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

Business

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What Caused My Biggest Business Fail (And An Update On Our 100k Goal)

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What Caused My Biggest Business Fail (And An Update On Our 100k Goal)

If there's one thing I've learned these past few months about business, it's that strategy is fundamental to growth.

When I first started Elle & Company, I was a 23-year old graphic designer who aspired to work full-time for myself. Even though I grew up in an entrepreneurial household, my dad's business venture and mine are very different. I didn't know the first thing about pricing, taxes, and marketing, and I was convinced that the passion I had for design would be enough. I saw many other women starting creative businesses with some success, and I found myself looking to them for how I should be running my business.

I had no business plan, no goals, no strategy. So inevitably, I failed miserably. 

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To Leslie: 3 Reasons Why We Focus More on Site Traffic Than Our Email List

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To Leslie: 3 Reasons Why We Focus More on Site Traffic Than Our Email List

In the past couple weeks, several people have reached out to me with the same question I received from Leslie a couple days ago:

Hi Lauren, You may have addressed this in a post already, but is it your priority to increase the traffic on your site versus building your email list? If you've talked about this before... please point me to it. Love your work and wisdom! - Leslie

First, thank you Leslie! This is a great question, especially since many successful business owners and bloggers are stressing both the importance of increasing web traffic and building an email list. And while both of them are extremely important, you're correct in noticing that for Elle & Company, we put more time and effort into growing our blog audience. Here's 3 reasons why. 

How I Generate a Consistent Income from My Freelance Business

How I Generate a Consistent Income from My Freelance Business

Passion gets you started, but strategy keeps your business running. Successful entrepreneurs know that in order to pursue what they love, they have to be smart about how they operate their business. And a business cannot operate without money. 

Money can be an uncomfortable topic, but it’s a necessary part of entrepreneurship. While I love my job and consider myself blessed to design for clients all day long, Elle & Company is a business, not a hobby. In order to keep things running and bring in a steady income, I’ve had to be strategic and intentional about how I generate a profit from this business.

In typical Elle & Company fashion, I’m laying it all out for you in today’s post. Here are some insights on how I’ve created a consistent income from my freelance business.

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How Client Homework Revolutionized My Workflow

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How Client Homework Revolutionized My Workflow

I’ve recently shared a handful of posts on my client experience, from my 2-week design process to my custom project pages and the program I use to keep track of contracts and invoices. While I know that what works for me might not work for everyone reading this, my hope is that there might be a few insights within these articles that benefit you and make your process easier, more streamlined, and less stressful.

Up until this point I’ve shared all of the preparation, planning and organization that I perform on my end. But I’ve learned that in order to do my job well and provide my clients with my best work, it’s just as important for my clients to prepare, plan, and organize on their end, too. In order to help them gather all of their information and walk them through everything that I need for their designs, I’ve implemented a little thing that I like to call “client homework.”

12 Ways to Network Authentically

12 Ways to Network Authentically

Successful entrepreneurs understand that in order to do well, they can’t go it alone. Networking is a key part of not only reaching new audiences and gaining referrals, but it’s also beneficial for building relationships and combining forces/talents. I’ve learned that one of the most fundamental ways to truly connect with other industry professionals is to demonstrate authenticity. 

Here are 12 ways that you can genuinely network with others in business.