We'd like to tell you about a little research project we started on March 13, 2011 and concluded July 1, 2011. We'll explain what we did, give you our results, and then explain why this is important for jewelry stores.
Our goal was to determine how many small businesses are actually using online reviews, social media, Twitter, Foursquare, Facebook, etc. as part of their online strategy.
Our target market was Houston, Texas, where we chose the unofficial diamond district on Richmond Ave. as our test epicenter.
We don't actually have anyone physically in Houston. This test was purely via the internet by searching in Google Places where we randomly selected independent restaurants, hardware stores, toy stores, various boutiques, and many other types of retail businesses. We tried to get a completely random sampling of... VIEW FULL GOLD NUGGET
The Internet is not not just limited to websites any more. In fact, the everyday normal website is slowly being replaced by social sites and various online services.
A few years ago, if you wanted to put all your jewelry store information online you would have to figure out how to do it all, or hire a company that could do it all.
Do you have videos on your website? Previously, you needed to manage video content on your own and have a hosting account capable of handling that huge video bandwidth. Now that process is much easier with YouTube.
Do you have testimonials on your website? Previously, you needed to ask people to write testimonials and mail them to you. Now you can ask people to write online reviews on Google Places or Yep. You can even capture tweets about your site and post them on your website.
So far, in this week's Daily Gold Nuggets, we've been explaining that storytelling through your emails, blog or Facebook posts will build a better relationship with your customers than simply trying to shove ads in their face.
The storytelling continues again, but the next story needs to be a few days after the last. In this next story, you want to tell your readers that you are finished decorating your store, and show the photos from the process. A good solution is to take photos from your smart phone and upload them to Flickr or DailyBooth or Picasa. Then, as you write this next part of your story, you can link to those photos that are already online.
Don't make the mistake of taking photos and uploading them to Facebook through your phone. Photos uploaded to Facebook will automatically post to your Wall. You don't w... VIEW FULL GOLD NUGGET
Marketing is your responsibility; not your bookkeeper's, not your salesperson's, not your bench jeweler's.
Owning the store means not only making sure it runs every day, but also planning marketing far enough in the future to ensure continual profits (or at least break even in this economy).
It's time for an online marketing plan that you can get running quickly.
Here's a list of things that we have measured successfully for retail jewelers. This list alone can be used as the basis for your online marketing strategy: 1. Add new information to a blog on your *website* regularly. 2. Manage a Facebook Business Page and give your customers a reason to Like you there. 3. Link your Facebook status feed updates to Twitter. 4. Maintain a Flickr account and post new photos of jewelry daily, properly labeled. 5... VIEW FULL GOLD NUGGET
"...articles are easy to follow and seem to have information one can use right away." -Ann, Gallery 4, Hamden CT
"...serious kudos to you. We love your straight talk, pertinent information and plain language. I don't know how many industries have something of jWAG's caliber available, but I learn from the emails every day. Really, really nice work, and very appreciated." -Cheryl Herrick, Global Pathways Jewelry
