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.
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?
“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.
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.
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.
Your website is your business’s online home base.
It’s where all the magic happens; it’s where sales are made, services are booked, and trust is built through blog posts and portfolio views.
So it’s really important that your website makes a positive first impression through design and functionality.
There are a lot of opinions out there about what your website should look like and how it should function.
But what are the facts?
So you’re convinced that Squarespace is the platform for you.
It’s simple user interface, beautiful templates, and all-in-one platform won you over, and you’re ready to make the switch.
But where do you start? How do you move all your of your current content over, transfer your domain, and easily make the switch to Squarespace?
Here are 6 simple steps for making the transition as easy as possible.
Squarespace is a great website option for business owners who want a lovely, professional website that’s mobile friendly and easy to update.
I chose Squarespace for the Elle & Company website and I highly recommend it to all of my design clients because of the beautiful templates, intuitive user experience, and compatibility.
But with all of those great benefits come limitations on customization.
Unlike Wordpress where the possibilities are endless, Squarespace isn’t as flexible; you have to work within the parameters of their templates and features.
This might be a problem for you if you’re seeking a website that has all of the bells and whistles, but it isn’t an issue for those of you who are seeking to create a simple, intuitive site.
With these 6 tips (and a little creativity), you can customize your Squarespace site to fit your brand and make it memorable.
At the end of each design project, I meet with my clients over Skype for a 1-hour Squarespace tutorial.
I share my screen and walk them through the ins and outs of using and updating their new website, and I record the session so my clients can refer back to it later.
Somehow I always find myself sharing quick Squarespace tips and shortcuts throughout the session, so I thought it was about time I round them up and share them with you, too!
Here are 11 shortcuts and tricks I’ve discovered over the past few years of using Squarespace.
It was so frustrating.
I just wanted to create a site for my upcoming course that (a) was easy to use, (b) looked like my brand, and (c) allowed students to login under their own account.
I tried sites like Teachable and Teachery. But they took people off of my site and I found myself coming up with creative workarounds to customize the look and function of my course on their sites.
Surely there had to be a better way.
And then I had an idea.
