Some people love writing. It's what they do whenever they have free time. Others would rather have one of those voice-to-text assistants by their side at all times. If you lean more toward the second group, I want to tell you about a site that could solve all your worries. *This post contains affiliate links Feeding the Beast Creating content is sometimes called "feeding the beast" because it seems like your online content is never satisfied. After you recover from writing the greatest blog of your life, suddenly another deadline is fast approaching. What do you do? Curate some stories from Yahoo? Ask for guest blogs and cross your fingers? Go dark? None of the above. You sign up for a free trial at Scripted.com while they are still offering this deal. What you get in return is instant access to remarkable writers at prices that you can negotiate. And if you don't like what you get? You don't have to pay for it. Everybody loves a safety net, right? Scripted isn't a content mill like Upwork.com or amateur-hour like Fiverr.com. When you sign up with Scripted, what you gain access to is an immense marketplace of people who love writing, including screenwriters, material scientists, marketing gurus, IT experts and law students. You can even find entrepreneurs with real world launch experience and all the bruises to prove it. Where Did Scripted Come From? Scripted took off back in 2011 after a group who ran a bulletin board for screenwriters realized that they had an immense pool of talent on their hands. The web was a very different place six years ago, but Scripted could already see a massive wave of technology coming that would dramatically increase the demand for content. The Scripted team experimented to see whether the elements of film storytelling could be translated into business storytelling, and the results speak for themselves. Scripted now connects businesses of all sizes to more than 7,000 writers in all areas. One of the early investors who is still involved with the project is actor Kevin Spacey. How would you like to say you got your killer content from Keyser Söze? So How Does It Work? You're in control over how much content you need by what date. You can request a single blog if you want, or even a series of blogs. It can scale up the volume and velocity of content from single owner startup to an international enterprise. People like me love Scripted, but so do mega corporations like makeup giant L'Oreal and sports leader Adidas. If you're in a hurry, you can choose from blogs already written. Just grab and go. For a more personal touch, you can send a writer your ideas and they will put together an amazing piece, optimized for SEO, custom-built to your specifications. Need an image to go with it? No problem. How about edits? One or two rounds of edits are built right into the price. I have worked with Scripted 3 times already and it has been a load off my scattered entrepreneurial mind. I have instantly accepted all 3 pieces of content they have provided. Plus they have sent the content 2-3 days earlier than requested! Bonus! Beyond the Blog Blogs are just a tiny corner of what they offer, though. You might need gated content, like a white paper behind a registration page for lead generation. Scripted does that. You know you need video. You can get an explainer video script that you can send to an animation house for a low-cost, high-performance video. There's a good bet that your website or app store content needs a refresh. Maybe your e-commerce store would do better sales with more creative product descriptions. Maybe you want to make the story of how you started the business more engaging on your About Us page. There's no doubt that social media is the hungriest content monster of all. If you need a month of Facebook posts or something to fill up your Twitter feed, no problem. What about an email drip campaign to warm up leads and educate customers on how to do more with what you sell? Seriously, Scripted is the place to go for just about any content. If it's a pain for you to write (like me!), it can be done painlessly through Scripted. I stress the word PAINLESSLY. An Additional Revenue Source Now, here's the best part. Everybody loves a bonus! What if you would rather not write and you want to make money while you're not doing it? Scripted can help with that. Just this year, they finally introduced their own version of an affiliate marketing program. If you refer someone to Scripted, like I'm doing right now, they will pay you $100 for each person who signs up. You don't even have to wait for your referral to convert to a customer after 30 days; the finder's fee is yours right away. Scripted can also send you special marketing materials and coupon codes to make your job that much easier. You can learn more about the program and how to sign up on Scripted's affiliate marketing program page. TL;DR (Too Long; Didn't Read) If you don't like writing, you probably don't like long blogs either. What I said up above was that Scripted.com is an excellent source for whatever writing you need. Even if you just have an idea, they will take your idea and run with it. You can give them detailed directions or a couple words. They also have ready-made blogs, custom-built blogs and every other type of writing you need to streamline your online business. You can even follow my lead and get paid for referrals, so it's worth your time to write them a note. Less curation, more conversion. It's that simple. Make sure and let me know how you like it if/when you sign up! You might also enjoy...
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As little as dip your toe into graphic design and you're sure to be aware of Adobe's design software, the Creative Cloud. It covers every type of design, from illustration and photo editing to animation and website design. The Adobe Creative Cloud has long been the standard for the design industry, but if you're new to the field you may be wondering exactly what this Adobe CC is all about and if it lives up to the cost.
In this post, I'll walk you through the key factors to consider when it comes to this graphic design option. The Apps
Adobe CC puts a full range of graphic design tools at your fingertips. Here's my rundown of the included apps and what they can do:
Photoshop - Photoshop is Adobe's solution for enhancing photographs, web and mobile images, video and more with powerful editing tools. Lightroom - Also for photo editing, Lightroom creates instructions for the edits you've made and leaves the original image unchanged. Illustrator - Made for vector-like logos, icons, typography and more complex digital illustrations, this application offers "pixel-perfect accuracy." InDesign - The app of choice for documents, InDesign lets you design and publish eBooks, print materials and interactive documents. Premiere Pro - Video editor Premiere Pro uses its 25 years of experience to help filmmakers and video creators efficiently edit everything from virtual reality to 8K footage. After Effects - If motion graphics and visual effects are more your style, After Effects lets you create these visual elements for film, television and web. Adobe Creative Cloud's more than twenty unique apps also cover 2D and 3D animation, audio recording and editing, copywriting and much more. Not to mention, Adobe's mobile apps let you apply its powerful features for design work on the go. Pricing Structure
Now that I've let you know all that Adobe CC provides for your graphic design needs, you're most likely wondering what the cost will be for using this advanced design software. While a Creative Cloud subscription can get expensive, Adobe does offer several different plans so that you can choose the option that best suits your personal needs.
Individuals can choose from the Photography Plan ($9.99 per month or $119.88 a year, prepaid), which includes Lightroom CC and Photoshop CC, a single app subscription which starts at $19.99 per month on an annual plan, an All Apps subscription for $49.99 per month or an All Apps + Adobe Stock subscription which includes 10 Adobe Stock images for $79.98 a month. For business teams, Adobe CC is $29.99 per user per month for a single app or $69.99 per user per month for access to all of the apps. There are also discounted licensing options for students, teachers and universities. Industry Standard
You don't have to be in the design field long to realize that Adobe Creative Cloud is the big name in the industry, which makes it important for any aspiring designers and creatives to learn. There's good reason for its prominence in the field of design, including Adobe's experience in the industry and the advanced nature of its tools. While modern technology has provided competitors that come close to offering the tools that Adobe CC provides, it still remains the go-to solution for all design needs and the standard for professional designers and creators.
Cost Comparison: Hire or DIY
If you need graphic design work done for your business, you may be reconsidering a do-it-yourself method as a less expensive option after looking at the cost of a Creative Cloud subscription. In reality, hiring a professional graphic designer for various design elements such as logos, marketing materials and even your website design can cost you even more in the long run. According to a HOW Magazine survey, the average hourly rate charged by graphic designers is around $65-$75, but can range for $20 all the way up to $350. Something relatively basic, like a logo design or a simple brochure could cost anywhere from $150 to $5,000.
More advanced design needs, extensive revisions and printing will add even more to the amount that you pay. Over the course of a few months or even a year's worth of design materials, your cost to hire a designer or design firm will quickly outpace the cost of an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription. Plus, creating your own designs puts you in control of both the timeline and the design process. Don't Be Scared of The Learning Curve
As I and anyone who has used any of the Adobe CC apps will tell you, these tools are not known to be the easiest to use when you are first starting out. The learning curve is basically a trademark of the software titles, but once you get over that initial fear, the wealth of powerful design tools at your command are worth that extra effort! In order to help you master the Creative Cloud more quickly, you can take advantage of the abundance of Adobe courses available on the internet, starting with my tutorials on Illustrator and Photoshop. Most of these lessons and tutorials teach specific techniques, so you can learn exactly what you need to, when you need it.
In Conclusion
Whether you're a new blogger or a startup founder looking to build your brand through design, I would say Adobe Creative Cloud is definitely worth the investment. Its powerful range of graphic design tools are truly unprecedented, while subscription plans and available online courses make it much more accessible to everyone. If you're trying to decide between Adobe's products and an alternative solution, I believe it's an investment you can't afford not to make!
If you have been dabbling in affiliate marketing and/or just looking for some spare cash to put towards the fun stuff in life, listen up. I have been trying out a paid shopping service called Ebates.com and I am happy to report only GREAT THINGS. If you know me, you know I have a small attention span and the easier a process is, the more likely I am to use it. Ebates is so simple, you'd be crazy not to take 1 minute, read my directions below and sign up to start getting your checks!
Please note: this post contains affiliate links which means I get a referral credit if you sign up using one of my links. You can read my full disclosure for more information regarding affiliate links.
Here is a screenshot of my Ebates dashboard... my check actually got deposited as I was out on a girl shopping day so it was a win win!
This post contains affiliate links... read my full disclosure for more details.
I've chosen to write about the Weebly Website Builder because it is a website tool that I have extensive knowledge in and use everyday. I feel like Weebly gets a bad wrap online from time to time but as an experienced user of the program I feel it necessary to broadcast all of it's great features and the things I love about it. I have created both of my own websites (eringipfordfreelance.com & eringipfordphotography.com) using Weebly and since the creation of my own sites was so easy and successful, I also started creating websites for my clients using Weebly. To date I have created 5 additional client websites as well. If you have been debating about how to build your first website or are currently frustrated with your own site keep reading and I will show you the light :)
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Erin GipfordWelcome to my review page! I will be posting information about the products I use daily to be a successful freelance graphic designer. Categories |