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

email

Ellechat Recap: Getting Started with Convertkit with Megan Minns

Ellechat Recap: Getting Started with Convertkit with Megan Minns

People who want to know what their audience likes, send targeted emails, offer free downloads, and set up email courses are switching over to ConvertKit. Because unlike other email marketing platforms, ConvertKit was created specifically for online business owners. 

But because it’s fairly new, many people are hesitant to make the switch.

Enter Megan Minns. 

Megan is a ConvertKit guru and her site was a huge help for me as I made the switch to ConvertKit months ago. She has a knack for taking technical tasks and breaking them down simply, so I asked her to join me for an Ellechat webinar two weeks ago to discuss how to get started with ConvertKit.

We covered a lot of ground, from the benefits of using ConvertKit over other email marketing systems like MailChimp to a behind-the-screen demonstration of how to set up forms and automated email sequences. 

2 Simple Options for Connecting Squarespace and ConvertKit

2 Simple Options for Connecting Squarespace and ConvertKit

I made the decision to switch email marketing platforms from MailChimp to ConvertKit a little over 2 months ago, and I haven’t looked back.

I’m a fan of ConvertKit because it allows me to organize my list per subscriber with tags and segments, which has allowed me to understand my audience better. I also love how easy it is to set up automated emails and content upgrades using their platform. (I’ll have to do an in-depth post on all of my reasons for switching soon!)

But there’s one MailChimp feature that I do miss: Their easy integration with Squarespace.

Before I made the switch, I was able to set up a form on my Squarespace site, link it to one MailChimp lists, and I was good to go. 

Unfortunately, this isn’t an option with ConvertKit… yet. 

However, before any Squarespace users get bummed out about this, I have good news!

There are a couple simple solutions for syncing Squarespace and ConvertKit. 

And if I can implement them without any trouble, I’m certain you can, too.

4 Strategies I’ve Used to Gain 6000+ Subscribers in 3 Months

4 Strategies I’ve Used to Gain 6000+ Subscribers in 3 Months

At the beginning of this year, I finally decided to bite the bullet and put more time into building my mailing list (for all the reasons I explained in this post a couple weeks ago). 

I knew I needed to place opt-ins in prominent places. I had heard content upgrades were a great way to encourage people to subscribe to my list. But I needed an outside expert to hold me accountable and craft a game plan specifically for my business. 

So I brought on the help of business coach and list-building pro, Bryan Harris. 

With his help, I’ve been able to grow my list from 4,500 subscribers to over 11,000 subscribers in a little over 3 months.

Those numbers make it seem like the process was involved and complicated. But the truth is that I only made 4 simple changes, and they took less than 4 hours to implement.

I’m certain that you can make these 4 changes and see success with them, too. Here’s how.

The Benefits of Focusing on Your Mailing List

The Benefits of Focusing on Your Mailing List

Confession: I used to be extremely skeptical about mailing lists.

While their praises were being sung by countless online marketers, I couldn’t get on board with the hype; focusing on my mailing list seemed like one more task to add to my already full plate.

Despite my skepticism, I decided to bite the bullet earlier this year and devote more time and effort into building and nurturing my list.

And while I still have a lot to learn, I’ve been able to grow my list from 4,500 subscribers to over 11,000 subscribers in 3 months.

Over the next several weeks, I’m going to be sharing a transparent look at my plan for building a list, creating content, and increasing engagement. I’ll also go into detail on why I decided to switch platforms from MailChimp to ConvertKit.

But before I get into all of that, it’s important to understand the exclusive benefits that mailing lists offer, as opposed to blogging and social media.

My hope is that, like me, you’ll realize the fantastic potential your mailing list offers for keeping up with and appealing to potential customers.

7 Creative Content Ideas for Your Mailing List

7 Creative Content Ideas for Your Mailing List

There are all kinds of posts out there on the importance of utilizing a mailing list. And there are even more posts out there with tips and strategies for growing your mailing list. 

But what happens once people opt-in to your newsletter? What kind of content will you be sharing with them in order to build trust and encourage them to buy from you or work with you down the road?

Here are a few ways to spice up your mailing list and raise subscribers’ excitement when they see an email from you sitting in their inbox.