8tips to sell your handmade jewelry
8 Tips to Sell Your Handmade Jewelry
Selling handmade jewelry can be pretty lucrative, provided you know how and where to market your creations. Here are a few tips that will help you sell your handmade jewelry.
Quick Tip
Always use professional-looking and aesthetically pleasing photos of your jewelry for an advertisement, web-store, website, or blog.Host a Jewelry Party
Today, many homemakers with creative talent and aspiring women entrepreneurs are generating decent income by selling handmade jewelry from the very comfy confines of their own homes. All they do is host a jewelry party at their home, and invite their neighbors, friends, and family members to browse through their attractive jewelry on display over snacks and drinks. Most of the time, the guests end up buying something or even place orders for similar pieces.
Tip: Host jewelry parties during the gift-giving season so that your guest will always have a reason to buy your stuff.
Partner With Web Stores
One of the easiest ways to reach out to your targeted customer is by hosting your stuff on popular online jewelry shopping sites like Etsy and eBay. For a small fees, your jewelry will have an online presence and exposure to buyers across the world. Another option is to partner with boutiques, crafts stores, gift shops, salons, etc., and ask them to display your jewelry against a certain percentage in the sales proceeds. Many may not agree to this, but keep trying till you find the right store to host your jewelry. For example, if you are selling real or semi-precious birthstone jewelry, you can approach a fortune-telling paraphernalia shop to display your jewelry.
Tip: While speaking to the owners of boutiques or gift shops, try to convince them by telling them about the profit they will make on the total sales figure. This will definitely impress them.
Participate in Trade Fairs, Exhibitions, and Fundraisers
Participate in large trade fairs and exhibitions by having an enclosure or stall for your jewelry. Do not forget to have an attractive display of your jewelry, and a mirror in place for people to try out your baubles. Collect customer contacts in a feedback register so that you can call them up later. You can also work with your community or the local school to raise funds for a particular cause. For example, if a school needs to build a new gymnasium, offer them to sell your jewelry at a fundraiser. This will serve two causes. Firstly, your jewelry will sell by adding a noble cause to your sales pitch. You can always hand over a percentage of the sales proceeds to the cause.
Tip: Try to gauge customer preference and inclination by participating in local church markets and weekend markets before you pay for expensive stall space in professional exhibitions.
Use a Website and Social Media
Host an interactive website which will allow people to see your designs and contact you. Your own website will serve as an excellent marketing platform. Ensure that your website is search engine optimized and allows online payment through different modes. Create a blog for your business, and keep updating information about your jewelry and its photos. You can act as a jewelry expert and give free tips for jewelry-making and maintenance. Use Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp to interact with existing and prospective clients to help promote and enhance your handmade jewelry.
TIP: Ensure your website has the right keywords. Instead of tagging "cabochon earrings", be specific and mention "Silver sea green cabochon earrings". This will help the customer to easily search for the right jewelry.
Employ Conventional Advertising
In spite of today's technology-driven marketing techniques, you cannot ignore the reach and power of conventional advertising mediums. You can advertise in various magazines, newspapers to route the readers to your online store or website. Post flyers and banners at public places or jewelry stores, which will help you to generate sales.
Tip: There is no point in advertising in jewelry-making magazines as they will mostly be subscribed by jewelry designers and not customers. Try to tap into women's magazines instead, as they will be read by many fashion-savvy women.
Online Invoices
Your invoices can be a great way to market your products. For example, instead of handing out a paper invoice, send an online invoice that contains a preview of your new product range. This may interest the customer, and compel him/her to visit again. Further more, this will save paper and printing cost.
Tip: Ensure that you offer a discount to your regular customers on the sale of new products.
Adorn Your Jewelry
Needless to say, you will have to wear your new pieces of jewelry everyday so that people can see them and order similar pieces. Who knows, they may also recommend your work to others. Also, wearing your own designs for a day or two will help you judge their quality and get a user-like perspective on your creations.
Tip: Do not forget to offer a warranty for the material of the jewelry at least for 12 months after the purchase. This will portray you as a reliable jewelry seller.
Offer Discounts and Schemes
Depending on the occasion, offer discounts on jewelry. For example, a month before Valentine's Day, offer 25% off on all heart-shaped jewelry. Offer a pair of earrings free on the purchase of every two products. Such schemes often act as customer pullers, and you may witness increased sales. However, don't forget to advertise these schemes through all your communication mediums like word of mouth, social network, website, web-store, blog, etc.
Tip: Once you ensure that you are making a profit even after offering a free gift or discount, and only then announce such schemes.