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
Welcome to Episode #267. Today, I want to talk about how you can use Instagram as a customer experience channel. Using Instagram in this way is like turning the popular social media platform into a digital space where your business can interact with fans and customers in various engaging and friendly ways. Imagine Instagram as a lively market where businesses set up colorful stalls (their Instagram profiles) to display their products and interact with people walking by (their followers and potential customers). Unfortunately, many businesses use Instagram to simply broadcast their messages to people. They have a specific goal, usually selling a product, and expect that everyone who sees their post will be eager to purchase it. However, prioritizing customer experience involves taking the time to interact with customers and actively build relationships with them. The way people engage with Instagram is evolving; with an increasing emphasis on video content, it’s becoming more of an entertainment platform than a traditional social media platform. As a result, your content might be viewed by people who don’t necessarily like or comment on it. This shift requires a smarter approach to crafting a customer experience. Use Instagram not just as an endpoint, but as a starting point to encourage people to connect with your brand in various ways. 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 our conversation with Hilary, I’ll discuss when it makes sense for a jewelry brand to shift their focus to boosting customer experience on Instagram, some ideas for doing so, and how to use Instagram as a springboard for other marketing efforts.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 3:14
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.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 3:37
Okay, let’s get into today’s episode, my Sparklers! This episode is all about using Instagram as a customer experience channel, which means businesses on Instagram aren’t just selling products; but they’re also creating an engaging, interactive, and friendly space where customers can see products, talk to the business, give feedback, and feel like part of a community, all through their phone or computer screens.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 4:12
So when does it make sense for a jewelry brand to focus more on building and boosting customer experience through Instagram? Well, first of all, if you feel like the algorithm just hasn’t been doing you any favors, and you’ve been frustrated by low engagement, and you’re thinking there must be something else I can do. Or you’ve kind of just given up. This is the something else that you can do. This is the new approach the new focus that you can take to really work with the followers and the engagement that you have. So that’s one sign. Two this could help you stand out in a competitive market. We know Instagram is full of jewelry brands even just like fashion and accessories brands. So if you’re focusing more on customer experience, and you’re focused on personalized interactions, and really engaging content, that can help make your brand more memorable. Also, if you’ve received customer feedback, like, let’s say you’ve heard from your customers that they want more interaction, they want enhanced engagement, they feel a little bit disconnected from your brand, this is a chance for you to kind of connect with them on a more personal engaging level. Definitely, if you’ve got some new products or collections up your sleeve, and you’ve been looking for ways to bring more attention to them, because you feel in the past that your launches have fallen flat. These moments are perfect opportunities to create more immersive, engaging experiences on Instagram, whether you’re showcasing your new products through Stories, definitely through live video, and through more interactive and creative posts, special promotions or events. I think this is a really good time of year to talk about this. Because we know Black Friday has basically become like an ecommerce marathon. And there’s so much noise out there. It’s very crowded, not just in jewelry, but you’re competing with like every product a person could possibly buy, because they are trying to figure out how to delegate their money on all the gifts on all the things they want to treat themselves to. So enhancing the customer experience, finding ways to really actively engage customers, get them excited and involved emotionally tied to your brand. If you’re having a special promotion, or an event that will get that will make it more likely that people will pay attention to you.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 7:07
Also, if you’re a newer to market brand, or you really feel like your brand perception needs a boost, because one, maybe the brand feels a little distant, especially if you are fine, or luxury. Or maybe you feel like you could be more customer centric. Or maybe you just feel like you’re kind of like a nobody in the marketplace. Working on customer experience on Instagram can really help improve your brand’s image. And again, connect more deeply with your audience. Also, if you either want to encourage more user generated content, or find opportunities to share user generated content that you have, focusing on customer experience makes it a no brainer to really get your customers involved and show how they are wearing and enjoying your jewelry. And if you’re seeking to improve customer loyalty, and get those first time purchasers to come back again and again, then focusing on customer experience is really the key to building that loyalty. Because you’ll be engaging with customers in a meaningful way. And they will really feel like they have a relationship with you and loyalty to your brand.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 8:27
So you’re thinking okay, okay, Laryssa, I get it. It’s important, how do I do it? So here are some ideas for actually using Instagram as a customer experience channel. Let’s talk about the most obvious one first, Instagram is, of course, a platform with a focus on visual content. So how can you take what Instagram is this very visual platform and use that to boost customer experience? Well, of course, we have that focus on visual elements, whether that’s photos, carousels, videos, the Reels format, live streaming, these really open up extensive possibilities for you to create those captivating customer interactions. So maybe you’re soliciting their opinions, inviting them to join in contests that really helps foster a lively and reciprocal dialogue. You want to ask for their feedback. You want to ask questions and captions. You want to use the imagery, the videos to kind of provoke a response, and then support that with the captions, really make it so they can’t not engage so they have to stop take a moment. See what this is that you’re posting rather than just doing their normal habit of scroll scroll, scroll, ignore ignore, ignore, being distracted, being distracted being distracted so use all of the different formats that Instagram offers you, be intentional with them, and try to really put all your effort into making everything you post as interesting as possible. And not just like a throw away. Oh, I guess I have to post today, let me just put up a picture of my jewelry. Because I would rather you take the time to think through how this can be as engaging as possible? Rather than just post for the sake of posting, that’s not going to help you in any way. And Instagram Stories in particular, I love this for a distinctive method for connecting with customers. One because the content is like more temporary only lasts for 24 hours. And two the Stories are really like a direct portal to your DMs. So rather than someone like leaving a comment on a post, that’s like one step away from having a conversation in DMs and Stories, if they were to respond to you, they’re in your direct message box, and you have direct access to them. So really lean into those Stories use all the features like polls, quizzes, the option to share and acknowledge responses. This not only boosts engagement, but it also shows that you appreciate and you care about your followers. And that contributes to an improved perception of your brand, and stronger ties with your audience.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 11:38
So back to some more general tips. Make sure you’re responding to all comments. Even if someone just leaves you like a heart emoji, I want you to respond to them. So you’re not just going on Instagram to post and ditch the platform and leave and not engage with it for the rest of the day. Or use a scheduling tool and never logging into the platform at all. You need to spend time on there actually engaging with comments. Check your direct message inbox for requests to see if people are DMing you and make that DM a true like support channel. So be prompt, be personal. Respond quickly. If someone complains or gives you feedback, even if it’s a negative comment, make sure you’re engaging with everyone. There are actually now a bunch of AI apps that integrate with meta business suite that can help you manage Auto Replies to when people DM you. So it looks like you’re always there to help or at least is like an intermediary option until you are able to get to your phone and engage with the customer who’s DMing you. Okay, here’s a really big one. If you take one thing from this episode, take away one thing from this episode. Please take this. Don’t be afraid to directly ask for what you want, and or go out of your way to offer an extra level of service. I don’t know what it is. But I think are you shy? Are you not sure if it’s appropriate to engage with customers on a deeper level or go one step further. For example, if you notice that someone is liking or commenting regularly on your posts, feel free to DM them. Thank them, get to know them. Ask them, ask them if there’s more information that would be helpful to them. Be friendly and offer your support. You don’t have to be a used car salesman. Show them that you’ve noticed their engagement you’ve noticed them and that you appreciate them. Also remind those people of the incentives that you offer. So let’s say you offer a percent off for signing up for email, you can say hey, are you signed up for my emails, you may not have known that when you sign up, you get 15% off your first purchase or whatever. You can also offer personalized product recommendations via DMs. If a customer is showing interest in a particular product, then you can suggest complimentary items or new arrivals or even things that haven’t even hit your shop yet that you think might interest them. And I think like as I said too many brands are afraid to be direct and assertive with customers or even with interested people. And you can’t assume that everyone who follows you is seeing and or paying close attention to your content. So use Instagram as a service channel and be years of service to these people who are engaging with you. Other tips share informative content or tutorials related to your products like styling tips, gift guides, this can help customers understand your offerings better and see the value in them. You may want to think about partnering with influencers to reach that broader audience because they can really help create authentic content that resonates, enhances your brand’s credibility.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 15:31
Maybe you use Instagram to offer exclusive deals or promotions to your followers. And this can incentivize people to follow your account and again, increase customer loyalty. Another highly underutilized feature of Instagram when it comes to customer experience is live. Host live sessions do Q and A’s do your product launches, do special live events, that really helps create a sense of community. Immediacy gives that personal connection to your brand. You can share customer reviews and testimonials. You can as I mentioned before, use stories to do surveys and gather customer feedback. If you have a team. It’s really nice to do, like Meet the Team kind of content to show what it’s like a day in the life in your business, make your brand feel more relatable and engaging. And also other types of behind the scenes content, whether that’s early previews, sneak peeks day to day stuff, sitting at the bench choosing gemstones, whatever that may be. How then can you use Instagram as a springboard for other marketing efforts? Once you start to actively and more proactively engage those analytics from Instagram can provide valuable insights into your customer preferences and behaviors. And then that can be used to tailor content and strategies on your other digital marketing channels. And really understanding what content resonates with your audience on Instagram can guide your approach to content creation elsewhere. Also, so important. This needs to have synergy with your email marketing. So Instagram can be used to help you grow your email subscriber list. If you’re promoting signups through posts and stories, you can offer exclusive content, or discounts to subscribers, and create that mutual benefit between your Instagram presence and the health of your email marketing list. And also, in general, this will create enhanced customer service and a feedback loop. So if you’re using Instagram for customer experience and customer service, that of course, will boost overall customer satisfaction, leading to positive reviews, word of mouth marketing, and happy customers excited customers are more likely to engage with the brand on Instagram and other platforms, recommending it to others, leaving positive feedback.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 18:23
In our upcoming chat with Hilary, we’ll be talking with her about her own habits for engaging with comments and DMs on Instagram, how she uses feedback on Instagram to grow her business, and more.

Hilary Finck 18:44
Hi, Laryssa. Yeah, let’s let’s go for it. Let’s talk about my Instagram addiction.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 18:49
Yeah, but in all seriousness, I mean, a lot of the engagement that you get with your customers is on that platform. So of course it makes sense for you to spend time there. And I’m really interested to know like how you use it as almost like a customer service slash customer experience, platform. So tell me what are your habits with like engaging with comments and DMs on Instagram?

Hilary Finck 19:17
Well, I don’t have any notifications. So that’s one thing and then, but that just means that I’m checking it all the time, because I’m not being notified that there’s stuff so I’m always like, ooh, I wonder if there’s something new. So with comments, I will try to always respond to comments. I feel like people are taking the time to look at my posts and say something hopefully Nice. So you know, either reply with a simple thank you or, you know, warrants something more or a simple heart like you know, Jim dealers are liking something or commenting on something. I will either put a heart if I’m feeling Nice, or if I don’t feel like dealing with some dealers, I will go and block them. Because there’s so many. So it really depends on my mood, what I’ll do with some dealers, but, um, and then the same with with DMs, you know, I will try to be, you know, as courteous and kind and amenable as I can with the just like, you know, trying to find out what people need what they want. And then of course, if there’s comments where people are just kind of asking for something more than I feel like talking about in the comments, like prices and things like that, I’ll always move that over to DM.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 20:37
I’m sure since like you occasionally have posts that I guess go, quote unquote, viral, you probably get a lot of engagement and interaction from people who just aren’t like regulars, or they’re not familiar with your brand. So I wonder if you get anything that like surprises you or kind of throws you off a little bit?

Hilary Finck 20:56
Yeah, I’ve gotten some ridiculous comments before, and I’ll just I just delete them and block the person. You know, I’m not going to engage with something that seems like it could be like a trolling situation. I mean, I guess the comments that throw me off the most, I’m always just like, really, are the people that think they need to tell you what they think your jewelry looks like, you know, they’re like, that looks like a ham sandwich, you know, or whatever the thing is, and you’re just like, Why do you think that I, first of all care? What you think my jewelry looks like that? Second of all, why do you think it’s okay to put that so anyway, I just delete stuff that I just, I don’t want anyone else. Like, let’s say someone really liked that necklace. And then they see that someone said it looked like a ham sandwich. I’m like, Well, I don’t even want them to get that idea in their head, you know? So yeah, I’ll just delete stuff like that. But I get some weird, I guess, especially on posts that that goes, you know, quote unquote, viral. I’m constantly.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 21:59
It’s probably good also that you don’t put prices like in captions, because I’ve seen a lot of comments where people are like, that’s really expensive. And I’m like, Yeah, but that’s also relative to you and your situation, you know, and people like to talk about money a lot in comments.

Hilary Finck 22:18
Yeah, yeah, I did that when I first started. And I realized pretty quickly that I shouldn’t do that. You know, I would say another comment that I get, and I get DMs about this. And I get comments about this. And I feel kind of bad about it. But people, they want to know exactly how I do my captured setting. And they want to know, like, exactly what torture I use, you know, they want to know, and I just it’s kind of like I hate being like secretive. But it’s like, it’s not rocket science, but it’s kind of like my special sauce. Right? It’s like, you don’t ask a restaurant like, Hey, can I get that exact recipe for your, you know, that amazing soup? That’s, you know, that everyone goes crazy for whatever. So I in DMs, I will just I’ve got a point now where I just kind of ignore it. I feel bad that, you know, in the past, I’ve been like, no, sorry. It’s, you know, blah, blah, blah. And then in DMs, I’ve said something before or in comments. I got some snide comments back from someone that thought I was rude for not telling them how I did it. So I don’t know that one kind of throws me off a little bit, too.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 23:25
I mean, I don’t blame you. There’s such an issue with like copycatting in this industry today. And I don’t know, I think a lot of people feel entitled to information that’s all on the internet. And they don’t think about though there’s like an actual maker behind this who’s trying to make a living. So I get I get it. Yeah. Yeah. Would you say that you’ve ever gotten feedback that actually like inspired or influenced new products or new designs or like, working towards something that would satisfy like customer requests?

Hilary Finck 24:00
Yeah, generally, if if, you know, there’s a post that goes crazy and gets a lot of comments or, you know, posts, if it because of the post something sells right away? You know, that’s a good indication to me that, like, was it the stone was what was it about the design? And then, you know, I’ll make a little mental note, like, yeah, get some more of those stones in that color, or, you know, whatever, and, you know, try to make a design that’s fairly similar. And then a lot of my posts will inspire custom design. And so then working with a client through, you know, some sort of new design for them, always ends up spurring new ideas for designs. Anyway, so. Yeah, I mean, it’s such a it’s such a great feedback tool.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 24:47
Well, you had that one post. I won’t mention the gemstone because we’ll keep the drops secret, but there was a post that went viral in July, and it really got like a crazy The amount of attention so Hillary immediately was like, I need to get my hands on more of these stones. So she’ll be doing another drop later in the year.

Hilary Finck 25:09
Who knows how that will go? Right? Like, it’s so surprising like you. I feel like yes, Instagram is a great indicator. I think it also is a great mystery. You know, like, I will have posts that get several 1000 likes, and people are sharing it and bookmarking it. And that piece will just stay on my website for months. I’m like, Okay, I don’t know.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 25:32
I know about that and the meeting. So it’s like, yes, on one hand, it could be a good indicator. But on the other hand, we don’t know why this one post a Pillories is getting so much attention yet no one has bought this piece that’s been sitting on our website for months.

Hilary Finck 25:49
Yeah, I don’t know. I don’t know what to think I’m like, maybe my caption isn’t directed? Or maybe I’m not maybe I don’t have a call to action in the caption, then, you know, who knows?

Laryssa Wirstiuk 26:00
Have you ever thought about, like more proactively responding to commenters with like, Hey, you can buy this not not like in those words, but basically that vibe.

Hilary Finck 26:12
I think if I kind of came up with something that made sense. Like, I’d have to think about it a little bit and not that I want to come up with something boilerplate, but something that would sound not not too salesy and pushy, but yeah, it’s it’s a good idea.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 26:33
Yeah, I guess, too. I mean, you probably have people in your comments that you’ve come to recognize, like when they comment, I’m sure there are like regular commenters. I wonder if that would be someone who you could feel more comfortable saying like, Hey, do you want to see a video of this on like, I can sit I can DM it to you kind of thing. So it’s not just like a by this, but more like an introduction to like a sales conversation or something like that?

Hilary Finck 27:03
That’s a great idea. Yeah.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 27:05
So also, I’m sure on Instagram, people who buy your jewelry share pictures, as well do you typically get like fans and clients? Sharing pictures of them wearing your jewelry?

Hilary Finck 27:19
I get some. And that’s not anything I usually ask for that, but I do get some and if I liked the picture, and I like the way they’ve styled it, then I will definitely share it in my stories. It’s been a while since I’ve gotten one where I’m like, I’m not sure that you know, it’s it makes you kind of feel bad. And that’s why I generally don’t ask people to do it. Because I will feel bad if someone went to the trouble of taking the picture. And then maybe it’s at that, you know, quality image or something and then I don’t end up using it. So yeah, yeah.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 27:55
You don’t have as good quality control on this picture.

Hilary Finck 27:59
Yeah, it’s tricky. But you know, I have, I have one client in particular. And you know, he always sends really cool pictures of like, my orb layered up with like Marla Aaron. little carabiner thingies. And yeah, he does a great job layering his noses.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 28:21
That’s cool. And I think we may have talked about this before, but that could even give you an idea of like, start how to style showing people how they can style to incorporate the products like into their own personal collection. So that’s really cool. Awesome.

Hilary Finck 28:36
And I love that it’s the guy like it makes me so happy that there’s there’s, you know, men and women wearing my jewelry.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 28:44
Yeah, that’s awesome. So going back to the DM stuff, do you often or have you ever just sold a piece like through DM? Like, they bypassed the checkout experience on your site? And like how often does that happen? For sure,

Hilary Finck 29:00
That’s that’s definitely happened. I would say less so since I’ve been more regimented with like my monthly product drops. Because a lot of what I post is like it’s coming soon. But um, the form I wasn’t so set on that model, I definitely would get a good amount of sales through direct message. And you know, if people want to see you know, more videos or you know, I get a lot of requests from people are like, Yeah, I want to see a little bit like in the ear, and you know, so I’ll send them some as best as I can do what take I am so bad at taking pictures of earrings on myself. I have people that can do that. I just, I can’t do it.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 29:45
I’ve totally tried to and it’s like the earrings like our edge of the frame.

Hilary Finck 29:51
Yeah, I don’t know how people do that. So you know, I’ll try to send them whatever they need in terms of getting a good look. But you know, You just never know people. Sometimes people just want something and they want it right then and there. And then we’ll just do it through like, you know, Venmo or Paypal or something.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 30:09
So have you ever had Instagram lead to like a significant opportunity or collaboration for your business?

Hilary Finck 30:16
Yeah. I mean, I feel like my whole my whole business has been one big Instagram opportunity, honestly. But a couple years ago, I was contacted by Brian a pump, who organizes that, Matt about jewelry show at the gosh, the Art Museum in New York. I’m blanking on the name of her right now. And she invited me to be in a metadata gallery show just from finding my jewelry on Instagram. Actually one of the board members at the museum, open museum Museum of Art and Design. Yeah, yes. Yeah.

Hilary Finck 30:57
One of the board members follows me. And I guess she sent Brian on my info. And then Brian, like saw. So that was really cool. I got to go to New York for a week and show it that. At that show, and because of that show, I have some great repeat clientele. So it was it was really fun to me. It’s just it’s always fun to go to New York.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 31:21
Yeah. That’s yeah, that’s really cool that that resulted from Instagram. Like that.

Hilary Finck 31:27
I was so excited. Yeah. And it was just like, COVID was kind of closing now. You know, we’ve got, you know, you’d all been boosted a few times. And it just felt like, okay, we can do these things, you know?

Laryssa Wirstiuk 31:38
And then if you don’t have anything to say about this, that’s fine. But I’m curious if there’s any sort of relationships you have with your retailers on Instagram, like, are you guys reposting each other’s stuff? Is there? Do you find new retail partners through Instagram? Like, how does that influence that part of your business?

Hilary Finck 31:56
It’s, it’s huge. So yeah, so my retail partners right now, if they share my jewelry in a post, I will definitely share it in my stories. And, you know, if I’m sending a new collection to a store, I’ll try to post pictures of that, as I’m sending it and say like, it’s gonna be at the gallery soon. Or if I’m just kind of having like, a spell where I don’t have like, I don’t really have much to post right now. Like, I’m more than happy to go dig through my pictures and find pictures of jewelry that might be at galleries and just do posts about that. And then I’ve definitely, I’ve gotten gosh, I mean, I feel like every every store I’m in besides maybe some local stores. I think it’s all because of Instagram, I’ve approached stores through DM stores have approached me through the and it’s, it’s absolutely, it’s just as important of a tool for retail partners as it is for direct. I feel.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 33:07
Yeah, that’s such a great thing for everyone to remember. Because I think yes, Instagram can be like this customer service direct access channel to your customers. But yeah, you got to remember all those other partners that can make your business flourish too. Yeah.

Hilary Finck 33:23
And you know, I mean, every store is different, right? Like some stores might not like a DM, but I think it’s okay to say, Hey, I love your shop, you know that you care some incredible designers or if it’s not necessarily just a jewelry string and say like, I love the clothes that you selling your shop. Would would you mind if I sent you a line sheet? Or, you know, you never say like, my jewelry would be great in your shop. Like you just never say that. But and if they they say yeah, great. It’s just her I don’t think.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 33:58
Yeah, a great reminder for everyone.

Hilary Finck 34:03
Yeah, go for it. Yeah, go for it.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 34:06
That’s our encouragement for today. Thanks, Hilary. It was great to hear your perspective on on this topic.

Hilary Finck 34:14
You’re welcome. Great to see you. Laryssa. Thank you.

Laryssa Wirstiuk 34:17
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 34:42
This is a segment of the podcast where I get a little more personal and share insights on entrepreneurship, mindset, success, growth, all things business. In this segment of the GOLD MINE, I’m eager to dive into some reflections about the recent Black Friday and Cyber Monday frenzy. It’s been a week since the event, but as I’m recording this just a day after Cyber Monday, all my thoughts and feelings are still buzzing in my head. Let’s talk about the giant elephant in the room: digital marketing was a game-changer this year! The whole landscape of Black Friday has shifted so much towards online shopping that the old-school concept of doorbusters seems almost quaint now. Instead, we’ve got this marathon of deals spanning several days, which is both exciting and a bit overwhelming. Now, I’m going to approach this from a dual perspective – as a regular consumer and also as a marketer. It’s a unique vantage point that allows me to dissect my own shopping behavior with a bit of insider knowledge. Going into the Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend, I had a clear-cut shopping list. It helps me stay focused and not get sidetracked by those all-too-tempting impulse buys. Plus, I was already on the email lists for most of the stores I targeted (though I made sure to double-check), and I kept n eye out for their emails even before Black Friday hit. Most of the items on my wishlist, I snagged through early Black Friday deals. But, oh boy, was it a nail-biter! The marketer in me was intrigued, but the shopper was a bit on edge, constantly wondering if a sweeter deal was just around the corner. And in a couple of instances, better deals did pop up after I’d made my purchases – talk about timing! One particular saga was with this brand of kind-of-bougie dog treats my dog adores. Last year, I bought them on Black Friday, so this year, I was on high alert, checking their site repeatedly. But there was radio silence – no hints, no teasers, nothing. It was a bit of a letdown, to be honest. Eventually, I caved and bought them from another retailer on sale. Then, as if on cue, the original brand rolled out their own Cyber Monday discount. Talk about too little, too late. It left me feeling a tad annoyed because I would’ve preferred buying directly from the dog treat maker. Another thing that bugged me was the sudden influx of emails from brands I barely hear from throughout the year. They just popped up out of the blue with their BFCM deals. While I was firmly sticking to my list, it was a bit jarring to suddenly remember these brands last minute. It felt a bit like they were jumping on the bandwagon without much thought. So, what’s the takeaway for next year, and what are some tips you can use? If you’re a brand, start planning your BFCM strategy now. Keep your communication steady and consistent all year round, so you don’t come off as desperate or out of place during the holiday season. When it’s time to launch your sale, be clear about what’s happening and give your customers plenty of notice. Promote your deals frequently – it might feel like overkill, but remember, not everyone sees every email. During this BFCM, the only brands that got under my skin were the ones that made me go, “Wait, who are these guys again?” because they’d been off the radar for so long. I’m super curious to hear about your BFCM experiences, both from the selling and buying sides. Drop me a line in an Instagram DM, leave a review on the podcast, or comment on YouTube. Let’s chat about it!

Laryssa Wirstiuk 44:01
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