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When it comes to jewelry shopping, “the last ten years has been a huge transformation,” said Cathleen McCarthy, creator of The Jewelry Loupe, a magazine-style blog. Nowadays, people don’t just want to search online for the perfect jewelry gift; they want the “tactile experience of jewelry,” too.
Kathleen Cutler, a sales expert for high-end jewelers, agreed. “Millennials want real experience,” she said. “People want to chat, to be seen and acknowledged.”
Together with Emi Yamamoto of Uncommon Goods, McCarthy and Cutler shared their best practices and top strategies for driving jewelry sales and engagement during a Feb. 3 panel at NY NOW, moderated by Robin Kramer of Flourish & Thrive Academy. Here’s what to know.
Keeping it Real
Since no retailer can be “everything to everyone,” Yamamoto recommended that gift retailers keep a “narrow focus on your customer.” Adding to this, Cutler emphasized that it’s important to know your customer, preferably by name. If you know their general tastes and style preferences, try proactively reaching out to them to test out new pieces that come into your store. This is a great way to cultivate deep relationships that let the customer know you really care about them.
Engage on Multiple Platforms
Posting on Instagram can definitely help retailers stay relevant in retail, but don’t forget about other platforms while you’re at it. When McCarthy posts about jewelry on social media, she makes sure to post on both Instagram and Facebook.
“My primary follower is under 35 on Instagram, but my main customer is the older customer (on Facebook) with a lot of purchasing power,” she explained. “The same stuff performs differently with different results.”
Other tips? Be sure to post on a daily basis, and make it easy for customers to contact your business. One easy way to do this is to include both a phone number and an email address to your brand’s social media profiles.
Cutler added another general guideline for posting on social media: When you post, don’t ghost. In other words, if you want to optimize engagement, make sure you’re available to respond to customer comments and questions. Be willing to create conversation around a jewelry piece, don’t just post and forget to interact with your followers online.
Another way to engage is through email lists. “Email lists are often overlooked,” Cutler said. “People don’t want to bother their customers, but really, it’s about understanding what your customers want to hear. How do you tell your brand story? Email customers once a week. If done well, it can be an amazing way to connect. People opted into the email; they want to hear from you.”
Don’t Just Photograph It, Video It
Videos can help customers get a better sense of the jewelry they’re looking to buy, especially with the right lighting that can show off a piece’s potential to sparkle and shine. Plus, according to McCarthy, “Rings don’t read that well in a flat image. They’re scupltural; video shows them off more. People love that.”
Yamamoto added that she often posts Insta video stories about designers and their processes. “People love to see how the piece starts in the mind, all the way to the final product,” she said. “What’s the story behind the stones, the materials, the work space? That’s how you stand out.”
Make Community Connections
Last but not least, the NY NOW panel experts spoke of the appeal of community connections. Partnering with local businesses or nonprofits, for example, can help “bring people out,” Yamamoto said.
“What is the hook that’s going to get people to leave the house?” she continued. “That threshold is getting higher and higher.”
Hosting workshops, trunk shows with an education component, or “remake parties,” where old jewelry is remade into a new and unique piece, are other fun ideas that bring customers together with one another and the retailer.
