In this #ThrowbackThursday nugget edition, I'm jumping back to a simple one from October 2010 about finding blogging topics.
Blogging has become the primary way of generating content for your website that search engines then use to better understand what your website is all about so they can correctly match you with the people searching for your products or service.
In the #TBT Nugget, I said that you should strive for 52 blogs per year. That seems very ambitious, but you can break it down and turn it into something that isn't as daunting as a just a 52 page essay assignment. At minimum, your blog post should be 250 words, but you should strive for about 350 words, which is about 1 page in Microsoft Word. You just need 1 topic per page, which doesn't seem all that difficult.
Birthstones as a Blogging Topic
In the #TBT Nugget, I suggested that you should have 1 blog post per month relating to birthstones. That might seem boring after a while, but if you are churning out 4 posts per month, fits perfectly into your rotation. People search for information about birthstones every month. Looking back at my holiday keyword data, I see that people birthstones search for birthstones nearly 5% of the time. Every month, you can write something new about the birthstone of the month and include details of the birthstone related products you have in the store.
That quickly accounts for 12 of the 52 blogs you need to write. Now we have 40 left.
Jewelry Designers as Blogging Topics
While this report shows that birthstones accounted for about 5% of the phrases searched, you'll also notice that specific designer names accounted for almost 17% of queries. Let's arbitrarily say that you have 10 different jewelry designers in your store, because I know that most jewelers do carry designer jewelry even if it's not a recognizable designer name. Pick a current topic about that designer, perhaps where you met them, the inspiration behind their jewelry, an interview you did with them, or simply describe one item from the collection.
That quickly accounts for 10 more blog posts. Now you have 30 left.
Engagement Ring Blogging Topics
You could do some of your own keyword research to come up with a list of engagement ring topics, or you can just go back and look at this report that I wrote showing the top words that accompany searches for engagement rings. Here are 10 potentials for you to use as blogging topics:
- diamond engagement rings
- vintage engagement rings
- halo engagement rings
- sapphire and diamond engagement rings
- custom design engagement rings
- antique engagement rings
- 3-stone engagement rings
- rose gold engagement rings
- yellow gold engagement rings
- engagement rings with filigree design
That's another 10, not we're down to 20 more topics.
Holidays as Blogging Topics
Think about all the different promotions you have throughout the year. Here's what I see as I quickly flip through my own wall calendar:
- Valentine's Day (might be good for 2 posts)
- Daylight Savings (Always good for a watch blog)
- St Patrick's Day (shamrock jewelry?)
- Easter (potential cross pendant gifts for parents and grandparents)
- Earth Day (explaining the mining process for a gemstone?)
- Mother's Day (might be good for another 2 posts.)
- Memorial Day (start of summer, how about some jewelry care tips to stay away from salt water and chlorine?)
- Father's Day (you need to give fathers equal treatment in your blog, other than just talking about being in the dog house)
- Independence Day (might be good for something about gemstone jewelry, or even more jewelry care)
- Labor Day (think fall, fall colors, and reminders of how to match jewelry with fall clothing styles)
- Grandparents Day (think gifts and lockets)
- Halloween (how about black diamonds, skull rings, spider jewelry mixed in with a little fun?)
- Daylight Savings again (another watch topic)
- Veterans' Day (might be a good one if you can figure out how to weave a in a topic around honoring a veteran)
- Thanksgiving (this will probably be something related to the current jewelry trends available for the holiday season)
- Christmas (how about some advice on how to match jewelry to an ugly Christmas sweater?)
- New Year's (another watch blog, out of time, time for renewals)
By my count, I just gave you another 17, maybe 18 topics. Now you only have 2 more!
New Product Lines as Blogging Topics
Although you might already write about a specific designer collection, you should also write a blog whenever you pick up a new collection at a trade show. This is a great way to introduce the line to your customers and maintain a record of its arrival on your website.
I have a feeling you add more than 2 new collections of jewelry to your store every year.
Plan Your Blogging Calendar
Now that I've given you more than 52 topic ideas, grab your own calendar off the wall and start writing in the topics you will use each week. You don't have to write them all at once; I'm not going to ask for a 52 page homework assignment, but having them on your calendar will be a continual reminder of the editorial deadlines you should be keeping. You might also be surprised how easily you can write a blog when your subconscious is always thinking about it. Some of the best blog posts simply explain things you might take for granted as a jeweler. With a topic in mind, simply look around your store and think of how you would explain that topic to a customer standing in front of you.
That's it for now. It's time to start working on your 52 easy website homework assignments.
