He’s remembered as a “font of passion,” leaving behind a legacy of dedication to his craft and community.
How to get sales out of social media
Displaying the best part of your brand, building trust and providing value are essential to making social media profitable, Likeable Local’s Evan Seto explains.
Social media is a powerful tool for any jewelry business’ strategic plan. Just a few years ago it was barely part of the equation, and now it’s an essential aspect of any game plan. Best practices dictate some particular things about social media and how to use it, as the channels can be great for building your brand--but you have to find a voice and stick with it.
Use social media to display the best parts of your brand, whether that’s your jewelry, your customers or your staff and workplace culture. Your brand is on social media already; it’s up to you whether you want to be the one who controls it. Social media can also be a great customer service tool, as that’s where your customers are. Listen to them and interact with them, especially if they interact with you. This way, you’re reaching your customers more effectively in an arena they might be more comfortable in.
Those are your social media best practices, but sometimes you might wonder about your return on investment. I’m here to tell you that all of those things you thought you knew about social media, rip them up and throw them out the window. Okay, don’t actually do that; they’re still very important aspects of a social media business strategy. But what I’m saying is that it’s also okay to use social media to sell and market. Here’s a great example of a jeweler using social media to sell:
Make a statement this summer with the Pandora Palm pendant - new to the summer collection. #ArtofYou #Pandora
Posted by Leitzel's Jewelry on Friday, August 7, 2015
Here’s where you need to be careful. There is a large segment of the population that becomes uncomfortable and/or defensive when they sense somebody is trying to sell them something, and this applies especially to social media. Consider why people are on social media; while it varies from platform to platform, essentially people are there to be in a safe space where they can interact with their friends and connections. This is where those first social media best practices come in--by building your brand on social media, you also build trust between your jewelry business and your potential consumer.
Once that brand trust is established, people will be more amenable to seeing your sales pitch come at them through social media. This
Consider apps like “Game of War” and “Clash of Clans.” You might know them from their massive advertising campaigns, one of which was notorious for starring a certain Sports Illustrated swimsuit model. You might have wondered why there are such massive ad campaigns devoted to free apps. The reason is that the developers want to draw people in. They start them off with a small reward--resources they use to start the game out.
As the user invest more time in the game--time that is extended by having to wait for things to develop--they’re less willing to abandon the game, not because they are necessarily feeling like they’re still deriving value out of the game, but because they don’t want to feel like they completely lost the time they already sunk into it. Thus, inertia. The technical term for this is the sunk cost fallacy, and admittedly, it does seem a bit underhanded and cynical. However, the negative vibes of this example are reflective of the way these companies utilize these strategies. Let’s brighten these up a little bit for your business’ strategy.
What you want to be doing is taking the basic principles of sunk cost. Provide value, even if it’s for free, and get people invested into your brand. Consumers who are invested in you and the success of your brand are more likely to be loyal and supportive customers. It’s fine to use social media for sales, but make sure you’re always providing additional value--things you can offer your customers that doesn’t require them to necessarily give up anything.
In the same way selling can work on social media, social media works for this kind of selling. Social media helps you capture an audience much better than a phone call and email. After all, once you’ve got the like or the follow, they’re connected to you and inertia will keep the vast majority around, in a way that calls and emails don’t hold on to contacts. From there, keep using social media to nurture away, and before you know it, your social media sales pitches are taking hold.
Looking for more social media tips to refine your business’ social media strategy? Check out this free eBook, 7 Proven Strategies to Maximize Twitter for Your Business.
Evan Seto is the marketing apprentice at Likeable Local, a social media marketing platform and app for small and mid-sized businesses. Reach him at evan@likeablelocal.com.
The Latest
The first one will take place next month during the Jewelers of Louisiana’s and Mississippi Jewelers Association’s conventions.
The redesigned boutique features interactive displays and a workshop space for hands-on learning about watchmaking.
For over 30 years, JA has advocated for the industry, fought against harmful legislation and backed measures that help jewelry businesses.
There is a willingness to comply with new government-mandated regulations, with an insistence that they should be practical and realistic.
A combination of factors is driving growth in the industry despite the precipitous drop in prices across the board.
The zone’s modernization will enhance and increase India’s jewelry manufacturing capabilities while aiding small and mid-sized businesses.
Ho Brothers offers scalable solutions for the future of custom jewelry.
By the end of this year, SRK’s diamond manufacturing complexes will achieve net zero emissions, one of an impressive array of achievements.
The company plans to invest $25 million in marketing initiatives to boost awareness around its namesake and licensed brands.
Optimism about the current state of the economy was offset by anxiety around inflation and the political environment.
The former WJA executive director is MFM’s new managing director.
DDG encourages retailers to educate customers on the positive impact of purchasing natural diamonds.
Highlighting the most iconic Tiffany collections, it’s inspired by the company’s late window designer, Gene Moore.
Jen Cullen Williams and Duvall O’Steen explore how jewelers can save time and money by using AI to analyze engagement and create content.
The retailer previously turned down an $8.4 billion offer in 2018.
The Florida store’s owner Miguel Gonzalez is retiring.
The lab stresses the importance of accurate identification, as the difference in price is “substantial.”
The brand also plans to expand its retail footprint from 138 to 200 stores over the next three years.
One is reserved for a NAJA member, the other for a non-member.
Longtime employees Carie Lehrke and Megan Mattice have received promotions.
Three guests joined National Jeweler and Jewelers of America to discuss trending time periods, spotting reproductions, and more.
Chris Clipper and Robert Lepere join the company with 50 years of combined experience.
The trendy, metallic earrings wink at classic spring colors.
JSA said a man and woman pulled the safe out of an Oakland jewelry store but couldn’t quite get it into their van.
The miner’s March auction generated $19 million.
Helen McCluskey will succeed H. Todd Stitzer when he meets his 12-year term limit in June.