For the love of Money

Coming from a middle-class household, my parents always loved to use the popular phrase "money doesn't buy happiness", and growing up I always believed that was true.  Designer clothes may sometimes look nice, but they wont really make your life better.

Now that I'm a young adult living outside of my parents home, I'm starting to realize that while money may not buy happiness, you need a lot of it to pay for the things to keep you going.  

How do freelancers manage their finances? 
Managing your own income can be a difficult and stress-inducing task, but it's important that you track your spending and set finance "goals" for yourself before your freelance work begins.  Being your own boss can be difficult, as you have to determine what amount you deserve for the hours it takes to complete each individual project.  

It's a good idea to create a spreadsheet detailing how much you expect to need each month for all necessities; Software, electronics, travel, rent, etc.   Try to get a better understanding of your monthly spending habits, and plan-ahead for set-backs and emergencies.  

Tips & Tricks

There are many suggestions and pointers on how to efficiently manage your money as a freelancer, but we don't have all day, so I compiled a list of the most important tips to help get you started:

Create an Emergency Fund -  I've said it twice now, but it's so important I'll say it one more time: CREATE AN EMERGENCY FUND.  Everyone should have an emergency fund, but when you're working for yourself it's important to realize that things will not always be easy or go according to plan.  Being a freelancer means that you wont consistently be bringing in money every month the way you would with a salaried job.  To insure that you can live healthily if unforeseen issues arise.  It's recommended that you put away at least enough money in savings to last you a year before venturing off on your own.   

Project your monthly income and expenses - Track your monthly expenses and create a budget based off of your research.  How much will you need each month for basic living expenses?  Create a household-budget, and a balance sheet to help with determining cost-of-living.  Play your averages (take yearly income and divide by 12 to determine your monthly budget) and expect the worst.  As stated before, being a freelancer means your work-flow will be inconsistent.  Expect lulls in work-flow and plan for these times accordingly.

Use software/applications to help with budgeting/spending overviews - There are many budgeting software's available to the public that are free, easy-to-use, and very beneficial to those who need to track their spending habits.   The budgeting software Mint, for example, works on all PC and mobile platforms, and is a one-stop-shop for all financial information.  It's easy to set-up an account using your banking information, and once set-up will give you up-to-date information on your banking account, upcoming bills, and credit cards.  Best of all, it's free!   Mobile Apps like Expensify take money management a step further by offering the ability to scan receipts and save purchase details, as well as track your distance traveled by odometer, allowing freelancers to determine the miles/time it takes to travel to a job site.


How do you manage YOUR money?

I'd love to say that I have accountant-level skills at managing my finances, but as a student in college and a young-adult, it really can be difficult to create budgets and plan-ahead.  After doing my own research (and because I will be in the freelance-field soon) I took a lot of the advice I read to heart.  Managing your money can be difficult, but it's another important step in adulthood.  Even more so when you're trying to become your own boss.

Change Agents: Making Your Business Better

"The people who resist change will be confronted by the growing number of people who see that better ways are available, thanks to technology." - Bill Gates

What is a Change Agent?

A Change Agent is an individual or group of individuals who work to help a business transform itself to best fit the needs of it's market and consumers.  Change Agents focus on today's changing technologies/markets to effectively help the business implement better strategies and developmental progress.

According to Education-Portal there are four important skills a change agent must have to remain successful:

1.  Broad Knowledge - Keep strong ties with your industry, know what is the most sought-after elements and keep up-to-date on standards and practices.  Understand that it's important to not only know about your industry, but industries and markets that are related to your own.

2.  Operational/Relational Knowledge - Have strong communication skills.  Be able to listen, trust, observe, and identify with your employees and consumers.  Be flexible and able to handle all behaviors.

3. Sensitivity and Maturity - Be aware of your own behaviors/attitudes, and how these behaviors may impact your relationships with others.  Demonstrate empathy and sensitivity with others.  

4.  Authenticity - Act in accordance with your beliefs and values.  Work for your consumers and your company, not for yourself.  Be someone others can trust to be honest and forth-right.

To keep your business growing in an over-saturated market, it's important that your company has an individual who can use these skills effectively, keeping your business informed on new market developments, while also paying attention to what methods and design choices are most popular and desired by your clients.

Are Change Agents important in the Digital Media Field?

As a young adult in the Digital Media field; being a change agent is crucial to business, because new technology and software is constantly being developed and implemented into design and web standards.  It's imperative that we stay ahead-of-the-curve not only when it comes to technological advancements, but also that we pay strict attention to what elements and design choices are desired in our ever-changing market.

Being a change agent can be difficult, as you not only need to understand that things HAVE to change, but also WHY that change is important and what repercussions your business may have because of it.  Though many claim to welcome change, it's often difficult to accept when it comes to turning your back on a beloved software or design-standard that is becoming outdated.  Accepting change can be difficult, but it is a trait that all professionals must learn to handle to remain successful, myself included.


How badly does technology affect those in the Digital Media field?

What's interesting (and difficult) about change in this field is that one person can make it happen.  One small web-design change or camera-technique that people find interesting can spark a chain-of-events that often leads to that change becoming the thing to do.  For example, the 48fps filming technique Peter Jackson used in "The Hobbit" left many in the film-scene bewildered and sparked discussion on how popular that method of filming would be in the future, leading many to create films of their own using this method.

In the few years I have been in the Digital Media field we have seen major developments with software/standards, such as Adobe Flash being phased out in lieu of HTML5/CSS3 coding, the discontinuation of software such as Adobe Fireworks, and the release of new design software like Adobe Muse.     

The popularity of cell-phones/ tablets isn't going away, and as these technologies grow and develop, so too will designers need to learn to develop applications and websites that can work with the new technology.  I imagine that as the popularity of mobile tech rises, newer forms such as smart-watches and other wearable tech will make it onto the scene.  

How do I continue to change?

Because technology is constantly being updated and revised, it is important that I remain educated on the standards and up-coming software/technology to stay knowledgeable and successful in my field.  But how is that possible when new tech and software is released so consistently?  

One word:  Internet.

Websites that are dedicated to technology and the web, such as Gizmodo and io9 are constantly updated and a great way to learn what is new and popular in the technology/"nerd" world.  Community forums such as Reddit's Technology and Graphic Design pages are also a great resource for news and discussion on all Digital Media topics.


The internet is the BEST place to find reviews for software/tech, discussions on popular design choices and implementations, and a great way to get consumer feedback/opinions on what is most important for your business.


For more information on Change Agents and why they're good for business, check the links below:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2014/03/24/every-leader-must-be-a-change-agent-or-face-extinction/

http://www.themanager.org/Strategy/change_agent.htm

So, what's the deal with blogging?

Why are blogs getting to be so popular?  Why does everyone (and their mother) have one?  WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH BLOGS?  In this post we will discuss why blogging has become an important staple in kickstarting a business, and tips on how to make your blog successful.

How popular are blogs, really?

In 2012, Blogging.org, conducted a 1000-people-survey from bloggers across the United States to create an infographic showcasing blogging's most important data.  The survey found that there were over 31 million people in the US who had a blog in 2012, and of those 31 million people 43% preferred Wordpress.

Blogging.org 2012 Blog Infographic

Today Wordpress states that over 409 million people view content posted using their blogging platform, and that Wordpress users produce around 48.7 million new posts each month.  The site has a page showcasing their statistics for posting, uploads, and created pages on a month-to-month basis. In January of this year exactly 48,694,922 new posts were hosted by Wordpress, and 63,371,065 comments were made by readers.  

Considering Wordpress is but one of several blogging platforms available, it's obvious from these statistics alone that blogging is continuing to rise in popularity.  

But how will blogging help my business? 

Blogging is a great way to connect with your customers and humanize your company.  Blogs are becoming the go-to medium for updating customers with new business information, and allows the readers to have a back-and-forth with the company's managers/PR through post-commenting and suggestion/contact pages.  Blogging can give a company the appearance of being more open and personal, and helps with building credibility and trust with the company's fanbase.

Hubspot, a website focused on helping companies with their marketing strategies, posted a report on Inbound Marketing in which they surveyed 644 business professionals using their service.  The research found that 57% of the companies reported they generated more customers through leads from their blog.  In fact, the report states that businesses are now in the minority if they do not have a blog!

Jim Blasingame, small business advocate and contributor to Forbes, believes that having a blog can often be better than having a website, due to the fact that it's easier to create content and connect with your audience and future customers.  Even if you are not a great writer or do not have a lot of free time, blogging is a way to get your message across in a quick and efficient way with little effort.  

(For Jim's full video on why blogging is important visit this vimeo link.)

Blogging gives your company a voice, allowing you to talk about new products, company issues/news, and share your expertise with a much larger audience.  Having a blog allows you to gain closer connections with your audience, and the icing on the cake: it's free.  If you don't have a blog already, open a new tab and get started!  

Okay, I started my blog!  But I need some help!

Creating a blog and getting it set-up is easy, but the real issue is staying focused and producing the kind of content your audience craves.  After all, the point of the blog is to have others read it!  

I scoured the internet for the best tips and tricks to maintaining a successful blog, which I have outlined (in no particular order) below:


Speak to your target audience -  Figure out who is buying what you sell and write for them.  It's important to determine what group of people you are selling to and address them in a way they will understand and be able to discuss.  Emphasize with your consumers: put yourself in their shows and write about what you believe they are interested in.

Make your posts quick and easy to read -  Readers to not like to scroll through endless lines of text.  Your posts should be long enough to get your point across, while also quick to read on a time-limit.  Make posts scannable by cutting up content into sections, using lists and bullets, and having easy to distinguish headers and fonts.  

Make your blog easy to search - It's important that your blog focuses on the type of content you want to write about.  The title of your blog should be catchy and easy to remember. The easiest way to generate readers is though web searches: when your blog focuses on keywords and phrases that customers generally search for, it will often be found easier.   

Make your blog easy to share - Whether you're using a site like Tumblr that automatically posts to other social media sites and offers customers the option to share your posts to their pages, or a site that requires a plug-in to enable cross-platform social media posting, it's important you make your blog as easy to share as possible.  Many internet users are often using mobile devices to browse sites, and because of this it's often impossible to copy/paste site links.  Make sure your site has it's own Facebook/Twitter/G+ share buttons so mobile users can easily share your content with their followers.

Make your blog easy to view on all formats - Remember those mobile viewers we were just talking about?  It's important that you create a responsive design for your blog layout, so that your blog can be easily viewed on all mobile devices.  It's also important to keep those who are color-blind or have poor eyesight in mind.  Use simple color schemes and fonts to make your blog easy to view for everyone.  

Well, what about you?  What will you blog about?

As a designer/digital media professional, I believe the type of content enthusiasts of my industry would be most interested in would be new and interesting software/application/website reviews pertaining to working within this field. 

Reviews for editing software, tablets, and other devices designers need to work in this industry, as well as my own work and projects, would generate an audience of others who are interested in working with photo/video editing, and are interested in networking with others in the graphic design field.

For more information on blogging tips and why business should blog, visit the links below:

http://webmarketingtoday.com/articles/114117-25-Things-Every-Business-Blog-Should-Have/

http://www.toprankblog.com/2012/03/increase-blog-traffic-readership-community/

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/7-tips-for-making-your-blog-a-content-marketing-magnet/

http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2011/10/10-tips-for-corporate-bloggers/

Getting into blogging, and tips for beginners.

Today's post will focus on blogging: how to get started, the differences between blogging platforms, and tips for beginners.  

Why do we blog?

Blogging has become a popular way for those who have a passion and enjoy writing to get their ideas, thoughts, and feelings across to the public.  Since the early 1990's blogging has had a steady rise in popularity, to the point that microblogging is used day-to-day by millions of people worldwide through services like Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.  

Through the use of blogging you can share your thoughts and opinions with the public, spread the word about important issues, and start open discussions on the topics most important to you.

Blogging allows you to:

• Share your views and explore new ideas through feedback and discussion.
• Provide useful information and feedback to the public.
• Start discussions on topics that need to be addressed.
• Make yourself more easily recognized by members of the community you are addressing.

From cupcake recipes to video game reviews, if it's a thing, you can blog about it!

Okay, I'm interested.  But how do I start?

The first step to creating a blog is to find the right service for you.  There are many blogging tools out there, and all of them are unique in their own way.  I spent some time learning about the most popular blogging services available, and listed each pro and con below.  

Blogger

Blogger is owned by Google and directly tied to your Google account.  If you have a gmail address or Google+ account you can quickly and easily set up a blog on this service.  

Pros:  The service is free and has it's own customizable templates to choose from, as well as the option to edit colors, add your own background image, and add "gadgets" to the page.   These gadgets offer many add-ons to your blog, such as a +1 button for Google+ users to like your page, an image slider, and even Javascript and additional HTML capabilities (though these are not necessary to create a working blog).  If you have purchased a domain you can use the domain name on the service.

Because Blogger is a Google service, there are many features created by the company for use with the platform.  Google Adsense allows you to add specific ads on your blog that will generate revenue based on the amount of blog views.  The more popular your blog is, the more money you make.  

Google also added Chrome extensions to help with updating and sharing your blog.  The Tiny Tweetr! tool, for example, allows you to select certain text from your blog and add a "tweet this" button for readers to click to share the quote to their twitter followers.   

Cons:  The text editing options for the service are almost the same as Google Docs, with less features.  While Blogger gives you the option to change color and text size, you cannot indent whole paragraphs, or save your font formats for use in the future.  There are not many themes available, and the customize options are limited. 

Wordpress 

There are two types of wordpress, and I will give a short description of each below:

Wordpress.com is perfect for beginners. It is a free blog-hosting service owned by the web development corporation Automattic.  This service is powered by the Wordpress software, and is easy-to-use.  Wordpress.org is for those of you who like to spend some time working on the layout of your site.  Wordpress.org  allows you to download an updated version of the Wordpress software to use on your own web host, and contains more plugins/css/php options.

For this blog post, we will be focusing on only the .com version of Wordpress.  For a review of Wordpress.org, please visit wordpressbeginners blog post on the subject.  

Wordpress can be hosted by Wordpress or self-hosted on your own server, and offers a lot of plugins and features that are unavailable on sites like Blogger and Tumblr.  With hundreds of free themes to choose from, 24/7 live chat support, and the ability to upgrade to a custom domain ($18 for a .com custom address), it's no wonder Wordpress is pretty well-known as being the most popular blogging software on the market.

Pros:  Premium security, and backups are included with your free account.   Over 200 free themes to choose from, as well as the option to custom design your own.   Integration with social media sites, allowing you to instantly share your blog posts to Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr.  The ability to share stats, comments, and polls without the need of plugins.  

Cons:  People who have never used Wordpress before may have some difficulty learning how to customize and edit their pages to their liking.  The amount of customization available, while awesome, can be overwhelming.  While you do not need to be an expert at coding, it is suggested that you have basic knowledge of html and css before trying any advanced editing of your blog.

Tumblr

Tumblr is a free social blogging platform designed to share all types of media with one click.  Because Tumblr makes it so easy to upload photos/videos/and music, the site is mainly used for artists and designers to share their work to the public easily.  There are many themes available on the service, and it requires no knowledge of html/css to use.  Like Blogger, Tumblr takes a matter of minutes to choose a theme, customize it, and start sharing posts.

The Tumblr Dashboard allows you to click a single button to immediately upload any type of media.

While Tumblr can be used for long-form blogs, it is mostly popular because of the ability to share images and videos through social networks quickly and easily.  If you simply want to share interesting things and become a part of a social community, Tumblr is the way to go.

Pros:  Many free themes to choose from, and over 1000 themes available for purchase.  There are quite a few add-ons available for the service that are easy to install and add tons of features.  

Missinge for example, adds many customization and dashboard tweaks (such as adding a quick reply button, and a magnifying glass to photos) makes the Tumblr experience that much easier.  The ability to share music, videos, links, and photos with one click is awesome and the layouts Tumblr chooses for the different formats look nice on any Theme you use.  

Users are able to "follow" your blog if they enjoy it, and get automatic updates to their own dashboard when you post.  This allows people who would normally forget to check your actual blog page to still have the chance to see your posts while scrolling.  Other users also have the option to share your post to their own dashboard, and comment on it with their own thoughts, allowing followers of theirs to see the discussion.



Cons:  While Tumblr offers the ability to customize themes to your color tastes, it is more difficult to change the exact layout or create your own without the knowledge of html/css.   Tumblr makes it very hard to install ad-space on your blog without purchasing a premium account, which will make it difficult to make money from your blog if that is your goal.  Tumblr is known as a casual "short-blog" environment where photos and videos are key.  If you are looking into long-form blogging, Tumblr isn't the best place to get started.

TLDR!  Which one did you like best?

All of these blogging platforms have their own perks, and it really just depends on the blogger's layout preferences, knowledge of html, and what type of blog they intend to create.   

Tumblr has a lot of great options available for people looking to share images and other files, but for a blog that mostly long blocks of text it wasn't the right fit for me.  I liked the sleek themes and options wordpress offers, but I have never used the service before and the dashboard was a little overwhelming.  For someone looking to get my posts out as soon as possible, I didn't have the time to read tutorials or spend hours trying to get my blog looking perfect.

Blogger was automatically connected to my gmail account, which made it quick and easy to get an account set up.  There aren't a lot of theme options, but if you're looking for simplicity and the ability to write long blog posts, it's a great choice.



For information on more blogging services, visit the links below:

http://thenextweb.com/apps/2013/08/16/best-blogging-services/

http://startbloggingonline.com/blog-platform-comparison-chart/