Graphic DesignerBy Shabana Khan

Creating Visuals: A Graphic Designer’s Journey

Creating Visuals: A Graphic Designer’s Journey

With the rise of social media, the position of a graphic designer has become increasingly important. A graphic designer’s mission is to create visually appealing and powerful visuals that resonate with a certain audience. While it is deemed as an essential role, becoming a successful graphic designer is no easy feat.

Creating beautiful visuals is an art form, and it takes time, dedication, and skill to perfect it. Crafting the perfect design demands more than just technical knowledge and actual designing. To truly stand out among the rest, aspiring graphic designers must understand their target audience. Besides the visual elements, the right fonts and colours matter too, as they carry a key-message to readers and viewers.

Apart from having a creative eye, a graphic designer should also have the right tools and software to carry out their mission effectively. Having the knowledge and tools to work with digital illustrations and logos, a designer should also be proficient in various editing tools. Throughout their journey, they should also stay abreast of the new and emerging software popular in their field.

Graphic design is a highly competitive industry, and a successful designer must stay inspired by absorbing fresh ideas and exploring new trends. Graphic designers should be kept up-to-date with the latest happenings and unique techniques to stay ahead in the game.

Persistence and resilience are also important for grasping the desired results. Creating unique visuals requires hours of brainstorming and tinkering, which can be discouraging sometimes. Finding the balance between work and leisure can help a designer to stay in the zone and keep up their motivation levels.

Creating visuals is a challenging but beautiful journey. It takes time and passion to become an expert graphic designer, but with dedication and hard work, anyone can create something out of the box.

Introduction

Creating visuals is an integral part of the graphic design process. It requires an artist’s eye and an engineer’s precision to create unique graphics that capture the essence of an idea or a message. This article explores the journey of a graphic designer as they take an idea from conception to completed visual artifact.

A Clear Picture: Uncovering the Graphic Designer’s World

The graphic design process begins with understanding the requirements and objectives of a project. A graphic designer should take the time to research, analyze, and gain an in-depth understanding of the overall message they are trying to communicate. Once they have a clear idea of what they are creating, they can start to visualize the end product. The development of the graphics should be done with the goal of conveying a particular message or feeling through the visuals. For example, a designer could use playful colors and shapes to convey a sense of fun and excitement. On the other hand, they could use more muted colors and angular shapes to communicate a sense of stability and strength.

Capturing Moments: Crafting Visuals with a Creative Eye

Creativity is essential for crafting compelling visuals that accurately portray their intended message. A designer must draw inspiration from a wide range of sources in order to create visuals that are both original and representative of the intended message. Working with photographs, illustrations, and other elements allows them to create images that are striking and imaginative. In addition to using elements from other sources, a designer can also experiment with unique brush strokes, filters, and other tools to produce visually dynamic and captivating pieces of art.

Creative Challenges: Overcoming Obstacles in the Design Process

Creating a visually appealing design is not always an easy task. It often entails dealing with a wide variety of creative challenges, ranging from needing to develop an innovative design within limited resources, to crafting a design that resonates with a particular audience. A designer must be able to quickly iterate and refine their designs until they are satisfied with the results.

A Designer’s Toolkit: Turning Ideas into Reality

Graphic designers rely on a suite of tools to turn their ideas into reality. These tools range from the basics such as pen and paper to more advanced software like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. These programs allow designers to frame their ideas, explore different concepts, and create stunning visuals.

Crafting Artifacts: A Graphic Designer’s Final Journey

The creation of final visuals is the ultimate goal of the graphic design process. A designer must take all the elements they have created and assemble them in the most effective way possible to create a visual piece that encapsulates their message. This usually involves experimenting with different layouts, colors, and fonts until the desired result is achieved.

Conclusion

The journey from idea to completed visual artifact is one that requires great skill, dedication and creativity. Designers must take into consideration the objectives of the project and create a concept that captures its essence in the most effective way possible. With the right tools and a bit of practice, graphic designers can create visuals that are both innovative and memorable.

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Search Engine OptimizationBy Shabana Khan

Optimization and Link Building for Better SEO Results

Introduction

In the world of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), on-page optimization and off-page optimization are two crucial components that work together to improve a website’s visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). While on-page optimization involves optimizing a website’s content and structure, off-page optimization and link building refer to techniques that are employed outside of the website to boost its credibility and authority. In this article, we will explore the importance of off-page optimization and link building for SEO and how they can be maximized for better results.

Off-Page Optimization

Off-page optimization refers to any SEO strategy that is employed outside of the website to improve its ranking in SERPs. Off-page optimization mainly focuses on building a website’s authority and credibility by earning backlinks from high-quality and authoritative websites. Some of the most effective off-page optimization techniques include:

Backlinks

Backlinks are incoming links to a website from other websites. They play a significant role in improving a website’s ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). However, not all backlinks are created equal, and search engines like Google prioritize quality over quantity. Therefore, it’s essential to focus on acquiring backlinks from high-quality, authoritative websites relevant to your niche.

Anchor Text

Anchor text is the clickable text that appears as a hyperlink to a web page. Using relevant and descriptive anchor text helps search engines understand the content on the linked page, making it more likely to appear in relevant search results. However, overusing exact match anchor text can trigger a Google penalty, so it’s important to use it judiciously.

Social Media

Social media platforms are powerful tools for off-page optimization. Sharing your website’s content on social media channels can help drive traffic and increase engagement, leading to increased brand exposure and more backlinks.

Link Building

Link building is a process of acquiring hyperlinks from other websites to your own. While backlinks are a crucial aspect of off-page optimization, link building involves a more proactive approach to acquiring them. The goal of link building is to increase the quantity and quality of backlinks pointing to your website, ultimately improving its authority and ranking in SERPs. Some effective link building techniques include:

Content Creation

Creating high-quality, engaging content can help attract backlinks naturally. If your content is informative, valuable, and unique, other websites are more likely to link to it.

Guest Blogging

Guest blogging involves writing content for another website in exchange for a backlink to your own. Guest blogging can help build relationships with other websites, increase exposure to a new audience, and improve your website’s authority.

Broken Link Building

Broken link building is the process of identifying broken links on other websites and offering a replacement link to your own content. This technique helps the website owner fix broken links while also acquiring a backlink for your own website.

Conclusion

In conclusion, off-page optimization and link building play a crucial role in improving a website’s visibility and authority in search engine results pages (SERPs). By employing effective off-page optimization and link building techniques such as earning high-quality backlinks, creating engaging content, and building relationships with other websites, you can boost your website’s credibility and authority, ultimately leading to better SEO results.

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Content MarketingBy Shabana Khan

What is a content audit?

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How is your website content performing? What about the blog content you published two months ago? Two years ago?

Does all of this help you achieve your goals? Do you know – or don’t you have a clue?

Then it’s time for a content audit.

What is a content audit? why should you make one

A content audit is a systematic review of your website’s content, including:

  • blogs.
  • home pages.
  • Product or Service Pages.
  • core content pages.

This review helps you understand if your content is meeting your goals, including reaching your desired audience.

But that’s not all.

4 benefits of a content audit

1. It shows you what content needs improvement (backed by data)

A content audit not only shows you whether your content is working in general, but also gives you specific pointers to areas that you need to improve.

For example, you may find broken links that you weren’t previously aware of, keyword opportunities that you miss, missing metadata, and other issues that you can easily fix to improve your content’s usability and visibility.

2. It gives you an overall bird’s-eye view of your content

When you have a lot of content on your website, an audit can be a mammoth undertaking. However, conducting a content audit is the only way to sift through your entire content trove and get a true understanding of whether it serves your business… or stays flat.

3. A content audit helps you optimize your content so that it works

Even if you have a very small business and don’t have a lot of content, a content review still makes sense. It will help you optimize the content you have so that it works at its best.

And powerful content is powerful.

  • It can convince prospects that your brand is trustworthy: 64% of consumers said they trust a brand after reading educational content from that brand. (Conductor)
  • Good content can influence purchasing decisions: consumers are 131% more likely to buy from a brand with effective content. (Conductor)
  • Optimized content is a lead machine: it generates three times more leads than traditional marketing, but costs 62% less to maintain. (demand metric)

4. It will improve your future content creation

Because a content audit helps you understand what works and what doesn’t (because you’ll see evidence of both on your site!), you can apply this to your future content creation for better results.

When should a content audit be performed?

Now that you know what a content audit is and why you should conduct one, the next question is when.

When is the best time for a content review?

Consider these scenarios:

  • Your website is a few years old and you have never performed a content check before. (You’re probably overdue!)
  • You are building a content strategy and want a clear picture of what you are working with.
  • You revise your content strategy or redesign your website.

Basic steps of a content audit

How does a content audit work? The basic steps include setting goals, collecting your content and data points, and critically analyzing your discoveries.

Step 1: Set goals

Don’t go into a content review without a clear objective or you won’t know what types of content or data points to focus on. Find out what you want from your content review.

Step 2: Gather, categorize and organize your content

You need a way to compare and contrast your content items, get a bird’s-eye view of the data, and categorize each item based on the action you need to take.

Step 3: Analyze your content

Look at the data and determine which parts you want to update, rewrite, keep or delete.

Step 4: Create a plan based on your insights

Prioritize the content that needs immediate attention and create a plan for how you’ll do updates and rewrites.

Step 6: Adjust your content strategy

What did you learn from your content audit? Factor that into your future content strategy.

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Content review tools

When you’re ready to do your content inspection, there are a few options for collecting URLs, data, and metrics, and putting it all together for optimal analysis.

Here are some of the tools you may need.

1. A plain old spreadsheet

For a no-frills content review — or for a relatively small site — a simple spreadsheet is a good option.

A table helps you lay out your content information and data in an organized manner, which makes analysis easier.

Table for checking blog content

This is the most cost-effective way to do a content check because you don’t need any special tools other than Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.

Cons: It can be time-consuming to manually collect all of your data, especially if you have more than a few dozen pieces of content to review.

2. Analysis software

Analytical data is important to your content review. This includes metrics like page views, number of internal links and backlinks, bounce rate, time on page, conversion rate, average position on Google, and more.

You need concrete data about each piece of content so that you can decide what action to take in the future (update, rewrite, delete or leave as is).

If you don’t already track your content performance in a tool like Google Analytics, you can pull your various metrics from SEO tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, or SEO Site Checkup.

3. Content Quality Tools

To help you quantify content quality, you may want to use some of these tools to check your content for readability, grammar and word usage, and reading level.

  • Yoast SEO: This tool analyzes your text and provides ratings and suggestions for improving readability.
Yoast SEO
  • grammar: In addition to checking grammar and spelling, the paid version of Grammarly offers a performance score that can help with a content review.
Grammar Performance Scores

4. A content inventory tool

If you have a large website, you may need to invest in a content inventory tool to make your life easier. These tools use your sitemap to automatically fetch your content URLs and their associated metrics.

A couple of good options are Screaming Frog SEO Spider and Semrush’s Content Audit Tool.

Types of content reviews and their associated goals

While you can certainly audit every piece of content on your site, it’s a better idea to narrow your focus and conduct an audit based on content type and goals.

For example, check all of your blog content, all of your landing pages, all of your product/service pages, or all of your main content pages.

After you’ve selected a content type, decide what goal you’re aiming for with your content review. Here are a few common ones:

1. Goal: SEO

When you approach a content audit with the goal of improving your SEO, you’ll be concerned about how your content is performing in Google. You need to ask yourself if your content is properly optimized for searchers and Search engines. Look at:

  • content quality.
  • word count.
  • Keyword difficulty and search volume.
  • Average Google position.
  • Organic Pageviews.
  • Content structure and keyword optimization. (Are there headers with keywords? How is the article structured? Is the focus keyword optimally placed?)

2. Goal: Better engagement and usability

With the goal of improving engagement and user experience, your content review should focus on how your readers interact with your content—and how you can increase that engagement. Look at:

  • Social Shares.
  • time on page.
  • bounce rate.
  • conversions.
  • Internal links and/or broken links.

Specifically, look at which parts are getting the most/least engagement and analyze what contributes to that success/failure.

3rd goal: conversion optimization

Another goal you could aim for with a content audit is to see how well your content is converting and identify what needs improvement. You could look at:

  • How well your content addresses each stage of the buyer’s journey and whether there are any gaps
  • Which pages convert well and which don’t, comparing metrics like:
    • time on page.
    • bounce rate.
    • Exchange rate.

What is a content audit? Answer: A necessary part of your content strategy

Quite simply, a content audit is the only way to understand your content at different levels: below in the weeds and above from a bird’s eye view.

Whether your site is huge or tiny, a content audit can help you understand what you have, what you need, what you don’t need, and actions you can take going forward to ensure your ecosystem of content is contributing to your goals.

Remember, there is no one perfect or set way to conduct a content review. Your audit may change depending on the type of content being analyzed and the goals you hope to achieve by the time the audit is completed. With that in mind, tailor your content review to the needs of your site and content strategy.

Last but not least, don’t neglect regular content audits. One-and-done helps your website/business for a limited time only. As your content continues to grow, you need to be constantly taking snapshots of how it’s performing, constantly tweaking, and correcting course.

Content reviews are an essential part of a well-oiled content strategy – don’t neglect this task and you will see results.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily those of Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.

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About the author

 

Julia McCoy is the founder of Content Hacker, a 7-time author and a leading strategist for creating exceptional content and brand presence that lasts online. At 19, she built a seven-figure writing agency with her last $75, which she sold ten years later. In the 2020s, she is dedicated to teaching founders and marketers the strategy, skills and systems they need to build a business through inbound content so they can have a more lasting impact in the world.

 

 

 

 

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Social Media MarketingBy Shabana Khan

Technical writers need good writing skills and in-depth subject knowledge

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Technology vs Science
I am aiming for an MSc in Physics. Can you help me to choose between technical research and scientific research as I am eligible to do so promotion in both areas?
– Harpreet Khurana, Chandigarh

While a scientist asks “why” and researches the answers, an engineer investigates “how” a problem can be solved. In other words, scientists study phenomena while engineers find solutions or improve existing solutions. However, there are often overlaps between science and technology. Scientists often put on an engineer’s hat to work on the practical application of their discoveries; Conversely, when developing technologies, engineers can research new phenomena and thus assume the mantle of a scientist.

While engineering research may overlap with science, it is always conducted with one or more applications in mind. The Joint Entrance Screening Test (JEST) is administered for admission to PhD programs in Physics, Theoretical Computer Science, Computational Biology and Neuroscience at the leading research institutes in India such as TIFR, IISc, RRI, ARIES, NISERs, IISERs, PRL and others.
Details: www.jest.org.in
Eligibility:
For integrated promotion: BSc in Physics/Mathematics
For regular promotion: MSc in Physics/Applied Physics; BTech/BE/ME/MTech/4-year BS/MCA can also opt for integrated and regular PhD programs at multiple institutes.

Innovative alternatives
Our son who is graduating from class XII and says that he would like to opt for a simple BCom program and take some online courses alongside. We are worried. Is that a right decision?
-Neera Kaushal, Bengaluru

The shift to online learning and shorter programs is a “Netflix moment” for higher education. Traditional college degrees still offer a valuable advantage, but several innovative and legitimate alternatives are emerging. The phrase is now on everyone’s lips, alongside some related terms such as distance learning, remote learning and virtual learning. The diversity of terminology reflects, in part, the many different approaches to online teaching and learning – and, more importantly, the breadth of the student experience that is now being enabled online.

We’re now seeing new learner-centric, collaborative models coming to the fore — including virtual exchanges and distance internships — that are powerful ways to provide global experiences for all students despite physical travel restrictions. With careful selection, some of these courses serve as micro-credentials. They help build specialized skills relevant to today’s job market. And they are increasingly being embraced by employers, educators and individuals alike.

Technical writing skills
I’m a scientist. Although I find science interesting, I don’t think I’m qualified for an MSc or similar academic qualification. Instead, I have good communication skills and enjoy writing. Would technical editing be a good field?
-Deven Jaswal, Indore

Certainly. For the simple reason that almost every product or service we buy – be it computer hardware/software, cars, electronics, medicines, even apps, toys and games – comes with an instruction manual. This can be in the form of a user manual, a maintenance manual, a catalog or assembly instructions, or general product information when shopping online. While this information enables consumers to easily and safely use and maintain products and services, it also protects manufacturers from lawsuits if they fail to explain correct use.

It is the Technical Writer who organizes and presents this information in a simple, logical and user-friendly way that can also be understood by a layperson. The main aim is to simplify the product information and to break down complex processes and unfamiliar technical language into sequential and easily understandable steps – so that there are no communication gaps between developers and users of the product.

Technical Writers are now referred to as technical writers because the job involves much more than writing, namely creating electronic documents, layouts, charts, diagrams, and web content design. Two of the most important requirements for an aspiring technical writer are excellent writing skills and an in-depth knowledge of the product you are writing about. This makes it possible to track this area even for people without a technical background. About 5-10 years later, yours career Path could lead you towards content strategy, content marketing, product management and business analysis. You could lead a content management team in different areas (commercial/technical writing, proposal writing, content marketing) or manage products in publishing or e-learning.

IT job change
I work in an IT company. Sometimes I work 12-14 hours for the same salary. Once we become accustomed to a software tool, we are prompted to learn a new one. What should I do? Go abroad? Switch to a non-tech field? Please advise.
-Anant Vasudevan, Hyderabad

First, check if you are in temporary burnout mode or want to quit your job. The grass always looks greener on the other side! If you’re really interested in programming, then learning new software tools is part of the game. When it comes to salary, try moving to another company with the same profile that will give you a better deal. Or maybe to a quality analyst profile (after mastering the relevant tools). Alternatively, you might consider moving to a product-based company where working hours are more reasonable/fixed.

Also try to figure out why you have to stay in the office for so long – is it the work culture or the endless demands of the client? Or are you rather slow at the task? When you go abroad, decide whether you want to work or study. Then do what is necessary. As for non-tech careers, the possibilities are endless including law, mass communications, digital marketing, fintech, design, tourism, management – some of which may require further study and others accessible via entrance exams such as those for banking are , government jobs etc. I would strongly advise you to use your expertise to move into a related field – so you don’t have to start from scratch.

 

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Video EditorBy Shabana Khan

Best Video Editing Software in 2022

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The best video editing software can save you long, frustrating hours in front of your computer by providing time-saving tools and an interface that fits your workflow. As a result, video editing becomes a smooth, fast, and maybe even fun experience. With the best video editing tools, you can turn your video clips into professional looking finishes. Whether you’re a newbie vlogger or a seasoned filmmaker, it doesn’t matter.

There was a time when creating video content was reserved for filmmakers and professionals. Nowadays, social media sites like TikTok and Instagram are part of our daily lives and we are all watching and making more videos than ever before. That’s because it’s never been easier: the best camera phones these days are so good that the ability to capture high-quality video is literally at our fingertips.

However, an important part of content creation is the video editing process, which requires completely different skills than editing photos. Even the simplest videos need to be trimmed, cropped and exported as viewable files. As you become more advanced in filmmaking, you can add effects, transitions, and color grading to your footage to give it a cinematic feel.

Here is a list of the best video editing software

Adobe Premiere Pro

Premiere Pro is our pick for the best video editing software. It is the video editor used by professionals all over the world for its user-friendly interface and best features. However, its price (Premiere Pro starts at $20.99 per month) means it’s best suited for those planning on doing a lot of video editing, and some might find Premiere Elements a better fit.

Premiere Pro is pretty much the industry standard, and for a better reason. First off, it integrates seamlessly with Adobe’s Creative Cloud, which includes software like Lightroom, Photoshop, and After Effects. If you already have a full Adobe CC subscription, you already have access to Premiere Pro, you just need to download it to your computer. The software supports 4K, 8K and VR formats. Its cropping and editing tools offer a high level of precision and control.

Final Cut Pro

As Apple software, Final Cut Pro is optimized to get the most out of your Mac (there is no Windows version). And as you’d expect, it integrates seamlessly with other parts of the Apple ecosystem, like Photos or iTunes Collections. Every update to Final Cut Pro since its release has been free.

Its image-heavy interface may have put off more experienced video editors when it was first introduced, but for anyone starting out in video editing who wants a more professional program, it makes the process that much easier. If you already own a MacBook or iMac and want something more advanced than iMovie, Final Cut Pro X likely offers the upgrade you want.

Adobe Premiere elements

Premiere Elements is packed with great features, including hundreds of transition effects, improved face detection, blur removal, focus adjustment, and more. Live search modes, a guided editing interface, video collage and touch editing are also available.

Adobe Elements products have long offered a fantastic range of features at a very affordable price, and Premier Elements is no exception. Not only do you have complete control over the editing process, but if you’re new to working with videos, the guided mode can teach you the basics and act as your own teacher. Adobe Premiere Elements is not compatible with 360-degree videos and other innovative features such as multi-camera editing.

Corel Video Studio Ultimate

Corel VideoStudio Ultimate is powerful but easy to learn and can easily be used to create simple videos. That’s not to say Corel VideoStudio Ultimate doesn’t have a great feature set – it supports a wide range of tools when you’re ready to create more complex videos.

This relatively inexpensive video editing software for Windows has a clean and intuitive interface that makes it easy to get started. Once you master the basics, you can explore more powerful features like motion tracking, 4K support, 360 degree VR video support, a music library, multiple camera support, 3D text editing, and thousands of effects.

Pinnacle Studio

This is a powerful tool that sets Pinnacle apart from some of its competitors. Look-up tables (LUTs) are another welcome color grading feature, allowing for quick application of complex color effects. Full control over the color and exposure adjustment curves is available for manual editing.

Pinnacle Studio is a good choice for Windows users (there is no Mac version) who have never edited videos before. Overall, it falls somewhere between basic free tools and professional video editing software in terms of price and features. 360-degree video compatibility, multicam editing tools for simultaneous work from different angles, and motion tracking are also present, completing a comprehensive list of specifications.

The app can be a bit cumbersome, especially on devices with smaller screens. So try the free version first to make sure it works well on your device. Also, the price might seem high for Android apps, but the result is an incredibly comprehensive solution that could even replace the desktop editor if your needs are mobile-centric.

Get free, unlimited access to Shutterstock’s extensive library of royalty-free content. The latest version, launched in December, allows adding text or graphics that automatically follow your every movement and introduces three AI-based features: AI Audio Denoise, AI Video Denoise and AI DeReverb.

Apple iMovie

iMovie remains a popular editing option for people of all skill levels. However, its consumer orientation makes it easy to use, so even people who have never tried it before should be able to get into the philosophy of the project without much effort. It’s incredibly easy to import into a project from Apple devices, including iMacs, MacBooks, and iPhones.

In terms of features, iMovie is a bit more limited than other apps on this list. It’s limited to rare clip tracks, and once a project is created, it’s not possible to switch between types: if you want to change the look and style of the video, you’ll have to start a new project. It’s not a sophisticated program and is much easier for advanced users, but for creating short, quick videos, iMovie is ideal for beginners and enthusiasts alike.

last words

The best alternatives are now more powerful than ever and include all the tools you need to apply special effects and beautiful filters, edit complex sequences and handle all your audio needs. If it’s been a while since you’ve used video editing softwareyou may be shocked at what is available today.

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