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

How to Blog Like a Pro in Squarespace

How to Blog Like a Pro in Squarespace

If you’ve spent any real time on my blog, you’ll know I’m a huge advocate of blogging (and I have 30+ blog posts about blogging to prove it).

People are always shocked to learn the reason Elle & Company grew exponentially in my first year of business was because of my blogging efforts.

As I tried to attract new design clients, I committed to sharing high-quality content on this blog every weekday for the first year and a half of my business. I learned a lot during that year and a half, including how important your blogging platform is to your overall blogging efforts.

I made the switch to Squarespace from WordPress and Blogger because I needed a backend that was user-friendly. I’ve never looked back or regretted my decision, and I highly suggest Squarespace to each of my clients.

Many of my blog posts about blogging revolve around blogging on the Squarespace platform, so it’s no surprise that I often get asked questions about blogging on Squarespace specifically. Today I’m going to walk through how to blog like a pro on Squarespace and some of the questions I get asked about blogging on this platform most often.

An Update on Squarespace SEO in 2018

An Update on Squarespace SEO in 2018

Squarespace SEO (Search Engine Optimization) seems to be one of the most polarizing Squarespace topics out there.

Most can agree Squarespace is an easy-to-use content management system with beautiful templates. But for some reason, Squarespace can’t shake the perception that it has poor SEO capabilities, despite the fact that the platform has been around for well over a decade and builds known SEO practices into every Squarespace site.

But let’s get one thing straight before we get into this post, if you want ultimate control over the optimization of your site, Squarespace may not be for you.

But, as a creative small business owner, I doubt you’re chomping at the bit to dig into intense SEO practices. I’m sure you’d rather have something that gets the job done well without having to dedicate much time to it. If that sounds more like it, then Squarespace’s SEO capabilities are all you need.

How to Build a Quiz Content Upgrade

How to Build a Quiz Content Upgrade

Have you ever been scrolling through Buzzfeed or Facebook and got sucked into taking a quiz about “Which Friends Character Are You?” or “What City Should You Actually Live In?”

Quizzes can be addicting because when taken, with a grain of salt, quizzes can give you insights about yourself. And we love learning more about ourselves and our preferences.

So it’s no wonder that businesses are now creating quizzes similar to those found on Buzzfeed and Facebook as a means for generating leads, driving traffic, and segmenting your audience.

I recently jumped on the quiz as a content upgrade bandwagon and created my “Which Squarespace template is right for you?” quiz. I used Interact to create it and in this post, I’m taking you behind my screen to show you how I did it.

Business Spotlight on Sai Hossain

Business Spotlight on Sai Hossain

There’s been a shift happening in the creative industry. Maybe you’ve noticed.

Less and less people are interested in courses and online workshops.

It might be because they’re overdone, or it might be because people believe they can find the information for free through blogs and other resources. But whatever the case, courses are dying down. So where does that leave us?

Software as a service (SaaS) is the new wave of passive income, and many people have already gotten on board. Including Sai Hossain, the CEO & Founder of Crowdcast.

In this week’s Ellechat episode, Sai is joining me to share how he came up with Crowdcast, how he brought this platform to life, and where his business is headed in the future.

A Trusty Guide for Setting Up Navigation, Pages, and Blocks in Squarespace

A Trusty Guide for Setting Up Navigation, Pages, and Blocks in Squarespace

Now that you’ve started your Squarespace trial and set up your Squarespace website, it’s time to start customizing the site to your needs.

But before you dive into the design, you’ll need to build a foundation for your new site by setting up your navigation menu, adding pages, and filling out those pages using blocks.

This post will walk you through how simple it is to build a foundation for your website using Squarespace.