Taking Advantage of a Slower Holiday Season

December 16, 2020 Professional Development No comments yet

With just over 2 weeks left in the calendar year, we can almost say it… 2020 is finally almost over. But these final two weeks will look very different than past holiday seasons. With less traveling and fewer holiday parties to attend, this season has given us much more free time than usual. Even though this might put a damper on your holiday spirit, it can also be the perfect time to get a head start on thinking about and preparing for a fresh start in 2021.

Downtime to Reflect

Usually, holiday craziness can make it hard to find time to reflect on the previous year. However, take advantage of the extra free time this year and block out an hour to think about your experiences in 2020. Since this year has thrown us all many curveballs, reflect on how you personally responded to the challenges and constant change you faced. Next, think about what you feel your accomplishments and shortcomings were. Make sure to document all your accomplishments by adding them to your resume and LinkedIn. Finally, use your reflection and what you felt the shortcomings were to create new career goals for 2021 and set a plan to achieve them.

Perfect Time to Find a New Job

If finding a new job fits your 2021 goals, then the holiday season is the perfect time to start. One popular job-hunting myth is that companies freeze hiring during the holidays. Believe it or not, hiring is a year-round process, and many companies might be pushing to fill positions before the end of the year to meet budget requirements. This urgency companies face will likely help you move through the interview process quicker.

Another positive of job searching during the holiday season is that many candidates take this time off to focus on other holiday priorities. With less people applying for jobs, you have less competition and a greater chance of catching the attention of hiring managers. Even though you still want to spend time with friends and family, spending a few minutes applying to jobs can make a big difference in your career outlook heading into the new year.

Reengage with Old Connections

With the pandemic and arguably the socially distant quarantine that arose in 2020, it is natural that you may have lost communication with many connections. The holiday season over the next two weeks is a perfect time to catch up with connections and rekindle these relationships. Sending a holiday card is start, but also try to carve out time for a virtual coffee chat. These conversations take a tiny amount of time out of your week but have the potential to lead to new job leads or simply rebuild rusty connections.

Use this downtime of this unique holiday season to your benefit. Take advantage of this slower period to apply to new jobs and refreshen old relationships.  Enjoy spending time with family members but also spend some time alone to reflect on your previous year. Lastly, happy holidays from Em and A Pen.

Stay Productive Virtually

December 2, 2020 Business, Professional Development 2 comments

What seemed like a temporary experiment at first, “Work from Home (WFH)” has now become a permanent fixture for the foreseeable future. This new way of working has come with many positives including saving time with no commute, more casual work attire, and the ability to work from anywhere. However, working from home also brings new distractions that can slowly kill your productivity leading to longer working hours. This means that you need a targeted time management strategy to make the most out of your WFH day.

Prioritize To-Do Lists

Even though creating a to-do list sometimes feels like a task within itself, it is still an absolute must when working virtually. Following this list will give you a game plan for the day and make it much easier to stay focused. To get the most benefit from this list, prioritize which items are most important and do those first. Keep in mind that this is a flexible list that can be changed as the day goes on. Cross off completed items and add new ones as more urgent tasks appear.

Set Designated Times to Check Email

With little to no in-person interactions, emails have become even more abundant in 2020 and can often be overwhelming. However, consistently checking and responding to emails as they appear can eat away your workday. Instead, consider setting designated times to check your email each day and limit the total amount of times you check it. This schedule could include checking it first thing in the morning, right before lunch, during your mid-afternoon coffee break, and before you log off for the day. Before deciding, reflect on which times work best for your schedule and set exceptions for emails that require immediate attention.

Eliminate the Social Media Distraction

Do you find yourself mindlessly scrolling through Facebook or Twitter when Working from Home? Don’t worry, I did too! When working virtually, social media might seem like a way to fill the social gap that we have all been missing in 2020. However, it can still be a productivity killer if not managed correctly.

To limit usage, you first need to know which device you use social media on the most. If it is your cell phone, putting it completely out of sight might be the easiest solution. However, if you need it for work, consider simply deleting your apps. This will make it much harder to sign in, giving you time to stop and think if its really worth it. You can also do this on your laptop by turning on Incognito mode.

Dress Like you Would Be Going to the Office

One universally agreed on positive aspect of WFH is the relaxed dressed code. Button downs and dress pants have been replaced with hoodies and sweatpants as you can work without anyone knowing how you might look.  This new work attire might keep you comfortable and cozy while working, but make sure it does not hinder your ability to focus. Personally, I find it much harder to focus on my work while wearing lounge clothes that I am used to watching Netflix movies in. To avoid this, I separate the clothes that I virtually work in away from the ones that I lounge in. This keeps me out of the Netflix mindset and focused on the work in front of me. Consider the same if you have the same problem!

2020 is a weird year and Work from Home has caused a few headaches for all of us. Need help? Reach out to Em & A Pen today for a consultation or career coaching!

Giving Thanks to You

November 26, 2020 Uncategorized 1 comment

Have you ever considered the little things that have been positively occurring throughout your life? What about just in the past year; the last few days? I would love for you to take a moment and think about the little successes you have achieved over the last few weeks and write them down, ponder them, and smile.

We all have something to be thankful for. Nevertheless, more often than not, we live each day, thinking about the long-term goals and future plans that need to succeed in order to further our careers, happiness, health…list goes on. However, while we work tirelessly day in and day out, we forget to remember and think about the little things that make each day worth living! With Thanksgiving approaching, it is crucial to reflect on everything that has made your year incredible, no matter how small. For example, you were able to finish that T.V. series everyone was talking about. You went out to enjoy a peaceful jog, regardless of the intense fear from the pandemic. You spent a little extra time with the ones you love, playing board games or completing a puzzle. It’s the little things that cause our hearts to swell with emotion, allowing that joy to fluster within our bodies, but only when we recall them. It’s the little things that also matter!

This past September, at Em & A Pen, we brought on two new certified employees that not only gave us a leg up in the business but also introduced two outstanding new personalities to our team. As our family has gotten bigger, our client base has gotten larger. We have been completing our goals in making each client happy and satisfied, which is something to be both proud of and thankful for! Don’t you think? As a team, we have accomplished so much in these last few months that it’s being noticed not only from our clients, but from other partnering industries as well. We will admit that the heavy amount of work has caused us to turn a blind eye to the little achievements, but every now and then we remember to take a breath and look back on what we’ve done.

Em & A Pen is thankful for you, our clients, and the opportunities you give us; allowing us to help you with your dreams. We are thankful for the trust and appreciation you have for our work, allowing us to assist you with growth and achievement. We are thankful for each other, providing outstanding teamwork and communication. And most of all, we are thankful to have been successfully running for just over a year!

Remember to take a moment to sit back, take a breath, and think on those little things. This Thanksgiving think about the little things that make you happy to wake up each morning and start your day. Write about that time, those people, or that place that made you realize the true value in your outstanding life. And maybe, just maybe, if you end up writing enough, send it in to Em & A Pen and let us take a look! 

You Have Built Your Website Now What?

November 18, 2020 Business No comments yet

What is the last local small business website you visited? How did you find it? Was it from a Google search or an email link? Did you click a link on another website or on a social media post? As we have mentioned in a previous blog, websites nowadays act as essential “storefronts” for any business looking to attract new customers. To reach visitors websites need to be filled with optimized SEO-friendly content but should not stop there. Next, it’s time to create a well-rounded marketing strategy to reach your customers at multiple different touchpoints. Here are a few ways to start.

Build Backlink Partnerships

 In simplest terms, backlinks are links found on other websites that lead directly to yours. These links make it extremely convenient for visitors to reach your website. Additionally, there is a good chance these visitors fall within your target audience since the site holding the backlink is probably relevant to your business.  

 If you have a newer or lesser-known website, it can be difficult to start earning backlinks at first. This means you need a plan to develop partnerships that benefit both sites. One strategy could be to write guest blogs on other websites in your industry. This could be a way to share your expertise on your industry and then place links to drive readers to your site. If you instead want someone else to produce content, consider developing relationships with local influencers. Influencers have become the new celebrities of this decade and can be effective at placing your business in front of their loyal followers. Lastly, find local online business directories, such as a Chamber of Commerce website, that can hold your business information. These are all great opportunities to build connections with websites that drive local visitors to your site.

Utilize Social Media Platforms

As mentioned earlier, having a strong online presence involves reaching customers at multiple touchpoints, including social media. Even though social media is a separate marketing effort, its goal should be to lead followers from the social platform to your website. This will create another source of quality traffic as these visitors have already shown an interest in your business by following your social page. Some ways to incorporate your website into social media feeds include inserting links on posts, your account bio, and in graphics. Additionally, make a daily routine of interacting with social users in relevant online communities. This effort can lead to new followers and visitors.

Optimize Google My Business

Whether you realize it or not, you probably use Google My Business frequently to find new restaurants, stores, and other places in your area. This free “mini-site” within the google search page features important business information such as hours, contact information, website links, reviews, and pictures. It is important to consistently update this section as optimized Google My Busines sections drive 7x more traffic than non-optimized ones.

Reaching new website visitors requires a multistep marketing effort that reaches customers at many different points across the web. Reach out to Em & A Pen today to see how we can help you grow your online business and attract new customers.

Build the Brand that Matters Most: You

November 5, 2020 Professional Development 21 comments

our personal brand is made up of our actions, demeanor, past successes, and passions. Combined they make up what people first think about us when someone mentions your name.

Words That Reach: Creating SEO Friendly Content

October 21, 2020 Business 5 comments

It’s no secret that a website is a necessity for any business. This is where potential customers can find every they need to know about your business such as service offerings, business hours, contact information, etc. However, with so many websites now being created business owners are faced with a new problem, how to lead these customers to their website. 

This is where Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can help. This process involves continuously enhancing website content to score a higher search result ranking. Why is this important? With over 65% of all clicks coming from the first five organic search results, achieving a high ranking is essential to driving traffic to your site. There are many different strategies for generating strong SEO, but perhaps the easiest and most effective way is effective content. Follow these steps to be on your way to the top 5.

Use Targeted Keywords

When starting the process of content optimization, you need to first establish which keywords to include on your website. Think of these as potential words or phrases that a potential customer might use while searching for your business online. When the search is made, the search platform (Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.) will scan for websites with these keywords and display the best-fit ones. 

Research is an important step to figure out which keywords are best. First, brainstorm which words or phrases are most relevant to your business. Think of product offerings, benefits, customer pain points, and location. Next, research which of these phrases are popular among internet searches and will drive the most traffic to your website. There are many paid tools that you can use, but a great free tool is Google Trends. This platform allows you to track keyword search popularity over time and compare them against each other. Below is a great example of how a home landscaping company could use Google Trends to decide which keyword to use. From this graph, you can see that using the keyword “landscaping” would reach a much larger audience than “maintenance”.

Keep Your Writing Simple & Educational

The SEO process does not stop once a user has arrived on the website. Now you must keep them engaged. However, if a user arrives on a webpage where they do not understand the content, they might quickly exit out. Unfortunately, this creates a high “bounce rate” (when a user exits the first webpage they arrive on) that negatively affects SEO.

Instead, assume the user knows nothing about your business or industry. Make sure the text is easy to understand and focuses on educating. Explain your product or services in the simplest form and highlight benefits to the reader. As a result, the potential customer will spend more time on your website, improving your search ranking.

Consistently Update Content

           When a potential customer is browsing your website, they are hoping to learn more about your business. This means your content needs to be accurate. Make a habit of regularly checking your content to make your business hours, product/service offerings, and contact information are up to date.

           Additionally, consistently adding new content to your site can be an effective way to keep returning users engaged. One way to do this is by starting a blog. Blogs will improve SEO as they create another opportunity to insert relevant keywords and increase the time users spend on your site. 

Achieving strong SEO for your website is not a one-time fix, but a consistently evolving process. With our targeted website copywriting, Em and a Pen can help your business get in front of the customer you need. Contact us today to get started.

Is This Company a Good Fit for You?

October 7, 2020 Professional Development No comments yet

Ask yourself these questions to decide if a company is a good fit for you

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Resume ATS Systems: Knowing What They Are & How to Rank High

September 23, 2020 Professional Development No comments yet

Learn how to best optimize your resume to score high on ATS.

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LinkedIn 101: Virtual Networking

September 9, 2020 Professional Development No comments yet

Has COVID put a halt on your networking over the past 6 months? The pause of social gatherings has made it difficult to meet new people and catch back up with others. However, this problem has made LinkedIn more important than ever. With over 500+ million users worldwide users, LinkedIn is the perfect tool to restart your networking efforts virtually! Whether you are wanting to connect with someone at your dream company or simply learn from industry leaders, follow these tips to maximize the value from your connections.

Research First

You are scrolling down your LinkedIn feed and come across someone that works at your dream company. You visit their profile and now what? Most people make the mistake of going straight into sending an invite and hope for a response. Instead, spend a few minutes browsing through their profile to learn more about their past experiences, schools attended, skills, etc. Spending 5 minutes scrolling through someone’s LinkedIn profile can teach more about that person’s career than an hour-long conversation might. Take advantage of this information by using it to find similarities and potential conversation starters. This will make you better prepared for sending the invitation.

Personalize Invitations

Have you ever walked up to a random person and introduced yourself by saying “I would like to add you to my professional network”? Of course not! So why would you use the same strategy on LinkedIn? Never use the default LinkedIn invitation and instead use the information gathered from research to make a customized invitation. This could include pointing out a school that you both attended or company that you both worked for.  Opening with these similarities will increase the chances of a successful request and lay the foundation for a conversation.

Provide Value

This is the most important skill in all of networking. It is even more important when virtually connecting with someone new. Even though it might be your goal to receive help from them (ex: asking for a recommendation for a job opening at their company), you also need to attempt to provide value yourself. This could include referring possible connections for them or sharing relevant industry knowledge. Not how you can provide value? Just ask and listen! Simply asking might go a long way into building a successful long-term relationship.

Keep the Conversation Going

Eventually, the conversation will come close to an end. This is not a bad thing, but you need to make sure you are set up to continue the conversation at a later time. You can do this by setting up a coffee meeting (if your state’s COVID restrictions allow you) or giving yourself a small task to do and report back later. Also be sure to share your personal contact information, such as phone number and email, to allow communication outside of LinkedIn. This will allow much easier communication in the future.

If you are wanting further help further LinkedIn networking help keep following this blog or contact Em and Pen for individual consulting! 

LinkedIn 101: Becoming A Content Creator

August 28, 2020 Professional Development No comments yet

Now that you have your “wow” worthy profile its time to get active and reach the 600+ million LinkedIn users worldwide. Fortunately for you, with only 1% of LinkedIn’s user post content monthly you have the perfect opportunity to stand out from your peers. Like many LinkedIn users, you might struggle with figuring out how to start brainstorming and creating fresh and consistent content. Here are a few tips to get started.

Determine Your Purpose and Audience

Does it feel like you have read that before? Just like when you set up your profile, you must first determine the purpose and desired audience of your content. Are you wanting to reach potential customers or potential employers? Are you hoping to connect with industry peers or internship seeking college students? Knowing this will help brainstorm the goals and messaging of your posts. Look at the table below for ideas to get started:

Targeted AudiencePost Topics
Potential EmployersBranding Yourself – accomplishments, certifications, personal stories
Potential Employees / StudentsBranding Your Company – job postings, employee success stories, company culture
Potential CustomersBranding Your Product – benefits, new features, open-ended questions, market research
Industry PeersIndustry Expert – relevant articles, solutions, new developments

Tell Personal Stories

Most LinkedIn users hit “writer’s block” when it comes time to actually create content. Many cannot figure where to find inspiration or what advice to give. A great place to start is yourself! Telling personal stories is an easy way to connect with your audience over relatable experiences. These stories do not have to be limited to purely business experiences either, write about your recent encounter with a coffee shop barista, last time shopping at the department store, or a childhood story. The key is to set the situation so it is relatable to the audience, tell a compelling plot that keeps the reader engaged, and then finish with a helpful takeaway.

The Comeback of Text

If you have read any advice on social media marketing over the past decade you have probably heard that a long-standing “best practice” is to always include photos and videos in every post. This strategy achieves the goal of capturing more screen space, but its overuse has caused oversaturation and readers to become numb to these style posts. One way to counter this strategy is by doing just the opposite and creating text-based only posts. A recent report found text-based posts received more likes, comments, and views than other traditional forms of LinkedIn content. Worried about these posts getting lost in the clutter? Get creative by using spaced out lines, emoji bullets, and bold letters to help your post stand out from others while still capturing lots of screen space. Look below for a great example.

Finish with a Question

The best way to end a post is to let the reader finish it for you. By finishing posts with an open-ended question, it achieves two things. First, it creates an opportunity for the audience to engage with the post and drive conversations. This should be a goal of any post and will help you build deeper connections with your audience over the long run. Secondly, this method takes advantage of LinkedIn’s points system. To determine which posts to show on a feed, one algorithm that LinkedIn uses is a points system that awards 1 point for every like, two points for every comment, and 3 points for every share. By asking questions and encouraging readers to comment, LinkedIn will award your post a very high score that will help your post appear on more feeds and reach a larger audience. Remember, that this is only one part of the algorithm and many more aspects are considered such as post consistency, user popularity, time of post, etc.

Now get out there this week and start posting. It might be challenging at first but don’t let that discourage you. Remember, everyone has to start somewhere!

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