When I started my website a decade ago, I could never have imagined the career it would allow me to build as a blogger, social media influencer, and consultant in the international jewellery trade.
The 10-year anniversary of the start of my business has encouraged me to pause and reflect on the landscape of blogging, content creation, and ‘influencing’.
It’s important to consider how these modern-day forms of promotion and communication have impacted both the business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) trades.
It’s safe to say that blogging was a much-maligned pursuit in the early days. It was seen as a glorified hobby! It was a challenge to get a foot in the door to review collections, meet designers, and attend launches.
What many in my position in those early days of fine jewellery blogging failed to appreciate was that we were running a marathon and not a sprint.
Trust is a hard-won resource, and so it was essential to play the long game and focus on relationship building, high-quality content, beautiful photography and ‘white collar’ digital tactics to increase audiences the right way - organically.
The success of my jewellery blogging career directly correlates with the rise of social media and the evolution of digital advertising strategies, influencer marketing programs and short form video content.
In fact, what bloggers bring to the table is the ability to streamline all these digital avenues – website, social media, photography, following, community, paid advertising – into one neat package.
The impact of blogging on the jewellery industry has been to make many of these contemporary marketing streams more accessible to traditional businesses who have neither the resources nor the experience to capitalise on them.
New horizons explored
Another significant impact of blogging is its power to open doors.
Secrecy was a natural facet of the jewellery trade until social media came along to take clients behind the scenes.
I can share incredible creations with my audience, introduce them to designers, and reveal the processes behind high-end jewellery pieces at the click of a button. It's never been easier to 'spread the word'.
Jewellery as an art form is more visible now than ever before, and this can only be a positive for both emerging and established brands looking to compete against the latest iPhone or luxury handbag.
Believe me, this is not just a win for the big guys, either.
This is also a positive development for independent jewellery retailers, who have access to an arsenal of digital tools to spread the word about their businesses.
I have worked with both B2B and B2C brands and have learned to tailor my approach to clients based on their marketing messages, goals, and trading ambitions over time.
Brands that work with me know they are entering into a business relationship, and I hope this professionalism goes someway to banishing misconceptions about influencers.
Even now, I hear businesses, brands, designers comment that the most important factor they consider is an influencer's number of followers.
There’s little thought given to questioning who these followers are, where they’re based, how they were gained, and how engaged they are with the content.
I assure you that if brands and businesses are discerning about the bloggers they choose to work with, the results they enjoy will be far more significant.
Final thoughts
Interestingly, I have noticed that the number of bloggers producing thought-provoking content has decreased over the past decade.
Of course, content creators on TikTok and other short-form video platforms are on the rise, but those providing long-form written content, beautiful photography, and community are on the decline.
With that in mind, I believe that only those who have stood the test of time have real influence over the market and, by extension, bring genuine value to the brands and businesses we work with.
It’s all about trust, after all, and that isn't easy to nurture.
And that brings me to my final point about what it’s like to be an influencer.
In my experience, it’s about maintaining high standards, building long-term networks, producing exceptional content, and knowing the audience inside and out.
The biggest misconception of blogging that persists today is that it is easy, hobbyist, and full of quick thrills like posh hotel rooms and champagne receptions.
This may be the case for some; however, after ten years of brand-building and client-facing campaigns, I know differently.
The value I bring to the jewellery trade is often what you can’t see rather than what’s splashed across Instagram.
Remember that next time you choose to engage an influencer promising the world on a silver platter!
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