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 7 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.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 0:33
In today’s Episode #258, we’re diving deep into the world of “drops” and how they can be a game-changer for your jewelry marketing strategy. Drops, which refer to releasing products in limited quantities or for a limited duration, can create a sense of urgency and scarcity. This approach can be instrumental in compelling your audience to make prompt purchasing decisions. For those already utilizing the drop model, we’ll discuss advanced tactics to enhance the success of your releases. By fine-tuning your strategy, you can boost sales, accelerate sell-out times, and keep your fans eagerly anticipating every release. This approach can be particularly enticing for jewelry brands, where exclusivity and uniqueness are often valued. So let’s explore the vast opportunities drops can offer in capturing and sustaining your audience’s attention. We’ll be looking at this topic through the lens of Hilary Finck Jewelry, who we’ve been spotlighting as a jewelry brand case study. For those joining our podcast series for the first time this season, I’d suggest starting with Episode #252. Doing so will introduce you to Hilary and allow you to follow this narrative from its inception. Before jumping into our chat with Hilary, I’ll talk about why more jewelry brands are embracing drops, how you can use drops, the best way to market your drops, and steps you can take to improve on future drops.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 2:20
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. If you leave a review, I might read it on a future episode – please let me know what you think about this episode or about any other major takeaways you’ve had recently.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 2:51
Okay, let’s get into today’s episode, my Sparklers! This one’s all about drops and how you can utilize them to boost your marketing and sales efforts, especially if you sell products in limited quantities and/or one-of-a-kind products. So first, let’s talk about why have more jewelry brands been embracing drops in recent years. Imagine a world where your jewelry brand isn’t just selling products, but offering exclusive experiences. This is the power of the “drop” method. The beauty of drops lies in their ability to infuse your brand with a sense of exclusivity. When you release limited-edition or one-of-a-kind pieces, customers perceive them as rare treasures. But it’s not just about exclusivity. Think of the palpable excitement and anticipation you can cultivate among your clientele. By scheduling these releases, you’re not merely presenting a product; you’re hosting an event. Your audience will mark their calendars, eagerly awaiting what’s next. Consider the urgency this model naturally instills. With limited stock and timeframes, customers feel compelled to act promptly. The fear of missing out can be a powerful motivator, pushing them towards making quicker purchase decisions, boosting your sales. This model can invigorate your brand’s engagement on social platforms. The buzz, discussions, and social shares surrounding each drop amplify your brand’s visibility, fostering richer interactions and connections. From a practical perspective, drops can simplify inventory management. By releasing products in this manner, you can gauge real-time interest, allowing you to adjust future production runs and minimize surplus inventory risks. For marketing, the drop model offers a dynamic canvas. With each release, you have an opportunity to experiment, refine, and perfect your campaigns, ensuring you get the best return on your investment. The recurrent, event-like nature of drops can help you cultivate a community of enthusiasts, consistently coming back, keen on being the first to get their hands on your latest creations. Doesn’t that sound pretty amazing?

Laryssa Wirstiuk 6:15
So let’s talk about how you, my Sparkler, can use drops and adapt them to your brand, and goals because of course, every jewelry business is different. So how can you use drops to your advantage? Any jewelry brand, irrespective of its existing business model, can harness the potential of the drop method. At its core, the drop strategy is about offering limited-time or limited-quantity exclusives that captivate attention and drive urgency. Whether you deal in high-end luxury, affordable fashion, or artisanal hand-crafted pieces, you can curate special collections or one-of-a-kind pieces to release as drops. By carefully aligning these releases with your brand narrative, target audience preferences, and market demand, you can create buzz, bolster engagement, and stimulate sales. With thoughtful planning and execution, the drop method can be tailored to fit any brand’s objectives. Brands can choose to make their product drop universally accessible or grant exclusive access to email subscribers, enhancing subscriber value. By providing early access or unique offers to email subscribers, brands create a sense of exclusivity, loyalty, and heightened engagement, while retaining the option for a broader public release later. So that’s just one way that a brand can approach this and like tailor it to their existing customers and their existing way of marketing to them.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 8:27
So what really is the best way to market your drops? Say you’re sold? You’re like, okay, Laryssa, I want to do this. How do you communicate a drop to your customers? First, I want you to know, if you’re just starting this, for the first time, unless you already have a super hyper engaged following, you may not come out with a bang on your first drop, I think it takes time to kind of build the expectation and to get people waiting for your drop. But that’s no reason not to start, everyone has to start somewhere. So promoting product drops effectively requires this synergy between email marketing and social media marketing so that you can really maximize reach and engagement. So I just want to share a few best practices for both. Let’s start with email. I really love a drop preview or teaser email, mostly because in your email marketing, you can’t assume that your entire subscriber list is seeing all your emails. So if you kind of just literally drop something to them, you can’t assume that everyone’s going to see it. And then when the performance doesn’t meet your expectations, you’re gonna get discouraged. So you have to warm up your audience a little bit. That could be one preview or teaser email, can be more than one. Don’t be afraid to create anticipation again, because not everyone is even going to see all of those emails. So in those previews, make sure you’re using compelling visuals, make sure your copy is engaging and creating excitement is genuine, building anticipation. And then when you have that captivating subject line, when you create a sense of exclusivity, when you have a clear call to action, and you set the expectation for the drop, you’re really warming up your audience to have a successful product drop in your emails. You can also consider adding things like countdown timers, in like your regular campaigns, for example, to emphasize the urgency and to remind people when it’s coming. You can have sneak peeks. So maybe there’s like exclusive previews or even behind the scenes content, make sure you always have a clear call to action. And to emphasize that the drop will either have limited availability or be for a limited time. And then even after the drop, you could consider doing some follow up emails if there’s still product left over or if time is running out. Again, don’t just give up and assume “Okay, well, people saw the drop they should be ordering now.” No, you need to put out a last chance email or an almost sold out notification again to drive urgency and assume that most of your list isn’t even seeing it. So don’t just give up after you send the actual drop notification.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 11:43
And then with social media, share teaser content, behind the scenes, kind of give sneak peeks to create curiosity and hype, do countdowns in Instagram Stories, you may even want to have some kind of exclusive offer for social media followers. Also, going live on social media is a good way to give that more personal touch. Whether you personally want to show the products or create anticipation by doing some kind of sneak peek or some kind of built up. I think having that personal connection through live is a really good way to make the drop feel like more real. Now let’s talk about steps you can take to improve on your future drops. So if you’ve already implemented drops, and you’re looking for ways to optimize and improve, I want you to consider the following. You know, I love data and feedback after every drop, you can’t just move to the next one without looking at what the results were because how are you going to get better? So after each drop, you want to examine sales figures, your website traffic, your customer feedback, really try to understand what worked and what didn’t work, so that you can refine your approach. Engage with your community, try to really build a rapport with your audience on social media, especially the ones that do seem very responsive to your drops, the ones that do seem to get excited, the ones that do purchase right away, understand what motivates them, and what kind of products they’ll want in the future so that you can continue improving. Work on optimizing your timing, so identify the best days and times for your audience. Again, that means analyzing previous drops to see when engagement and conversion rates were highest. And please enhance scarcity. Don’t be afraid to emphasize things like limited quantities, exclusive editions, limited time, those things can boost demands, people have a fear of missing out. And I don’t want to tell you to like capitalize on someone’s fear. But if you feel like you have something great and you want your audience to connect with them, let them know that they only have a limited, limited time to buy it and see that as a service. Because if they want it and they miss it, they will be upset. So help them understand that and then work on expanding post purchase engagement. So after your drop, you want to engage with customers through things like thank yous, feedback requests, or even sharing and showcasing their user generated content to build loyalty and anticipation for the next drop that you do. And what is my very most favorite tip? Plan ahead. The more that you do drops, the more that you’ll realize that if you’re able to plan ahead in advance, not only for yourself, but for your audience to give them ample notice, and to build anticipation, the drops will just be that much more successful than the ones that kind of come together at the last minute.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 15:24
In our upcoming interview with Hilary, we’ll delve into her latest “opal orbs” collection. These opals have garnered significant attention and popularity among her collectors. Recognizing this, Hilary decided to introduce new additions, such as the hoop earrings adorned with opal orbs. For this launch, we also unveiled a refreshed email template. This template not only provides a direct link to the entire collection but also has specific buttons for individual products. We’ve incorporated several other new features in this campaign. Stay tuned to discover what those exciting changes are!

Laryssa Wirstiuk 16:12
Hi, Hilary, I’m excited to chat with you about your opal orbs today.

Hilary Finck 16:16
Hi, Laryssa. I am too nice to see you. Nice to see you as well.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 16:25
So first, why don’t you in your own words, tell our audience a little bit about those opal orbs, which I know your current customers love and collect?

Hilary Finck 16:35
Sure. So I get the opal orbs cut personally for me by a stone cutter in India. And he was introduced to me from one of my clients actually. And he’s the same person that I get my Moonstone orbs from. And then I also get some, like really beautiful, perfectly clear Moonstone caps for studs and other things. And so I was actually able to meet him in Tucson this past year. And it was just so nice to be able to put like a face to the name and because otherwise we just communicate on Instagram. And so, you know, from time to time, he’ll send me a little DMs like, Hey, I cut these I cut these are you interested? And he just sent me a message just with all these pictures of these beautiful Opal or put him cut and a various sizes. And so I said yeah, let’s do it. I’m out of orbs right now. Okay, so let’s go for it. And so I just thought it was a nice treat for my customers, especially the ones that collect my orbs, I have some that own, you know, the moonstone orb, they own the Rutilated quartz or, and they own the opal orb. So I thought Yeah, why not have a little treat my customers?

Laryssa Wirstiuk 17:43
That’s so amazing that you have that relationship with the cutter. Um, I think it’s becoming more, I guess, prevalent now that jewelry designers have those kinds of relationships with their suppliers, but it’s still it’s still kind of rare. I mean, especially for more mass produced jewelry. So it’s amazing that you’re able to, to say that to your clients.

Hilary Finck 18:04
Yeah, I love it. I have a few different stone cutters like that. And I think what’s really nice is, you know, it’s hard to buy stones just from like looking at a picture. And so you know, you get all these stones in and they’re usually really great if I say, hey, you know what, this one didn’t really look the way it looked in the picture. Or I noticed there’s this thing with it, can I send it back? And a lot of times, especially if they’re in India, they’re like, no, no, we’ll just bother sending it back. We’ll just credit it for another one. And they’re just usually really understanding and really nice about everything.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 18:35
Why do you think opals have become so popular with your collectors?

Hilary Finck 18:39
It’s kind of amazing to me that opals are still as popular as they are, I kind of think they’re never going to go out of style. First of all, they’re amazing stones, right? I mean, the whole idea that stone contains color and has all these colorful flashes. And you know, just the way the story of like how they’re made, geologically is really cool, too. So, I mean, it’s hard to pinpoint why opals are so popular, but my clients love them. When I put out the Opals collection last night. It was the best collection job I’ve ever had. And I just I mean, they’re beautiful stones. How can you not love them?

Laryssa Wirstiuk 19:21
It’s true. They are very cool. I loved the charms that you released the especially the more like orangey warm kind of ones. They were very cool.

Hilary Finck 19:30
Oh, that orange sunset or that’s the first one that went and I knew it would be my favorite. And it was just oh man. That was stunning. I would love to get some more of those like fiery orbs again. Yeah, that’s beautiful.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 19:43
So another thing that was special about this opal drop was you added hoop earrings, which were very cool. So tell me a little bit more about the decision to do that.

Hilary Finck 19:53
So my stone cutter, you know, usually he just sends orbs that are right 10 millimeters and maybe a little bit bigger at this time he sent orbs that were like seven and eight millimeters as well. And I thought, well, they’re a little when I got them in person, I thought they’re a little too small for, I think charms for a necklace. And so I was initially thinking, oh, I’ll just do like a French hook and hang them from French hook. And I did make some that, originally that were on a hook and out, and it just still wasn’t right to me. And then I thought, Oh, I make these hand hammered hoops that are great for earring terms. I’ve made custom earring terms in the past. And I thought why don’t I make these into little earring terms for the hoops. And so I slid one on and I really loved it. And then the great thing about them is that if you, if you just want to wear the hoop, then you just have hoops, you can just slide the term off of it. And you have like a really nice classic looking hoop. So I think it’s kind of a win win situation.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 20:52
Yeah, it’s like a two for one purchase. So how can you go wrong with that? So what was it like for you with this drop, this was the first time we’re using like a different look a different template for your campaign. And another thing we’re doing differently is like actually calling out all all the individual products. And we were able to do that because it was a smaller drop, there were only nine products. So how did you feel about kind of presenting it to your customers in this new way?

Hilary Finck 21:24
I think in the end, it looked, it looked really good. We’d sent out, you know, you guys had sent out some test emails to me and I was a little like, just because I’m used to my emails being really minimal. And I usually only have like maybe one or two shot buttons, and you guys had done what is great, and you put shot buttons with every product. And I, I just thought it looks a little too like shoppi, you know, which is the whole point is to have people click and you know when to buy these pieces. So it was just a little it was just different for me. And so you know, we lighten things up and just a little bit changed the format. And I just really happy with the result.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 22:10
We’re very used to clients being like a little bit shocked by like a change in the way their email looks. And I think to your what you said that all the sharp buttons, I think can be overwhelming to people. When they’re looking at it from the perspective of their own business, they don’t want to be like a hard sell. And so I totally understand that. But the reality is just like the conventions of email marketing, and how brands send and the behavior of people looking at emails, like you need all those like psychological cues, it seems like overkill when you’re looking at it from like a design perspective. But in that moment of someone literally just looking at their email for like a second, it helps like cue them into clicking.

Hilary Finck 23:03
Exactly. And I was just like, I just think they know that they should click on the pictures, right? You guys were like?

Laryssa Wirstiuk 23:11
Yeah, you would think but like, in practice, it doesn’t work that way. Did you get any feedback from subscribers? Did anyone notice a new template? Did anyone say anything?

Hilary Finck 23:26
Two people that that I got in touch with, or that got in touch with me about the new, they said how much they love the shop buttons.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 23:36
That’s so funny.

Hilary Finck 23:36
I really appreciated that it was just really easy to shop. Because the what happened and what happened in the past is that I’ll do these releases. And so I’ll have my preview email. And I’ll say, hey, everything’s going up on line tomorrow. And here’s all the pictures of what it looks, you know, the pieces that are going to be dropped, but they don’t have buttons because it’s not released yet, right. And so then the day that the actual drop happens, I send an email that’s like, here’s just a picture of all the pieces together and like a medley. And then I just have one button that says, you know, shocked the new collection. And so I’ve have gotten feedback in the past from people saying, you know, we’d love it if we saw more of the actual pictures in that second email and we can just click on what we want, but I’ve always had this and it maybe it’s totally wrong from marketing standpoint. I’m like, I don’t want them to just go look at one thing. I want them to click on the whole collection spend some time on my website. But what I forget is that like, this is kind of like a quick thing. You know, people want to buy these sometimes they sell out fast and so they want the one product they want. They want to click on it and buy it right away. So I I do think it’s the right thing to do.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 24:49
Yeah, I mean, what you said how it makes sense that you want people to like look at more products. But usually Yeah, people will see one thing that they want and if They can’t immediately find it, then they get frustrated, and they’re not going to bother, like looking around. So it’s kind of like an opposite weird way to think about it for sure.

Hilary Finck 25:10
No, it’s total lesson learned. It makes perfect sense.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 25:14
So some of the results we had that were really exciting to give you the data. So without first drop, when we first released it, it was about the same average open rate, like year to date, you’ve been at around 61%. And this campaign had 58. So it was like, right there in line with everything else. But the thing that was really different, and that got me super excited was it had a 16.3% click through rate, which was the second highest only to 16.7, which was January 2022. And I can’t remember what exactly you did then or what kind of magic you did, but it far exceeded the clicks. So it shows us that like, those subscribers are ready to receive emails from you. And like the same percentage is kind of always there for you. But now more people were inspired to actually click through to to the website. And if I had to guess I would see the shot buttons help a little bit with that, but maybe also individually, like calling out products and getting people curious about each one and about the prices and things like that, that probably helped motivate to

Hilary Finck 26:29
I was so happy with those results. 16% click rate is awesome.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 26:36
Yeah, I mean, that’s like a dream I have for you. It’s not surprising, because I know like how committed your collectors are but like for a normal, everyday jewelry brand. That would be like, my amazing like, we would have a party just a party. And and Hillary did do with it. Yeah, Hillary did sell out of all the charms, but before the end of the weekend, and I forgot to ask you, typically, how quickly do things sell out? Was that like, comparable to the performance in the past? Or faster or slower? Like, how did that work out?

Hilary Finck 27:21
Yeah, so the most orbs I opal orbs I’d put out before, were just, it was just three, and I mix them in with some other pieces. And they sold immediately they were the first three pieces that sold. And so this time, I think I sold three on the first day and then like two on the second day and the sixth one on the day after that, or something like that. So I was super happy about it. It’s great.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 27:50
And we did do one other different thing that Hilary’s never done before we did a resend on Sunday, because there were the hoops leftover by that point. And we just wanted to make sure people knew that they that they didn’t think everything had sold out and that there was still an opportunity to buy. And so we tried two different versions of that email, we sent one to people who had clicked but didn’t purchase. And then we sent another two people who hadn’t engaged at all just just to kind of get a sense of like, what is the behavior of people like looking at these campaigns in those emails didn’t end up selling the hoops or the rest of the products but we still had a very decent engagement especially on that people who clicked but didn’t purchase I believe it was like seven or 8% So people were still looking they want to see what was left. Right. So how did that make you feel to like try that out?

Hilary Finck 28:54
Well, at first, I was like no, don’t send don’t send them another email. I don’t want to bother them especially because we’re sending another email a couple days later after that and I was like Oh Just please don’t bother. And your you and your team you guys were like, hey Hillary. All of her clients send these emails out a collection dropped just to let people know what’s what’s left. And I was like, okay, you know, I don’t know I just need to get that out of my head that I’m bothering my clients. So I was fine with it in the design was beautiful. I thought it just sent the email looks great.

Hilary Finck 29:32
Yeah, and the cool thing that we were able to utilize also since we’re usually making emails like days before they send so the the potential issue here is like if we choose the products to put in there who knows they could be sold out by Sunday and then we don’t want to like make anyone upset.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 29:51
So Klaviyo allows us to have dynamic products there where we just like change a setting and it will only show what’s available. That way, even if someone doesn’t open that email for like another day or two later and say those products are sold out, they’ll never be misled to like think that a product is still available. And I think that’s really important and like having a good relationship with your customers.

Hilary Finck 30:15
Yeah, I thought that was awesome. I think that’s a really great feature from Klaviyo. And I didn’t know that because I had emailed you on Sunday when the last orb terms sold. And I was like, Oh, I don’t know if you guys have already designed the email, but the last term sold, so you’ll have to redesign the email and you guys were like, no, no, it’s fine. Yeah. Really cool.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 30:37
Yeah, we have to anticipate these things, because it’s possible that they can happen for sure. Yeah. Yeah. Um, and then, in terms of so you do have some hoops left and everyone listening? If you want some good hoops, you should go check them out, because they’re very cool. But I’m curious what you think like what happens for you in the past, when you have things leftover from drops? What would What are you planning to do with the earrings?

Hilary Finck 31:04
I’m never too worried about it. I know, pieces always sell eventually, or I can send these off to some of the shops that carry my work. I like to actually have a robust, ready to ship section. So in a way, it’s a good thing that when collections don’t totally sell out, because then it just means there’s always something for people to choose from when they go to my website, just at random times. It’s not a collection drop. I mean, I’ve had people email me before and get upset with me when they go to my website, and all they see are sold out signs, like in certain collections. And I’m like, I don’t think sorry. I don’t know what to say. So I think it’s, I think it’s actually totally okay. And and I think it’s always fun to kind of re merchandise them and images, you know, I’ll choose some other pieces and do like a group shot with them. And just, it’s, it’s fun to have options to play with.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 32:06
Yeah, I was thinking to when you were talking about the two in one kind of thing. I you like, intellectually knew that about these earrings. But like, when you look at them, you kind of don’t imagine that for yourself, or imagine the flexibility of how that could work. So it might be good to like present that also, in the future.

Hilary Finck 32:28
Yeah, I need to take some pictures of them with them off of the hoops. And I need to get some pictures of these on Model Two. always tricky for me. And I know, especially with earrings, people always want to know how they look. So it’s just getting model shots is always hard for me. But yeah, there’s so many ways to market these. And then also, I’ve thought about how fun it would be to just start making this match earring terms, just in general, just to let people choose. I mean, I’ve done customers before that are like mother’s earring terms that are the birthstones of their kids. So like one was Tanzanite and one wasn’t Garnet. And they look really pretty together. And I love the idea of mismatched terms too. So I think it’s something that I need to kind of prioritize to design for just future offerings.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 33:19
Yeah, that’s a really fun idea. And then it’s like more collectability you know, collect more charms, put them on your earrings have lots of flexibility. Yeah.

Hilary Finck 33:29
Yeah. And I mean, these terms. Also, there is a little like a little the bail, I guess there is a hole there that like if somebody wanted to string it with like a letter cord or something that goes through. I mean, you can’t fit a class through it necessarily. But they can do really whatever they want with these two, they’re very versatile.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 33:50
Could you see them on a bracelet? Or is it too small for that?

Hilary Finck 33:53
I think they’d probably look great on a bracelet. In fact, maybe I should start thinking about designing them for bracelets.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 34:00
We’re working through product ideas here live. Yeah, definitely. Um, well, it was great to learn more about your Opal orbs, and I hope everyone will go check them out too, because they’re very cool. So thanks, Hillary for joining me today.

Hilary Finck 34:18
You’re welcome. Thanks for talking about the opal orbs with me was fun.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 34:22
What did you think about the interview? Are you excited to follow Hilary on this journey? I highly encourage you to check out Hilary’s website hilaryfinck.com and follow her on Instagram @hilaryfinckjewelry. Link in the show notes as well. Let me know in a podcast review or YouTube comment what you think about this new journey. Okay, let’s get into THE GOLD MINE.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 34:47
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. Let’s get into this week’s GOLD MINE! I’ll be talking about the mindset shift from “designing for you” to “designing for us”. As I’m sure you know, my Sparklers, the creation process can sometimes be solitary—designers pouring their heart and soul into pieces, hoping they resonate with the market. But there might be another way, a more collaborative approach, especially suited to certain designers. Let’s explore this shift. The Old Model: Traditionally, many designers operate under the “making stuff for you” mindset. They envision a piece, create it, and present it to the world, hoping for acceptance. While this approach has merits, it can also be somewhat detached, like crafting in a vacuum where the audience is merely a passive recipient. The New Approach: The idea of “making stuff for us” implies collaboration and shared ownership. Instead of solely dictating what’s beautiful or trendy, it’s about understanding and echoing the collective desires, needs, and aspirations of the community they design for. Who is it for? This mindset shift may not resonate with every jewelry designer. It’s particularly potent for those who are the face of their brand and feel a profound connection with their target audience. If designers see their own stories and values mirrored in their audience, this collaborative approach can amplify their brand’s authenticity. For others, it may feel forced and not align with the brand’s essence. Living the Brand: One profound way to communicate this “for us” philosophy is for designers to wear their own creations passionately. By showcasing how they style their pieces, they not only demonstrate their personal connection to their designs but also inspire their audience. Sharing personal stories and meanings behind each piece can also deepen the bond with their community, making each jewelry item more than just an accessory but a narrative of shared experiences and emotions. Actionable Steps for Designers: Engage with Your Audience: Utilize social media polls, feedback sessions, or collaborative workshops to directly involve them in the design process. Listen to their desires and preferences, making them an integral part of the journey. Get Personal: Share anecdotes from your life that have influenced your designs. Whether it’s a trip that inspired a collection or a family heirloom that sparked a new idea, letting your audience into your world helps form a deeper bond. Show How You Style: Don’t just create; demonstrate. Wear your pieces and share photos or videos of how you style them in daily life. It provides a genuine endorsement of your products and offers styling tips to potential buyers. Share Your Favorites: From time to time, spotlight a few pieces that hold special meaning for you. Talk about why they resonate with you and how they might connect with others. Give a Peek Behind the Scenes: People love seeing the process behind the finished product. Share glimpses of your design phase, the crafting process, or even the occasional challenges. It demystifies the brand and showcases the dedication and craftsmanship that goes into each piece. Be Honest and Transparent: Whether it’s about sourcing materials, pricing decisions, or design challenges, an open dialogue fosters trust. Customers value brands that don’t just market to them but converse with them. Stay Updated: Immerse yourself in cultural shifts, shared experiences, and emerging trends. By staying attuned to the pulse of your audience, you ensure your designs remain relevant and resonant. Incorporate Feedback: Act on the feedback you receive. When your audience sees their suggestions or preferences manifest in your designs, it reinforces the collaborative spirit of the “for us” approach. Host Collaborative Events: Consider organizing events where fans can co-design or customize pieces. Such participatory events not only build community but also reinforce the collective ethos of your brand. Celebrate Your Community: Regularly spotlight loyal customers wearing your pieces or sharing their own stories. It creates a sense of belonging and emphasizes that your brand is a collective endeavor. For those designers intrinsically connected with their audience, the “for us” mindset can foster a more inclusive and collaborative design process. It’s about mutual inspiration, shared stories, and crafting pieces that encapsulate shared emotions. What did you think? Let me know in an Instagram DM, podcast review or YouTube comment.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 43:29
That’s it for today. Did you have any questions about today’s episode? You can always email me Laryssa at laryssa@joyjoya.com. If you loved this podcast, please share it with a friend who’d appreciate it. And 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