Jeweller - July 2022

BUSINESS
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Practical ideas for resources for business blogging
Most business owners understand that blogging has its benefits, but what are the options if you’re uncomfortable with
your writing skills? HEATHER COOPER shares some practical advice for overcoming this hurdle.
In the June edition of Jeweller I explained
the benefits blogging brings to a business.
Actively blogging is a ‘must’ for modern
jewellery retailers. The benefits that are
available are simply too good to pass up.
Not everyone has confidence in their ability
to write, however. For those who struggle
with writing, there are some very good
resources and ideas available to help you
get started. With a little help, you can turn
your blog posts into something in which
you feel proud and that you deem worthy of
sharing with others.
Take advantage of Grammarly
One of the best blogging resources
is Grammarly. It’s not just helpful for
blogging either, it’s an easy-to-use
program that frequently comes in handy
for many other daily computer tasks.
It is a free AI-powered writing assistant
that helps you create clear, errorfree
writing. Not only does it correct
grammar and spelling mistakes, but
it also guides you with style and tone
suggestions as well.
Additionally, Grammarly’s blog is a
fantastic resource for any question you
might have about improving your writing.
Read it out
This tip isn’t a specific blogging resource
you can use, it’s a great tip for improving
all kinds of writing. I find it to be one of
the most useful things to do when writing,
especially when editing prior to publication.
Reading your writing aloud is the easiest
way to find word repetition, omitted
words, and sentences with which readers
may struggle, and therefore need to be
reworked. While you may feel silly doing it,
it is the best way to improve your writing.
It puts the writer into the reader’s position,
and as an added benefit, it’s free!
Blog ideas generator
For some people, creating or developing
a topic on which to write is often just as
difficult as completing the writing.
For those who struggle with writing, there are some very good resources
available to help you.
Luckily, there are some blogging
resources to help with that. One of these
is the HubSpot Blog Ideas Generator. With
this free tool, you can enter nouns related
to your business and industry and receive
several blogging ideas.
It’s a fantastic way to reduce some of the
stress of frequent online content creation ,
especially if you already lack confidence in
your writing.
Refer to a style guide
Finding the correct rules for writing your
business blog posts can also be difficult
at times.
There are conflicting recommendations
for spelling, grammar, word usage and
punctuation depending on which style
guide you choose to use for your blog.
A style guide is a collection of writing
conventions (or rules) for a particular
industry, brand or project. While there
are many style guides out there, your
business may choose to create a
personalised house style.
If you’d rather defer to the experts on
the topic of language, consider using the
Australian Style Guide or the Australian
Government Style Manual. There’s also a
style guide available at Editor Australia.
Most style guides are published and
updated every few years. Since these
guides tend to be quite hefty, I do suggest
Reading your
writing out loud
is the easiest
way to find
word repetition,
omitted words,
and sentences
readers may
struggle with,
and thus need
to be reworked.
While you may
feel silly while
you’re doing
it, it really is
the best way to
work on your
writing.
subscribing to your particular style guide
online.
While there is a fee associated with this,
they usually have the most up-to-date
information and often include an “ask the
editor” section where you can submit a
question or read through questions and
answers that others have submitted.
Stock image plans
This resource is not specifically for writing,
but it is something that may help you make
your business blog more successful.
Blog posts with images perform much
better than those without. Finding visual
content that you are legally allowed to
post with your writing can be difficult
sometimes.
Websites such as Shutterstock provide
stock photo options that include royaltyfree
images, photos, and videos.
There is a fee associated with 123rf,
however there are several plans depending
on how often you will make use of the
service. As businesses that blog regularly
perform the best, a subscription plan to a
stock image website will provide you with
a wide supply of images to help your blog
succeed. You can also explore plans on
iStock and Getty Images.
Don’t miss out
Anyone can be a writer with the right
ideas and resources.
While stepping out of your comfort
zone can be difficult and painful at first,
especially if writing isn’t something you
enjoy, taking the step to begin blogging for
your business can help your company drive
traffic to your website, convert that traffic
into leads and establish yourself as an
authority within the industry.
HEATHER COOPER is a writer for Three
Girls Media, offering guidance on website
design and build, public relations, and
content marketing strategy. Learn more:
threegirlsmedia.com
July 2022 | 59