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.

Welcome to Episode #272. In this episode, I’m excited to share one of my favorite jewelry marketing activities to kick off the new year – giving your email subscriber list a check-up! In the world of jewelry marketing, the email list is like a lively and ever-evolving companion that needs some TLC from time to time. Just how often you should pamper it depends on its size – the bigger ones require more frequent spa days, while the smaller ones can enjoy a more casual check-in now and then. So, let’s dive into the world of email subscriber list rejuvenation! Later in this episode, I’ll also be chatting with Hilary from 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 we begin our conversation with Hilary, let’s talk about what it means to have a healthy email list, how to regularly manage email list health, and what actions you can take to improve list health if it’s looking a little under the weather.

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, I’m so excited to announce the Joy Joya 2024 “Name Your Price” Emerging Jewelry Brand Incubator. Are you an emerging, independent jewelry brand looking for strategic digital marketing from Joy Joya? But you’re also worried that you simply can’t afford professional marketing support? In 2024, we’re launching an “Emerging Jewelry Brand Incubator” for just 10 brands that will have the opportunity to “Name Their Price” for professional marketing services! We’re determined to make marketing support more accessible. Nope, this is not a joke, and there’s no “catch”. We’re serious! After working in the jewelry industry for almost 8 years, we’ve noticed numerous brands that could greatly benefit from additional marketing assistance, but often, it has seemed challenging for them to access the support they need. Maybe you feel like you have one of those brands. Our objective is to establish a strong marketing base for you, enabling you to elevate your brand to the next level. For all the details, visit JewelryBrandIncubator.com. Applications close January 31st! So don’t wait too long.

Okay, let’s get into today’s episode, my Sparklers! Everyone focuses on their own health in the new year, setting resolutions about nutrition and fitness. But I want to focus on a different kind of health – the health of your email subscriber list. What it means to have a healthy email list Having a healthy email marketing list means having a well-maintained and engaged roster of subscribers who have willingly opted in to receive your emails. A healthy list is characterized by low bounce rates, high open and click-through rates, and minimal unsubscribes or spam complaints. In the jewelry industry, that means having a 50-60% average open rate and a 2-3% click-through rate. However, if you have a very large list with many thousands of subscribers, those numbers will naturally be harder to maintain – and will likely be lower. Very small lists tend to have higher-than-average numbers.

I’d like to point out something important regarding open rates, as it might not be common knowledge. A few years back, Apple introduced the iOS 14 privacy update, which essentially hides certain data about email opens, especially on Apple devices. This means that your open rates may not be entirely accurate. While you can still rely on noticeable trends, scrutinizing the open rate for each individual email without considering the bigger picture won’t provide you with meaningful or precise insights. If you’re worried about too many people unsubscribing because you notice every now and then that someone unsubscribes, a good unsubscribe rate is less than 0.5% – and in all my years of working with many jewelry brands, I’ve never seen anyone exceed that. It means you acquired those email addresses through an opt-in, so customers have submitted themselves to be on your list, whether that’s through a pop-up or other sign-up form on your website. Simply adding people to your email list because you think they’d like to receive your emails is NOT a good email marketing practice. In fact, it can very much irreparably damage the health of your email list. It reflects a strong connection with your audience, with recipients eagerly anticipating and interacting with your content.

Additionally, a healthy list is regularly cleaned and updated to remove inactive or irrelevant contacts, ensuring that your emails reach an interested and responsive audience, ultimately leading to successful email marketing campaigns and business growth. A healthy email list should ideally include segments that hold significance for your business, such as a group of frequent buyers or a segment comprising customers who have never made a purchase. However, creating these segments should serve a purpose beyond mere existence; you should consider how to leverage them to send more tailored and effective emails. Additionally, utilizing segments helps in gaining a deeper understanding of the diverse subscribers within your email list. A healthy email list is also managed through an email marketing provider like Klaviyo or Mailchimp, not from your own personal email – since those platforms can manage all the email marketing compliance for you – and help you monitor your data. How to regularly manage email list health One of the most important aspects of email list health in ensuring that you’re always encouraging new people to sign up. Take every opportunity you can to promote your email list, especially on social media. Mention the benefits of being a subscriber and make it worthwhile for people to be on the email list.

As previously mentioned, it’s crucial to add subscribers to your email list following best practices. This can be achieved through methods like website pop-ups or footer sign-up forms. Subscribers should have a clear understanding of what they can expect, whether it’s a welcome discount or updates on new products and promotions. It’s essential to provide confirmation when they sign up. If you’re collecting email addresses manually at an in-person event, ensure that the paper sign-up form prominently states that providing your email address implies agreement to receive regular marketing updates from your brand. Ideally, consider using a tablet or device for direct sign-ups. Additionally, it’s a good practice to send at least one welcome email immediately after sign-up to confirm their inclusion on the list. Using paper sign-up forms can lead to delays in adding people to your list, and by the time they receive your first email, they may have forgotten what they signed up for. Never ever ever buy subscribers, ugh I get sick just thinking about someone doing that. And never ever ever just add people you know because you think they’d like to be on your list. Nope. Regularly, it’s important to identify and create a segment for disengaged subscribers because you definitely don’t want individuals on your list who aren’t interested. Although it might sting a bit to archive a group of subscribers, it’s a wise move for the overall health of your list, ensuring that those who genuinely want to receive your emails continue to do so. The process for creating this segment may vary depending on your email provider, but generally, you should isolate individuals who haven’t opened or clicked on an email in the past 90 days (you can adjust this timeframe based on your list maintenance schedule, but 90 days is a good starting point). Obviously, if you haven’t sent an email in 90 days, then this doesn’t make sense for you, and you’re going to want to start sending regular campaigns again before you do this clean up.

If you’re a larger brand with a sizable email list, you can automate this segment, allowing individuals to enter it automatically when they meet the criteria, eliminating the need for manual cleanup efforts. What actions you can take to improve list health if it’s looking a little under the weather I mentioned that it’s important to always look for ways to keep growing your email list. What are some ways to do that? Offer an Incentive: Provide a compelling reason for people to subscribe, such as a welcome discount, exclusive access to sales, or a chance to win jewelry through a giveaway. Content Marketing: Create valuable content like blog posts, guides, or videos related to jewelry, and require email sign-ups for access. Social Media Promotion: Promote your email list on social media platforms, encouraging followers to subscribe for special offers and updates. Referral Programs: Reward existing subscribers for referring friends and family to join your email list. Contests and Giveaways: Run contests or giveaways on social media, with entry requirements that include subscribing to your email list. Collaborations: Partner with influencers or complementary brands to cross-promote and gain access to their audiences. Event/in-person Sign-up Let’s circle back to the disengaged segment. So what are you supposed to do with the segment of subscribers who don’t engage with you? You’re going to manually send them a “re-engagement campaign” or if you want to automate this whole process because you are very regular with email marketing, you can automate the re-engagement campaign to send to anyone who enters your disengaged segment. The goal of this re-engagement campaign should basically be to say, “Hey, we haven’t seen you in a while, are you still interested in getting our emails? Click the button to confirm your subscription and/or to update your information. If you don’t click, we’ll ensure you no longer receive our emails. But you can always resubscribe in the future.” Then anyone who doesn’t click on the email should get archived. This can be really painful to do, but again it’s a really necessary part of maintaining the health of your email list. Bottom line: the one MOST important thing you can be doing to maintain the health of your email list is to actually email your list regularly. The more inconsistent you are, the more you’re damaging list health. In our upcoming conversation with Hilary, we’ll be catching up with her and discussing topics unrelated to the health of an email subscriber list, purely for enjoyment as we celebrate her acceptance into the NY Now Emerging Fine Jewelry Designer Incubator. We’ll dive into her experiences of preparing for her first trade show and her aspirations for the exhibition. Hilary will share all the exciting details about embracing this incredible opportunity!

Hey, Hillary, thanks for joining us today.

Hilary Finck 19:15
Hey, Laryssa. Good to see you.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 19:17
Good to see you. So if in case people didn’t hear you were accepted to the New York now emerging fine, jewelry designer incubator. So why don’t you tell us in your own words what that even means, first of all?

Hilary Finck 19:33
Sure. So it’s organized by the fabulous Liz Kantner and Robin Kramer. And, you know, I think what they’ve realized is there’s kind of a difficulty for emerging jewelers to kind of get into that trade show. Loop, I guess, just like, you know, financially and just, it’s difficult to set up your booths and all that stuff. It just takes By the time so they just put together this incubator where they selected 12 designers, internationally. And what they did is just make it really simple for us, you know, it’s like a fraction of the price, and also a fraction of the size of the booth. But it’s just this like, turnkey, you know, case display with a sign behind you just really easy for us to just get our foot in, get started. And, you know, they both believe in wholesale as a way to grow your business. So this is just their way of, of helping.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 20:36
So what caught your attention about it in the first place? What attracted you to apply to it?

Hilary Finck 20:41
I’ve been wanting to do a major trade show. I applied to Mellie, a couple years ago, and I got him but then I decided not to do it, because I was just like, Oh, it’s so expensive. And there’s just like a gazillion designers in Mellino. Right. So anyway, you know, and then you look at New York now. And you’re like, oh my gosh, how do you even get started. And so it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. And this just was like, bam, this is such an incredible opportunity. Just to kind of have your handheld I mean, Robin Kramer is pretty much an expert in wholesale trade shows. So to just get her guidance is super important to begin with. So it just it just made sense. Because this is already something I’ve been wanting to do I want to grow my wholesale business. And I’m, I am not great. At that part of it. I’m not great at sending out the emails and all that stuff and all that, you know, the connecting that way. So this was just a great opportunity.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 21:41
What was the application process like for you?

Hilary Finck 21:43
It was super easy. It was just a few basic questions. I was actually really surprised by how quick and easy it was. That’s great.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 21:53
And then when you did find out that you got accepted, how did you feel?

Hilary Finck 21:58
Oh, my gosh, super excited, just for all, you know, all the all the reasons I just stated just having so much guidance and help getting your foot in the door with something as tricky as you know, big wholesale trade show. And it’s just a great opportunity to have, you know, so many eyes on my work, you know, stores that I have sent line sheets to in the past. A lot of them have said, Oh, do you do New York now or Mellie? You know, they want to see my jewelry in person. And so I’ll be following up with a lot of those stores to say, hey, you can now see me at this New York now incubator. And then, you know, I’m I’m nervous. I think that’s just totally normal. You know, it’s a financial commitment. And it’s just taken up a lot of time making jewelry and getting ready for it, you know, right in the middle of my busy holiday season. So it’s just kind of been like it’s a little bit all encompassing right now. Which is fine. I’m not complaining about that at all. It’s just, it’s a little bit nerve wracking.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 23:04
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. It is a tough time of year to like prep for that. And it’s not a lot of time. Like you have to do it pretty quickly, too.

Hilary Finck 23:12
Yeah, for sure. Yeah.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 23:15
So what are you hoping to get out of this opportunity? And what are you most excited about?

Hilary Finck 23:20
I mean, okay, so top number one goal? I mean, kind of always is my top number one goal like Bergdorf Goodman, baby. Yeah, of course, it’s like not likely to happen. But you know, like, that was that’s just kind of like my all time dream. Like, I would love to be in Bergdorf Goodman someday. I, I mean, I don’t know, that’s just silly. But, um, you know, overall, I just would love to get into a few more stores that I’ve been wanting to get into, or, you know, learn about some new stores that I didn’t even know about, you know, I have about 50 stores on my list to contact. And I mean, of course, there are a gazillion more that will be at that trade show. So that’s just it, you know, it’s like, get into, you know, hey, two more stores would be amazing. I, I think I hear from a lot of designers when they do their first trade show. They don’t get into any store. So I’m also I’m also preparing myself to not get any wholesale orders. But it’s really about like making those connections and then also connecting with the other jewelers. I’m really excited to just kind of have like a bunch of days in a row just meeting them and learning from them too.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 24:38
So I think like a big mystery around trade shows is like all the prep that’s involved or what is involved and all the things you have to do. So I love if you could break that down for us.

Hilary Finck 24:53
Well, this is this is simpler because it’s a turnkey booth, where we don’t have to do any designing except for Like what’s gonna be in our display case, and then we had to design a sign for behind our booth or behind the display case. So it’s really not a lot of like designing for the booth, which is great. But you know, initially like right away, I bought my plane ticket, bought my hotel rooms. And then I started going on a gemstone purchasing spree, which is so much fun. Just because you know, I do have a good amount of jewelry in my ready to ship section, but I want to have some new knockout pieces for this show. So I also bought a bunch of new faceted stones, because I’m going to be putting out a new faceted gem collection. And then it’s just like, you know, making a list of the jewelry I want to bring that I have in stock, making a list of the new things I want to design. I’ve been making the jewelry now for a couple of weeks. And then it’s the like organizational admin stuff. It’s like making the list of all the stores you want to get into drafting those emails, designing a postcard. And I’ve gotten as far as like, I’m trying to fill in the spreadsheet with all the contact information for all the stores I want to send to so. And then I have to plan my outfits, of course so you know, I’m gonna have to buy some new outfits. I bought some new shoes. I’m so excited about I bought a new winter coat because it’s New York in February. Yeah. Just you know, shoes.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 26:34
You should do a trade show outfit of the day on your Instagram Stories.

Hilary Finck 26:38
Oh, gosh. I mean, that would be fun. But I’m also I know myself, I’ll just probably go like really simple. Just like easy. black dress. I know, I should do something more than that. But I know myself I feel most comfortable in black. So.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 26:55
So how many new pieces are you actually making?

Hilary Finck 26:58
I mean, I listed out that I would make like 30 new pieces. And that includes like some of my like hand hammered collection like small production pieces that I just don’t have in stock, but also, you know, a bunch of new pieces. So it’s really probably more than a need, because I already have like 25 pieces in my ready to ship section I can bring to but even though the case won’t hold all of that, I can still have some kind of an on a tray underneath to show people a little bit more jewelry. So yeah, I mean, I was just mentioning, I have this new, faceted gemstone collection I’m really excited about it’s going to be five pieces, really bright and beautiful and sparkly faceted gems. It’s just, you know, done. Like, I’ve done a couple of custom pieces with people’s faceted gemstones. But I’ve never actually done a whole collection for my clients with faceted gemstones. So I’m excited about debuting that there. Yeah, I’m just making pieces.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 28:00
Yeah, and it’s cool. You’re gonna give your email subscribers kind of like a first look at that before you do bring them to the show.

Hilary Finck 28:07
Yeah, I couldn’t resist. I just feel like my email subscribers are so awesome. And so dedicated, and my collectors are just so they’re so important to me and to my business. I thought why not reward them and kind of give them a first look at this collection, and see if anyone wants any of the pieces.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 28:29
So in all of this prep is any aspect like especially challenging for you or feels like extra time consuming?

Hilary Finck 28:36
Yeah, it’s the admin type stuff. I don’t know what it is. And I don’t think this is, you know, out of the ordinary by any means. The idea of just sending emails to stores, I just can’t stand it. And I, I don’t it’s like it’s so silly, because it’s just what we’re supposed to be doing. Right. And so it’s that that is, you know, causing a little bit of stress designing a postcard to send out you know, it’s just the stuff that it’s the like sitting at home and doing it’s, you know, of course I love being in my studio and making the jewelry. So that’s the easy part even though that’s the most like time consuming and fingertip, you know, erasing part of the work. Like my thumbprint is so messed up right now that my computer won’t turn on with like they won’t recognize my thumbprint actually been having to type my password. So anyway.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 29:42
That sounds like some crazy criminal stuff like you’re erasing your fingerprints. What feels surprisingly like easier fun about the prep.

Hilary Finck 29:55
I find the gemstones has been so much fun I went, I’ve been buying the faceted stones from Noel Habib downtown San Francisco and just being able to go into her office and just like see tray after tray after tray of all these gorgeous faceted stones. And I’m just so surprised at how attracted I am to faceted stones because I’ve always just done like cabbage ponds. And I’m loving it. These new pieces I’ve made. I just am so in love with the depth and the sparkle of these stones. And I’m like, Oh, I might just go total faceted stones. You never know.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 30:36
Yeah, it’s dangerous. I did see pictures though. And they’re pretty amazing. So I don’t blame you. Thanks.

Hilary Finck 30:42
Thank you. It’s really fun. And it’s it’s been a challenge to figure out kind of a new type of setting for some of them. And it’s like the long I think I’m like so falling in love with the long term leans like the emerald cut. Oh my gosh, I’m just, I just want all of them.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 31:04
Well, Hilary, it’s really cool to hear about the prep and to get a little bit behind the scenes and I know everyone will be cheering you on as you actually get to the trade show. So thanks for sharing your experience.

Hilary Finck 31:16
You’re welcome. No problem at all.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 31:18
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.

This is a segment of the podcast where I get personal and share insights on entrepreneurship, mindset, success, growth and all things business, I get a little bit we go so we go heart to heart in this segment. In this week’s GOLD MINE, let’s delve into the concept of busy work and how to avoid it. Firstly, what is busy work? Busy work refers to tasks or activities that may seem productive but, in reality, do not significantly contribute to one’s overarching goals or objectives. It can consume time while creating the illusion of productivity, ultimately diverting attention from more important and meaningful tasks. Many of us were conditioned to view busy work positively during our school years. Much of the homework and schoolwork we did lacked genuine purpose and served merely to keep us occupied, giving us a false sense of accomplishment and praise. I’ve observed numerous jewelry business owners engaging in busy work. While busy work isn’t inherently bad and can yield some pleasing outcomes, it can also be deceiving. It might look and feel good, serving a purpose by boosting our positivity. However, busy work often fails to advance our goals; instead, it consumes time that could be better spent on impactful, albeit uncomfortable and challenging, tasks that actually propel us from point A to point B.

So, how can you break free from the cycle of busy work and achieve more with less time? Start by examining whether you’re using other activities to avoid tasks out of fear or uncertainty. Are you substituting these tasks with other activities that provide a sense of accomplishment but lack real impact? Imagine you had just one hour per day to focus on your business. How would you streamline your efforts to concentrate solely on the most crucial tasks? Define those tasks and prioritize them. Additionally, consider your attitude toward busyness. Do you enjoy constantly saying you’re busy to others? It’s a common habit, but it’s worth questioning whether it adds depth to your life. Intriguingly, people who actively carve out time to slow down and don’t make work the center of their existence can be more captivating. Implement time batching, explore how to template repetitive tasks, and think about future hiring even if it seems distant. Investigate outsourcing tasks that demand your attention but don’t warrant your personal involvement. Platforms like Fiverr and Upwork can be valuable resources. While you’re paying for these services, it’s an investment in your time, acknowledging its significance. Are you ready to break free from busy work this year and shift toward meaningful, impactful tasks that drive progress? Feel free to drop me a message via Instagram DM, leave a review on the podcast, or comment on our YouTube channel. Let’s engage in a discussion about it!

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