Take your jewelry marketing out of the store and beyond the display case.
Fine jewelry marketing involves more than an elegant showcase or creative store display. With a combination of strategy and creativity, you can take your marketing message out of the store and to the public with a minimal investment of time and money. Here are a few ideas for taking your fine jewelry marketing beyond the display case.
Set Up An Online Storefront
You don't need to invest in a custom e-commerce website to make your inventory of fine jewelry available for online purchase. A simple shop on eBay or, if your jewelry is handmade, Etsy.com, will suffice. A custom, easily remembered Web address, or domain, can be forwarded to your shop no matter where it's hosted, and you can help spread the word by including the URL in your email signature and all your correspondence. An online shop is a relatively quick and easy way to increase your product's visibility and expand your customer base.
Create a Clever Catalog
Think outside the standard tri-fold brochure or booklet to create a catalog format that will be as memorable and attention-grabbing as your product. For example, the jewelry marketing firm Brilliant I.D.E.A.S. photographed individual pieces and designed a baseball card around each image, with a story about the piece, then packaged the set together in a cassette-tape case labeled "Greatest Hits." The whimsical catalog format was a big hit with their customers.
Model Your Jewelry In Public
There's a reason world-class jewelers like Cartier and Tiffany loan jewelry to celebrities to wear to the Oscars. Modeling jewelry in public is a great way to get attention and create awareness of your product. Select attention-getting pieces from your inventory to wear yourself when you go out, or allow your sales staff to wear selected pieces while they work. Consider offering to let the local female news anchor or other local celebrity wear a few pieces while on the air.
Offer Strategic Discounts
A well-timed sale is a valuable tool for attracting new customers, and special discounts for loyal customers is a great way to keep them coming back for more. Keep a mailing list of your customers and send them special offers via mail or online newsletter. Hold a big sale in January to take advantage of any cash gifts your potential customers received in December. A sale not only brings in new customers, it also keeps your inventory liquid by clearing room for new items.
Give It Away
It might sound like a drastic step, but giving away your product in small amounts generates word-of-mouth buzz and creates customer loyalty. Consider mailing out personalized gift certificates to your best customers on their birthdays, or near the holidays, to show your appreciation; or say thank you to people who have done you favors or provided excellent service by handing out free gift cards.
Tags: your product, jewelry marketing, your inventory, beyond display, beyond display case, catalog format