Why I Blog For My Business You Ask? The Rules Of Playing With Color, And A great Fall Recipe Dish!

Why I Blog For My Business, You Ask?

Just in the recent last few weeks I had a conversation with a friend about my blogs. I was asked why I give so much free information away? That I need to have a “call to action”. And that I am hurting my business, or, wasting so much energy to get nothing in return; why? While I listened to the advice and politely disagreed. I still read an article she sent me about topics and these “calls of action”.

The article was from HubSpot. There were definitely good points in the article, like drawing more people to your website and such with sales like content. That I believe is something I am doing already. I use Google Analytics which is different than HubSpot. HubSpot is more broad in showing your results and who your target audience is. But, its much more of a user friendly interface than Google Analytics. It did get me thinking though.

Am I taking away from my business and time by not having a sales pitch? Am I giving too much away?

In my sales careers for the last decade. I have been in pretty much every role you can think of: Inside sales, Operations, Manager, Senior Manager, Outside Sales, and Digital Media educator for sales teams. I used to make sales people learn how to talk to people, that was my job of choice. Because so many business miss the mark on that with quotas, and I would have to say I’m pretty good at reading people. In order to really get clients, you need to build rapport, be brutally honest, and show you know what your talking about. This day and age individuals don’t want to be pitched. We have heard it all, seen it all, and of course have encountered the aggressive sales person that you just want to leave you alone. Or better yet, the emails you instantly delete, or mark as spam because you know they are just trying to sell you on their product with some incredibly enticing one liner for the subject. It’s annoying!

I find that being truly effective in marketing, is again, to relate to others. Read their body language, listen to their needs, not just pitch them lines about how great you or your products are. In this day and age, we as consumers have a plethora of options; which leads to selective choice; and rightfully so. I was successful in sales because people loved my honesty, they liked me.

With this being said. I have figured out exactly why I blog, why I give my expertise to people. And here is why: 

I believe I  have expertise on topics people want to know about. First rule of results-driven blogging: it’s not about you. And it’s not really even about your company. When most businesses talk about “the company blog,” it conjures visions of staff profiles, product updates, photos from the holiday party.

That can be fun, but it’s not how you want to spend (most of) your limited content-creation time. To get interested readers—the kind who come back every week and turn into customers—you need to start with the kind of problems they want to solve and the information they want to know, and use your unique expertise to help them. Giving back is crucial anymore!

Everyone now has websites, paid search, you name it! But have you created the desired persona you want your business and virtual presence to reflect. This is what I ask myself. I read blogs that are different every week. I unsubscribe to the ones that talk about the same stuff all of the damn time. Its boring, and, doesn’t educate me or give me a sense of the businesses “virtual personalty”. Basically I’m not gaining anything.

What I get out of it?

Satisfaction in giving back! Being an educator, not just telling people how great me and my business are. I allow people to opt in or out of my blogs, it gives them choice. Ironically, my retention rates are good. I also use content linking (SEO) as another means for driving organic traffic to my site by link building. So randoms can choose to read more about my business, and, what I have to offer.

The Rules Of Playing With Color:

This is one of my most favorite topics, that I often help others with. It’s one of the biggest mistakes I see when people are decorating their homes too. We live busy lives and rarely have enough time to truly sit and analyze a color schematic. Some are admittedly more innately gifted in this area than others. And, then there are people like me that spend all their time and efforts on this particular area; they are the experts.

To me, there are two ways to create a smooth flowing color scheme: One, Is that you use color theory. It can get really complicated if you love color and which theory you apply. For example, you could try complimentary colors, or, rudimentary ones. When using color theory in a home for the sake of time and appeal. I use rudimentary. It is a fail proof method. I have never seen this done and not look good. Complimentary is more difficult because of hues and variations in colors. If you choose a bright color, you should choose a dark complimentary color. One needs to tone out the other. Or you get a room filled with random shades and hues and there is zero focal point, it just screams loud!

The purpose of color aside from our own personal enjoyment is to draw the eye to a specific focal point. This is true in any design, or art, like painting. If you have too many colors (which is what I usually encounter) there is no main point of focus, so the eye wonders to find one. I give suggestions on how to eliminate some to draw in a focal point. Like accent pillows being neutral if you have bright colored walls.

With rudimentary color schematic (my favorite) I use the shades and not color. Such as cream walls, black furniture and picture frames. Grey or cream soft furnishings like sofas. If you do this theory there is so much more wiggle room to play with furniture. Like getting ornate pieces with rivets and decorative tacks. that alone will draw an eye because everything else is neutral.

I am fickle with many things in design. One day I love orange, the next blue, or, yellow. When you choose a monochromatic color choice. You have the freedom to add in what I call “little pops of color”. Right now in my living room I have emerald green as my “pop”. Everything else is on cream scale. Meaning white, black, or, grey. Therefore, any color choice will be compatible as there isn’t a color interference.

Another area of struggle with painting interiors is how and what hue of color to apply where. The rule is usually if it is a small or enclosed space do not use dark hues. As it gives the illusion that, that area is actually much smaller than it really is. With large open areas, you can use dark hues and it doesn’t effect the optical space of the room itself. I usually always stay away from accent walls. The idea is incredibly outdated, and, it limits the potential of integrating other colors into that space without making the room busy, (meaning no focal point accept then the accent wall).

Something else to consider is the direction in which each room sits. Does it get a great deal of light? Do you want more light in the room? or do you want to be purposeful about making a room dark; such as where you sleep? Most people want and prefer light and drawing in brighter spaces. This doesn’t mean go for a bight color, but, choose one that has a bright hue.

 

Another Great Fall Recipe Dish:

This week I’m sharing one of my all time favorites. It literally takes about 25 minutes total to make and is super tasty! Cream of Asparagus.

Ingredients:

One bundle of asparugus

one 8 oz heavy whipping cream

Salt

Pepper

freshly minced clove of garlic

Preparation:

Blend all asparagus parts that naturally snap off the stock into a pulverizer or blender. Do this until the consistency is liquid like with some fiber. In a pot, add your heavy whipping cream, salt and pepper to your liking, and the minced clove of garlic. Add in asparugus and stir. Allow 20 minutes for all ingredients to infuse together. While I do this I like to fry polenta cubes to put on top of my soup. Once the cream of asparagus is seasoned to your preference, its ready to serve. You can eat it alone or with any side such as a salad or polenta which tastes amazing, enjoy!

~Aisling Designs~