Unlock the Power of Nostalgia to Boost Jewelry Sales

Laryssa Wirstiuk 0:00
Ready to break free from algorithms, vanity PR, and money-sucking ads? My name’s Laryssa Wirstiuk, and I’ve learned in 8 years of jewelry marketing that content is the crown jewel. My agency Joy Joya takes a holistic approach, leading with laser-focused storytelling, impactful content creation, and strategic content distribution. This method has worked for the solopreneur as well as the multi-million-dollar company, and now I’m sharing these systems and tactics with you. Here’s to standing out in the Sea of Sparkle.

Welcome to Episode #309. Today, I’m exploring the subtle yet impactful role of nostalgia in marketing. That warm, nostalgic feeling isn’t just about reminiscing—it can be a strategic tool for connecting with your customers on a deeper level. I’ll be getting into the psychological impact of nostalgia, identify the nostalgic elements that truly resonate with your audience, and share practical strategies to seamlessly integrate this emotion into your jewelry marketing. No matter what kinds of jewelry products you sell, understanding how to harness nostalgia can help you stand out in a competitive market. So stay with me to see how tapping into those cherished memories can enhance your marketing approach. And in our GOLD MINE segment, And in the GOLD MINE segment, learn why it’s crucial for businesses, especially in jewelry marketing, to stay current and avoid appearing outdated in a rapidly changing digital landscape! Yes, I’ll talk about the controversial “millennial gray” aesthetic that’s sweeping TikTok and home design, illustrating the risks of not evolving with the times.

But before we get to the solid gold, I’d like to take a moment to remind you that this podcast has both audio and video – so you can either listen on your favorite podcast platform or watch on YouTube by searching “Joy Joya”. You can support the podcast for free by taking the time not only to subscribe but also to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Also, if you didn’t know, I co-host another podcast called “Success With Jewelry” with my friend Liz Kantner, who’s also a jewelry marketer and the founder of the Stay Gold Collective. We have a free version of the podcast, available everywhere you listen to podcasts and on YouTube as well as a membership community with extended episodes and additional resources.

For my Sparklers out there who are SPECIFICALLY SMALL jewelry businesses, I want to tell you about a jewelry marketing platform built just for you. JoyDeck is an affordable marketing solution for small and emerging jewelry brands. It’s full of one-of-a-kind tools like our Kickoff Checklist and Audience Building Quiz that give you clear, strategic steps to reach customers and grow your brand. Our Jewelry-Specific Content Calendar keeps you accountable and ensures you never run out of things to post. JoyDeck’s ever-growing library of email and social templates are shortcuts that save time, look pro, and get results. Monthly masterclasses give you the opportunity to ask questions and learn from my experience directly. Plus you’ll have the support of an exclusive online community of jewelry creators just like you. JoyDeck is the affordable solution to take control of your jewelry brand’s future, and I’m proud to be your guide along the way. Are you ready to start growing your jewelry brand? Sign up for your free trial today! Visit myjoydeck.com/trial to claim your complimentary 30 days. Link in the show notes as well.

Okay, let’s get into today’s episode, my Sparklers! Loyal listeners and viewers already know how crucial emotions and storytelling are in marketing. But if you’re joining us for the first time, here’s what’s up: Emotions are powerful drivers of decisions. When customers feel a connection, engagement, or even a hint of nostalgia, they’re more likely to develop positive associations with a product, increasing the likelihood of a purchase. Nostalgia, with its profound emotional appeal, can be a hidden gem for jewelry marketers when harnessed correctly. So, what exactly is nostalgia marketing? It’s a strategy that uses memories from the past to forge a sense of comfort and trust in the present, often sparking that spontaneous “I remember this!” reaction that can lead to a sale.

This approach is particularly effective in the jewelry industry, where each piece tells a story and each collection can evoke memories of a past era. And nostalgia marketing doesn’t have to mean being overtly retro. You don’t need to sell vintage jewelry or plaster your visuals with 90s themes to tap into the nostalgic trend. It can be much more subtle and nuanced. I’m going to some less obvious ways to incorporate nostalgia into your marketing, offering you innovative tips to subtly evoke those warm, nostalgic feelings.

You also don’t need to create new products; you just need to be able to creatively speak about existing products. By using creative merchandising strategies, you can evoke a sense of nostalgia and emotional depth without the need for new product lines. This approach maximizes your current inventory while deeply engaging your customers’ emotions.

The Long History of Jewelry + Adornment Emphasize Craftsmanship: Use existing products that showcase traditional or old-world craftsmanship techniques. Jewelry has a long, long history! If you’re using those age-old techniques, honor them. Highlight these artisanal aspects through storytelling in product descriptions, blog posts, or social media content.

Heritage Storytelling Emotional Connection Focus: Relatable Stories: Instead of just focusing on the brand’s history, relate it to universal themes or significant historical events that customers might connect with. For example, discuss how certain jewelry pieces were inspired by or have been part of family traditions, tying personal history to broader cultural moments. Involve the Audience: Invite customers to contribute their own family stories related to the themes or periods you’re highlighting, which can be shared on your platforms. This builds a community feel and shows that the brand values customer heritage as much as its own.

Customer Memory Lane Emotional Connection Focus: Shared Memories Platform: Use your website or social media to create a dedicated space for customers to share and browse each other’s stories and photos. This can foster a sense of community and connection among your audience, emphasizing that their personal histories are integral to your brand’s narrative.

Memory-Triggered Promotions: Offer promotions or special discounts when customers share particularly touching or unique stories. This not only incentivizes engagement but also keeps the focus on valuing customer experiences. Jewelry As Symbol of Relationships + Tradition Leverage existing jewelry collections to celebrate the diversity of relationships through strategic merchandising on your eCommerce site. Create thematic collections that represent different relationship milestones, such as anniversaries, engagements, or friendship celebrations, using pieces that symbolize these moments. Develop mix-and-match sets that friends or family members can combine to reflect their bonds, highlighting these groupings through your online display strategies. Feature a special section for self-love to encourage customers to celebrate their relationship with themselves, using jewelry that symbolizes personal growth or achievement. Additionally, consider promoting pieces as commemorative tokens for remembering loved ones, offering a means of remembrance through your existing product line. These initiatives can transform the shopping experience, making each piece resonate with personal stories and emotional connections.

Simplicity + Ease When you make your adult customers’ lives easier in some way, it connects back to simpler times when they had less responsibilities and more free time, like as children, teens, and young adults. Give them a sense of ease, joy, and freedom. Nature-Inspired Designs that tap into positive memories people have about spending time outside, in the natural world Highlight Existing Nature-Inspired Pieces: Spotlight existing products that feature natural elements or motifs. Use marketing content that tells the story of these pieces, emphasizing their connection to the natural world.

Thematic Displays: Arrange products in your physical or online store to create a narrative around nature themes, grouping items by elements like water, earth, or air to invoke a serene, timeless atmosphere. Comforting Textures – almost everyone has a positive memory featuring something tactile Promote Tactile Features: Focus on the tactile qualities of existing products. Highlight the comfort and simplcity of materials in your communications. Universal Symbols Emotional Connection Focus: Showcase Symbolic Jewelry: Identify and promote existing pieces that feature universal symbols – like hearts, peace signs, infinity symbols, etc. Educate your customers on the meanings and significance of these symbols through engaging content. Symbol-Themed Merchandising: Group jewelry by symbol type in your displays or online collections, making it easy for customers to find pieces that resonate with their personal stories or values. What do you think? Have you ever tried using nostalgia in your marketing? Let me know in a comment on YouTube or DM me on Instagram what you think. I’d love to help!

Okay, let’s get into the GOLD MINE. Welcome to another edition of THE GOLD MINE – a segment where I get personal and share insights on entrepreneurship, mindset, success, growth, and all things business. THE GOLD MINE allows me to share topics and insights close to my heart. This week in the GOLD MINE, I want to talk about gray floors. Yes, you heard me right. I sometimes browse Zillow to check out real estate listings—it’s a fun scroll. Have you come across “millennial gray”? It’s quite the trend and honestly, I’m not a fan. Millennial gray is a design choice that floods homes with various shades of gray to create a uniform, monochromatic look. This aesthetic has gained traction on platforms like TikTok, especially among millennials, and involves using gray tones extensively throughout homes, from interior walls to exterior finishes. I really dislike it. After viewing countless homes decked out in millennial gray, you might even start to wonder if something is wrong with your eyesight. And stick with me, I promise I’m going to tie this back to jewelry marketing! My biggest gripe with millennial gray is imagining how quickly it will seem outdated. In my opinion, it already does; it’s very much a product of its time. This trend reminds me of seeing people who haven’t updated their wardrobes since like the 1980s. While some may argue that’s a cool, retro vibe, it does project a certain image. Sticking with millennial gray or an outdated wardrobe isn’t an issue if you genuinely love it. But for businesses aiming to attract contemporary customers, appearing inadvertently outdated is a misstep. In our fast-evolving digital age, where trends and platforms change rapidly, it’s easy to look outdated without even realizing it—like a Zillow listing with a seriously outdated bathroom. So, how can jewelry businesses start to look dated? Here are some specific examples: their Instagram strategy might still rely solely on single-photo posts, echoing trends from five years ago. Their e-commerce sites might feel stale, sticking with a basic Shopify theme without adapting to their audience’s evolving tastes. Other examples include outdated branding elements, like logos that haven’t been refreshed to keep pace with modern aesthetics, or marketing materials that use jargon or styles that have fallen out of favor. So, what about you? Could your business be looking a little dated without you even realizing it? I think it’s harder than ever before to stay on top of portraying your business as fresh. Let me know in an Instagram DM or YouTube comment. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

If you want to reach out, you can always email me Laryssa at laryssa@joyjoya.com. And if you loved this podcast, please share it with a friend who’d appreciate it. Don’t forget to subscribe as well as leave a review on Apple Podcasts. If you’re completely new to digital marketing, then you’ll want to purchase and read a copy of my book JEWELRY MARKETING JOY. Visit joyjoya.com/book for more information.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai