Every jeweler wants their team to be successful in social media marketing.
Unfortunately, very few independent jewelers or jewelry brands actually have a workable strategy for their Facebook and Twitter accounts.
They tweet, blog and set up their social media accounts out of fear of being left behind, rather than as a way to engage their audience.
Often they resort to just broadcasting sales, specials, stock jewelry photos and birthstone of the month posts over and over and over again.
After a few months, they abandon their social media platforms because it didn’t work.
The truth is that it was doomed to fail from the very beginning.
The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way for you.
For most independent jewelers and jewelry brands it is not a matter of desire, it is a matter of knowledge.
Where do you start?
What really works and what just wastes time and precious resources?
The Winning Social Media Strategy For Every Jeweler
Every jeweler/brand should start their online social media efforts with a “Reactive” strategy.
A reactive social media strategy simply reacts to your clients’ needs and questions online.
In fact, your brand already does reactive social media every day with tasks such as:
- Answering your client’s questions when they call on the telephone.
- Responding to their email when they have an inquiry.
- Talking to them when they walk into your store with a question.
All that reactive social media means is doing those same functions but on the various social media platforms.
Reactive social media is actually the heart and soul of any thriving jewelry business because it is continually addressing the clients questions and needs.
Social Media Is Maturing And How You Can Take Advantage Of It Now
When Facebook and Twitter started in 2007 and 2008 it was strictly a way to reacquaint with friends and family.
As social media has matured it has evolved into a platform that businesses can use to be reactive to their client’s questions.
It’s estimated that only 10%
of businesses online answer
85% of the customer inquires
that are posted.
Clearly, there is a need for your jewelry store/jewelry brand to be actively engaged with your audience by answering their questions.
The foundation of selling is building, “Know, Like and Trust” components with your audience.
What better way to economically serve a real need, while getting to know your audience, than answering their questions online?
The new audience will begin to “Know” about your brand because they see that you are active on social media platforms.
The clients begin to “Like” your brand because you are providing meaningful utility.
The positive interaction leads to “Trust” over time.
That “Trust” ultimately converts to actual sales and your new clients becoming, “Brand Evangelists”.
Actual Real World Plan Of Action For Reactive Social Media
So we know that there is a need among your audience, and we know that the vast majority of jewelers/jewelry brands aren’t meeting that need.
The question is: How can you develop a real world plan of action?
It comes down to these three steps:
Step One – Be Committed To Your Own Success.
Seriously committed to answering and actually engaging with your clients on your social media platforms.
This means having a written schedule of who is going to check and engage with your audience on which platforms and at what times of the day.
If no one is accountable it will get pushed aside within two weeks because other tasks will seem more important.
Step Two – Know How You Are Going To Respond.
90% of your audience’s questions and concerns are universal.
There is no need to reinvent the wheel with every inquiry.
Have pre-written, pre-approved responses already prepared in both Facebook and 140 character Twitter formats?
The advantage is that it is quick and easy to “cut and paste” responses.
Be prepared that some inquiries may take two back to back Facebook posts, and maybe more for Twitter.
No need to worry about spelling, grammar, or if the owner will get mad at your response because it is all pre-written.
Get it all approved ahead of time by everybody who has a say in the matter.
Remember if one person has asked a question there are probably 20 others who haven’t asked but probably have the same question.
Step Three – Let Your Audience Know You Are THE Resource For Their Questions.
Getting the word out involves letting both your current customer base, in addition to your online audience, know that you have set up this service.
– Current client base you should use a series of email blasts and your monthly eNewsletter.
– The online audience you could post the service on your Facebook and Twitter pages.
In addition on Twitter, you should monitor the hash tags for your community, or keywords for your brand, one of which should always be your brand’s name.
The Real Keys To A “Reactive” Social Media Strategy Are Desire, Planning, And Quick Implementation.
You have to be timely in your responses.
The latest studies indicate that
32% expect a response within 30
minutes, while 42% expect a
response within 60 minutes.
Lofty goals given how busy jewelers are every day?
Let me ask you these three question:
– Are you too busy to answer the telephone when a client calls?
– Are you too busy to assist clients who are standing in front of your bridal cases?
– Are you too busy to assist more paying clients?
If you answered, “Yes” then you should hire, train and develop a larger staff.
If you truthfully answered, “No”, then you now know how to change your business, because you now have the winning social media strategy for every jeweler.