How a blog project could help your jewellery business
LJS tutor Anna Campbell has started a summer blogging project this summer. She talks here about the benefits of having a blog for your jewellery business.
What is your summer blogging project?
I decided this summer to make a commitment to blogging five days a week. The reason for this is that my teaching career means that I am quite busy during term time but not so busy during the summer. What I’ve found happens is that I have lots of plans of what to do in this mythical time off and then I run out of steam. So committing to a regular blog post means I need to find something to write about.
It’s also a way of building up a following on my blog and other social media to promote my teaching and my jewellery business.
What is a blog?
Blog is short for web log – you are reading one right now. A blog acts as a kind of online diary where you can write about what you’re doing. The reason a blog is useful if you make and sell handmade jewellery is that people are interested in your story, what influenced you and your process. The blog allows you to keep in touch with people and tell your story in a more complete way than on other social media.
Where can I blog?
There are a number of options that are mostly free. The most popular are Blogger, WordPress and Tumblr. I use Blogger, Google’s free blogging platform. I have also used WordPress in the past and that can be more flexible but can take a little longer to get used to.
How could I start a blogging project?
If you already have a blog I would firstly recommend you think about how regularly you can commit to writing. It doesn’t have to be five days a week.
It could be less but it’s good to make a commitment, if just to yourself. Remember, a blog post should not be an essay, you should aim for about 250 words and at least one image so it doesn’t have to be too daunting.
What should I blog about?
This depends on the focus of your blog. If you run a jewellery business I suggest some posts about the following
- Designing and developing your range
- Pick a jeweller you admire each week/month and write about what you like about their work
- Reviews of classes you’ve been on
- Exhibitions you’ve been to
- Where you get your inspiration
You might also want to have regular themes, for examples at London Jewellery School we have Workbench Wednesday (on Facebook) where we feature some photos of pieces that students are in the process of making. On my own blog I have Motivation Monday where I share a motivational quote. Themes can be helpful to give you some structure if you feel a bit lost about what to write about.
How do I get readers to my blog?
Remember to let people know that you’ve published a blog post by writing about it and adding a link on social media. The more people come to visit your blog post the higher up the Google ranking you go.
If this is all too advanced for you right now that’s fine but I do recommend you start reading blogs regularly. They will give you ideas about blog posts, how to layout your blog, what people like to read etc. I use bloglovin.com which is a free service that you can sign up for, choose topics you’re interested in and then blog posts on those categories will be shown to you. It’s just like getting a free magazine.
If you’d like to learn more about blogging from Anna why not attend one of her classes at the London Jewellery School. Anna discusses blogging during all of the following classes, please use the links to find out more including the available dates:
- Creating your own jewellery blog taster class
- PR for your jewellery business taster class
- Social media for your jewellery business one day class
Anna Campbell is a tutor at the London Jewellery School and runs her own jewellery business Campbell Hall Designs. She sells online from her website and at the Things British shop in Greenwich, London.
If you’d like to read Anna’s blog you can find it here http://thelightboat.blogspot.co.uk/