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.
My husband reads Entrepreneur.com like most people check Instagram. He often comes across helpful reads and sends them my way, and the majority of them have given me great tips and insight on running my business. One article in particular has changed the way I approach a common obstacle in the day-to-day operations of business and blogging: handling competition.
While there's no right or wrong way to blog, great content is the key to blogging success. But share-worthy content isn't always easy to come up with or create, is it? Today I'm coming to the rescue with 50 blog post ideas that you can use to provide your readers with quality content and keep them coming back for more.
Graphic design isn't only about creating pretty things, although that's definitely one of my goals as a designer; it's about problem solving to visually communicate an idea. For the past month I've been going through my creative process step-by-step, sharing about what visual problem solving looks like behind the scenes.
There have been many questions about the 2015 Elle & Company planner these past few months. When is it launching? What will it look like? When can I order one? Your excitement has been contagious and encouraging, and I'm thrilled to finally let you in on a few new changes I've made to the planner for the upcoming year!
"Daybook Planner" was a little generic and confusing with our "Day Planner" inserts, so I've changed the name to something a little more original and memorable: The Ellebook. Just like last year's planner, you can use both the Ellebook Planner and the Ellebook Inserts (like the menu planner, project planner, day planner, etc.) to create a customizable binder system and keep everything organized in one place.
The Ellebook will be available as a printable in the Elle & Company Library this Friday! For all of you who are already Library members, you will have access to the digital planner files for printing at the end of this week. And for those of you who haven't subscribed just yet, you can sign up, login, and have immediate access to the planner as well as a whole collection of pretty paper goods.
This benefits each of you in several ways:
More details will come when the Ellebook Planner launches this Friday, but I thought it would be fun to do a little giveaway before the launch so that 3 of you can be among the first to access this exciting new Library addition! For all of you who already subscribe to the Library, you are more than welcome to participate in the giveaway. If you win, I'll put your subscription billing on hold and give you 3 free months!
Follow the instructions below to enter and check back on Friday for the official launch and giveaway results. Best wishes!
*A special thank you to Andrea Pesce Photography for these beautiful photos. You never cease to amaze me!
Today's Top 3 is full of all kinds of lovely inspiration! I've rounded up some of my favorite artists, graphic designers, and interior designers, and all of these ladies have a style that is distinctly their own. Prepare to be inspired!
It's your turn! Who are your top 3 favorite artists, graphic designers, and interior designers?
