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

Social Media

The Best Times to Post to Social Media

The Best Times to Post to Social Media

Have you ever wondered why some social media posts get more engagement than others? Studies show that certain days and times of the week affect the number of people who like, share, favorite, and retweet your posts. Most of you are fully aware that 3:00am on a Wednesday morning isn't the most optimal time to post an image on Instagram and expect engagement, but it's helpful to know specific days and times that your audience is most active. Today we've rounded up the data to help you gain more engagement with your followers over social media. 

Rethinking My Twitter Strategy

Rethinking My Twitter Strategy

Twitter used to be my least favorite social media outlet. Recently I realized the benefits of the platform and began to rethink my strategy for using it. This change in perspective has made quite the difference in how I market Elle & Company and connect with my followers, and while Twitter still doesn't come as naturally to me as it does for others, this new approach has me excited. Do you need some motivation and excitement in your Twitter life? This post might spark a change in your perspective.

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What Every Blogger Ought to Know About Bloglovin'

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What Every Blogger Ought to Know About Bloglovin'

Say hello to my little friend, Bloglovin'. This blogging tool has been a key factor in the growth of Elle & Company readership, especially this past month when one of my posts gained popularity on the platform and almost doubled my page views... overnight. If you're a blogger and you haven't taken the time to understand and utilize Bloglovin', you're missing out on a great free marketing tool and a crazy number of new readers. So what's so great about this site and how can you take advantage of this social tool? Keep reading.

Social Media is Changing (And 3 Free Marketing Alternatives)

Social Media is Changing (And 3 Free Marketing Alternatives)

Social media. It's the cheapest, easiest form of marketing out there. If you're a business owner, a blogger, or both, you've probably been taking full advantage of several platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Google+, to name a few. And why would't you? It's an easy way to reach your followers without paying a dime. 

But you may have noticed a slight shift in these platforms lately, especially Facebook. I'm no conspiracy theorist, but I do have some thoughts and opinions on the future of social media.

How to Use Pinterest to Increase Your Blog Traffic

As a designer and blogger, Pinterest has been one of the most powerful tools for increasing the amount of people who visit Elle & Company. Over half of my readers have been referred to my site by Pinterest these past 3 weeks. Fifty percent! That's a crazy percentage. So today I'm sharing tips that have helped me use Pinterest successfully as a business owner and blogger. Here are some simple ways that you can increase your readership and blog traffic through Pinterest, too. 

How to use Pinterest to increase your blog traffic // Elle & Company

1 | Join Pinterest as a business

Creating a business account has many benefits as an entrepreneur and blogger. With a business account, you can verify your site (which allows Pinterest users to see that your site is trustworthy source) and you are able to use Pinterest Analytics. These analytics allow you to see what is being pinned from your site, how many people are repinning your images, and you're even able to discover the other interests of your pinners. Using these statistics helps you refine your content and produce more of the things that your readers will enjoy and share.

Follow this link for more information about creating a business account on Pinterest.

2 | Allow readers to pin directly from your site

Make it as easy as possible for visitors to pin from your site by installing a Pin-It Button. This small hover link makes your site "Pinterest friendly," helping readers share and distribute your content to their audience. From there, the growth is exponential. 

For those of you who use Squarespace, you can enable the Pin It button under Settings > Share Buttons. For those of you who use Blogger or Wordpress, click here for instructions on how to add a Pin It button to your site. 

3 | Create original pin-worthy images and graphics

Pinterest is an image-driven social media platform. In order for Pinterest users to access your site from a pin, they have to choose one of your photos from among a sea of other images. Grab their attention and set your pins apart by adding original, well-designed images to each blog post. If your post is purely text, take time to create a graphic that includes the title. Some of my most popular pins are graphics that I created for my "How to Start a Blog" series. If I hadn't created images for those posts, Pinterest users wouldn't have been able to access that content. 

It may take a little longer to prepare your post, but the extra time spent on taking better photos or creating an eye-catching graphic is well worth free marketing through Pinterest shares.

Some quick tips for pin-worthy images: Because they appear larger in the Pinterest feed, vertical images have a higher chance of getting re-pinned. Statistics also show that colorful photos, images without faces, and pictures with a background are more likely to get re-pinned. 

4 | Name your images and photos

Did you know that the name of your image appears in the pin description when readers pin content directly from your site? Use this to your advantage! Come up with a descriptive sentence loaded with keywords and use it in place of the image name when you're uploading photos in a blog post. It also makes it easier on the readers who are pinning from your site because they don't have to worry about coming up with a description (or am I the only one who hates that?)

5 | Set up a board for each blog series or offering

This is a great way to drive content to old posts! I did this with my Weekly Truth series and I was stunned to see that an image from the series was repinned over 1000 times. A lot of people not only started following along with my Weekly Truth board, but they clicked through and visited my site. Get creative and come up with board ideas that highlight your products and your posts. 

6 | Pin selectively

Your social media accounts are also a reflection of your brand. As a designer, if I'm pinning low-quality, poorly designed images, even if the content is decent, it isn't the best representation of my design eye and taste. Choose pins and boards that are a good reflection of and coincide with your blog/business. 

I always love learning from your feedback! What Pinterest tips have been helpful for driving content back to your site? 

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