages with our content. And as a business owner, I know that the more engaged my audience is and the more they interact with my blog and business, the more likely they are to book my services, subscribe to the Library, or purchase a seat to my e-courses down the road. 

We all know that growing a loyal audience is essential, but the hangup isn’t in the why; it’s in the how. So today I’m sharing 15 easy ways that I’ve found helpful for growing your blog tribe.

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Can Your Site Survive with Fewer Blog Posts?

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Can Your Site Survive with Fewer Blog Posts?

Jake and I were shocked by the response to the latest Elle & Company newsletter. 

It had been a week or two since we sent out our last newsletter because of a fast-paced move and 2 weeks without internet, and we also skipped a couple weekday blog posts in the mix, too. While I was stressed about falling out of our routine and breaking my one and a half year streak of blogging 5 days a week, I was stunned to see the impact that inconsistent blogging had on our site analytics. 

So, we shared about it in Monday’s newsletter.