Month: May 2022


May
2022

5 Lead Magnet Ideas to Build Your Email List

categories: Blogging Tips, Content Marketing

I absolutely LOVE lead magnets. However I am yet to figure out if I like them because they are valuable or because they are free.

So what is a lead magnet? It is a piece of content designed to help expand your email list. You provide something of value to your audience in exchange for their email address.

This is an excellent way for you to expand your email database. However remember that whatever you are offering needs to be valuable and needs to be something that people will be interested in.

It is also a good tip to keep the sign-up process as simple as possible. You do not want people starting to sign up for your lead magnet only to leave halfway because you are requesting too much information.

Here are 5 ideas for lead magnets:

  1. A Guide: Search through all your blog posts for a theme or posts that relate to each other. You can use this to create a guide. For example, I could use my blog posts to create a guide on blogging (or a very outdated guide to uni).
  2. Printables: Printables are also another favorite of mine. These are just items that are helpful that you can print such as a checklist, to-do list, motivational quotes or even a planner.
  3. Free stock images: If your audience is the type to appreciate free stock images then go for it! Personally I am always on the look-out for free stock images.
  4. Workbooks: Have I ever used a workbook? No. Have I ever given my email address away in exchange for a free workbook? Every single time. Put in the effort to create a valuable workbook tailored to your audience and you are sure to get a great response when this lead magnet goes live.
  5. A resource library: Once you have a few lead magnet options, you can compile them all in an exclusive “Members Only” library that can only be accessed by those who have given your their email address. Resource libraries are full of valuable information and so this is an excellent bargain for your audience. Speaking of which, you can join our resource library for access to some great blogging freebies. Just fill out the form below.

Have you ever tried using a lead magnet before? What are your favourite type of digital freebies? Let me know!


May
2022

Fiction Friday: Book Review- A Daring Pursuit by Kate Bateman (Ruthless Rivals #2)

categories: Books, Reviews

A Daring Pursuit by Kate Bateman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The next book in the “Ruthless Rivals” series follows enemies Carys Davies and Tristan Montgomery.
The two delight on picking on each other and from the very first few pages it is clear that there is a strong chemistry here.
Carys has a secret that she is hiding. When Tristan comes dangerously close to finding out the truth about Carys’ scandal, she tries to distract him.
The end result is a bargain between the two of them. They would spend a week together. Tristan would show Carys a good time (and get her out of his system) and once the week is over, they resume their lives.
This was a disastrous idea considering that they had family married and would probably see each other again. However I was fully in support of it in order for the main characters to get together.
I am a bit disappointed that this wasn’t as action-packed as the first book but I did feel like there was much more romance.
This was a delightful read that I recommend to anyone looking for a historical romance.


May
2022

Fiction Friday: Book Review- Starry-Eyed Love by Helena Hunting

categories: Books, Reviews

Starry-Eyed Love by Helena Hunting

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I received a review copy of this book via Netgalley.
London Sparks is one of the three owners of Spark House, a family-run events company. When she goes out to a bar to celebrate being newly single, her sisters are delighted to see the return of “fun London”. London tends to get too serious when she is in a relationship and her sisters are glad to have her let off some steam.
However while celebrating, London makes intense eye contact with a gorgeous guy who pays for their drinks and then gives London his number. London politely turns him down. Like all newly single people, London has decided to focus on her career.
A few months later, London is stressing about their business, which is rapidly growing, when she receives a call from a multi-million-dollar company who wants to discuss working with her.
London presents to the team but is interrupted by the CEO of the company, Jackson Holt. Who is also the guy from the bar.
London and Jackson eventually start to develop feelings after working together for a while. However Jackson has something in his past that might pose a threat to them being together.
This was a wonderful read that I enjoyed immensely. (Though to be fair, I have not seen a Helena Hunting novel that I did not love). If you are looking for a fun, contemporary romance, give this a go.



View all my reviews


May
2022

How to Take a Mental Health Day when You Aren’t Allowed One

categories: Mental Health

About three or four weeks ago, I started feeling really burnt out and like I desperately needed time off from work. Mental health days were not something that we officially had at work and if I wanted time off, I would have needed to book time off from my PTO. (Fun fact- it wasn’t burn-out. I was experiencing the early stages of the Coronavirus). This got me thinking about how exactly one would go about taking a mental health day if that wasn’t something provided by your company.

Here are my tips on how to take a mental heath day:

1. Monitor Yourself for Signs of Exhaustion or Burn-Out: The idea here is for you to catch it before it becomes a problem. The second you realize you need a time-out, book your leave. Do not wait for it to worsen. Remember, you cannot pour from an empty cup. You need YOU to be performing at your best in life whether this is for family, friends or your place of work. Keep an eye on how you’re feeling so that you can refill your cup as soon as you need to.

2. Schedule Your Time Off in Advance: Note that I used the word “schedule”. That is because this is important. Request your PTO far enough in advance that you can ensure that 1) anything that is going to cause you stress can be taken care off BEFORE you take your mental health day and 2) you are able to plan a proper mental health day.

3. It’s a Mental Health Day…Act Like It: So no work emails (if it’s an emergency, they can call 911), no feeling guilt and no negativity. Do something for you and something that you would enjoy whether it’s watching a movie or shark-diving.

4. Maybe You Might Need More than A Day: You might need a mental health week as opposed to a day. That is perfectly okay. You do what is best for you.

A mental health day might not be something offered by every company but you can still (and should) take time off to destress and relax.


May
2022

6 Benefits Besides Salary to Look for in a New Job

categories: Career, General Career Advice

Salary is great. You can buy pretty shoes. You can go to nice places. You can get through the month without dipping into your overdraft or swiping your credit card. But a decent salary isn’t the only thing that matters when you’re looking for a job. Here are 6 benefits besides salary to look for in a new job.

1. Medical Aid:

This is actually the first thing that I look for in a job and the reason for that is I am a person (in perfectly good health) who really uses her medical aid. I use it for blood tests, optometry, the dentist and visits to my GP where I explain to him that I have bad PMS and he just passes it off . Fun. Seriously though, medical aid is totally unnecessary until you actually need it. To me it’s just a really expensive way of ensuring that when I do get sick, I am able to get proper care.

2. Paid Time Off:

I didn’t think of this as a benefit until I joined my current job which offers 21 leave days. That is practically a whole month. Are there other companies doing this? I need to know. Paid time off is important to ensure that you take care of yourself and avoid burnout.

3. Work From Home:

Again, something that I didn’t think was a benefit until my current role. Work from home, especially if you are an introvert, means less commute time and more time to spend with your family. You might be willing to settle for a role with a lower salary if it is a WFH role (since you save costs on commuting, food and other in-office costs)

4. Training and Professional Development:

A business that believes in investing in their employees is definitely one you want to join. Training and professional development benefits both you and the business so if you come across a business that values this, it’s an automatic green flag.

5. Flexible Work Hours:

As an insomniac, flexible work hours are my favourite thing. You’re telling me when I can’t sleep at 3AM, I can work??? This might sound unhealthy to many but hear me out. If I am wide awake at 3AM and I know I can get work done, why shouldn’t I? It beats me sitting at my desk at 2PM, trying not to fall asleep because I have a deadline to hit.

6. Work Equipment:

Companies that provide their staff with work equipment bring me so much joy. This is another way of a company investing in you and showing that they want you to be able to do the best that you can do. Companies often provide computers or routers for their staff which helps ease costs. Bonus points if you throw in a back-up power supply. Eishkom for who?

What are some benefits that would make you consider a lower salary? I’d love to know below.


May
2022

SEO Tips for Beginners

categories: Blogging Tips, SEO

Guys, I have tried repeatedly to write an article on SEO basics. But I am old and forgetful and I do not know anymore what SEO techniques I use because I learnt it VS what SEO techniques I use out of habit (the latter which is probably old and outdated and might not work anymore).

As a Digital Marketer, I obviously do not want to give you irrelevant and outdated information so instead I am compiling a few links that could help you learn SEO as a beginner.

1) Moz has a beginner guide to On-Page SEO which looks at all aspects of optimizing your webpages.

2) Wordstream has a beginner guide to SEO basics however be warned, this post is incredibly long. This is an article that would probably be best to bookmark and come back to later.

3) Semrush looks specifically at SEO tips for bloggers

4) Finally, Hubspot has their own guide which I am recommending simply because they’re Hubspot.


May
2022

Fiction Friday: Book Review- Ghosted by Emily Barr

categories: Books, Reviews

Ghosted by Emily Barr

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I received a review copy of this book on Netgalley. This book hurt me and I was so not ready.
When Ariel’s toxic, hot-tempered father turns his back on their family, Ariel retreats to an abandoned store-room in a corner of the mall. But then she encounters Joe and the two of them exchange numbers.
Joe is on his way to France and he knows he should be excited but he just feels dread.
Ariel tries to text Joe but it turns out that his number is disconnected. Hurt, Ariel goes back to where she met him. There he is, with no memory of her or their meeting. And he still claims that he is leaving to France that afternoon.
Soon Ariel and Joe realize that Joe is reliving the same day over and over. Ariel promises to solve the mystery of Joe but eventually starts to turn her back on her reality in order to fix Joe’s.
I actually have no words to adequately describe this book. It was engaging, it was gripping, it was emotional. IT WAS EVERYTHING!
This book was alot but in the best way possible.
Ariel and Joe are adorable and by the end of the book, I was ugly-crying. If you want a book that is thrilling and will not let you go, I recommend this one.



View all my reviews


May
2022

categories: Books

“This addictive enemies-to-lovers romance…captures both characters’ intense emotions and undeniable chemistry. It’s sure to have readers hooked.” —Publishers Weekly

Ruthless Rival, an all-new addictive and emotional romance from Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author L.J. Shen is now live!

From Wall Street Journal bestselling author L.J. Shen comes an enemies-to-lovers romance about the fine line between seeking revenge and finding love.

When she was young, Arya Roth became best friends with her housekeeper’s son. Soon, friendship turned to young love, and when Arya dared him to kiss her, a chain reaction of disastrous events led to the boy being sent away and out of Arya’s life.

Now, two decades later, Arya is an on-the-rise publicist with her beloved father as one of her biggest clients. So when her father is sued by a former employee, Arya sets out to prove that her father is not the monster he is accused of being. The only problem is the attorney who is determined to destroy her father’s good name. Christian Miller is charming, ambitious, and devilishly good looking, and Arya has no idea he is that same boy who kissed her all those years ago.

Past and present collide as Arya falls hard for Christian. But when she finds out who he really is and about his obsession with getting revenge on her father, can she choose love over family?

Fall in love today!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3N3FScV
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/RuthlessRivalLJ
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/3tlAkmf
Audiobook: https://amzn.to/3N32B9b

Add Ruthless Rival to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3IoIVJ6

About LJ Shen
L.J. Shen is a USA Today, Washington Post and Amazon #1 best-selling author of contemporary, New Adult and YA romance. Her books have been sold to nineteen different countries.

She lives in California with her husband, son, cat and eccentric fashion choices, and enjoys good wine, bad reality TV shows and catching sun rays with her lazy cat.

Connect with L.J. Shen
Facebook: http://bit.ly/2OhSvp1
Twitter: http://bit.ly/36ELHZc
Pinterest: http://bit.ly/2oMbFsu
Instagram: http://bit.ly/2AIOiTo
TikTok: https://bit.ly/3wDlGa7
Stay up to date with L.J. Shen by signing up for her mailing list:
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Website: http://www.authorljshen.com/

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