website – The Flocksy Blog

Flocksy & Loom Video Messaging- A Match Made in Heaven

What could make leaving feedback for your team even easier? Showing them what you mean.

Flocksy has stepped it up again and is offering Loom video messaging. We know that graphics are a visual medium, so what better way to let your artists know what you want than to show them the exact areas you need something updated or changed? You can chat with your designers, show your copywriters where their content will be going, and describe your goals to your illustrator as if you were talking right to them.

What is Loom?

Loom video messaging has a ton of uses, but essentially it’s a way to record a quick message and send it off to your team. When typing something out just isn’t practical, or if you’re better at speaking about what you need, you can record a short video and even your screen to provide clear feedback to everyone you’re working with.

You can start recording your screen and from your camera with the click of a button. It works on any device, thanks to the Loom Mac and Windows desktop apps and mobile apps, available for both iPhone and Android. And you don’t need a login or account to share, record the video, or watch it if you share it with your colleagues.

If you do have a Loom account, you can connect it with the video messaging in Flocksy’s message center to use the advanced features.

How to Use Loom on Flocksy?

Sending a video message through Loom in the message center is easy. Simply click the record message button, and a popup will appear to initiate the Loom recording. There, you can log in and choose how you want to record- screen and camera, screen only, or camera only. It’ll prompt you to choose the right equipment and give you a countdown when you hit record so that you’re ready to go.

There’s a countdown timer at the bottom, so you know when your five minutes will be up. You can cancel the recording if needed by clicking the trashcan, and you can even sign up for an account right from that first popup window as well.

Loom Timer

It’s as simple as that!

Give it a try for yourself on your next Flocksy project. We’re sure you’ll love being able to provide video messages to your team. To learn more about Loom and the advanced features provided in an account, check out their site at www.loom.com.

5 Tips For Creating A Good Blog

Starting a blog for your business can be hard, not only trying to come up with good content and making your website a page that people actually want to read and return to, but also the fact that you are adding an extra job on top of your busy workload, since your blog is probably not at the top of your list of stuff to do for your business, am I right?

However, a blog can be a very good thing for your business. So your blog should be a top priority for your business. Some questions that might be running through your head right now are “How do I find the time?”, or, How do I create engaging content?”, and probably lots more.

Well, today I’m giving you a short list of some very basic stuff to keep in mind when starting a business blog, creating content, and engaging readers.

5 Things To Keep In Mind When Starting A Business Blog:

One: This first one is pretty simple and easy to follow because it should already be something that you follow when blogging. That is to come up with a number of blog posts you want to post a week and then try to have days that you post on. For example, say you want to post two posts a week and you want to post them on a Monday and a Friday. Then pick those days and make sure to post every Monday and every Friday. It will help let your readers know that there will be a blog post on those days when they come to check out your blog. Consistency is key!

Two: Have a variety of content on your blog. Don’t get stuck on one subject and nothing else. People like to see a selection of content so that they can read about different subjects without having to leave your blog. Remember, don’t be overwhelming though. You don’t want your blog scattered and random. Choose no more than about six topics to write on.

Three: If you run out of ideas for blog posts then it’s okay. Do not worry, because all you have to do is write about something that is happening in the business. There is so much that you can write about when it comes to a post about your business, and it’s always a good back-up topic.

Four: Not posting is not an option. If you can’t find the time to write a post than hire someone to do it for you. It doesn’t matter who it is, as long as they write well, and understand your business and blog topics. Posting less than once a week is not an option.

Five: Last, yet not least, remember to keep your content simple. When we start blogging, we can tend to get a little carried away and write a 1,000+ word blog post on a subject that might be boring. Believe me when I say that a short 350-word blog post on a simple, easy to read topic can go just as far, if not further. All to say that when starting, a 350-500 word blog post is probably going to be the way to go. No one is interested in a long-winded article. Short, sweet and consistent is the key to good blogging.

Blogs are great for businesses, and every company should have one! Don’t worry if you’re not sure exactly how to create one or what to write, because I have you covered with these super easy tips to keep in mind when starting a blog for your business. Follow them, and I’m sure that your blog will turn out amazing!

3 Tips On How To Give Your Blog A Fresh Look

If you own a business, then there is a good chance that you are going to want to create a blog for it. And when comes to a blog for your business you’re going to want to make sure that it is a good one that people want to visit. Maybe you want to do that but don’t know how, if so then read the tips down below to find three good ways that you can make your blog one that people keep coming back to.

Here are a few ways that you can improve your blog (if you already have one) and make it one that generates interested readers and traffic:

One: Hook your Instagram account up to your blog. You can either have it on the sidebar or you can use it as a banner across the top of your blog. It will show your 3-8 most recent posts from your account and people can click on the photos and it will take them to that post of yours. It makes your blog look better and it helps promote your Instagram account at the same time!

Two: Change up the background of your blog every once in a while. It will give your blog a new look and make it different without having to really do anything different.

Three: Make sure that you have a photo and an about section on your blog. It will help make your blog feel more personal and not just some person writing content that no one ever sees. It will also make your blog stand out and you as the writing will stand out as well!

When you have a business blog you want to make sure that it is a good one, because if you want a blog that people are going to want to read and keep coming back to, then it has to be a good one. Keep these super fast and easy tips in mind when you are thinking of ways to increase your blog traffic and give your blog a fresh look!

What To Look For In a Graphic Design Company

“How do I know if I’m going with the right graphic design company?”

That is a question that every business person asks themselves at least once in their life. If that is what YOU are asking yourself, then you are going want to read this post.

Here are a few things to look for when you are wondering what graphic design company you want to go with:

Turnaround time: It is always wise to look around and read reviews before choosing any graphic design company. It’s true that most places give you a free 7-day trial or 7-day money back guarantee, however, it is still good to look around first. When you are looking at the reviews, look for a good turn around time. Some could have a week turn around or a 3-day turnaround or maybe even a 24-hour turnaround.

Quality: The quality of the design is very important. That just goes without saying. If the quality is no good then the design is pretty much no good. So make sure to look at what people are saying about the quality in the reviews.

Can they do more?: Yes if you are looking for someone to do a design for you then you’re probably not thinking about them doing anything else. But what if you could get unlimited graphic design and other features for one set price? Wouldn’t that be great? For example, here at Flocksy, we offer unlimited graphic design, web development, and copywriting for one set price a month. So it’s always good to look around for that before deciding on one.

These are three of the things to look for when trying to find a graphic design company. Taking the time to look around and check out all your options before trying one can really pay off in the end. I would strongly advise you to do so because it can never hurt.

Tips and Tricks For Bringing In Business

Your business is going good, you are generating a lot of new leads, sales are up, and overall you are happy with how it’s working out. But sometimes we have to face the fact that business isn’t going to be booming forever. Every business hits a plateau, and you may even have weeks, months, and maybe even years when your business goes downhill.

Here are some ways to bring more business in if you start to find things lagging, or foresee that in the future they might start to.

One: The most important thing to remember when thinking of ways to bring more business in, is to make sure you are interacting with your current customers and potential customers. If you aren’t already doing this then start doing it right now.

Two: If you don’t have social media accounts for your business, then you need to get some, that just goes without saying. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, get them all and starting posting, liking, and commenting. Social media is going to be your best friend in the advertising department (here’s my post on the benefits of social media if you would like to read it )

Three: Advertise well. It’s important that you are advertising in more ways than one. Use Google ads, Facebook ads, and social media to advertise. Anything that you can use to advertise your business, do it, whether it is big or small. You are never going to bring in business if you don’t advertise on a daily basis.

Four: Almost no one can pass up a good deal! So do a 10% off sale or a 30% flash sale and talk about it everywhere. This can help you bring in some more business and possibly make it so people will come back to you when they want to buy that same product or service again, instead of going to someone else.

These are good things to keep in mind whether you need more business or want to bring in more. All four of these things are something that every business should be doing even if they don’t feel that their business is slow or diminishing.

A Few Good Ways To Build Backlinks

Almost any blog post you read on ways to advertise your business, there is a good chance that it’s going to talk about backlinks. Yes, of course, it is, because backlinks are a great way for people to find your website or blog. But they are kind of pointless if you don’t know how to create a backlink, so I’m going to give you three good ways to build backlinks for you to start off with.

1. Interviews are a great way to build backlinks when you do a podcast or guest post then you will get a backlink to your website as the business you did the podcast or post with them. It’s a good way to get your business known. So get out there and start finding some awesome podcast and blogs to see if they want to interview you.

2. They are many ways that you can create backlinks and a good one is infographics. When it comes to link building this is one of the best because everyone loves infographics. And why wouldn’t they? They are simple, easy, and fun to read. This is going to be one of the best and easiest ways to create a backlink!

3. Good content is key to getting a link back to your site, if you don’t have good content then you are never going to get a backlink. So make sure to have better than just good content on your blog or website. This is VERY important to remember when writing.

Backlinks are needed when trying to use SEO and it’s good to know how to build them. I hope that now you know a little bit about how to create a backlink and that they are important to create when trying to advertise your business.

Benefits Of Crowdsourcing

You’re in the market for a new logo. Or maybe you just want to update your old one, either way, there are so many options out there sometimes it’s hard to know what is the direction you should move in to obtain said new logo. The choices can seem endless and sometimes very overwhelming.

If you have already decided to go to a local designer and have your logo created than this post is not for you. However, if you are browsing around online and still undecided, then you’ve come to the right place!

I’m going to give you five reasons that crowdsourcing is the way to go:

1. You have the opportunity to work with hundreds, and sometimes thousands of graphic artists. Instead of working with just one artist, you get to see the work of many.

2. An affordable price. When you work with one designer they name the price, you agree upon it and then you go from there. Often since they are putting in so much time and effort the price that you’ll agree upon is rather high (it can range anywhere from $150 to $1000). When you work with a logo design site the price is much lower.

3. You can speed up the process. When you work with logo designers such as Design Pickle, Hatchwise, and 99 Designs you are able to select how soon you want the design. This can range from 10 days to 48 hours. If you are in need of a quality logo basically overnight you can have it.

4. You have the input from artists worldwide. If you work with one designer you are only getting their personal experience and their take on logo design. But if you work with many designers then you get lots of different designs and you can decide what type you like best. Designs vary worldwide, so wouldn’t you want to see logos that reflect that?

5. Eliminate management. Let someone else do all the work. You simply let the designers know what you are looking for, leave some feedback on the designs, select one, and receive your final files. That’s it! So easy and simple. Crowdsourcing takes away all the complications.

The Good And The Bad About SEO

I know I have talked a lot about how social media is so great for your business and that I have talked quite a bit about how great SEO is. SEO is what I want to talk about in this post because I really want you to know everything there is to know about SEO, the good, the bad, all of it.

First off, I would say that the good outweighs the bad by a good amount and there are just so many reasons to use SEO to bring your website up in the top search results by using keywords, social media, and so many other ways.

I always like to hear the good before the bad, so let’s talk about some reasons why you need SEO for your business and then we can move on to talking about why it might not be so good. This way you can know everything and then know if you think SEO is right for your business or if you don’t really need it!

It seems to be that 50% of the time when people look up something on Google they will click on one of the top five results. So SEO can help you to get your website or blog up in the five top search results.

SEO is an investment in the future of your business and even if you don’t see results right away later on in the game you will, and that is what really counts, right?

Now for a little bit of the bad of SEO:

One reason that you might not want to use SEO is that the competition is too strong if you are a small business and can’t afford to put tons of money into making SEO work. If you are not able to put your all into making SEO work then it will probably end badly for you and in you spending a lot of money with no results.

Being in the top results is not always best, there IS a negative and positive. Yes, people click on the top results, but sometimes they simply read reviews and then make a decision. Basically always keeping the quality over quantity in mind with SEO.

The use of SEO for your business is good but should be used wisely and taken slow. If you see good results (more traffic, increased sales) keep at it. If there is a decline slow things up.

Search Engine Optimization

Did you know that Google has more than 3.5 billion searches made on it- per a day? That means that someone must be searching for something every second of every minute of every day. That’s a lot of searches.

But let’s get to talking about what we’re here to talk about, which is Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and how it can help your business.

SEO is a form of marketing that can be very helpful when trying to get your business up in the top search results when people search for content on google and yahoo that relates to your blog or website.

There are a few different ways that you can use this and one of those are to build backlinks. By building backlinks you can get your business known and they are popular when it comes to using SEO.

We are beginning to see that as time goes on it’s looking a lot more like people are interested in a more organic way of marketing and not the normal “paid ads” that most businesses are using right now.

SEO is a great organic way for you to get your website or blog out there and known.

But we don’t really know, maybe in 2019 it will all change and this form of marketing won’t really progress any further then it already has, or it could only start to get used more and more as we go into 2019.

At least I can say for us, that we hope that it will only continue to grow, and people will start using SEO more and more for organic outreach and growth. I guess all we can do for now though is sit back and see what happens

If you don’t already use SEO as a form of marketing, then you should start looking into it right away. Who knows, you may just see an increase in web traffic, and generate more leads sales while paying less in advertising.