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

Everything Design School Didn’t Teach Me About Starting My Own Business

Everything Design School Didn’t Teach Me About Starting My Own Business

Design school taught me the principles of design, typography, and how to use Adobe Creative Suite - all of which I use on a day to day basis as a graphic designer.

But in the grand scheme of things, design is only a fraction of what I do as a business owner.

Even if you aren’t a graphic designer, you can probably relate to the feelings of overwhelm and self-doubt when you entered into the world of entrepreneurship and learned that many of the tasks you do each day don’t have anything to do with your field of expertise.

If so, you can probably relate to these 6 things design school didn’t teach me about starting a business.

24 Time-Saving Hacks for Busy Entrepreneurs

24 Time-Saving Hacks for Busy Entrepreneurs

If you have ever started a business, whether full time or on the side, you know the feeling of not having enough hours in the day to get everything done. 

As a business owner, your time is limited. You’re wearing several different hats and juggling many roles, each of which requires precious time out of your day. And chances are, you probably don’t have many hours to spare.

I know when I was pursuing Elle & Company on the side, and working a regular 9-5 job, the way that I used those hours, whether it was at night, or on the weekends, was extremely important and I didn't (and couldn't) waste any of it. 

So, if I could find any work arounds, any ways to save time, I would take 'em.

So I’ve rounded up my 24 favorite time-saving hacks - one for each hour of the day - in hopes of helping you create a little more room in your busy schedule. 

15 Clever Ways to Use Instagram Stories to Promote Your Business

15 Clever Ways to Use Instagram Stories to Promote Your Business

I don't know about you, but when Instagram stories launched several months ago, I was both excited and overwhelmed.

I was excited at the idea of a new way to connect with my followers. 

But overwhelmed by the though of having to create more content on top of regular Instagram posts, Facebook, Twitter, blog posts, and all the other content that I create week after week for Elle & Company.

So I kind of sat on it and put it off until I could put my own unique spin on it, until I could figure out how I could really use Instagram stories to benefit my business, and how I could use Instagram stories realistically. I didn't want to start off with a bang, with all these bright ideas and then not have the time to actually follow through with them all.     

I sat on it for a while and then started coming up with a list of clever content ideas.

So today I'm going to share 15 clever content ideas to use Instgaram stories to promote your business.

If I Were Starting My Business from Scratch, This Would Be My Gameplan

If I Were Starting My Business from Scratch, This Would Be My Gameplan

Whew! It's been a whirlwind of a summer. Between vacations, unexpected events, and moving, I’m happy to put summer behind me and welcome fall. 

But the weather isn’t the only thing changing around here.

After a brief hiatus, Ellechat is back and better than ever!

You’ve heard rumblings about it all summer and it’s finally happening. Ellechat relaunched last Thursday and we brought a podcast version along with it! 

An Inside Look at My Client Onboarding Process

An Inside Look at My Client Onboarding Process

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” - Benjamin Franklin

When you think about the client process, images of drafts, revisions, and the finished product may come to mind.

And while those are crucial components, there are a lot of steps that need to happen before the client process begins in order for things to run smoothly.

I’ve found that the onboarding process sets the stage for the rest of the client project. How you handle inquiries, meetings, contracts, and invoices can make or break the entire process; it sets a precedent.

So today I’m inviting you inside of my client onboarding process that’s been tweaked over these last three years. 

My hope is that while you may not follow it to a T, you might walk away with a step or two that helps make your client process run smoother.