3 Driving tips for Beginners

As a beginner learning to drive a car, there can be quite a lot of things you might need to remember or keep in mind. There might be a lot of nervousness too, as you get the car on the road. Getting an idea from those who’re already driving well should help boost your confidence. While there are numerous driving tips to remember, we have grouped and narrowed down the scattered driving tips into three simple tips. Each of the tips covers a few many points to be taken care of, but it should be easier for you to remember the tips this way. In fact, these tips can be somewhat useful not just for the rookies, but also the advanced drivers among you.

Read right on to know the tips and see if they are helpful.

3 important driving tips for the beginners

So here are some quick tips to get started with driving as safely as possible.

Tip 1: Take time to get comfortable and familiar with the vehicle

Nervousness and excitement are two common emotions you experience as you start to learn how to drive. A problem here is, in the excitement of getting to drive, beginners often try to rush through the basics of driving and try to get straight behind the wheel. Well, get behind the wheel- just don’t drive already.

  • Take time to actually grasp the basics of driving.

  • Familiarize with the pedals, gears different controls and buttons. This is very important, as when you actually drive without familiarizing with the controls first, you might get nervous every time you forget anything. This can lead to losing control and getting into trouble (accidents). So know your vehicle as well as you can before you hit the road.

  • Read the driver’s manual to get an idea of traffic rules in your country. Read it a few more time so you remember them- no beginner remembers everything in one go!

  • Another important point is, make sure you are comfortable in the car. By this, I mean, adjust your seat, the rear-view mirrors etc. in a way that you are sitting and seeing all directions comfortably. Adjust the mirrors in a way that you are getting the best view of the sides and the back. Ideally, the seat’s angle should be set in a way to have your back comfortably cupped in the seat. If there is an option to set the height, set the height to such where your line of sight is through the middle the windshield. Also, the seat should be positioned in a way that your feet can easily reach the pedals, without having to stretch your knees. Basically, make sure you are as comfortable as you can be with (and in) the vehicle.

  • If you are an advanced driver, you can also keep car tools like automotive oscilloscopes

Tip 2: While driving…

  • Start with a less crowded area (obviously). Not only will you feel less nervous, but there will be far less risk of actually getting someone to the hospital (hence the lower nervousness). Practice a few (many) days before you finally get to roads with serious crowds.

  • For the first few times, it is good to have a confident and well-driving friend or family member with you.

  • Be attentive as you drive. Try to avoid any distractions on the road- if you ‘d like to stay away from accidents. 

  • Don’t use the horns unnecessarily. It can be so irritating to other drivers!

Tip 3: Driving safe

  • Wear your seatbelt, give indicators when turning, DO NOT drunk drive and apply every safety tip that you read in the driver’s manual. Stick to the traffic rules so far as possible and stay alert while you are behind the wheels.

  • Remind yourself always that your driving speed should not depend on your mood or emotions. People have this tendency of rash-driving when they are very angry or too excited. On the other hand, many others drag their vehicle at 5 mph when feeling low. Don’t do either of that. In the former case, you can end up in a hospital and in the latter, you’ll end up frustrating other drivers on the road. If you feel too overwhelmed or overpowered by emotions, stop your vehicle and take some time or maybe walk home. Essentially, you should be calm and composed while driving.

10 Social Media Must Haves

Social Media

Sometimes we need to go back to the basics to get a better understanding of the way something works to be truly successful. In social Media it’s pretty clear that everyone is there to be social, engage and share information. People use Social Media for different reasons and whatever the reason is, I think you still need to present yourself fully to your followers. What does Social Media mean? Well here’s the definition…

Social Media – websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.

I’ve recently been working on growing my social media presence and followers since recently re-branding and there are things that I am actively working on daily to ensure that I am being strategic in my branding process. While I’ve been looking to follow new people and engage online I’ve seen some things that I question especially because they are being represented as a professional blogger or business. So below I’m sharing some MUST HAVES on your social media profile (no matter what platform) to help grow and engage your audience. I’m also giving you some tips along the way!

1. PLEASE put a profile picture on your account. At this point if you’d like to use your logo vs. a personal picture go right ahead. It’s better than an egg or silhouette of the social media networks profile. A personal photo would be best especially if you plan on networking in person. Tip: Use the same photograph across all of your social media channels.

2. ADD a description in your bio to let people know a little bit about yourself. It’s a great place to add your interests and let people with like minds know about them. I’m sure they’ll follow you to keep up with your updated statuses and engage with you. Social Media Connection!

3. If you are a blogger or business it is IMPERATIVE that you have your blog url or business website accessible on your social media profile. I’ve been to so many profiles where they have a great bio and tells about their blog or business with NO link! You need to have your link there! Tip: You can add a link to your LinkedIn Profile or About.me that will link to your other pages.

4. PUBLIC vs. PRIVATE accounts… If you are a blogger or a business you really shouldn’t have a private account. If you have monetized your blog or social media accounts it’s a REQUIREMENT with most blog networks to have public social media accounts where you are sharing sponsored brand content. Tip: Keep two accounts one personal and the other for your business or blog.

5. CONSISTENCY is key to online engagement and growing your audience. I personally don’t follow accounts that seem to be inactive. Also, I have my own work to do on being consistent. I don’t go weeks without posting on my social media pages. (Well, I’m still working on Periscope & Snapchat!) I really loathe video. Tip: Use Hootsuite or CoSchedule to schedule posts.

6. Hashtags are your friend! I use hashtags on every social media platform so that I am able to be searched by topic and show up in a feed of that particular interest. If you are working on a paid campaign hashtags are a tracking tool for blog networks and brands to measure reach. Tip: Use a hashtag mobile app like Tagfire or a website like all-hashtags and Top-hashtags to help you generate hashtags by keyword.

7. Content will always be KING! Be sure you are updating your accounts and sharing your blog or business content to your followers. Keep your brand voice and share quality content. You want people to return to your profile and continue to read your posts/statuses. You want to be put on their list of favorites! Tip: Create a editorial calendar along with scheduling social media posts.

8. ENGAGEMENT is a biggie! I always get annoyed when I post a question to a blogger or business and get crickets… Most of the time I want to support them and their business. That’s just a clear indication to me that maybe I need to move along. I’ll take my money elsewhere if you can’t answer a question about your own product or service! I’m just saying… It will help grow and engage your audience online. Tip: It’s beneficial to answer your followers when they post a question that can lead to a potential SALE.

9. Mentions & Tags on social forums are a clear indication that your followers trust you and want your expert opinion on certain things. If you are seen as an authority in your niche then you have a commitment to really pay attention and respond to those comments. It’s no different than text messaging, you get that notification! Take a moment and respond. It’s also just good etiquette.

10. TIMING is everything! I use a few different social media tools to help me understand the best time to post on each social media based on my audience. You have to get to know the people who are following you. When are they online, when are they most likely to engage etc. I engage mostly on Twitter so Tweriod helps me figure out the best times to post my content.

Bonus: Make sure your branding is consistent across ALL of your social media platforms. I just re-branded in January and my new name and logo are EVERYWHERE! On the Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Google +, YouTube, SelfieMark, Pinterest and Instagram. My profile picture is also the same across the board. I’m currently working on scheduling a photo shoot to update my photo but, it’s ME! You want your branding to be consistent. What else would you add to this list?

10 Tips on Conducting a Successful Press Interview

Successful Interview Tips Feat Pic

There are a few times out of the year when I have the opportunity to host interviews with entrepreneurs, actors, music artists and athletes. I also attend press trips for different brands and do my homework before it’s showtime. I always like to be prepared for an interview, ESPECIALLY when it’s with a celebrity. Whether you’ll be on the air for radio, recording video or taking notes you want to have an agenda and stick to it. From my experience if you are in a press room with other media outlets, things go rather quickly so you need to be on point. Here are a few tips for conducting a successful press interview.

1. First and foremost be PREPARED! Do your research on the person you are interviewing. Look up their biography, latest achievements, what’s in the works and stay on topic. You can name some of the projects you know of and have them elaborate on them.

2. Listen to other people conducting interviews around you so that you aren’t all asking the same questions. Also, try to ask questions that you can’t easily find the answers to online by visiting the artists, actor or athletes website.

3. Pay attention to your guest and really listen to how they are answering questions. If they veer off of topic maybe it’s for a good reason. You can always work it into your story if it’s of interest or try to steer the conversation back to your original question that you wanted answered.

4. If you are unclear on a topic, just ASK! Don’t publish information that’s not factual that can possibly come back to bite you in the tush! I can’t stand reading news stories where they have to retract a statement and update it with revised corrections.

5. You can be personable when starting your interview. I usually tell them how much I’m a fan and my favorite (ex: movie, song or game) that I absolutely love. I’ve also asked how or when when they knew that the profession they’re in was for them.

6. Be Quick! If you are in a press room with multiple media outlets, you may have a sign up sheet and time slot for you specific interview time. If not, and it’s open forum then you have to be quick so that you can get your questions in as well as photo opportunities.

7. Be Social! I’m usually on social media during events live tweeting what’s going on behind the scenes. I may Periscope a few this year so that my online community can feel like they are a part of the chaos too. Delivering what’s going on in real time is really entertaining and FUN!

8. You’ll need to introduce yourself and let them know who you are in 60 seconds or less. Leave a good impression on your guest. Ex: I’m Jen from JenOni.com I’m a Lifestyle Blogger that covers all things Fashion, Style, Beauty, Tech, Travel, Food, Arts & Entertainment and Current Events.

9. Be prepared to quickly answer any question they may shoot back at you. You never know. Some of the best interviews are dialogues that go with the flow. However, remember you will still need to track your time and stay on task during the interview.

10. Always thank them for their time and let them know that you will tag them when your interview goes live! Almost all of my interviews that I have conducted were tweeted out. I made sure to tag the guest that I interviewed and they usually will read it, re-tweet it and/or respond!

Bonus: Try not to be nervous! The more prepared you are the better things will be. Take a deep breath and conduct your interview. I’m sure everything will turn out fine. I speak from experience. What other tips would you add to this list?

5 Tips For Last Minute Party Planning

My birthday is quickly approaching and being the procrastinator that I am… I thought it would be fun to highlight what I’m doing at this very moment. I usually celebrate my birthday all month long dubbing October to be JENtober until Halloween! I create events all month long to keep my friends, family and of course myself busy. However I have ONE official birthday party and that’s next Saturday. I just created my invitation last night. So, where did I go from there and what am I doing to pull this off? Let’s take a look!

Who’s coming? Get your invitation out! In this day and age I don’t know the last time I used stationary or printed invitations for myself. I’m all about Evites! I designed my birthday invitation in Photoshop and created a Facebook Event and started inviting all my friends. I’ll probably have to send out a few emails and text messages for people not on Facebook and I may even tweet it out to local my local twitter peeps so it will give us a chance to connect.

Will there be Food? Well, that depends… I’m actually hosting two events in one day and neither of them is in my home. One event will have food while the other won’t. The first event is my “Pole Party” celebration with all my girlfriends. I’ll have light party snacks, refreshments and cake which we’ll enjoy before the party begins and work those calories right off. Lol! The second event is taking place at a lounge/ nightclub and there will be a cash bar and no food is allowed. Therefore I can’t bring food into the establishment. If I would have opted to have a house party, I would have gone shopping and prepared a fairly non complicated menu along with the ingredients to make the BEST cocktails!

Decorate Much? While I won’t go overboard I think some simple birthday decorations will do at the pole dance studio and lounge/ club to set the JENtober tone. Besides I love balloons and any reason I have to use balloons and streamers I will. I won’t go as far as confetti that can be a bit of a hassle to clean up! A HUGE plus is that I opted not to have a house party so I didn’t have to massively tidy up my home and there’s no clean up after the party for me!

Send Reminders: As the event gets closer, in my case it’s next weekend… Send out reminder messages on the Facebook event wall, email or twitter. I’d say a few days before and then the night before or the day of the event so that everyone has is in their mind! If you want to get snazzy make a cute little video and add some “birthday” music to it and send it to everyone. I think I’m going to do that this weekend, My Video Birthday Invitation!

Enjoy your Day! You’ve done everything to get your event(s) embedded in everyone’s brain so just relax and get ready to have FUN! Being that it’s a last minute event… Don’t get stuck on the number of attendees. I always have a great time with my friends whether it’s two of us or fifty two of us! However I feel if you are hosting you’re birthday party, your friends will know it’s the place to be and won’t want to miss the event. If you have any additional last minute party planning tips, please share.

error: Ask And You Shall Receive!!