Posted in Tips and Tricks

Take Your Instagram Stories to the GIF Level

We all know that GIFs are the best, so when Instagram introduced a way to add GIFs to stories, I was ecstatic. There’s one problem: The GIF selection within the sticker function of Instagram is a little…limited. So I haven’t really been using it as much.

What if you could add the exact GIF you want to your IG story without worrying about whether or not it’s included in their sticker GIF selection?

I accidentally found a trick that I was sure a lot of people already knew. According to a poll on my IG Stories last night, most people don’t…so, get ready to have your mind blown.

It’s as simple as 1-2-3

1: Open up GIPHY on your phone and find the GIF you want to use.

2: Hold down on the GIF until you get the menu that will pop up, giving you the option to copy the GIF. Copy the GIF.

3: Go back to your Instagram, open the story you want to add your GIF to and then paste it the same way you would paste text.

Voila! You now have the perfect GIF to complete your Instagram Story.

Lessons from My Debut as a Public Speaker

Be careful what you wish for because it just might happen.

This is something I’ve been repeating to myself ever since I started on this journey. Setting your intentions and letting the universe know about those intentions lead to results.

Before we go any further, you should know that I have intense stage fright. I’m an introverted writer, and the second you put me in front of people, I get tongue-tied. Or worse, I get overly chatty, and not always in a delightful way. (I even snort).

At the end of 2016, I told a few close friends that I wanted to add “Speaker” to my list of titles. I submitted proposals to a couple of conferences. I received a few lovely rejections, which I fully expected. Thanks to the incredible group of people who have been my support system this past year, I got my first speaking opportunity at this year’s Content Marketing World as part of a panel for a session on Leveraging Content to Elevate Community.

I was going to be a speaker at my favorite conference!

I WAS GOING TO BE A SPEAKER. Continue reading →

#TuesdayThrees: Keys to Being a Successful Ghostwriter

I’ve always considered writing to be my passion.

My mom taught me how to read and write when I was four, and the running joke of my life has been that no one has been able to stop me since.

However, it was never supposed to be a career path, especially ghostwriting.

When I went into law, writing would be a crucial part of my career, but to get paid to be a writer? That seemed utterly ridiculous. So ridiculous, in fact, I wrote under a pen name for the first part of my freelance career.

I wrote for content mills, for local real estate companies, and for agencies that paid me next to nothing for my work.

I was essentially a glorified ghostwriter, and ironically, there’s really no glory in being a ghostwriter. Continue reading →

7 Ways to Be a Rockstar During Twitter Chats [Plus A Calendar]

Confession: I am obsessed with Twitter chats.

In my opinion, Twitter chats are one of the best ways to connect and engage with others on Twitter without having to leave your comfort zone. Even so, a Twitter chat feel intimidating if it’s your first time, especially because they can move relatively fast. I’ve been participating in Twitter chats regularly over the past couple of years, even having the honor of being a guest host on a couple of my favorites.

By the end of this blog, you’ll be armed with tips to help you become Twitter chat rockstar, a list of my favorite chats and a Google Calendar to bookmark, so you never miss your favorites.

First, the basics.

What is a Twitter chat?

You’re already familiar with hashtags on Twitter. A Twitter chat is a designated hashtag where a group of users meets a dedicated time to discuss a predetermined topic.

For me, it’s the perfect networking event: I don’t have to leave my comfort zone. It moves pretty fast. It’s on my favorite social media platform, and more importantly, I don’t have to bring a business card.

If you have just one hour a day to dedicate to Twitter, spend that time participating in a Twitter chat.

Why should you participate in Twitter chats?

The key to being successful on social media is engagement, and a Twitter chat is the perfect conduit for engagement. By attending Twitter chats, you will:

  • Increase exposure for yourself, your company, and your content
  • Display your expertise by sharing knowledge around a relevant topic
  • Create valuable connections with businesses and individuals within your industry
  • Have the opportunity to learn something new

Now, on to the tips.

Continue reading →