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

Jan 2017

Laying the Groundwork for a One-of-a-Kind Brand

Laying the Groundwork for a One-of-a-Kind Brand

What is it that makes the Starbucks brand so distinct?

It isn’t their logo, although the siren mark is definitely different from any other coffee chain out there. 

It isn’t their fonts, because Helvetica is hands-down the most popular brand font among large brands.

And it definitely isn’t their products; you can find a caramel mocha and even a pumpkin spice latte just about anywhere these days.

The thing that makes a great brand like Starbucks so distinct is that they’ve considered the entire experience a customer has with them and they’ve branded every single interaction. 

My Step-by-Step Process for Creating a Streamlined Brand

My Step-by-Step Process for Creating a Streamlined Brand

"When you brand yourself properly, the competition becomes irrelevant." Dan Schawbel

Too many people approach their brand as simply a logo and a color palette. 

They overlook the bigger picture and the humongous impact their brand can have on differentiating themselves and standing out from the crowd.

But a brand is much more than just a logo; it’s the entire experience people have when they interact with your business. 

It’s the tone of your marketing content, the icons you use on your website, the names of your products. 

Getting Your Books Ready for Tax Time

Getting Your Books Ready for Tax Time

Did you cringe a little when you read the title of this blog post? 

I hear you. Taxes aren’t my favorite business topic, either.

Not only are they unfamiliar territory, but they can have some negative consequences if you don’t know what you’re doing. So naturally, most of us tend to shy away from tax prep until the very last minute and stress out getting everything in order before April 15th.

But I’m here to tell you: It doesn’t have to be so difficult! Knowledge is power, and knowing how to prepare can help you break this stressful cycle. 

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How to Use Asana Boards to Plan Your Content Calendar

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How to Use Asana Boards to Plan Your Content Calendar

Content creation is at the heart of Elle & Company. 

Between blog posts, weekly newsletters, Ellechats, and Library additions, I spend a large majority of my work week not only creating content, but keeping up with the tasks that come along with it (like editing, scheduling, and promoting). 

In the past, I’ve used several different methods to organize my content and keep up with these tasks. I’ve tried mapping it out in Google Calendar. I’ve set up Trello boards. I’ve created Asana tasks.

But I couldn’t seem to find an all-in-one system that allowed me to visually organize my upcoming content and keep up with all the tasks involved. 

That is, until a month or two ago when Asana upped their game and began offering boards that look and function almost exactly like Trello boards. 

Want to Consistently Keep Your Inbox at Zero? Here's My System

Want to Consistently Keep Your Inbox at Zero? Here's My System

Trying to keep up with my inbox has always felt like running a race with no finish-line in sight.

I receive emails throughout my day that I’m not always able to act on, the emails pile up in my inbox, and then my inbox starts to stress me out so I put off the task of tackling it until later. 

When I do finally get around to answering all the emails, I have some momentary relief…

...until the email replies start flooding in. And then the cycle starts all over again.

I’ve tried some email tricks here and there and even shared them on my blog and in my newsletter from time to time, but I never came up with a system that truly worked.

Until this past month.

One of my 2017 goals was to stop whining about my inbox and come up with a system that allows me to stay on top of emails and stop stressing about them.

With the help of a great productivity book and some organization, I’ve been able to keep my inbox at zero for the past three weeks and I feel completely confident that I can keep it up. 

This new email system has been revolutionary for my workdays and has given me so much peace of mind. 

So in typical Elle & Company fashion, I’m sharing it with you to help you conquer your inbox once and for all.