Words by Victoria Brown, founder of The Jewellery Spot
What if I told you that there’s a tool to help you communicate with your customers, drive traffic to your website and give your customers extra value? And what if I told you now, it was absolutely safe and at your disposal?
Yes, this actually exists and is called blogging.
Blogging is such a important tool that I believe the jewellery industry is currently underutilizing. It can be used to reinforce brands, to open doors and to create networks with only a little preparation and forethought. Through personal experience I know all of that.
I began my blog The Jewellery Spot with a background in journalism and communication (and as a self-taught jeweller with a passion for contemporary jewellery). This was just over six months ago and I only met one or two people in the industry at the time. Quick forward to today and I’ve developed a network of contacts in the jewelry industry, nearly 2,000 followers on Instagram and a start-up. I was also invited to several events (including a trip to Paris paying for all the expenses).
None of this – and I don’t think all by this – would have happened if I didn’t put myself out on my blog. Blogging will unlock doors, serve as a shop window and help you create a network of like-minded companies, as well as potential clients.
I think there should be a blog for every brand and jeweller. But why am I so impassioned about this?
Firstly , it allows you to relate to your future customers. Writing a blog gives you the ability to chat and find common ground about things that are important to you, and important to your clients.
This also allows people to visit your website, gives you credibility in your business, helps create trust and adds value for your customers.
This will also increase SEO for your website, which will help you hit the top of the search engine rankings and draw more potential clients to your platform. You can also invite famous people to blog guests on your blog (taking their followers) and, in exchange, you can write guest posts for their website — putting your brand to more people.
Sound sweet, right?
So, what if you have tried blogging before? You might tell me, “It’s not working,” “I don’t know what to write” or, “I just don’t have the time.”
I ‘m listening! Setting up and updating a blog can take a bit of time. But I suggest the results can well be worth it. Blogging does not take you (or your marketing team) all day long. For blog clever it takes just a little bit of planning and thought:
Batch have your content created
We all know the importance of batch production — I mean, for heaven’s sake, we work in the jewelry industry! So, you need to follow the same marketing theory. It would be so much easier to schedule your blog content once a month (when you’re in the zone) than to write it every week. If you’re really concentrated, then it shouldn’t really take you much more than a few hours to build enough blog content for one month. Operating in this manner always lets you maintain clear messaging.
Using the same Social Media and Newsletter content as on your blog
Chances are, you are already creating material for your social media pages and newsletters (and you should be, if you are not). Using the same stuff, tweaked just slightly, will save you a bundle of time. I presume you’ve done the hard work of producing the content before.
This also keeps your marketing messages consistent across your various platforms — essential if you want to cut all the noise through your brand.
Invite guest bloggers to add to the workload
What if I told you that you don’t have to make all of the material yourself? In reality, some very successful blogs, including the highly popular Selfish Mother blog, rely almost entirely on user generated content.
Not only will guest bloggers who are aligned with your audience write the content for you, but they will also enrich your blog with a different perspective. And if they do have their own followers, they can also add their fans to your brand. I call that a win, that win, that win!
Keep it easy with just a striking image
And for the moment you’re just lost and really aren’t in the writing zone, don’t worry. A clear, striking image can say a thousand words. So, if you’ve got an image that fits your brand’s story then don’t be afraid to use that occasionally as your blog post, with just one caption. People are so desperate for time, that every week they don’t really want to read an essay.
Write less frequently
So, if you’re doing all of the above, and still can’t handle creating your blog material, then just adjust how much you’re writing. With any marketing content the most important thing is to post consistently. Posting once a month each month is so much better than aiming for once a week, and being haphazard. Build a schedule you will fully stick to.
And the mystery lies therein. Since blogging does not make a difference one time. Nor do Blogging twice. And it won’t even make an impact 3 times. Frankly I wasn’t even going to try.
But if you’re very dedicated to doing this job, then accuracy is completely important to the success of a blog.
You have to pick a timetable and stick to it. It may only be monthly, and that’s fine if, at the same time, you post consistently every month. (Bear in mind, though, that the less often you publish, it will take longer for your blog to gain traction.) It will take an average of 12-18 months for a blog to take action so it’s important that you remain positive and don’t get disheartened as you build your audience.
I hope I have succeeded in educating you of the immense benefits of blogging, and how convenient it can be to maintain a blog. If you need some inspiration you should look at my blog www.thejewelleryspot.net to see how I do it.
Look at the blogosphere!
