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.
Logo design is more than merely coming up with something that looks pretty; there are many things that have to be considered and implemented in order for a logo to make sense, catch the attention of an ideal audience, and set it apart. Today's post is for designers and non-designers alike. It's for all of you who own a business, maintain a blog, or are working on a personal brand. And it's for anyone who's curious about why their favorite logos make sense.
Engagement is the key to a successful blog. It comes about in many ways - comments, shares, purchases, bookings - but it's something that every blogger strives for; we all want to initiate a response in our readers. While building engagement looks different for each blogger and largely depends on your ideal audience, I recently stumbled upon an unexpected way to foster community around Elle & Company: hosting a Twitter chat.
What is a Twitter chat, how does it work, and why should you host one? I'm giving you all the details in today's post.
One of the things I enjoy most about Squarespace is that it's all inclusive. My domain name, site hosting, e-commerce shop, blog, custom email address, newsletter sign-up - all are in one place without any plugins or coding, and Squarespace manages it all for me. Metrics are also included, and I've been very impressed with the simple layout and variety of information that Squarespace provides for displaying my visitor activity. Today I'm taking you into the backend of my website to give you a look inside the metrics that are available within each Squarespace site. By exploring the metrics, you can learn how visitors discover your site and what they do once they're there.
In business and blogging, emails are crucial for client communication, networking, scheduling, and reminders. I've always been a folder-loving, color-coding kind of person, but a few months ago my handy folder system wasn't cutting it for keeping up with the number of emails I was receiving on a daily basis. I found myself spending well over 2 hours a day tackling my inbox, and it cut into the time that I needed to be designing client projects and writing blog posts. I dreaded logging into Gmail and I always felt behind and stressed. I knew that in order to stay on top of things (and maintain my sanity), I needed to find some feasible, time-saving solutions to help me keep my inbox under control. Since then, I've implemented 4 things that have transformed my email system and allow me to clear my inbox each day.
I have a feeling many of you are overwhelmed by your inbox too, whether you're a full-time creative entrepreneur or a part-time blogger. So today I'm sharing the 4 ways that I've found helpful for email in hopes that they might help you get your inbox under control, too.
Joy. It's the one word that I was asked to reflect in the new brand and website for Bulloss Photography and it perfectly captures my experience working with Jess and Will. From our initial design meeting to the photos that were used in the inspiration board and the excited emails that I received yesterday about today's launch, joy has been the common theme throughout this design project. This new brand and website is one that I'm thrilled to add to my portfolio, and I'm excited to walk you through my process and reveal all of the lovely details today.
