5 Tips to Successfully Grow Your Online Jewelry Brand
How to Stay Relevant in Today’s Rapidly Changing Online Jewelry Market
Let’s face it. Everything is online. EVERYTHING. There isn’t really anything you can’t see, hear, purchase, enjoy or participate in that can’t be accessed via the internet. Well, maybe you can’t smell that yummy food yet, but I’m sure that day’s coming.
Several years back, the jewelry industry as a whole faired pretty well during the 2020 Pandemic, despite the shut-down times when customers couldn’t shop in stores. And the independent jewelers and jewelry stores who thrived the most were innovative in their marketing and kept an open mind.
Those of you who tried new things by switched gears in your business to leverage your email marketing campaigns, social media, blogs, and print media to hold - and even grow - your position in the jewelry industry emerged triumphant in the face of adversity.
More than likely, you came through with a new perspective and quite possibly a few new techno-skills.
I’m willing to bet that by now you’re an old pro at Reels, Stories, Insta videos, FB Lives, and YouTube.
And I know you’re consistently posting to your favorite social media platforms, sending regular email newsletters and adding a few new blogs each month to your website to leverage all these content marketing strategies to your advantage, right? (I hope you answer “Yes!” to this question!)
I have a feeling that even though you understand marketing your jewelry business is a long-haul game - as is SEO - you were hoping your sales numbers would be a bit higher and your Google ranking was going to move up faster, weren’t you? (everyone’s wish!)
Maybe some of what you’re doing doesn’t seem to be working as quickly as you had hoped. Especially when the dreaded overwhelm creeps in sometimes and makes it tough to stay consistent and on target with your content marketing strategy.
This can make you start to feel rather burnt out or frustrated. I know. It happens to a lot of us.
I mean, who isn’t fed up with all the algorithm changes and updated versions of this platform and that one? And then there’s knowing when to post, what to post and how to post. Should you post a video or a reel? What about your feed? Is your photo appropriate? How many hashtags should you use? Do hashtags even matter anymore?!? It’s !&#$! head-spinning!
If you answered, “Not, really.”, to my question about your content marketing goals a few paragraphs back, don’t worry.
It’s okay to start from wherever you’re at and make this year the one where you pull it all together and start knocking some home runs out of the ballpark.
So how do you keep up and stay relevant (or grow) in today’s fast-changing digital market without losing your shit mind?
First, take a deep breath and focus on remaining calm and positive. (Much easier said than done!)
I know it’s asking a lot, but keeping a positive outlook and healthy mindset is just as important as everything else you do for your business. It’s really the foundation if we’re being honest.
Dream big - YES, of course! Anything is possible. Especially if you believe it, make a solid plan and take consistent steps each day toward your dreams.
A great place to start out is to set realistic, achievable goals with deadlines. If you haven’t already done so, now is a good time to sit down and write out the short-term and long-term goals for your business. Get that business plan out of your head into your S.O.P. play book. Setting solid goals will do wonders for you and your business.
Getting clear on the ‘why’ of your business goals is a great place to start. Your ‘why’ revolves around what inspires you to do what you do. Your inspiration probably isn’t just about putting food on the table and a roof over your head, either - even though both are very good instigators.
Interestingly enough, there’s an article from Entrepreneur Magazine written by Matt Richtel titled: Inspiration is Terrifying. Who knew, right?!
Defining your ‘why’ helps clarify many aspects of your business and makes decisions easier - giving you a sturdier foundation to grow your jewelry brand.
Now that you’ve got your inspiration (your why) and business goals down pat, here’s 5 tips to help you grow your online jewelry business this year.
5 Tips to Help You Grow Your Online Jewelry Brand This Year
First, there’s Convenience.
To capture your ideal client, you’ll need to give your customers what they want in the exact way they want it. What’s this mean?
People want to shop ‘their way’. Offering in-store, online, ordering online and picking up in-store, and even ‘try it before you buy it’ – which is working extremely well for many jewelry brands right now – are convenience offerings your customers expect from brands they like to support.
Make it easy for your jewelry customers to shop how they want to shop. Omni-channel marketing is the standard in today’s rapidly evolving environment and a seamless user experience is crucial.
A Few Tools in Your Arsenal Can Be:
Virtual or In-Person Trunk Shows
Personal Viewings
Exclusive Videos for a Select Few of Your Best Clients
Think of your own experience as a shopper. What are some of the conveniences you like and have come to expect when purchasing goods from your favorite brands?
Whether online or in-person, clients love it when you reach out to them. Think one-on-one chats (DM’s), SMS messaging and mini voice recordings or videos. The exclusivity of being the first to know or see a new jewelry collection or selection of curated pieces through any of these avenues is huge for customers these days. Especially luxury jewelry brand customers.
Personalization is popular. And not just personalized jewelry, either. Hand-written thank-you cards have been trending for a while now. People enjoy receiving a personal note from their favorite jeweler letting them in on the ‘sale before the sale’ or offering to let them view a collection before it’s actually launched to the general public. And your clients who sign up for SMS messages from you love to get occasional texts with advance info or photos of new designs. Texts can feel a bit more personal than a mass email and it’s easy for people to go back and look at them when they have time, too.
Discover the ways your clients want these shopping experiences by reaching out and asking them. You’ll be surprised how excited they are to share this information.
Don’t Forget ~ Most consumers buy across multiple devices. Many people begin their search on one device and finish their purchase on another. Staying on-brand and maintaining the same look and feel across multiple platforms – mobile devices, tablets, laptops, and desktops – ensures a seamlessly convenient experience. Optimize your site’s presence for devices so whichever way your audience decides to shop, they feel instantly familiar when they show up wherever you are.
It’s also very important to create an atmosphere where your prospective customers feel just as comfortable and special when shopping online as they would if they were to shop with you in person.
Next, You Need To Build Consistent Content that’s Relevant.
Moving forward step by step and keeping your products, offerings, and jewelry brand in front of your target audience is crucial.
Regularly updated blogs, newsletters, email marketing campaigns, and social media posts bring you front-of-mind when people are ready to buy. You don’t have to post daily if that doesn’t work for you. Consistency is what matters. Whatever you do, and however you show up, do it consistently.
Relevant, engaging copy spread over your media channels is essential to your marketing strategy. Consistently combining SEO and relevant keyword phrases to your products and/or services can help your target audience find you faster in an online search. By producing evergreen content - new and recycled posts, reels, blogs, and more - in fresh ways helps you rise above your competition. It positions you as an innovative leader in your niche jewelry market and keeps you top of mind with your jewelry collectors. (Kudos to strategic content marketing!)
Think about it. The saying, ‘Out of sight, out of mind,’ makes sense. When your target audience searches online for the exact thing you’re offering, but you’re not producing any fresh website content or social media posts - you’re out of sight. This means you’re off their radar, and they’re going to purchase from someone else. (OUCH!)
The remedy? Engage in conversations with your audience and have fun with them. Ask thoughtful questions and give meaningful responses. And it doesn’t always have to revolve around ‘jewelry’ or your core product offerings. You can chat up your clients with fun, engaging stories of life as it happens.
Sharing a brief snippet of the funny message posted on the sidewalk sign outside your favorite coffee shop, or the tender moment you witnessed between a child and their dog at the park… these are the conversations that allow you to genuinely connect with your followers.
Regular, authentic engagement that provides value for your clients, whether it’s on social media platforms, your website blog, or through emails, helps keep your brand at the forefront of a potential customer’s mind - which is super important when they’re searching for that next great gift to buy for themselves or someone else. Right?!
Then You Have The Know, Like, and Trust Factors.
Truth: The days of people allowing themselves to be sold to in sucky, slimy ways are over. Waaay over.
It’s true. Everyone wants to build solid relationships with the brands - and the people behind the brands - that they love and trust. People want to connect with you on a ‘best friend’ level. They want to feel like they’re hanging out with you when you show up on social media or when they visit your website or get that weekly email from you. When your customers feel at ease and comfortable with you - they purchase from you. Then, they share their wonderful experience – and your name, product and brand – with their friends and family. (Yay!)
Opportunities to increase your visibility prove invaluable in building concrete relationships with your followers. Finding new social media channels and other ways to network with your intended audience makes you more easily accessible. Think about personal/direct messages on social media platforms or private emails or chats to encourage engagement with your clients.
As I’ve already mentioned, be consistent in your brand ~ in your look, feel, voice and message. Authenticity and transparency are important. Don’t try to follow someone else’s brand voice or style - just be you! As you become more familiar and recognizable to your current fans - and more accessible - you’ll enjoy a higher level of loyalty from them.
All generations enjoy supporting brands and companies they feel a strong sense of connection to, whether it’s through conversations, common values, or views.
Take note: Gen Z and Millennials are especially known to crave continually fresh, engaging content that motivates, inspires them, and reflects the lifestyle they desire. And like all of us, they enjoy being entertained while being educated on a topic, too.
Also keep in mind that although people of all ages are more curious than ever, Gen Z in particular is known to ask more involved questions on important issues such as sustainability and supply-chain transparency. So, being proactive and having this information available, up to date, and easy to find on your website is an important asset to your bottom line.
The key takeaway here is to intimately know your target audience. Who is it you serve with your products? You need to know this if you want to build a more loyal following with repeat customers who tell all their friends about your brand.
Now Let’s Talk Give vs. Take.
Solving your jewelry customers’ problems before asking them to make a purchase shows you care. It builds the trust factor we just talked about. Not to mention likeability. Who doesn’t love someone who solves their problems before they’re barely aware they have one?! Become the brand people look to for innovative ideas and answers by offering solutions to their challenges. By giving first, you establish your jewelry brand as a caring, reliable source for your target audience to turn to.
Producing relevant nuggets of content, educational information, and services for free that your ideal clients need is a great way to offer substantial value. It also establishes you as a knowledgeable leader in your industry and builds rapport with your audience.
As everyone says, people buy from those they know, like and trust.
Shopping online or in-store:
We like to buy from people, brands, and companies we know, like, and trust!
Of Course, You Must Over Deliver.
We all have bad customer service experiences on occasion. And since they’re akin to having a root canal, it’s best to see to it that your customers get the best experience possible when they shop with you.
Embrace your customer service tactics and allow your brand to be the shining example of the ‘under promise, over deliver’ mindset. Excellent customer service is a game-changer you should focus on perfecting.
Many online-only jewelry companies struggle with providing good customer service but over-delivering sticks in people’s minds, so never underestimate its power. It’s like the ultimate super-power in the digital space because it can be so much harder to produce online than in person.
When people receive more than they expect, it makes them happy. Happy customers are more likely to become repeat customers. And they’re more likely to share this information on their social media channels, too. There’s nothing like free publicity to help you get your name and brand out there. It pays to give people every reason to leave a great review. (Hello? Google.)
Speaking of reviews, don’t be afraid to ask your customers to leave you reviews. Let them know you’d love to hear how their experience was with your company and encourage them to share this info online.
Bonus Tip ~ We already understand the majority of purchases are emotional. Especially jewelry purchases. Highlighting how your product will improve your customer’s life (the benefit) is better than just telling them what features your product is loaded with. (You can smartly word the features in your product descriptions.) Use words that cause your audience to feel what it is you’re talking about. Feelings spark emotions. Emotions = Sales.
When you accurately communicate to your customers how the benefit of having your product improves their lives and makes them feel like a million bucks, you’re capturing them emotionally. And when people make an emotional purchase, especially when it’s with a company they know, LOVE and trust, it’s less likely they’ll have buyer’s remorse. Which is a win-win for everyone!
Armed with the above business tactics, I’m confident you will be able to communicate with your ideal customer in a way that makes you shine and boosts your jewelry brand’s online presence and your bottom dollar.
Topics to Share with Your Target Jewelry Customers:
Coming up with content for your blog, social media channels, newsletters and email campaigns appears easy enough ~ until you’re ready to sit down and write.
We never seem to have enough time in the day, do we?
Brainstorming with your fellow co-workers or friends is an excellent exercise.
Whether you’re a jewelry designer selling direct to consumers or a retail jewelry store with multiple vendors, there’s many topics that can be used as D2C, B2C or B2B content marketing pieces - all you have to do is adjust them accordingly and talk (or write) directly to your ideal client. Keep your eyes on the latest trends in the gem and jewelry industry, what’s happening around the world, what shows your target audience are interested in, what they do in their spare time… all types of subjects can be used to create many different types of content for your business.
Reminder: Repurpose your content. Take a few lines from an online article and turn it into a social media post complete with eye-catching photos or graphics. Or use a few paragraphs as relevant weekly emails with a nicely placed call to action (CTA’s), so your clients know exactly what to do next.
You can build upon specific topics by sending regular newsletters to your subscribers. Or turn a topic of interest into a lead magnet or freebie for followers coming to your site in exchange for their email and continue to increase your client marketing list.
And be sure to use relevant keywords and phrases in your posts and always have a call to action (CTA) so your customers know what to do as soon as they finish reading (i.e. purchase a specific item, sign up for your newsletter, join your collector’s club, etc.).
If you’re struggling to come up with relevant content marketing for your jewelry business or feel you don’t have the time to do it all yourself, hop on over to my website at ShellyBuettner.com and schedule a call with me.
I’m happy to chat jewelry and content strategies with you to see how we can work together to boost your brand’s awareness and help you reach your goals.
Until Next Time,
Cheers,
Photo Credit: Laptop Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash / Girl at computer photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash / Audience Photo by Melanie Deziel on Unsplash / unsplash-image-dQyS2pMYtok.jpg
