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

My No-Fuss Formula for Pricing My Services

My No-Fuss Formula for Pricing My Services

Pricing is time and time again one of the most difficult things to nail down as a business owner. You price too low and you aren’t able to make ends meet, but you price too high and you run the risk of scaring potential clients away. You’re faced with other tough questions as well, like will you charge per hour or per project? Will you require a down payment? Will you offer payment plans? Will you post your prices on your website or will you require visitors to inquire in order to receive a pricing guide?

Unlike many of my posts, this article isn’t a how-to; each business is different and should approach pricing carefully based on its goals, experience and clientele. Instead, I’m sharing my simple, straight-forward approach to pricing that’s allowed me to increase my prices, attract my ideal clients, and feel confident and content with what I’m charging. Although we might differ on a couple things, I hope these insights will help you be a little less intimidated by pricing your services. 

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How to Create a Brand Style Guide

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How to Create a Brand Style Guide

Between my sophomore and junior year of college, I interned at a marketing company in their design department. On the first day of my internship, I was shown to my temporary working space where the company’s brand style guide was waiting for me on my desk. It was a quick way for me to learn the design standards for the company’s brand, and it made it much easier for the designers and interns to stay on the same page and create a cohesive visual identity across all platforms and mediums. 

When I started at my first full-time graphic design position right out of college, I opened my inbox on my first day to find an online PDF of the company’s brand style guide. And again, it was a quick design reference that I returned to time and time again.

Why You Don't Need a College Degree to Run a Successful Creative Business

Why You Don't Need a College Degree to Run a Successful Creative Business

I came across an article on Inc.com last week that caught my attention: What College Degree Will Make You Rich? I was shocked to read that 32 percent of billionaires - among whom are Oprah, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg - don’t have a college degree. And if that isn’t surprising, maybe this next fact will be: Twice as many billionaires have degrees in the arts than those who have degrees in math and science. 

The article brought up some legitimate questions that I’ve been wrestling with. How relevant are college degrees today, especially among creative entrepreneurs? 

7 Books That Could Shape the Direction of Your Business (And a New Elle & Company Series!)

7 Books That Could Shape the Direction of Your Business (And a New Elle & Company Series!)

I can get carried away at Barnes and Noble, especially when it comes to books in the business section. A few weeks ago Jake and I walked in just to take a peek around after dinner out and left with 3 new items to add to our reading list. I believe that it’s important to be a student of your field, no matter how many years you’ve been in business or how much experience you have. So today I'm sharing a list of 7 business books that I've either read recently or hope to read in the future. Be sure to keep scrolling all the way down this post to learn about a new related Elle & Company feature!

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How to Create Your Own Niche

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How to Create Your Own Niche

Finding Your Blogging Niche has been one of my most highly viewed posts to date. Readers keep sharing and coming back to this post that I wrote months ago, not because I shared ground-breaking information or did a fantastic job writing it, but because I believe finding a niche is one of the greatest struggles for entrepreneurs and bloggers. Especially when you’re first starting out, it’s hard to find that groove and zero in on a focused group of people to write for and market to. 

While I agree with the information I shared in that post, I’m admitting today that I took the wrong approach to the subject. Because the longer I’m in business and the longer I contribute to this blog, the more I realize that it isn’t about finding a niche; it’s about creating one.