How to Create A Paxum Account For Sending And Receiving Money Online in Nigeria

Paxum is an online payment platform for making and receiving payments. It is a digital wallet for storing, managing your fund, and also helps you to make payment to and also receive money from any part of the world. Paxum is supported in over 50 countries, and the platform supports over 20 currencies.

Paxum is another e-wallet much like PayPal, Payoneer, Skrill, Webmoney, and a host of others.

Nigerians have been looking for simple ways to receive money online, and also ways to make payments and other financial transactions online. One of such methods to receive funds into your bank account in Nigeria is via Paxum.

Payment platforms can tighten their security architectures to make the system hack proof. This is one of the very important things Paxum has managed to put in place. A strict security architecture.

If you earn money online, you may have discovered that one or more of the companies you work with make payment via Paxum. Hence, you will be able to receive payments from these platforms if you have your Paxum account set up and ready for payment.

One thing I want to clearly point out at this point is that you cannot just start receiving or sending money with Paxum by just signing up on the platform. There are certain key steps you need to take in order to unlock the ability to make financial transactions on the platform.

To sign up, head on to https://portal.paxum.com/register/personal to register a personal account or head on to https://portal.paxum.com/register/business to register a business account.

Below are the differences between Paxum Business Account and Paxum Personal Account.

Paxum Business Account

    Mass Wire Transfers to your clients worldwide
    Mass EFT Transfers to your clients worldwide
    Send Payments to other Paxum users
    Receive Payments from other Paxum users
    Reduce your payout costs
    Competitive Pricing

Paxum Personal Account

    Get paid for your work
    Send Payments to other Paxum users
    Receive Payments from other Paxum users
    Multiple withdrawal methods including Paxum Prepaid Card


Choose your account type and fill the necessary information. Thereafter proceed by filling out the forms on the following pages. Once done, submit the application. Now you can login to your account via your email address and the password you provided during the account creation process.

This is the first step to beginning sending and receiving funds, payments and money on Paxum.

Working from Home: 5 Mobile Apps That Help You Meet Your Targets

As a remote worker, there are some things your human self can't handle well. Some of these include communicating with a lot of team members, storing huge data, keeping all tasks and projects in mind, etc. It is almost impossible to achieve these and many more without any form of help.

Many mobile apps can make working from home effectively, and aid you in meeting up with your targets. It is very paramount that you acquaint yourself with one or more of these apps, especially of your work from home. I understand you might want to improve your memory by handling some difficult tasks yourself, but it is safer to go for an option that takes you closer to perfection. Remember, it's not just about you, but those you work with and work for.  In this article, Wunderlist, Slack, Clockify, Zoom, and Snagit would be discussed briefly.

1. Wunderlist

Wunderlist is an app that ensures that you do not miss any deadline. It aids you in prioritizing your tasks and reminding you of each. If there is an app that can serve as your mini-secretary, why then do you bother trying to recall your tasks by heart. You can channel that energy to coming up with more creative ideas to boost what you do.

2. Slack

Slack is an app that helps you to effectively keep in touch with your team members. With slack, everyone can be on the same page, the progress of everyone being followed. This app helps you track both individual and collective progress. With Slack, all your projects can be worked on steadily without anyone being left behind, and constant communication is not a barrier to checkmating this progress.

3. Clockify

This is a time tracking app which enables you and/or your team to track your working hours. This can be done by adding time while working, by starting and stopping a timer. By its settings, the time tracking app can automatically or manually alert you before, during or after you’re done working by using a timesheet view. Clockify also gives you the edge of viewing what your teammates are currently working on by glancing at the dashboard section of the app.

4. Zoom

Zoom is an app, that enables video and audio conferencing online. It comes in very handy when there is a need to hold meetings, training, and webinars. Texting is not enough when there is a need to deliberate on an issue. Having visual and audio-enabled meetings comes out more effective.

5. Snagit

This is a screenshot tool that captures video display and audio output. This is very useful when there is a need to share a particular section of a video or audio to facilitate communication between team members. It involves capturing the process you want and adding visual instructions that explain the process.

Conclusion

A huge advantage comes with having mobile apps that can help work smarter. I'm sure you know that it doesn't matter how hard your work, what matters is how smart you work. And often, working smarter involves achieving something substantial with a little amount of time. So, if you work from home, kindly install some of these apps on your mobile phone, and enjoy managing your daily tasks smartly, thereby, reaching your targets.

7 Reasons Why Students Drop Out of Online Courses

 

According to a 2020 research by the NELOC Media Academy, results show that the increase in demand for online education rose by about 173% in the last few months, particularly due to the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic. However, by its projections this number may not decrease anytime soon. This is largely due to the fact that individuals (students, teachers and parents alike), institutions and the larger society is practically coming to terms in accepting the new reality. 

 

At the same time, the study also records that there has been a high number of online school dropouts as many students leave their courses abandoned for many reasons. A few of them are considered in this article so you may just find one likely reason why you may drop out of your online course.

Enrollment in online education continues to rise, with more and more learners daily. This quest for knowledge as regards online learning is now common for mainstream academic institutions, professional or career trainings, skill acquisitions, religious trainings and in some cases, personal development. Despite its popularity, many learners fail to complete their courses. This is a big problem for online school teachers and administrators.

By the results of our survey, we discovered that it is not enough to develop and sell a course online. Much more is needed to ensure that an appropriate learning experience is delivered to the student. A learner who signs up and later drops out isn’t getting everything they paid for. While that’s not  the administrator's sole responsibility, it will still affect their experience and ratings of the course. If students feel disappointed or frustrated (causing them to drop out), it might prevent them from passing on a good recommendation by word of mouth. It will almost certainly mean they would not sign up for a second class. Apart from unseriousness and non-chalance on the part of the student, there is a huge difference in the other reasons why online schools and physical school sessions suffer huge dropout records. As a result, online schools and administrators need to create courses that will encourage the learners to finish. 

Here are some of the top reasons we’ve identified behind online dropout rates.

1. Unrealistic expectations about the work involved

Many online students want to make millions and hit it big immediately after they finish up their online courses. In some cases, they want to start earning while they are still learning. This makes them forget that there is a place of proper process, preparation and gathering experience for every course. Many students like to start a project with optimistic visions about the time and effort required, only to abandon it once they realize that there is more to it. This is most likely the leading cause of online course drop outs. The promise of big earnings inspire some learners to join classes, and it’s only when they start that they realize the work involved. To curb this, our report recommends a proper and clear communication as to how much time learners should set aside for the course, including estimates for each module, assignments, projects and after class experience. Online courses should also emphasize the fact that earnings and profitability capacity of any course is dependent on individual hard work and that rewards will differ on that basis.

2. Lack of specifications (Beginners, Intermediary or Advanced)

Many online courses do not have prerequisites for learners before they take up a course. If students sign up expecting content targeted toward beginning students, and instead find out that the classes are meant for advanced learners, they could lose interests in the course. It is similar to a case where a junior secondary student will not have the necessary background to attend a PhD class.

Not all beginners start with the same background. So if you create a "beginner course" in Blogging, you can expect your students to have a background in writing, but not in Search Engine Optimisation. Thus, our academy report proposes that online schools and administrators must ensure that they specify their courses as recommended -Beginner courses, Intermediate and Advanced courses.

3. Poor communication from the Instructor

The student is not always the issue. Online education can feel isolating and while you think you are taking your students along, you actually leave them behind. That lack of contact can make them hesitate to ask for help. Online courses can be difficult because there is no physical relations. However, you can introduce contact by addressing each student individually in the case of any issue. Try to explain concepts with better illustrations and with things you assume are in their environments. You can also have them engage in certain break out activities to relax, especially for longer classes and follow up on them to improve lecturer-student communication. That way, they become drawn to the course and finish up  lectures as quickly as they can.

Frequent and direct communication from the course instructors makes students feel that their success is important, and that their progress isn’t going without notice. Lecturers can also make be available to help students with any questions, and be proactive in contacting others who appear to be falling behind.

4. Bad Course Pacing Structures

Some topics are more complex than others and some need practical classes. Knowing how to split them apart can be a challenge. A particularly difficult lesson can cause some learners to leave, especially if they don’t feel like they’re getting much feedback from an instructor.

For a difficult lesson, lecturers should inform the learners in advance so that they can plan extra time for the module. Such modules should also be broken down into digestible chunks, making it easier for learners to finish. If they continue to struggle, consider adding more relevant material and adopt new steps to help them grasp the subject.

5. Low Motivation

Low motivation is different from laziness. There are many reasons why a learner could lose motivation, but a demanding workload can leave a user feeling discouraged, or the social isolation could make the learner feel like no one’s paying attention to their presence or absence from the course. To fix this issue, the pacing and structure of the course can be adjusted to increase student motivation. Tutors should also try to send emails to check up on learners who haven’t had any account activity in a few days. Sometimes a small prompt can encourage learners to re-engage.

6. Technological glitches.

In a country with low power supply, data network issues and other tech problems, it is possible that technology will sometimes disappoint learners and instructors alike. This can cause frustration for learners, causing them to drop out. From the research survey, some students complained of insufficient mobile storage space affecting the operation of the learning apps and similar tech issues.

The right system can cut down on a lot of your technology problems. It’s also wise to avoid any undue bells and whistles that aren’t providing real value to your course. Better to concentrate on delivering the best content you can than inadvertently sabotaging your work with some trendy gimmick.
Diagnosing the problem can help you find the solution.

Data is not yet free, but you can buy for very affordable rates here

7. Student/Lecturer Personal Crisis

Investing hard work into developing an online course and seeing students drop out can be a major discouragement. It can leave administrators helpless, wondering what they could possibly be doing wrong. Sadly, some problems will always be out of control. If a student faces an unexpected personal crisis, lacks interest in the subject, or ignores your guidelines regarding prerequisites and estimated coursework, then there’s not much you can do. But in the meantime, creating a better course experience for your learners is well within your grasp.

In conventional school structures, factors like poor grades, drug use, sexual promiscuity, gang activities, personal sickness or ailing family members who require assistance can cause a student to drop out. This is far from online school structures and that is one reason why it has to be checked.

According to the NELOC Media Academy research, only a small percentage say that they drop out because of school environments (Zoom, Google Meet, Whatsapp and even custom school software), ineffective teachers, mental health issues, or the fear of failure. In the report, these factors are connected to socioeconomic status of the students. Students from low-income areas are 2.4 times more likely to drop out of school than those from middle-income neighborhoods. When students need to worry about necessities like data spent online, time, convenience, food, and safety, they cannot expend energy on school.

5 Reasons Why you should Join the Blogging Hub

Towards the end of November, 2021, we decided to launch The Blogging Hub as a community of bloggers who are totally interested in networking, supporting and growing with fellow bloggers. This was basically

Here are five reasons why you should join the Blogging Hub.

1. Connection and Networking

At the Blogging Hub, you have full time access to making real time connections and networking with other bloggers in your niche or industry.

2. Resource Support

For every blogger, necessary tools and resources are a requirement for a successful blogging career. At the Blogging Hub, premium members have exclusive access to a web of resources to help them become the blogger of their dreams. From themes to plugins to other blogging tools you can ever think of, you get true support from other bloggers who are in the same journey with you.

3. Challenges and Healthy Competition

In every community, it is necessary that some form of healthy competition is set up in structure to help members feel like they are truly racing one another. At the Blogging Hub, you get to participate in these Blog growth challenges and competitive activities in a very funny and exciting manner to help your blog fall in good shape. 

4.Progress Tracking and Accountability

 

5. Trainings, Coaching and Leveling

Bloggers can out do one another based on how profiting your niche is. However, the greater good shows up where you can conveniently and comfortably teach the next person to grow and do things in a way that will yield the results you have. At the Blogging Hub, you get access to periodic trainings, personal and group training sessions to help you level up your blogging game. is 

If you have successfully read till this point and you want to do really well for yourself as a blogger, you should be a part of the Blogging Hub. As mentioned earlier, it is not a conventional community of bloggers because we are a premium (paid) community guided by rules of interaction and association.

10 Popular Quotes about Media

Many people still don't know the true importance of the media in our society today.

• The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses. - Malcolm X
  
• Whoever controls the media, controls the mind. - Jim Morrison
• The media is the right arm of anarchy. - Dan Brown
• The media transforms the great silence of things into its opposite - Michel de Certeau
• The people will believe what the media tells them they believe. - George Orwell
• What the mass media offers is not popular art, but entertainment which is intended to be consumed like food, forgotten, and replaced by a new dish. - W. H. Auden
• Whoever controls the media, the images, controls the culture. - Allen Ginsberg
• All of us who professionally use the mass media are the shapers of society. We can vulgerize that society. We can brutalize it. Or we can help lift it onto a higher level. - William Bernbach
• All media exist to invest our lives with artificial perceptions and arbitrary values. - Marshall McLuhan
• The media's power is frail. Without the people's support, it can be shut off with the ease of turning a light switch. - Corazon Aquino
• It takes discipline not to let social media steal your time. -Alexis Ohanian
• We need a free media, not just freedom of speech. - Tom Scholz
• One of the most powerful defences the media can offer for controversial actions is, of course, public interest. - Rowan Williams
• The media represents world that is more real than reality that we can experience. People lose the ability to distinguish between reality and fantasy. They also begin to engage with the fantasy without realizing what it really is. They seek happiness and fulfilment through the simulacra of reality, e.g. media and avoid the contact/interaction with the real world. - Jean Baudrillard
• Journalism will kill you, but it will keep you alive while you’re at it. - Horace Greeley
• Don’t hate the media, become the media. - Jello Biafra
  

These selected media quotes cut across different thoughts

How to Start Your Career As A Content Writer in Nigeria

Content is King! No doubts

Social media, professional work space or any other setting requires content

 Content remains a  powerful tool to arrive at a desired goal.

 Content cannot be left out on any platform as it is the way we communicate with our audience.

 And as such content creators, most especially content writers are in much demand currently in Nigeria.

 

Who's a content writer?

 In simple terms, a content writer is someone who writes content, one who is responsible for writing thoroughly researched text that are unique.

We have different types of content writers: web content writers, technical writers, ghostwriters, mass media writers.

Web content writers: They produce contents generally on the internet. The content ranges from blogs to company's descriptions, services, product reviews and lots more. This entails the content writer doing a thorough research on the subject and applying the necessary skills to ensure it meet the demands of why the content was written. It also includes researching and adding keywords to ensure that the content generates enough traffic to the website.

Technical writers: These set of content writers write on specific field of study unlike others. The writer is expected to write on a particular field of study, it can be on finance, health, agriculture, science or any other field . In this case, the content writer should be well-versed in the field and has an authority as regards that which is being written.

 The writer is expected to write in a way that'll ensure the readers understand the content. 

 Mass media writers: They specifically write for Media houses, they give report on current events. They're expected to give a well detailed description of events and  happenings. This form of writing is highly professional and the opinions of the content writer does not usually find expression in the contents

Ghost writers: This set of content writers specifically create content on behalf of others who get them paid. Ghostwriters cannot lay claim to their writings.

 Having given an overview of what content writing is, here is a practical guide on how to become a professional content writer Nigeria.

Note the word 'practical' , because these steps have been tried over and over again and it has come out successful. 

1. Gather much knowledge as possible.

 You definitely can't give what you don't have, you can't create content out of the blues, it has to come from an existing knowledge from your head.

 How do you gather knowledge? Basically, by reading although you can also get knowledge from videos, but if you want to be an exceptional content writer you have to be versatile in knowledge most especially through reading.

 The type of knowledge you possess will determine the kind of content you will create. The more you read, the better you are in writing captivating content.

2. Choose a suitable niche.

To choose a niche might actually get you confused at first, because you will not fully comprehend what you would like to write on exactly.

 But, I will recommend that you  explore for sometime and see what really interests you.

 Make sure the niche you choose is attractive and can get you opportunities.

 You can also decide to combine more than one niche together although this is not advisable .

You  can decide to build your niche around, health, news, sports, lifestyle, relationship, politics professional writing, fictions and lots more, there are so many things to write about.

3. Start building your portfolio

 Your portfolio is the evidence that you've been working. It is that which shows that you done something that's credited to you. You need to build your credibility before you start taking jobs, nobody will like to trust you as a content writer if your previous works can not be seen. A portfolio will set you on a scale of growth. Create blog posts, ebooks, research papers etc

 At this stage, many tend to give up because no monetary benefit is attached, but don't do that.

 

4. Increase your social media presence.

 Social media is a world of endless contents. You have to make your marks. Let your works get more visibility on the social media, let the world see your creativity. Here are some few tips that can help you out on this.

 You can join Facebook groups and communities to post your contents

Setup and optimise your LinkedIn profile

 Get on Quora to answer questions intelligently.

Be consistent with posting your contents

 Let your works be exceptional and unique. You can also go on platforms such as Wattpad , medium to post your contents

5. Create blogposts

You can build a high level of  authority with blogposts around your selected niche

You can decide to write guest posts for blogs or create your own personal blog from the scratch.

 In this case you will use your blogposts to to show your expertise in that specific niche you are trying to gain establishment. Share the links to the blog post on social media platforms and all around with your network 

 6. Freelancing

Fiverr and Upwork are the best freelancing platforms for a content writer as at now. I would recommend it for anyone especially someone who is a beginner. Many might argue that it's not easy for those that are just starting out, but  there still abounds much opportunity for you on these two platforms. It's just that you have to put in much work, you can't just sit down and expect orders to come. Make sure you generate more reviews as soon as possible,  let your customers be satisfied with your works and give them the best you can ever give .

7. Apply for jobs

Apply to companies who are looking for full-time content writers or part-time content writers.

 Keep an eye on opportunities around you, you can always find this on the social media. You can as well reach out to companies that you know might need the service of a content writer, they might employ you on a part-time or full-time scale, depending on their current status. Most companies are actually in need of content writers especially, to grow their band and reach more people to increase their sales

8. Join a suitable community.

 While this is based primarily on choice, in the world of creativity, you might be down at some moment but you need to keep going, you need to get challenged by what your peers are doing and you can also learn about latest developments, strategies and tools that you can use to create better contents, being in a resourceful community will help you out on this.  You'll also discover endless opportunities  that are available for you in the world of writing, you can also participate in writing challenge as organised by various communities, this will definitely enhance your content writing skills

Content writing is a skill that can fetch you much money, if only you are consistent 

Let your content be unique and exceptional. Make sure you offer your best at any given opportunity. You can have a sustainable career as a content writer and it can meet  your basic needs, consistency is just the key. You're on your way to becoming an exceptional content writer. 

Top 10 Online Media Freelancing Jobs for Nigerians

 

Being a Nigerian comes with a special dose of stress and financial pressure. Adding on the burden of the country's downwards spiralling economy you will be pressured to find a stable source of income, even as a student. However, you do not need to engage in illegal or fishy dealings before making cool money on the internet. As a Nigerian, there are quite a few online freelancing jobs that you can do from the comfort of your home with nothing but your smartphone and internet connection.


Here is a list of the best 10 online freelance jobs that you can do as a Nigerian:

1. Content Writing

This is the process of writing, editing, and publishing content in a digital setup. As a freelance content writer, your content might be in Visual form(videos), Audio(podcasts) or Textual(blog posts, ebooks) and many more.

2. Copywriting

This is one of the most feasible options for freelancers. As a freelance copywriter, you write 'Copy' such as newsletters, advertising copy, emails, e-books, articles, and other types of copy that grabs readers’ attention. Mostly to make their readers take certain actions

3. Digital Marketing

As a freelance digital marketer, you’ll help businesses strengthen their online visibility and lead generation to increase sales through activities, such as search engine optimization (SEO), email marketing, social media marketing, content marketing, and online advertisements.

4. Social Media Management

Social media is a way for businesses to promote their products and services directly to their target audiences(TA). Social media managers help brands develop and execute marketing strategies to improve lead generation. As a social media manager, you can work with several brands at any given time, helping them improve communication methods on various social media platforms. To start your freelancing career as a social media manager, this blog post will be your sweet guide.

5. Voice-over Artistry

They are people who use their voice in radio, television, presentation and other mediums to entertain, narrate, or market products.

6. Editing

Editors play an important role in the editorial process by reviewing and revising written texts to ensure they meet specific guidelines. They check various aspects, such as syntax, punctuation, flow, style, and verify facts. Editorial processes are vital to producing high-quality content.

7. Web Development

Web developers use their advanced programming skills to develop code that determines how websites function. The best freelance jobs typically require professionals with experience in either front-end or back-end web development or both (full-stack development). Front-end web developers concentrate on the design and visual aspects of a website, while back-end specialists focus on the behind-the-scenes components or administrative areas of a website that aren’t visible to users.

8. Graphics Design

You can engage in Graphic Designing as a freelancing job that deals with creating visual content for brands and businesses. As a graphics designer, you can also be employed by companies later when you decide to go full time.

9. Web Design

This set of freelancers helps clients design websites. The role of a web designer might also include revamping existing websites. This industry is ideal for anyone with creative and technical know-how who can create high-quality web pages and other website features.
10. BUSINESS CONSULTANCY:

A business consultant helps clients achieve an in-depth knowledge of certain operational issues. In many cases, the professional plays an active role in solving complex business challenges. Companies typically hire consultants to seek advice on practical ways to improve day-to-day operations or profitability. The consultant may specialize in one or more business areas, such as marketing, finance, or human resources.


Some good platforms for freelancing jobs are Fiverr and Upwork. Some Nigerian SMEs can even hire you per contract based or per design.

Introduction To Design: The Basic Rules of Design.

What is Graphic Design?

Graphic Design is the use of Graphic Elements (Lines, Shapes, Fonts, Colours) to create visual contents that are used to pass across information.

Every design is passing an information

As a Graphic Designer, you're passing message to people.

Every design you see is telling you something.

These messages are passed using Graphical Elements like colours, image, fonts etc..

Graphic Design is creating contents that pass accurate information.

This is done by using Graphical Elements.

Basic rules of design simply refer to the regulations that guide a designer to bring out a useful and impressive design.

The purpose of a great design is to pass the needed information just as in the case of a good copy in which your headline must gain the prospect's attention, mere seeing your design should grasp the attention of people so much that they want to read the information it's passing across. 

To get your design to fulfil its purpose, there are basic rules you must adhere to.

This article is to guide you on the basic rules that will help you in creating a compelling design.

1. Emphasis :

Just as in the name, emphasizing anything is to make it so known or give special attention to it.

Emphasis is to be laid on the information you want your audience to know upon seeing your design. Is it the theme of the event, the date, or the name of the brand? 

You can emphasise by making that particular information bold, and colourful, making it the biggest element or even placing it in the middle of your design.

2. Alignment:

The last thing you want to do to your design makes it all shabby. Balancing the weights of your elements will help in the alignment.

You can choose to align your texts on one side of the design.

3. Repetition: 

You don't want to make some elements look so odd in your composition(design) by being just one of a kind.

It's advisable to use the same fonts repeatedly, and stick to two or three colours, as repetition strengthens and unifies your design.

4. Contrast:

It creates space and difference between the elements in your design.

Using one or two fonts, colours that don't contradict, and all kinds will help in maintaining the contrast in your design.

You don't want to place light coloured texts on backgrounds of light colours. Also knowing the appropriate size and weight to use will help to get rid of confusion in your design.

5. White Space:

This refers to the blank space on your design. The space around the elements in your design.

Giving space and not choking your design with unimportant details or elements helps to make it more professional and also attractive.

It helps to organize your design.

6: Movement:

This is done by dictating to your audience how their eyes should move when checking your design or reading through, making the information communicated to them properly.

For example, If you follow the principle of emphasis and the theme of your course seems to be emphasised, the movement rule when applied should follow something like, 

"This is the theme, this is where it's happening, it's free, it will be happening on this day"

It's leading their eyes even when you're not there.

7. Proportion:

This is how the weight and size of the elements in your design relate to each other. 

Proportion is easily achieved when other rules like alignment, emphasis, and contrast are done in the right way.

With these rules, you can sure set out on the journey of designing. We are rooting for you.

Why is Graphic design so lucrative? 

1. It pays well:

Graphic design is a skill that is capable of making you millions if you can dare MASTER it.

Only If You Can Dare MASTER It

But in other to master it, you must hag some qualities as a graphic designer. 

There are some things we should be able to pinpoint in you to say or call you a graphic designer.

I see so many people now who call themselves Graphic designer and yet they are not.

As a Graphic designer you must posses these qualities

Qualities of a good Graphics designer.

1. Paying attention to details:

As a Graphic Designer, always pay attention to every details your customer send to you.

Also, no element (no matter how small) should be left un-arranged.

Always great attention to details.

2. Patience:

A Graphic Designer is very patient in creating his designs..

He/she is always very calm and follows the design process step by step.

A Graphic Designer isn't in haste to create jobs as one little mistake can spoil the whole design.

3. A good listener:

A Graphic Designer is a great listener..

He makes sure he allows his client to express themselves so that he would know how to help them more.

4. Invest in him/herself.

A good Graphic Design is one who continually learns more about his/her skill.

He/she would always invest in knowledge (Courses and Trainings) to get better at his/her skill. 

Why is this Graphics designing lucrative?

1. Because it pays well

2. It doesn't need any CAPITAL:

Unlike online other physical business, you don't need any capital to start Graphic Design.

You don't need a shop or anything.

For this training and beyond, all you need is a SMARTPHONE or a Laptop and some seriousness

3. Doesn't need any supervisor:

As a Graphic Designer, you can work from home..

You don't need to register in a company or whatever..

Most of my designs are made by me lying down on my bed working conveniently..

No body loves much stress

Basic Rules to follow in Graphics designing

1. ALIGNMENT

This refers to the lining up of elements in a design. It states that every element in your design should be aligned properly.

We have various ways elements can be lined up

 We have left alignment, right alignment and center alignment, sometimes too, we have mixed alignment.

Alignment is very crucial, it fact it plays an important role in your design

It tells if you're a good graphic designer or not. If your element are not alignment your work will look tardy

2.HIERARCHY

It refers to the importance of elements within a design.

The most important elements (or content) should appear to be the most important.

 It is what we can call order of priority, important things comes first or appear first before other things.

Let us say for a program

We know some things are more important than others, things like Theme.

That is why for every program design, the theme is always is always bigger than other element

These two are very IMPORTANT to you as a Graphic Designer.

VERY IMPORTANT!! They are your backbone as a graphic designer

 3. WHITE SPACING.

This refers to the intentional act of leaving spaces between elements of your design.

These spaces are referred to as white spaces and they are left so the design would be able to breathe and avoid congestion.

White spacing is very good, it does not make your design look clumsy

I think this is very clear and does not need too much explanation

Now to the fourth one

4. COLOUR

Colours help your design look more beautiful, but as good as they are..

You must make sure not to use them too much.

Always work with JUST TWO COLOURS, maximum THREE on your design.

Use a light shade colour on a dark shade colour and vice-versa.

White shade colours are ones that have white added to them. e.g: White, Yellow, Baby pink, sky blue etc..

Dark shade colour are ones that have black added to them. e.g: Navy blue, brown, black, red etc.

5. SIMPLICITY

As much as possible, always make your design look simple.

Work with smaller fonts, avoid emboss and 3D effects.

Use more simple background and less shouty colours to communicate well.

 SIMPLICITY ALWAYS WIN

Know this and Know peace. Great designs are always simple designs, when it becomes too clumsy, it becomes less attractive

Now, let's look on how to generate concepts for designs. 

1.RESEARCH

Before starting any design, the very FIRST thing to do is to go and research on what needs to be done.

Example: You have a job to create a cake flyer design, the very first thing you must do is research.

Go to Facebook, Instagram, Google or Pinterest and just type Cake Flyer Design.

 From these, you'd see a lot of flyer designs.

Simply save them to your phone.

What this does is that it opens your mind to the concept to use.

When you research, you start seeing similarities in colour, shapes, form on how those kind of design are made so when you want to create yours.

You already know how it should look like.

2. BRAINSTORMING

 Brainstorming comes directly after research.When you're through researching, you now have series of designs to study.

You start looking at them and thinking of their similarities and how you can do something relatable.

This part is what we call the Brainstorming.

 Brainstorming is very crucial, in the sense that if after you do research and you fail to brainstorm, your research is of no use

3. MODELLING

Modelling is ethically stealing people's concept and use for your designs.

Modelling comes with sketching because as you model, you draw out concepts on a piece of paper.

Modelling is ENTIRELY different from copying.

You can copy a concept directly but you don't model one design.

Copying a concept is just making the exact design of another person but you're putting in your own information.

Modelling designs is taking different patterns from each design to form yours.

You model at least three to five designs.

So modeling is ETHICALLY stealing other people's concept to generate yours.

These three methods are basically what most designers do.

That's why if you see a church flyer design, the logo of the church and the name, most times, is always at the top.Why?

Because someone first did it like that, and we others started copying it.

These 3 methods go hand in hand, you can't leave one out and go with the others, they work together and you MUST use them together.

So that will be all for, by now you should understand how to generate and come up with concepts.

If you can work well with the tips given, you'll be able to create a top notch and professional designs. 

How To Start Your Career As A Professional Blogger In Nigeria

A blog is a webpage that allows an individual to directly communicate with an audience through articles, videos, audio or any other form of content. So whenever you visit some links and you read many articles, you are simply interacting with the owner of the blog. This is some form of communication.

That said, it is necessary to mention here that a blog is different from a website. Although these differences are minimal, it is still worthy to mention them in record. The major difference is in the fact that a blog is usually updated frequently. It could be hourly, daily, bi-weekly or at any regular interval. On the other hand, most websites are static. Their content are not frequently updated (except there is a blog section on the website) 

A website can have a blog. But a blog is not a website.

When you decide to start a blog, it is a big mistake for you to decide that you just want to blog about news updates, story writing, and all others.

Being a professional blogger in Nigeria will bring you money but it'll require a lot of task and ensure the following procedures are properly followed.

Select a niche.

You have to be very specific about starting a blog.

You have to pick a niche.

Niche is a category, field or interest that you are passionate about and can conveniently/comfortably write articles about

So, for example if you love fashion (or you are a tailor), you can run a fashion blog. 

You are a medical student, you can run a student health blog

You are an Education is the, you can start a blog on tutorials

You love baking and cooking, you can run a blog on that. 

Whatever thing that interests you, you can blog about it, just make sure you are consistent. 

 Today, there are different blogs that are specific to different things.

It totally depends on what interests you.

Now, the reason why this interest is necessary is because blogging can be tiring. 

It is honestly not easy to write good, interesting and comprehensive blog posts.

 And for many people, the sweet side they hear about blogging is that you can make sweet money in blogging by making huge dollars every month.

This is very true. But, you will work and put in a lot of work. 

 So, if you are considering starting your blog because of money and you leave out interests, it is only a matter of time before you burn out. 

You will not be able to write tangible content and you will outdo yourself.

 Today, we have millions of blogs online. If you check www.internetlivestats.com, you will see the number of websites and blogs created today alone.

In Nigeria, we've a growing population of blogeers striving to get known and make money.

So you must know that you are not in this game alone. 

2. Do a Proper Research

Apart from your interests in selecting a niche, it is necessary that you engage further research to identify your niche within a niche.

So, by choosing a niche within a niche, you are practically using the concentric circle structure of onions.

For example, you want to blog about Law. This is a niche, but it is still broad. You can then narrow it to Law Students. This is still quite broad. You then narrow it further to Nigerian Law School Students. 

If you settle down and decide to create a blog on this very specific niche and do the real work, you will reap gold to the extent that which you're consistent with it. 

3. Choose a Blogging Platform. 

There are different platforms on which you can create your blog. You can create your blog on Medium, Substack, Blogger, Wordpress, Tumble and much more. All these platforms have advantages and disadvantages, and you should make proper research before choosing any blogging platform. To help you, here are a few things  you should consider before picking a platform.

1. Choice and Management of the Blog

2. Cost Effectiveness

3. Proficiency of the Developer

4. Site Efficiency itself.

There are two very popular platforms for Blogging today that many have probably heard about. 

Blogger and Wordpress. These two are the real contention sef. They are the platforms bringing up those disadvantages and advantages in a way. 

Tips To Grow Your Blog. 

1. Write Consistently: If you remember our definition of a blog, you'd know that you need to consistently put out content on your blog for people to read it. A blog cannot exist without tangible and regular content. Posting consistently will help you grow your blog. 

2. Share your Posts. Use social media wisely. Create a Facebook page, a facebook group, what's app and telegram pages and as well, utilise your status. I used to have 4000+ contacts as at December last year before I deleted some irrelevant lines (and now have 200p+). You can imagine how much traffic I get averagely especially if a link is coming from me. 

3. Encourage Comments on your blog. Let your articles strike a conversation. The more people engage your blog, the more trustworthy it becomes to Google. That is one way that helps you to rank well and show up in Google Search when people are looking for one thing or the other

4. Learn new skills. Dive into Digital Marketing, especially Search Engine Optimisation. You will need it for your blog to grow properly. Blogger has strong possibilities (because it is owned by Google) 

Monetize Your Blog

 There are different ways to earn from your blog. Adsense is the most popular one. There is Medicine, Ezoic, Adnaira, Bidvertiser, NgAdverts, Affiliate marketing and as space sales among others. 

But Adsense has stringent rules so you need someone to guide you (my advice).

You can be adventurous though and try to apply for Adsense by yourself. But if you are not careful and don't meet the requirements, they will reject your site or ban you.

 This is a whole lot and it's an entire subset of the blogging course on its own. I will only list a few here. 

1. Avoid Plagiarism. One line of copied content and you'd get rejected. You may be lucky if Google bypasses you, but it is a great risk.

2. Avoid scrap content. Make sure your articles have at least 700 words. I advise 1000 words to be very safe. (You can delete the sample post and start blogging with articles in your niche when you see this) 

3. Put up necessary pages. Don't be a mysterious blogger. You need an About, Contact and Privacy Policy Page. When you get to that bridge, I'd help you cross. 

Get the first two and reach out to me. If you successfully have 50 articles that meet the first two criteria, and you buy your domain and a good theme, you will get Google Adsense in one month.

But you may have issues later on. Also, if you want to change to a custom domain (.com or any other domain extension) in the future, you will lose all your Adsense earnings and you have to re-apply with the new domain. 

Blogging is a goldmine. But you have to dig out the gold. You need to put in the work to make the money in blogging. 

The digital media is getting very complicated because many people are into tech today. So, you can hold on to this part of it and create the relevance you desire. 

1. Write at least two posts weekly. If you can and have the time, write one article everyday.

2. Continually learn other skills. This is just one of many and like I mentioned, digital marketing skills will help your blogging grow in multiple folds.

Tips For Content Publishing On Your Blog 

1.Your titles must be in sentence case. The first letter of each word must be in capital letters while the rest should be in small letters. If you write in capital letters, it means that you are shouting at your audience, so you should only use it for emphasis. This is from the basic rules English and you should go back to your books so you can improve your writing. 

2. Punctuate Your Article Properly. Do not include full stop after an article's title.

3. Always upload a related image to your blog posts. 

4. Use proper alignment for your articles. I talked about how blogger looks like Microsoft word if you open it on your system. So, make sure that it aligns properly for your blog's view. 

Blogging is a very rewarding career if you can pay the price of consistency and daily research about knowledge.