Blogging

As a Caribbean entrepreneur and business owner, it can be difficult finding the right and affordable resources to help with productivity. There is an enormous amount of online tools available. Some are free, but many come at a cost, which by the time we convert to our currency, we may pay double the price plus tax!

That’s why I decided to collaborate with SEO guru and Barbadian-born blogger, Tamara Sykes, owner of BaydianGirl.com, to share a list of online resources we both use: apps, websites and software, to help you improve your productivity.

Tamara is a content creator and digital marketer who will inspire you to live your best life via family and style content, and teach you how to create a successful brand using Search Engine Optimization (SEO) + Blogging!

I first came across Tamara’s blog a few years ago and was immediately drawn to her style posts and bold hair colour! Today she is my go-to for SEO and blogging tips. She drops lots of FREE helpful content on Twitter @BaydianGirl and you can also purchase her e-books which contains more in-depth content on strategies you can implement to improve your search ranking and much more. If you’re looking for ways to improve your blogging and SEO, she’s definitely one you can run to.

Try these online tools to help you get through your day:

Stock Photos

• Foter
• Unsplash
• Pexels
• Pixabay

Tamara:

• Create Her Stock
• Canva

Creative Resources:

• Creative Market
  • Sign up and receive 6 free resources every Monday.

Tamara:

• Envato

Social Media Planner/Scheduler

• Planoly
  • Instagram, Pinterest
  • Includes Stories upload
• Later
  • Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest
  • Paid plan for Stories
• Hootsuite
  • Use with any 3 platforms for free. Add more with a paid plan

Tamara:

• Tweepsmap
  • Twitter
  • You can even schedule threads!
• TweetDeck
  • Twitter
• Preview App
  • Instagram
• Iconosquare
  • Instagram
• Tailwind
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

Stories Creator:

• Mostory (Android)
• Mojo
• Unfold

Tamara

• Spark Post
• StoryBoost (App Store)

Collecting Data

• Google Forms
• Formsite
• Typeform

Tamara

• Jotform

Design & Editing Software/Apps

• Adobe Lightroom
• Pixlr
• Gimp
• Canva (Templates)
• Kapwing (add music to any IG reel or video)

Tamara

• Video Speed (Speed up videos for any platform)
• Snapseed

Productivity Apps

• Microsoft To Do
• Trello
• Google Calendar
• Notes (iPhone App)
  • It’s now more robust. You can add photos and text formatting PLUS share a note with a contact)

Tamara

• Todoist

BONUS

Create short animated videos with the Headliner App.

I’ve been blogging since 2015 and one thing I’m happy I did not do is wait till I had it all together to start.

Before I got my Sony mirror less camera and had access to a DSLR, I used my phone to take pics for my website but mostly for social media posting. My phone cam was not the best but it certainly helped.

If you’re thinking of investing in a good quality camera for your blog and can afford it, go for it. However, if your phone is what you have to work with, don’t feel pressured to dig deep in your pockets to get a camera. You can apply the tips I share below to get the best out of your phone camera (which I am sure is a better quality than my previous phone cam).

1. Clean the Camera Lens

I listed this point first because I’ve seen good quality phone cameras produce low quality pics all because the lens have not been cleaned in ages. It’s like someone walking around with their glasses on, never cleaning it and wondering why they can’t see; the world becomes foggy and pale.

With my previous phone, the camera was not the best, but it was not the worst either. The first time I cleaned my lens, (can’t remember where I learned this) I was shocked! My pics became so much clearer. I always thought that my phone camera had issues. My pics were so blurry and I couldn’t figure out why until I found out that the issue may be that the lens needed to be cleaned. This made a world of difference. The camera lens is exposed so lint, finger prints and other elements will obviously get on it resulting in poor quality pics. Ensure to give your lens a quick wipe before you snap. 

2. Take Pictures In Natural Light

If your phone camera is not built to perform in low light and at night, then don’t take pics that you want to post on your business’ social feed in those settings.

Try your best to use natural light when taking photos of your products. Go outside or take the pic in front of a window/door where light comes in.

3. Ensure The Subject Is In Focus

Most phone cameras come with an auto focus feature so the user won’t have to do much to find the subject. However, sometimes, even with that feature, the subject is out of focus. Remember, the aim is to get a clean, blur less picture as much as possible. Look at your screen before you get that shot. If the subject is out of focus, tap your screen in the area of your subject and wait for the screen to clear. Now take your shot!

4. Avoid Zoom

One thing I’ve learned is that zoom sometimes diminishes the photo quality. The pic make look good on your phone or mobile device but on the PC, the pic may look grainy. That’s not the case with all phones, so do the test and see how it works for you. If you find that zoom on your phone is not the best, move closer to your subject to get a better shot and crop as needed.

5. Use Grid Lines

Grid lines help me to position my subjects and to use the rule of thirds – a well-known rule of photography. Learn more here.

6. Flash At Night May Not Be A Good Idea

I have noticed that the flash does not work well for every setting, especially at night, so I seldom use it. Again, do a test and see how your flash works at night. If it does not work well, revert to taking your pics in natural light, during the day. Your customers will appreciate it.

Related: How To Grow Using Social Media

7. Use the HDR Feature

I’ve been using this setting for a long time and never new what it meant until doing this post.

High Dynamic Range (HDR) captures detail in your photos in bright and dark areas. It works differently in iPhones and Androids, but in most cases it is a feature in camera settings you can turn off and on easily. 

My experience with this feature is that it may not always give good results. It all depends on the lighting and what you’re looking for. Again, it is always best to test with a couple shots and fiddle with HDR and see how it works with the flash.

8. Keep Your Hands Steady

Once you’ve cleaned your lens, and decided if you want to use HDR or not, ensure your hands remain steady for that shot. If you’re like me and don’t always have steady hands, ask someone to assist. No harm in that.

9. Phone Accessories

The only phone accessory I use at the moment is a tripod. I use it for taking pics and doing video. There are other accessories to improve your picture quality such as lens and light. You can find these on Amazon or check your local tech stores.

10. Use Google and Pinterest for Composition Ideas.

I added this point since this has helped me to improve the picture content that I put out. You may have a good camera, take clean pics, but not sure how to arrange your products or items to get a visually appealing photo of your product. I usually peruse Pinterest or just search for ideas on Google. You’d be surprised at what you’d find and how this method will get your creative mind going.

I hope you find this helpful. If there are any inexpensive tips you use to better your picture quality, feel free to share.

Cover Photo: Haron Forteau

When I just started blogging, I often got this question, “What is a blog and what really do you do?” I used to laugh. People was always interested in the content I shared, but they did not understand why. At that time, I was blogging as a hobby. Attending events, sharing recaps and searching for unique items from entrepreneurs without being asked to do so. I still do that today, with a new strategy, but that’s how I started gathering content for the site. So, I thoroughly explained what I do, and the purpose for this site an and then their response will be “Oohhh, okay” with a grin. “I didn’t know people do that here” is what they would continue to say.

Two years later, blogging, which plays a huge role in most brands making it to the top, is just starting to be embraced in Grenada and there is a growing Blogging Community with more bloggers emerging, sharing on a range of niches.

Related: Spice Bloggers: Grenada’s Blogging Community

Bloggers are now being asked to attend events and post about the event on their social media handles or write a blog post describing their experience. This form of marketing is slowly being implemented in marketing strategies by some businesses and event organizers, but unfortunately, many businesses today still see blogging as just someone’s hobby and not a revolutionary marketing tool. Take a look at some of the reasons why local businesses should support blogging:

1. Publicity

This is possibly the most obvious reason why any business should include blogging in their marketing campaign. Blogging harnesses brand awareness. The more a business share about their products, the more people will become aware of what they are offering.

      2. Reaching Audiences

Businesses who hire or use bloggers with growing audiences to market their products or services, tend to reach a much wider audience. When a business taps into the bloggers’ audiences, the products are services being marketed will reach potential customers the business may not be able to reach on its own.

      3. Trust

Consistent blogging coupled with strategic social media usage helps to build trust from your audience. When people see that you are consistent with sharing relevant content, especially to support your brand, they tend to look to you for what is next and start trusting that what you put out will be worth their pennies.

      4. It sets you apart from the competition.

Providing consistent relevant content (clean pictures and story telling) to support your brand will no doubt set you above the rest.

      5. Tell your story.

Blogging allows you to share all the content you may not want to include on a Facebook or Instagram post. Also, it is much easier to read a long post from a website than from a social media page.

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There are so many more benefits for local businesses when they include blogging as part of their marketing strategy. For those who are looking to start, I get it. Blogging takes time and frankly, not many people understand how to do it well, but there are ways to work around it. For example, if you cannot find the skills within your organization for social media and blogging, you can definitely look into contracting experienced freelance bloggers who can meet the needs of your company.

Since it’s Caribbean Blogger’s Week 2016 #CBW2016, I thought what better way to celebrate blogger’s week than with a few tips on how to start a blog. There are no prerequisites to this, you just need some determination and persistence and you’re good. Read more…