Every so often, I’ll get into a conversation about blogging with a business owner and they’ll ask me what they should blog about.
Why did they ask? Because the conversation led to me persuading them to start blogging, of course.
Asking me what to blog about is low-hanging fruit, because I’ve always got answers to that question, no matter what you do.
This business owner didn’t have a jewelry store, but I’m going to use that as today’s example.
As you read this, use the opportunity to look at your business and get ideas for what you can write (or talk) about. I might talk about watches, but that doesn’t mean you can’t write about Stihl or Husky.
Some example topics for this make-believe jewelry store:
How to choose an engagement ring, ie: what in the world do all those buzzwords mean and why should I care? How much should I spend? What’s that 2 months salary thing about, anyhow? Should I bring her along or surprise her? Trivia: I sold my motorcycle to buy my wife’s ring. Hey, I was young, give me a break.
How to choose wedding bands, whether you’re on a cheeseburger or a Chateaubriand budget.
How do I choose a jeweler? What I should look for in a jeweler? What should scare me off? What doesn’t matter, if anything? How are we different from the box stores? Chain stores vs family stores vs the box stores.
Our story. The history of the store, the building we’re in, the owner, the staff, our families, what we do, what we care about. How we got into the jewelry business and why we stay in it, how my staff got there, how we learned to do what we do, what makes us tick?
Celebrity watch. What’s the celebrity-of-the-month wearing and should you care? You and I may not care what the popular celebrities of the month are wearing, but look at the subscription numbers for People magazine and the ratings numbers for reality shows – someone cares about this stuff.
How to buy a watch. Yes, people still buy watches. Timex, Casio, Rolex, Rado, Piaget? Pocket or wrist? How should I choose one for someone else? Surely there are clues, where does someone look for them?
What we do. How we’re different. How we’re the same. What you should expect when doing business with us. Why you’ll do business with us and never go anywhere else, once you’ve tried us.
What’s new in the industry? What we learned at the last trade show we attended and why you should care (or not).
Stones. Lots of territory to cover here, from price to care, to proper choices, birthstones and their origin, synthetics, famous stones (Hope Diamond, for example), and so on. How to choose, what to watch out for.
Metals. Gold, silver, platinum, palladium, junk metals, grades, what to look for, what to avoid.
Videos. Watch us create. Watch us repair. Watch us clean. Show your clients how to change batteries, identify fakes, clean and care for jewelry and similar items.
Gift selection. Hard not to choose this one. Not only can you discuss what the ideal gifts are for holidays, but how to help the store’s sales staff help you figure out what to get (metals, stones, sizes, etc).
You may be thinking “My business is different. I can’t blog about it.” You might be thinking “Why should I blog?” I suggest that the answer to that is the same as the answer to: “Why answer questions when someone calls you or stops by your store?”
You wouldn’t ignore them. Why ignore people who find you via Google?
The answer to “Why blog?” doesn’t change just because you own a dental practice, a consulting firm, a truck stop or a garbage service. There are lots of questions to answer – the same questions that the search engines love to find the answers to, but more importantly, questions that your prospective (and current) clients want to know before they pick up the phone.
Someone has to step up and demonstrate their expertise. It may as well be you. No one wants to call the newbie who doesn’t know anything.
Want to learn more about Mark or ask him to write about a business, operations or marketing problem? See Mark’s site or contact him via email at mriffey at flatheadbeacon.com.