Social Media-Twitter for Business

I'm a huge fan of Duct Tape Marketing because it is geared to small business and is often well within my marketing budget. I was really excited to read about the new social networking site, Twitter, and what it could mean to your business. If would like to jump on the social media bandwagon, read this article and download his free guide on "Twitter for Business".

Here's to your jewelry marketing success,

Randi

Twitter for Business
Yet another Web 2.0 social networking tool got you puzzled - ready this guide

Oh, about twice a day now I get asked if this twitter thing is a tool for business. Sometimes the requests are muddled with puzzled tones of "I just don't get it." Other times folks are sort of pissed off. I mean, yet another thing to keep track of and do.

I happen to think that twitter has some fabulous business uses, and not just for the ultra connected techie, for the typical small business too.

Maybe the siren's call of twitter - http://www.twitter.com (everybody's doing it) has become too much and you've jumped in. Or, maybe you have no clue what it is or why you would care. I get asked enough about this mircoblogging tool that I thought I would create a practical guide for business folks wrestling with yet another social media outpost.

What is it?

In simplest terms, twitter is a free service that allows anyone to say anything to anybody in 140 characters or less - it's the "what are you doing right now" kind of micro-blogging that permeates online social communication.

So, now the question is - is that all? Well, no, not exactly. While people are using it to tell no one in particular what they had for lunch, millions are leaning on twitter pretty hard as a way to network and communicate with contacts new and old. twitter is outfitted, like most social media tools with the ability to subscribe, share, friend or follow as many twitter feeds as you like. In addition, developers

How do I use it?

First thing, sign up for an account. It's very painless - http://twitter.com/account/create

Your next stop should be to the twitter help guide - http://help.twitter.com/index.php?pg=kb.book&id=1 this is where you get all of your basic how to questions answered. Read it, it will save you some time and anquish.

Once you create an account you will be given a home page and a profile page - ie: my profile is http://twitter.com/ducttape. So my twitter handle is @ducttape. From these pages you can find others Twitter streams to follow, post your own messages and even watch the entire public stream of comments flow by. (I don't recommend that unless you are really, really bored.)

Why would I use it?

Now that is the real question isn't it? Many people look at twitter on the surface and conclude that it's just one big waste of time. I can't say I disagree completely, but like all social media and marketing tactics, before you can determine if something makes sense you need to analyze your objectives. So, instead of asking why you would use it, ask how it might help you achieve some other already stated objectives.

Before you really jump into a service like twitter, it's important that you identify at least, and initially only, one objective from the list above and focus your efforts on learning how to use the tool to that end.

Getting the most from it

I've put together my "Beginner's Guide to Using Twitter for Business" and offer here to all as a gift. This is not the definitive guide to all things twitter, this is a nice, simple, practical road map to show you how to start using twitter to reach some of your business and marketing objectives

Related article - Creating your social media strategy
~ ~ ~

Reprinted with permission: John Jantsch is a marketing and digital technology coach, award winning social media publisher and author of Duct Tape Marketing. He is the creator of the Duct Tape Marketing small business marketing system. You can find more information by visiting www.ducttapemarketing.com

Do you know who your customer is?

Knowing who your customer is (ie your target market) is key to expanding your jewelry business.

As my jewelry and glass business has grown, here are a few ways that I have kept track of my customers....

• Newsletter sign-up at retail shows and on the e-commerce site, Designing-Diva
• Custom orders
• Purchased orders-When at retail shows, I really pay attention to who stops by and who buys my jewelry and glass designs.
  
• Abandoned shopping cart visitsWhile my jewelry and glass studio is in my home and NOT open for retail, I use my e-commerce site

By using this information to target my advertising efforts to my niche market, I have been able to grow my business consistently. Here is another example of a business owner who tripled her sales by learning who were customers really were! There is a valuable lesson to be learned....don't assume you know but really find out who your ideal customer is!

To your continued success in your jewelry business,

Randi
P.S. Happy National Girlfriend's Day! Check out my limited edition Riveted Pink Ring for only $25!

Two Tips to Make Buying Jewelry into a Necessity

Let's face it.....purchasing jewelry is a want NOT a need and is often perceived as a "luxury" item.

How many times have you been "close" to making a sale at your booth and all of a sudden the customer goes "cold" ? What stopped that customer from purchasing your artisan jewelry?

The psychology of the sale is important. It is important that you turn a perceived luxury item, like jewelry, into a necessity in the customer's mind.

But how???

• Involved the customer in the sale-When a potential customer comes into the booth, they will tell you what "drew" them if you ask the right questions by establishing a relationship and getting them involved with the story behing jewelry design/concept. Always ask open ended questions that require MORE than a simple yes or no. For example, "What drew you to that design? color? stone? style?"
• Try it on-Once someone tries on a piece of jewelry and can see how it looks on them, it often goes from a luxury sample to a necessity. Encourage your customers to handle and wear the jewelry you have designed. Plus, make sure you have a mirror so they can see themselves and imagine it's already theirs.

Try these techniques out in a way that is authentic and you will see a difference in your sales because your customer's can't live without your "jewelry " now....it's not a luxury but a necessity!

Call for Entries-2009 Beading Contest at Fire Mountain Gems

Hear Ye, Hear Ye, Hear Ye....calling all jewelry artists....Fire Mountain Gems is now accepting applications for the 2009 Beading Contest. Not only could you win a $1000 gift certificate from Fire Mountain Gems....just imagine the PR you would get from having your jewelry creation photographed and "included" on their website and catalogs!

This is a fantastic contest to enter because of the variety of mediums you can enter in....from "findings" to "Kato-polyclay" and everything in between.

An no excuses because you have plenty of time to experiment and design as the contest deadline is April 15th, 2009.

Just remember, you will never know if you do NOT create and enter! Imagine the possibilities and create with passion!

Okay, I'm off to sketch away (yep, I'm a sketcher) and see where my imagination takes me in my designs!

~Randi

Social Networking-Face to Face

Social networking is a great way to market your handcrafted jewelry/art whilst meeting like minded people.
On the web, there are a huge amount of social networking sites (like Facebook and MySpace) but this post isn't about what you can do online but "off"!

So, where you can you network offline? Here are 3 places to get started....

1. Call your local chamber of commerce for meetings and events.
   
2. Contact your local SBA.
   
3. Find a beading or artist society and be an active member. Ask where you buy your supplies.

Can't find anything in your area? Start a group up yourself.....meet for coffee, share resources like shows and suppliers, spotlight a member monthly , etc....

Jewelry Business Slow ? Have a SALE to bring in cash!

Typically, summer means lean times in the jewelry business but it doesn't have to be! Have a SALE to bring in much needed cash to breathe life into your business; have fun and be creative and people will respond to it even more!

One of my favorite ways to increase jewelry sales is to offer my "regular customers and newsletter subscribers" monthly "specials". Note, I said "special" NOT "sale"! Often, I will create a limited edition design and let them get first crack at it. These "sneak previews" make them feel special (and they are!) and give me valuable feedback as well!

Here are 7 tips from Alicia M Forest on having a sale in your business to bring in cash NOW!

Enjoy!

----Randi

P.S.
Do you have marketing strategy that you would like to share that brings in consistent sales in your jewelry business? Please leave a comment!

Strapped For Cash? 7 Ways to Have a Sale Today
by Alicia M Forest, MBA
Multiple Streams Queen & Coach

Want to encourage people on your email list to buy one (or more) of your products or programs sooner than later? Have a sale! The following are 7 ways that you can provide value to your potential clients/customers and still bring in a profit for you at the same time.

1. Half-Off Sale:

Offer your product or program for 50% off its usual price. That may seem like a big discount - and it is - which means that many more people are likely to buy it.

Or go one step further and offer all your products or programs at 50% off (except any one-on-one work with you, of course!). I've been thinking about buying a few products over the past year from one site, and when they had a 50% off sale recently, I jumped at the chance to buy not just one, but three products for half-price.

2. Close-Out Sale:

Do you have a product or a program that you are no longer going to offer, perhaps to make room for some other offerings? Or are you coming out with a new version of one of your offerings? Have a close-out sale by offering a deep discount.

TIP: As an added bonus, you could then offer those people who bought your offering at the close-out price that same amount in a discount if they buy the new version.

3. Re-Gift Sale:

Remember the Seinfeld episode about re-gifting? Do something similar for the stock of any of your products that have been returned. "Re-gift" them to a new buyer for a discount.

4. VIP Sale:

Offer a coupon or promo code ONLY to your email list, or to your clients, or to those people who have bought from you before, that is good towards the purchase of any one or all of your offerings. You can set this up in your shopping cart system very easily, so there's no other extra work on your part.

5. Free Shipping Sale:

Offer free shipping on any of your physical products for a limited time, or offer free shipping on all orders over a certain amount.

Personally, if I'm looking to purchase something online, I will hunt through a half dozen or so websites to find the one that offers free shipping and make my purchase through them (price of item being equal).

6. Bonus Sale:

Add a valuable bonus or two to your offering for a limited time. It can be something you've created or something from one of your colleagues that your niche would benefit from.

Leverage this kind of sale by doing a "bonus sale swap" with a colleague, where they would offer a bonus from you and vice versa. Your own sale will bring you cash, and your bonus offering for your colleague's sale will bring you more subscribers to your list, which will ultimately bring you more cash.

7. Just Because Sale:

This is a favorite of mine - having a sale just because - it's your birthday, you want to show your gratitude to your list, it's the 1, 5, or 10 year anniversary of when you went into business for yourself, or for any other reason you can think of.

Having a sale WILL increase your sales, but there are some cautions to take when doing so. Only have a sale occasionally, and when you do, have a compelling reason for doing so. Otherwise, if it seems you're always having a sale, you're planting a seed in your potential buyer's mind that your offerings may not be worth their usual price.

So, which kind of sale are you going to have to put some extra cash in your pocket?

© 2008 Alicia M Forest and ClientAbundance.com

Alicia M Forest, MBA, Multiple Streams Queen & Coach^(TM) teaches self-employed professionals how to attract more clients, create profit-making products and services, make more sales, and ultimately live the life they desire and deserve. For FREE tips on how to create wild abundance in your business, visit www.ClientAbundance.com

Save 20% on Any of David Weiman's Products through the end of May

Just enter ANN20 in the Coupon Code section of the order form and click "Apply" to receive 20% off any of David Weiman's jewelry marketing products!

This offer expires May 31st so don't miss out!

I am a huge fan of David Weiman's jewelry marketing products. The 5 keys DVD will have your brain popping with ideas on how to talk to customers , making the most of shows and so much more.

He has a jewelry e-newsletter that will keep your marketing skills razor sharp throughout the whole year. Don't you want consistent sales vs peak holiday money?

The place it all started is with the Jewelry Selling Answer Book which is now available in print. David guarantees all his products so you don't have to take my word for it!

Here's to you creating a profitable jewelry business! :)

Randi

Have you Branded your Jewelry Business

According to the American Heritage dictionary, the word "brand" has the following definition:

1. A trademark or distinctive name identifying a product or a manufacturer.

2. A product line so identified: a popular brand of soap.
3. A distinctive category; a particular kind.

Think about what you feel comfortable buying.....the "unknown" brand or the "instantly recognizable" brand? Price is not always a factor is it. As consumers the unknown is scary because we don't know them, their product or what kind of guarantees may or may not be offered/included with the purchase.

This is why it is so important to brand your jewelry and jewelry business. Wondering where the heck to start?

Check out this article by Gina Watkins*, Branding is Smart Business Why and how to build a strong brand for your biz. I was so tickled to come across this free information and just had to share it with you because Gina explains the why and how simply which provides you with a road map of how to create a strong brand for your jewelry business!

Here's to your successful jewelry branding and being instantly recognized and purchased!

*Gina Watkins has more than two decades of sales, business development, and marketing experience. She's an expert in helping businesses create powerful lines of communication with their customers, members, constituents, and partners. Gina serves as a resource to help small and medium-sized businesses and associations throughout the Washington, DC region maximize the power of relationship marketing.

Example of a Holiday Gift Guide for the Independent Jewelry Artist

The deadline is looming and here is a sneak preview of the Holiday Gift Guide that I will be sharing with my customers this year.

I think it is important to point out a few things about the gift guide.

• I have some inexpensive gift ideas that have mass appeal (the wire wrapped hearts in 3 colors and priced under $20)
• Gifts with value (the gift that keeps giving)-Earring of the Month Club
• Hostess Gifts
• Special Gift-Capture the Magic with Three Pebbles
• I will also be adding some fused glass designs with silver plated bails that will be priced under $25
• The only thing I'm missing is my Luxe line....one of a kinds that range from $100-$500
• Use your gift guide to highlight some of your products in a unique way!

Here's to a successful and profitable 2007 Holiday season!

Planning Your Jewelry Sales & Marketing for the Holidays, part III

This is the 3rd and final installment holiday planning guide for your jewelry business!

You've got your fall-winter designs ready for the 2007 Holiday Season and are maybe even going to test some of your spring-summer 2008 designs on the "holiday crowd"....

You've got some great sales and marketing ideas like giveaways, partnerships, gift certificates and more.....

NOW WHAT???

Communicate to your "niche market"......How?

• Write a free how to guide and send it to your local paper......(How to choose classic jewelry, How to buy pearls , etc..) Establish yourself as an expert in your field. Provide the guide as a free service!
• Have a website? Create a 2007 Holiday "gift" landing page....include your best sellers, have some gifts under $20....make it easy for shoppers to buy !
• Communicate with your customers (e-mail, post card, etc)....tell them about your free how to guide, the gift guide, etc...

These are just a few ideas on how you can communicate to your niche market. Don't forget the call to action with great photos. Inspire them to buy from you.

Did you miss part I or part II??

On and Offline Partnerships-Having your Jewelry in More Than One Venue

People won't buy your handcrafted jewelry if they can't see it . Duh! So simple right.Have you considered other partnerships that do not necessarily cost anything up front to get you the exposure you deserve? It can be a wholesale arrangement (when a piece sells you give them a cut up to 50%).

Although, I run a "virtual" jewelry boutique, I have also partnered with other online shopping sites like Mintd, Bagadoodle, and Artisans Market. I'm currently working on two other online partnerships to showcase my jewelry. At my partner sites, I sell jewelry that meets the "feel" of that particular site; all of these sites, take a small % of the profits but it is still cheaper than advertising. Once they are a customer, I can encourage them to sign up for the Diva Newsletter to keep in front of them.

Offline, I have also partnered with other business's from art galleries to salons. One of my most profitable ventures was with a "travelling" art show for corporate events in the DFW.

My point is by partnering with other business's on or offline you will not only get your artist name, business but your handcrafted jewelry in front of more people which ultimately will help you be more successful.

Do you have any partnerships/venue's on or offline that you have had success with? Drop a comment and share your success!

Is Your Packaging/Presentation Drawing The Customer In?

Early on in my biz I held a trunk show at an upscale women's business luncheon, I had several women ask how much they had to spend to get one of the pink vellum purse's that was displayed. Yes, that's right the pink vellum purse that was worth 50 cents had that much pull. This is my standard packaging ( I carry the vellum purses in two sizes) so they would get one with any purchase but that's when it struck me how important packaging /presentation is!! One of many light bulb moments for me!;)

Over the course of my business, I have experimented and noted which package and displays did better at the different shows. Yes, I have noticed a difference between the retail, wholesale and private trunk shows. More often than not it's the "creative" less expensive route that has generated the most buzz for me at any of these shows.What has your experience been?

Whatever packaging/presentation you choose, it must fit the look and feel of your jewelry designs and business logo/colors, etc...

I currently get most of my packaging from Nashville Wraps because I can try out new packaging in small quantities and their customer service to date has been excellent. I use custom stickers so hot stamping is not an issue for me. I also sometimes purchase packaging/display items from Rio Grande as well.

Do you have a favorite packaging resource that you would like to share ? Please leave a comment so others can check it out. Thanks!

Offer More Than Just Your Signature Jewelry Brand

With the busy holiday season coming up, I always like to design and carry some fashion conscious inventory that will serve to draw new customers and serve up a dose of "the moment style" for my fashion-forward clients.

Of course, I've worked hard to define my brand that identifies me and my jewelry line as the Designing-Diva. The signature that my customers have come to love is a jewelry collection that is unique .....a woman can express her personal style and taste without having to worry about it being another cookie cutter accessory.

But I can support my brand and signature with some more fashion forward designs that still have my "stamp" on them. These designs will support and complement my signature designs and not compete with my signature. During the holidays, these lesser value fashion-forward designs do well because so many people are looking for unique affordable gifts but still want to pack a punch ( the packaging...designer artisan jewelry gets them all the time).

How do you know what is fashion forward? Easy...check out the malls, open a fashion magazine, etc...Take what you see and translate it into something that complements your signature/brand that will draw in new fashion conscious customers and offer a great unique affordable gift for your current and new customers alike!

Marketing Tips for Your Handcrafted Jewelry ----The Office Shopping Lunch

One of my favorite gigs is pitching larger sized office or buildings to host a "shopping lunch". What the heck is a shopping lunch?

This is where you the vendor can come in and set up for a few hours so the employees can shop on their lunch hour.

Generally, I set my shop hours from 11am - 2pm depending on the office.

I get thanked all the time for these lunch time diversions! Why? I'm saving people time . I'm providing a service. They love the fact that they can get a gift or treat themselves without running around town. I offer free gift wrapping and hand crafted note cards for those purchasing a gift. My business has been a lifesaver many times or so I'm told!

Best of all, I've never had to pay to be a vendor. In fact, I've been offered money to show up (which I declined in lieu of blatant promotion).

What makes an office shopping lunch successful?
Promotion--When I approach the office or building manager, I either get permission to approach the different companies within the building to promote my "Shopping Lunch" or if I get lucky the folks in Communications will send out an e-mail and a day before reminder. Either way, I offer an incentive for folks to come visit. A FREE DRAWING (no purchase necessary) always pulls people in record numbers.

When I set up, I always have a Free Drawing and Newsletter Sign-Up area with the incentive of 10% off if they sign up....This way I can keep in contact with folks and funnel them to my website/keep in front of them until the next show.

Advertising-Online & Offline-How much does a new customer cost your handcrafted jewelry business?

Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half.
John Wanamaker
US department store merchant (1838 - 1922)

Coming from a medical background (15 years as a clinical scientist), I felt like a fish out of water when it came to advertising!
When I first started my business, I primarily did private jewelry trunk shows and my only form of advertising was word-of-mouth. Would you believe I didn't even have business cards or a business name? I was just making jewelry and it was selling!

With every show, my customers told me what they wanted from me and I listened! =) Of course, I got business cards printed with my business name, Designing-Diva Jewelry Creations , and contact information. I started asking for feedback at the end of trunk shows regarding display and presentation and some of my best ideas are a result of a customer comment. Thanks you know who you are! I started accepting credit cards and boy wouldn't you know it my sales doubled at the very next show. Duhh!!

Okay, hang in there...this may be below a lot of folks but for newbies I really want to show we all start somewhere..and I'm not ashamed to admit my many blunders!

At this point, I started thinking hmmm..this could be something I do full-time because I love it and then the learning curve really started! I thought that I knew quite a bit because I had several successful private trunk shows under my belt. Boy, was I green.

The first retail event I attended was a steep learning curve. I plunked my $250 booth fee down without even asking anything about the show and was oh so disappointed when a paltry 100 people showed up over 2 days. Needless to say, I just gave away $250!

I started researching various shows and how they advertised, how long they had been doing the show, and on average how many people attended. This is something I should have done in the first place. I told you I was "green". This research paid off as I was fortunate to get into some good shows that really marketed (tv, newspaper and radio) and offered co-op advertising for vendors which really made it very affordable. I had great turn outs at these events and people sought out my booth and jewelry because I had advertised. Yep, the little light bulb went on. I'm now very picky about the quality of retail and wholesale shows I go to and it has paid off.

After 2 years, I split my advertising focus between offline and online ventures but have had the most success with online advertising. I think that it is easier and cheaper to test ads online. You can see fairly quickly (click through rates and conversion results) how you ad dollars are at work....ie How much does a customer cost? I bet you thought I would never get to this part! =0

For my business, I've had the most success with product reviews and advertising on targeted sites. On average, it costs me ~$10 to get a new customer. I have a lot of repeat customers. How do I know? All my customers are assigned ids because I have a customer loyalty program, Diva Bucks, that I issue with every purchase. I know who my best repeat customers are and I treat them well. Not just because they buy but because they advertise for me without even realizing it. I can't tell you how many times I've been contacted for custom work because of what my best customers wore to an event! Woohoo!

IMHO, that $10 to buy a new customer is worth it because it just keeps paying for itself...over and over....If you do not know how much a new customer costs you, you better start tracking how much you spend on advertising and where your customers are finding you to assist you where you need to focus!

Feel free to comment or share!

Jewelry Line , Media & Press PDF-Why you Need and Want this...

Offer your jewelry line, media & press in down loadable pdf. Not sure what a PDF is? Scroll down. I found a great reference article by Mark A Abrahams.

1. Retail customers will love being able to browse & share your jewelry offline with a pdf version. It is a great way to showcase a gift guide with highlighted designs and there are NO printing costs on your part.

2. If you sell your jewelry wholesale, you can offer retail buyers a "virtual catalog". Just make sure that your retail customers are NOT privy to this information or they may get upset when they see the pricing difference.

3. If you pitch your jewelry line to magazines, they will have instant access to media ready photos, company bio, etc...This is so important considering they are often running deadlines and your jewelry might not end up in print because they did not have access to media quality photos (300dpi on white background).

4. Writing press releases? You should be! Refer to reason #3...so they instant access to media quality photos and information INSTANTLY.

Are you beginning to see how powerful this little PDF can be? Read on to find out how to create your own PDFs. I can not wait to put this in to use. I had been putting it off because of the cost of Adobe Software but I found a work around in the article below.

As always, got comments? suggestions? want to share ?? E-mail me!

Creating A Pdf Document
Creating A Pdf Document
By Mark A. Abrahams
When you first start out on the internet creating a pdf
document can be a challenge. While the Adobe reader is
free. The software to create pdf files from Adobe is very
expensive costing a few hundred dollars. This can be a
quite an expense for a person on a limited budget.
Especially if you only using this to give away free reports
and not selling anything you may have difficulty justifying
the expense. Pdf is the standard when it comes to reading
documents online and most people prefer this to any ebooks
created by ebook software because pdf ebooks are really
easy on the eye to read. Adobe is the standard and make the
best pdf software. I will show you some alternatives to
explore in case the price is to steep for a person starting
out.

There are many alternatives to use for pdf creation and
conversion. If you have a document like Word you can use a
free pdf online conversion service like Pdf Online. However
if you create pdf files regularly you may want to install a
pdf converter on your personal computer. The way that this
works is that you install a driver like a printer. Every
time you want to convert to a pdf file you need to print to
the printer and this will convert your file to a pdf file.
However for this option most of the alternatives charge a
fee.

One of the problems I have had with the alternatives to
Adobe software is that I found it impossible to insert
links directly in your pdf files to link to a web site url
using your own specified link text. I was eventually able
to overcome this problem. Google mail has a nifty feature
where it allows you to upload documents for example Word.
You then can make your changes and insert your links and
save the file as pdf. This is all completely free.L

Learning how to create a pdf document is one of the most
important skills you need to learn when you start marketing
online. Not only can you create free pdf reports and build
a relationship with your list, but you can also create
commercial quality ebooks and sell them for a price. You
can also embed your affiliate links in your pdf documents
and create additional profits.


Would you like to know more about the techniques that have helped me to quit my day job? I have just completed my new guide.

Download it free here: Secrets Of Internet Marketing

Mark Abrahams is a full time internet marketer who has helped others to earn a living online.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_A._Abrahams
http://EzineArticles.com/?Creating-A-Pdf-Document&id=531599

Don't Forget the Office & Corporate Gifts

This is a huge hidden market IMHO. I have done several trunk shows in downtown office buildings and was welcomed by both genders who are just TOO busy to shop. I always offer free gift wrapping, note cards and delivery options for my jewelry purchases.

Also, I have marketed to several companies and offered a variety of one of a kind corporate gifts. This was also well received. My marketing materials included an artist bio and photo samples of what types of jewelry & accessory gifts are available.

Never forget you are providing a service but you need to get in front of people so that service may be utilized!!!!

This is one HOT marketing tip. Let me know if it works for you!

5 Places to Sell Your Jewelry

These are great places to start selling your handcrafted jewelry creations:

Host a Trunk Show in your home and invite family and friends. Is it a hit? Offer an incentive to the next person who hosts a trunks show (% of the proceeds towards FREE jewelry)

Approach Salon or Local Boutique and ask if they would be interested in a private trunk show for their customers with the salon/boutique receiving ~ 20% of the proceeds.

Festivals often have vendors and bread and butter items (under $15) will sell well.

The office lunch trunk show is often a huge hit.

Website with shopping cart

5 Business Actitivities You Must Do Consistently to Grow your Jewelry Business

1. Get in front of customers every day. For me that means, I advertise online and offline to drive customers to my online jewelry boutique.
**I post for FREE everyday in Craigs List
**I have Google Ads
**I hand business cards out everywhere I go because I "wear" my business and get comments all the time.
**I submit online press releases
**I submit articles to my local paper

2. I add a new offline or online venue to contact every single day. I call mid-upscale boutiques ( the newspaper is a great resource) and ask to speak to the owner or retail buyer; this is how, I have attained several wholesale accounts. I also search other venues online that I can write an article for in exchange for a link, or a place that I can post a blurb (social networking sites) about what I do, etc...

3. Ask for a Referral. Whenever I have a customer, I always tell them if you love the jewelry,

Tell your Friends

. Another example of viral marketing (yes, I do sound like a broken record).

4. Customer Service Excellence: offer the best customer service starting with their shopping experience, checkout and impression of your jewelry (package and display). But it doesn't stop there, keep in touch with your customers ( I use e-mail) and I offer Customer Rewards (Diva Bucks, private sales and trunks shows).

5.LISTEN to your Customers: if you just listen, they will tell you what you could do to improve and if they don't ASK.

Is there anything that we could be doing better? Did we meet your expectations?

These are just a few ways to get feedback. If you do get negative feedback, do NOT react. Write it down and look at what they have said. Is it an angry customer or is it a valid point? If it is valid, you better change and quick because it could be hurting your business.

In order to have a successful jewelry business, you must do these 5 activities consistently.

If you found this information helpful or if you have soemthing to add, post a comment. If you would like to see other topics covered, post that too.

HOT Jewelry Marketing Tip: Offer a Gift Guide & Market It

This jewelry marketing tip is HOT. Offer a one page gift guide for special occasions like Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Grad 2007, Holiday 2007. This is also a great idea for your seasonal collections: Spring 2007 Gift Guide, etc...What's your best seller? Have a "What's Hot Guide" and feature your business's best sellers.

Here are just a few things to consider for your gift guide:
*Break it down by price (e.g. gifts under $25,$ 50, etc..)
*Break it down by color or style
*Make sure your descriptions include a call to action
*clear photos of your items
*where to buy/shop/purchase your jewelry product
*a discount if applicable
*your contact information with logo (for branding if applicable)

My one page gift guides are "electronic". I do NOT go the printers because it is expensive and not really necessary; I put it up on my website and promote it. I e-mail the gift guide to my customers (you should be in touch with your customers in some way),my local newspaper and magazines (the lifestyle section and fashion section may be looking to fill some blank space and voila you have just received FREE publicity that would have cost you $$$) and local retail boutiques ( I have a list of retail buyers whom I keep in touch with) who may be looking for new stock and haven't been to the wholesale market yet.

My customers look forward to my gift guides and often forward them to friends and family ---viral marketing at work. I often used voucher codes for my gift guides so I can track their success which helps me tweak my presentation, description and call to action.

Have fun with your gift guide and here's to your jewelry marketing success.