Tag Archives: marketing

Five-Part Content Creation Brain Dump

Career, , , , , ,

Having trouble coming up with content ideas for your personal brand, small business, or side hustle?

As a marketing writer and content coach, I’ve come up with five questions I recommend you ask yourself at the start of each month. These five questions will help you get all your best ideas out from inside your head and onto the page (as any good brain dump should), allowing you to slot great content into your editorial calendar and begin posting!

Before you get going on your first Content Creation Brain Dump, there are two steps I’d like you to complete first.

Step 1: Determine your CONTENT PILLARS for the year.

I recommend that a content creator (whether that be a person or a business) have three content pillars. These are essentially the “themes” in which your content falls under.

A person creating content for their online jewelry shop, may select:
1. Jewelry Making & Crafting
2. Fashion
3. Travel & Outdoors

Step 2: Determine your MARKETING PILLARS for the quarter.

As you look at your business goals for the quarter, your marketing pillars prop those up. If you want to increase revenue coming in from sponsored Instagram posts, one of your pillars might simply be sponsored content. Trying to build your mailing list? Maybe your pillar is a lead generator.

Our online jewelry shop owner chooses:
1. Sale on Summer merchandise
2. Cross promotion of brick & mortar store that sells some of her pieces
3. Working with a few travel content creators on an influencer marketing campaign

[I advise that you repeat Step 1 every year and Step 2 every quarter!]

Once you’ve determined your CONTENT PILLARS and MARKETING PILLARS, it’s on to the Brain Dump! Grab some paper and ask yourself the following questions…

Question 1: What are some pieces of content I already have that I can repurpose?

Our jewelry shop owner took beautiful product photos of all her Summer merchandise before that line launched. Now that the remaining pieces are on sale, she can use those photos in her Instagram stories to promote her End Of Summer Sale.

Question 2: What is going on this month that I could create content about?

The brick & mortar store that sells her jewelry is a couple towns over and is hosting a small event. She plans to travel there for the event as well as do a restock of her merchandise.

She also donated a couple pieces to a local nonprofit for an online auction at the end of the month.

Question 3: What products or services should I highlight this month?

She’d like to promote her new jewelry collection that’s going on sale next month. She sent out a few pieces from the collection in advance of the launch date to travel content creators.

Question 4: What content did my followers/clients/customers respond best to last month that I can iterate on this month?

Her customers always respond well to giveaways! Maybe she can include some other local products she finds at the small event she’s attending this month?

Question 5: What content am I missing that would help me achieve my quarterly business goals?

Sales in the brick & mortar store are an important part of her business goals this month. She needs to sell the store (as well as the little town it is located in) just as much as the merchandise she has inside it this month. She might think about some content from her trip to the store that falls under her Travel & Outdoors pillar.

Once your Brain Dump is complete, you can build out the content ideas and get them scheduled on your calendar. Repeat each month for ongoing awesome content! Remember: Validate each idea against your two sets of pillars. They should serve one or the other and ideally BOTH!

If you ever want to talk strategy, my inbox is open! Send me a message at ebeth.berger@gmail.com ❤ Let’s work together to make some internet magic!

P.S. My 10 brutally honest tips about content creation.

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10 Brutally Honest Tips About Online Content Creation

Career, , , , , ,

10 brutally honest tips about online content creation

You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again — content is king. Online content creation and marketing was once just a way to set yourself apart, but nowadays it’s pretty much a necessity. And if you’re a small business or solo-preneur, your online content can make or break a successful marketing campaign.

Over the years I’ve worked with a ton of brands (both new and old) to develop meaningful online content strategies. Here’s what I can tell you — everyone, from a dog-walker to a CEO who writes bestselling books, can create valuable and relevant online content that will connect with potential customers.

And it’s not too late to get in on the action! But it can certainly feel overwhelming. Do you make YouTube videos, start a podcast, write a weekly newsletter? What should you share? And how often? While there’s no one-size-fits-all formula, I’ve put together a list of my top 10 tips:

1. Have fun!

This one may seem obvious but you’d be surprised how often I find myself offering this simple piece of advice. In terms of building and maintaining your audience, personality matters. Nobody wants to hang out with the person who isn’t having a good time. And they’ll probably be able to tell if you’re faking it, too. But more than audience, you have to consider sustainability. Can you keep something up if you don’t enjoy it? Create the content you enjoy making, at the rate you enjoy making it.

2. Invest in ways to make it easier and more fun.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to create online content. Work with what you have to start out. But when you’re ready to invest, consider spending your money on things that will make the process easier and more fun. If the aspect you enjoy most about is photography, maybe you spring for some camera gear. Whereas if drafting written content to accompany those photos is taking up too much of your time, consider outsourcing to a freelancer.

3. Provide value within your niche.

People aren’t going to care about your brand or your products right away. Until you’ve developed a bit of a fan base or a sense of community within your audience, they’re going to scroll right past that blog post about your company vision or the video covering your life story. That’s not to say there won’t be a place for those things eventually! But you’ve got to start by providing value. This can be as simple as a blog post with relevant tips & tricks or an infographic with useful information. But could also include things like printable PDFs, detailed templates, or an inspiring podcast.

4. Have patience!

Organic growth and ROI will come, but it won’t come over night. It takes time. Building up your online presence or brand is dependent upon also building up that community of followers. So, you might hook them with valuable content but now you have to give them time to get to know you. Put out the the content that lets them do so. (And take time to get to know them, too! ) This also means you have to be consistent. You have to tell them when content is coming and then follow through.

5. Track your analytics.

Yes, this is a creative endeavor. But you can have a little more method to your madness than throwing things at the wall to see what sticks. Look at the numbers. Create a spreadsheet to chart growth in key areas and keep track of what worked and what didn’t so you can modify as needed.

6. Develop a relationship with your audience.

I’ll say it again — you’re building a community FIRST. The brand will blossom from there. One very simple way to do this within online content is online COMMUNICATION. Reply to comments, answer emails, tag people, reach out to other brands and people when you feature them in your content. Folks love recognition, whether that be clicking the heart next to their Instagram content or writing a LinkedIn article about how much you love their business. Another way to build relationships is by engaging with other creators in your niche. Your voice is amplified when it’s in a chorus of others!

7. Be authentic!

It’s going to be hard to develop lasting relationships with a community of loyal customers if you keep changing who you are and what you stand for based on passing whims (or paychecks). Be yourself. Only communicate what you believe and stand for. Again, people can tell when you’re faking it. You’re interesting and enough just as you are!

8. Don’t be afraid of the ask.

Yes, you want to consistently provide your audience with value when it comes to your online content. But here’s the thing. You got bills to pay! You can’t give everything away for free! So, now that you’ve built up that community that loves and trusts you, you’ve shown time and time again that you’re a reliable source of [information, advice, inspiration], someone out there is probably going to want to actually pay for one of your goods or services. Probably a LOT of someones. But…not if you don’t ask!!! So many of my clients over the years have expressed hesitation when it comes to the sales aspect of their online content strategy because they, “Don’t want to sound sales-y.” And I get where they’re coming from. You don’t have to shove sales pitches down peoples throats 24-7. But you won’t get a sale if no one knows you’re selling. My advice? 1) Keep your content diverse — a fun post here, a value add there, this product, that service, etc, etc. 2) If you think of your overall online content strategy as a novel, make sure you’ve written your audience as the protagonist.

9. Start now.

There’s no “right” time to begin incorporating online content into your marketing plan. You could wait for that new camera, website redesign, or social media intern — but those things may never happen. And you’re missing out in the mean time.

10. Keep learning as you go.

Need inspiration? Look to other content creators. See what YOU enjoy watching and reading, what resonates with YOU, who is providing value in YOUR life. What are they doing that you can incorporate in your content? Without copying them, of course! Need more resources? There are a plethora of educational materials available about online content creation, many of them completely free.

Keep trying new things. Keep creating. Keep seeking out additional knowledge and strategies. You got this!

If you ever want to talk strategy, my inbox is open! Send me a message at ebeth.berger@gmail.com ❤ Let’s work together to make some internet magic!

P.S. 10 Tips for Working an Event.

mid-week round-up

Wednesday Links, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What are you up to this week? Are you experiencing cold weather? We woke up to snow yesterday morning. SNOW! Quite the sight here in Alabama. I’m all too happy to bust out our faux fire place, fleece blankets, and soup ingredients. Hope you’re having a warm & cozy evening wherever you are, and now here are some links to hunker down and read…

Ummm…*tearjerker alert*.

This cold snap means PASS THE SOUP!

Recent episodes of Survivor have tackled race and gender as never before.

The holiday marketing mistakes you should avoid in 2019.

Is it time for a new job? Here’s what to look out for.

This woman uses her hijab to turn herself into pop culture characters. (Stunning!)

Ricky Gervais is returning for a fifth stint as Golden Globes host. Thoughts?

Excited to read this memoir, out in February 2020.

Ethan Hawke over here being the best dad.

Free college can work. Here are 2 examples.

The world according to Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

Tempted to buy (and fill!) this for MYSELF!

P.S. A few Finding Delight posts you may have missed — Photo Diary: Everglades Adventure and A College English Teacher’s Take on Last Chance U.

If you enjoy my blog content, please consider supporting what I do (and keeping me caffeinated). Thank you! xoxo ☕

A DAY IN MY LIFE | Online Content + Marketing Strategist

Career, Every day life, , , , ,

Today I thought it might be fun to share a “S**T I GOT DONE TODAY” list from a recent workday.

[I’ve talked about these lists as self-care HERE.]

This was a day I accomplished a lot. But at the end of it, I still found myself feeling uneasy about all the BIG PICTURE items I had coming up in my calendar. To quell my unease, I took a step back to reflect on all the things I’d crossed off my list that brought me closer to completing the scarier deadlines I felt looming large.

If you’re curious, here’s how this day went down —

Copy edited a project – Editing requires careful reading. Careful reading requires full attention. I try to tackle editing work first thing in the morning for this reason. Plus, starting my morning with reading feels like a great warm-up for the more creative work to come.

Wrote and designed 3 monthly newsletters – I’m at my most productive in the morning, and my brain was feeling effectively warmed-up after the editing work, so I jumped into a project that required a lot of writing next. The design aspect of newsletters like these requires a lot of work up front, but I had already designed templates for all three before this day so I mainly had to perfect layouts and make things pop.

2 weeks of social media content – This was the second most creatively-focused task of the day so I rolled right into this after the newsletters. I usually try to batch 4 weeks of social media, but this client had a lot of upcoming events that would be filling their feed in the latter half of the month. I sent off the copy and images for approval and then took a well-deserved lunch break.

LUNCH BREAK 

Created a letterhead – Brain warm-up part 2! I try and slot in a few easy to accomplish tasks right when I get back to my desk. It’s kind of like how Target places the Dollar Spot right as you enter so you’re in the habit of throwing stuff in your cart by the time you roll into the rest of the store. I need to get in the habit of checking things off my to-do list so I can keep my momentum up for the rest of the day. Today it was a simple document design but these sorts of things can also include lengthier email responses, phone calls, scheduling social media, or making small website changes.

Research for a client’s book – This took up the bulk of my afternoon, but while it took brain power and thoughtfulness, it didn’t require a lot of creativity. Making it a great afternoon activity for me. (I get the 2 pm slump!) I love helping clients through the entire book writing process but there’s something about filling in research gaps with a bit of internet sleuthing that I find especially engaging.

Compiled data into a deliverable – A perfect item to end the work day on! The research was already done, so essentially this was just some data entry. But the final product needed to go to a client which meant it felt high stakes enough to keep myself on task and to go the extra mile to make it look pretty.

And there you have it! I hope you found that interesting. If you’re ever feeling anxiety about work (there’s just always MORE to do!), I highly recommend taking a moment at the end of your day to reflect on the S**T YOU GOT DONE! Let me know if you give it a try!! 

6 Ways to Use PicMonkey

Career, How to's, , , , , , , , , , ,

If you need to edit photos, make graphics for your blog or social media accounts, or just want an awesome template for an Instagram post, you need to check out PicMonkey!

I’ve been using PicMonkey for years. I rave about it to friends and clients. But I’ve never written a dedicated post about this sneaky lil blogger hack.

So, in case you’ve never heard of PicMonkey before, it is an online image editing tool that is super user friendly and perfect for all my influencers, bloggers, entrepeneurs, and marketing mavens out there! What can you create with PicMonkey? SO. MANY. THINGS!

Here are 6 ways I use PicMonkey for my blog, clients, and personal life…

1. Photo Editing

I love snapping photos on my adventures! Before I pop ’em into a blog post, many of them get a quick edit in PicMonkey. Because my posts aren’t super photo-driven, Photo Shop just doesn’t seem like a worthwhile investment at this time (and I don’t really have time or the desire to learn how to use it — just being real). So this is a great alternative! I usually crop or straighten my photos as needed. Then, adjust the exposure and color. Sometimes I’ll sharpen them, too. Here are a couple images I edited with PicMonkey…

2. Invitations

There are a ton of templates available to make custom invitations for everything from birthdays and graduations, to surprise baby showers and special promotional events. Chet and I actually used PicMonkey to create the “Save the Date” cards for our wedding!

save the date with picmonkey

3. Graphics

I manage website and social media content for several of my clients. PicMonkey is a great way for me to quickly create a graphic for their blog posts or online newsletters. All I do is keep a spreadsheet with each of my clients, which PicMonkey fonts are suitable for their brands, and any HEX color codes. All I need is an image and bada-bing, bada-boom–I’ve got a custom graphic!

everything you need to know to find your blogging niche

4. Cover Photos

Social media cover photos are a fun way to show off a bit of personality, as well as cross-promote across different platforms. I usually opt for a simple look, but I recently created this Twitter cover photo in PicMonkey and thought it was pretty cute! There are a ton of templates available and there’s no going back and forth to get the right size for the right platform.

5. Collages

I also use PicMonkey to create collages. This is how I first discovered PicMonkey — googling an easy way to include multiple photos in a single image. Below, you’ll see a collage I created for my About page as well as the format I used when I was making monthly favorites posts.

6. Brand Boards

Finally, who doesn’t love a good inspiration board??? If you want to put together a cohesive vision for your brand, then I highly recommend checking out the brand board templates on PicMonkey. As an example, I put together a board for Finding Delight. This is to help guide my aesthetic and posts for Fall 2018 and the sort of vibe I’m hoping to convey with my content in the upcoming season. This one is for my personal use, but this is also a great tool for sharing the feel of your brand with others or creating media kits for companies who want to partner with you.

finding delight fall 2018

Have you ever used PicMonkey? What are your favorite features?

Don’t Hide Your Hustle: Kelsey, Concierge Hairstylist and Makeup Artist

Career, , , , , , , , ,

Welcome to Don’t Hide Your Hustle, a new series on Finding Delight that explores the myriad of ways to make a living in 2017. I’m asking folks to share how they hustle over the course of one work-day (which usually extends far beyond a 9 – 5 situation).

Today, I present you with Kelsey’s story (whose hustle changes so drastically from day to day that we just had to include two!). Kelsey has been a licensed cosmetologist in Texas for many years and she also has a social media management and virtual assistant business. Let’s check out her hustle!

dhyh-kelsey-black-and-white

Hey ya’ll!  My name is Kelsey and what I do changes from day-to-day and seasonally.  The one consistent in my life is lots and lots of coffee: black with a sprinkle of cinnamon or a coconut milk latte with light foam.  Monday thru Thursday I am a Social Media Strategist and Marketing Manager.  I create content for other businesses including: blog posts, brochures, email campaigns and press releases.  I also create “less fun” content including Annual Reports, Investor Relations presentations, and Proxy Statements.  Like many I sit in front of my computer for hours answering emails and typing until my nails are blue.  Friday, Saturday, and some Sundays I am a stylist.  I have eleven years as a licensed cosmetologist in Texas and absolutely love working with brides.  I book wedding parties across the state as well as across the country and internationally.  I love that every day with a new client brings new challenges!

A recent Thursday working as the Marketing Guru at Styled Startup:

5:30 am – Wake-up and immediately check today’s calendar. Looks like it is going to be a busy one!

6:00 am – Drink my first cup of coffee and check emails. I have eight (!) email accounts so this can take a while.  I delete the spam, try not to get distracted by shopping deals, and favorite the emails I need to respond to.

7:00 am – Reach out to Virtual Assistants to discuss the daily to-do list.

7:30 am – Get more coffee.  Fix my hair and put on makeup.  Usually I only straighten my bangs and throw the rest of my hair into a messy bun. I contour, put on eyeshadow, eyeliner, two coats of mascara, bronzer, and a burgundy lip color.

9:00 am – Skype with a client to discuss new materials and social media strategy for the next month.  We are amping up her email campaigns to make them look more exciting.   I take notes outlining upcoming events and promotions.

9:30 am – Time for morning Instagram posts. I schedule my Instagram posts for a curated feed and to track hashtags across my accounts and client accounts.

9:45 am – Respond to 165 emails.  Trade secret: I have auto-responses set for most occasions but there are some responses that require a non-template response.

10:30 am – I head out for brunch with a local photographer. We enjoy crepes and lattes.  I like savory crepes with lots of veggies and feta but she opted for sweet. This sort of networking is a huge part of all of my businesses!  I use photographers to style and shoot flat-lays for my websites. Plus, photographer referrals are my favorite way to book brides.  

noon – More emails!

1:00 pm – I work on marketing materials for a client.  I create brochures and update their website.  Of course I have to link all these new materials to social media, too.

4:00 pm – Touch base with Virtual Assistants to make sure all their work was completed.  If any tasks are remaining by this time of day, we discuss options for finishing in the evening or the next day.

4:45 pm – Afternoon/Evening Instagram posts.

5:30 pm – I hit up Happy Hour with a bride I’ll soon by styling.  Since it is winter I opt for red wine but during the hot, Texas summer you can find me with a French 75 or margarita on the rocks!  I meet all of my brides for coffee or drinks prior to booking their wedding.  This has helped me significantly reduce “bridezillas” and make sure that I’m compatible with all my brides.  A bride should feel comfortable on her wedding day! Since she and her bridesmaids will spend a significant amount of time with me, it’s important that I’m someone she wants to hang out with on her big day! She also needs to make sure my portfolio is able to accommodate the hair and makeup aesthetic she’s looking to achieve.

7:00 pm – Another round of emails.

8:00 pm –  I have a good friend who is a small business owner in another state who acts as my accountability partner.  We have a nightly call or FaceTime to discuss our daily wins and losses.  I call her now to discuss our daily activities.

8:45 pm – Final Instagram posts go up.  I scroll through the feeds and correspond with like minded creatives.  Did you know for a comment to gain traction with Instagram’s new algorithm it has to be at least three words?  I try to be genuine and only comment on pictures I can directly relate to or that tug at my heartstrings.

9:00 pm – I fire off a Facebook chat to my photographer friend. The convo started out personal but quickly turns into a business discussion.  This leads to me scrolling through the friend’s Instagram account to perform a quick audit.  We discuss where disconnect with potential clients may be.

9:30 pm – Now I am performing hashtag searches to determine which hashtags will drive the most traffic to her Instagram.  I create a list of twenty hashtags to use in every Instagram post and send it over to her.  

11:00 pm – Scrolling through Instagram, I find a few more accounts to interact with before checking my email one last time and then heading to bed.

A recent Friday working as a Concierge Hairstylist and Makeup Artist:

5:30 am – Wake-up, check the calendar, drink coffee, and attend to emails.

6:45 am – Check that hair and makeup bags were properly packed and make sure we have enough applicators and lashes for the bride and all her bridesmaids.

7:00 am – Drink more coffee while fixing my hair and doing my makeup.

8:30 am – Fill up my 30 ounce Yeti with (more) coffee, grab the bags, and head out the door.

9:00 am – Arrive at the venue, meet with my team, and unpack hair and makeup bags.  It is crucial to get everything organized right away to stay on schedule throughout the day.

9:15 am – Airbrush Makeup for Bridesmaid #1.

10:00 am – Hairstyle for Bridesmaid #1.

10:45 am – Airbrush Makeup for Bridesmaid #2.

11:30 am – Hairstyle for Bridesmaid #2.

12:15 pm – Airbrush Makeup for the Bride.

1:00 pm – Hairstyle for the Bride.

1:45 pm – Hair and Makeup for the Flower Girl. This doesn’t take long as flower girls usually just get a little shimmer eye shadow, blush, and some lip gloss. Just enough to feel like a princess!

2:30 pm – I collect any outstanding payments, Square has made this a huge time saver.  Before, I had issues with checks bouncing or bridesmaids forgetting to bring cash.  Luckily everyone always has a card on them and Square has my back with transaction protection.

2:45 pm – Pack-up hair and makeup-bags.  The team leaves together and heads their separate ways.

3:15 pm – Arrive home and unpack the bags. I inventory all the items and make lists of those we are running low or out of.

4:30 pm – Payroll for the day in Square dashboard.

5:00 pm – I deep clean and sanitize all the makeup brushes.

5:15 pm – I fire off a response to an email from my dream venue for Wedded Weekend 2018 and book a follow-up call with the owner.  Proceed to do a happy dance around the townhouse!!!

5:30 pm – I work on the budget spreadsheet for Wedded Weekend 2018. I created Wedded Weekend, a three day creatives retreat and styled shoot workshop for wedding vendors, in 2016. The weekends are filled with collaboration, learning, and lots of fun. But the prep is a LOT of work. I try to carve out a few hours on weekend evenings to check a few items off my Wedded Weekend to-do list.

Thanks so much for sharing your hustle, Kelsey! Do you guys have any questions for her? Do any of you completely switch professional gears between weekdays and weekends?  

(Photo by Nicki Evans Photography.)

P.S. Are you a hustler willing to share your story? Let’s chat! I would love to know how you’re making money while following your dreams in 2017. Shoot me an email — ebeth.berger@gmail.com. Thanks!

Top 10 Yard Sale Advertising Tips

Books, budget, How to's, Personal, , , , , , , ,

yard sale e-book

Hi guys! Now that spring has sprung in the US, you may have noticed signs start to pop up around your neighborhood. You may have even gotten the itch to wake up before dawn on a Saturday morning and follow their bold arrows like a treasure map. Where did these signs lead you? Why, to everyone’s favorite example of “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” of course! The Yard Sale.

But what if you want to cash-in on this warm weather fun for yourself? What if you have a whole bunch of extra stuff weighing you down or are looking to raise some funds for an upcoming adventure?

Today I’ve partnered with YardSales.net to bring you a few handy-dandy tips to make sure you have a steady stream of folks at your next yard sale. Not just a sad trickle of passersby.

Back when I lived in Bowling Green, my friends and I often marked the arrival of Summer with a yard sale. We were broke-as-a-joke college kids looking to unload a few possessions before we, inevitably, packed up and moved from one terrible rental to another. Oh, and did I mention we were poor? Any extra cash to pay the light bill and treat ourselves to a pizza and a pitcher of beer was a God-send.

all diamonds Here’s a snap of one such yard sale with my friends Maggie, Chad, and Katie (I believe my friend Ashley is behind the camera). We called this yard sale “All Diamonds, No Rough.” (Old vacuum cleaners, a sled, and stacks of t-shirts? DIAMONDS, PEOPLE. DIAMONDS!!!)

While we usually ended up with a little extra cash at the end of these (desperate) money-making attempts, they never made us as rich as we hoped.

Wanna know where we went wrong? Impulsivity. Met with a combination of bored, broke, and scheme-filled brains…we’d decide, “Hey! Let’s have a yard sale!” and then proceed to stay up all night pricing items and throw them out in the lawn the next day. No forethought, not a lot of planning, a few haphazard signs and Craigslist ads scattered about the day of.

After checking out the e-book The Ultimate Guide to Hosting a Yard Sale, I now know where our hustle fell short. So, let’s all learn from my well-intentioned haphazard sales of the past! In case you’re planning a yard sale of your own, here are some tips from the book about HOW TO ADVERTISE…

  1. RESEARCH. Before you start hanging up signs, do a little research about ordinances in your town or city which may prohibit you from doing so. Find out if a yard sale permit is necessary in your area.
  2. PROVIDE INFO. Create some signs with the following info — Type of sale, date and time, address and/or cross-streets. Remember: Most folks will be reading your signs as they drive by in a car so keep them concise and legible.
  3. CONSISTENCY. Every sign should be the same color and design so as not to confuse potential customers.
  4. ADD FLAIR! Attract eyes to your signs by adding balloons, pinwheels, arrows, etc.
  5. COMMUNITY BOARDS. Create a few 8.5″ x 11″ sale signs to hang on community boards at libraries, grocery stores, cafes, etc. (Here’s a helpful template.)
  6. GRAB ATTENTION. Write an attention-grabbing advertisement that you can post around the web. “Multi-Family” or “Moving Sale” are sure to attract some extra attention!
  7. DETAILS. Along with pertinent information; like times, dates, and location, your online ad should include details. List your big ticket items and any collectibles. If you’re selling clothes, include brands and sizes. And don’t forget to attach some photos!
  8. NETWORK. There are lots of websites you can advertise your yard sale for FREE. Check out Craigslist, YardSales.net, and GarageSaleFinder.com. (Just to name a few!)
  9. GET SOCIAL! Don’t forget to post about your yard sale on your personal social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
  10. IN BLACK AND WHITE. Finally, if you have the funds for it you may want to consider taking out an ad in your local newspaper. These can run anywhere between $25-$200 depending on the reach of the paper.

yard sale amazon banner

For more tips on having your most successful yard sale yet, go grab a copy of The Ultimate Guide to Hosting a Yard Sale! YardSales.net is offering FREE DOWNLOADS of this e-book THIS WEEK (May 23 – May 27). Go grab one! You’ll be de-cluttered and raking in the dough in no time.

Maybe you’ll even decide to treat yourself to a pizza and a pitcher of beer! Enjoy!

…

(This post is in collaboration with YardSales.net. All opinions are my own.)

 

mid-week round-up

Wednesday Links, , , , , , ,

asphalt flower

What are you up to this week? This past weekend was in the 70’s and sunny, so I had a lovely time zipping around the city and even took in an outdoor percussion concert. Can’t wait for summer adventures to begin! Have a great Wednesday, and here’s a little link love from me to you…

I wonder why people keep mentioning this story to me? #lastnameproblems

Doodle blog.

Lawmakers would have us believe that being poor is awesome.

In case you’re apartment hunting.

Grow your food! (More garden porn.)

These jokes take me back to 2002 in a BIG way.

A sweet grocery list template.

Looking at the first and final frames of great films.

Food secrets for a long life.

Marketing bifurcation is generally bullshit.

Relatable.

As a former forensics educator, this piece hit my heart. #LetMatthewTeach

Did you know?

Style and Design, , , , ,

cigarettecards

Did you know cigarette manufacturers used to issue trading cards to stiffen packs and advertise their brands? Above is Gallaher’s Cigarettes’ “How to” collection and below is Ogden’s Cigarettes’ take on my favorite child star! I love this vintage marketing. Seems like a fun thing to keep an eye out for when ambling about in antique stores and flea malls.

cigarette card shirley

It’s all about the #.

Media, Travel, , , , , , ,

How funny is this video??? I’ve been feeling a lot of Lexington pride lately. How wonderful to live in a city that has such a vibrant, local community but doesn’t take itself too seriously. We live here. We know the unique and wonderful places to eat, shop, party, explore…because we dine, buy, drink, dance, hike and play at them. Why not tell people about these places? Why NOT promote tourism from the inside out?

#ShareTheLex, y’all!

P.S. Easter at the Ashland Estate.