Marketing Smarter Not Harder

Selling handcrafted jewelry is a competitive business in a relatively saturated market, so how do you make yourself stand out from the sea of other jewelry makers? One great marketing strategy is to have a mailing list and to actively send out mailings.

Here are 9 great reasons any jewelry artist should build and nurture a mailing list.

1. To remind people that you exist.

People are very busy these days, have a lot on their plate. They are very easily distracted and sidetracked. I know I am, despite my best efforts! I receive a number of newsletters by email, and I am much more likely to return to these companies websites than the ones I bookmark and mean to go back to. Enough said.

2. To make it easy for people to find you and contact you

Sometimes people need help. Even if they mean to call you or order online from you, they may forget, become distracted, or may forget your business name. They may make a mental note to contact you but never get around to it. Make it easy for them by sending them regular mailings.

3. To build trust

This is a very timely concept. People have been scammed, let down, and underserviced so many times that they are naturally wary and suspicious of anyone trying to sell them anything. Getting your name in front of people on a regular basis and sending them quality information with their needs in mind goes a long way towards building trust.

4. To build relationships

In our fast-paced world where everyone is bombarded constantly with advertising from huge impersonal businesses, people seek a connection. If you can make that connection and allow people into your world, they begin to feel they know you. This is of course positive for you and your business. Read more…

Did you know that arts and crafts businesses with employees make, on average, three times the income of solo artisans who do everything themselves?

The Craft Organization Directors Association (CODA) did the first major craft economic impact survey in 2001, and they found that, “Craftspeople that have paid employees have three times the household income and ten times the sales/revenue of those that work alone.”

Unfortunately there has not been a follow up study since then, but I bet the results would still hold true in terms of who makes more.

What does this mean to you and me? Paying people to do the tasks that you don’t excel at and/ or don’t enjoy doing can actually make you more money.

What is outsourcing? Outsourcing is essentially hiring someone to do work for you, but without the headaches of becoming an actual employer that has to pay benefits, collect income taxes to submit to the government, or any of the other headaches associated with having employees. The work is done by a person who is essentially considered a service provider. They bill you, and you pay the invoice. They are responsible for paying their own income taxes, reporting income, etc. The cost you pay would simply be a business expense, just like paying a lawyer or accountant.

How do you make more money by paying someone? Think about it. If you were free from the tedium of bookkeeping or production work for example, you could free up your time for revenue generating tasks like marketing, sales calls, designing new jewelry lines, meeting with clients, etc.

I know the first thing you are probably thinking is that you can’t afford it, you don’t want to spend time managing other people, you could do it better, or you don’t want to train people. That’s how i feel too, but I’m still intrigued. Read more…

By Christine Gierer

Pricing handmade jewelry seems to one topic that jewelry artists never agree on. There are lots of different viewpoints and philosophies. This article will discuss some of the things to think about as you consider how to price your jewelry, and some of the common pricing models that jewelry designers use.

Keep in mind that you do much more than make jewelry as a business owner. In order to cover costs and overhead it is essential to charge more than your hourly rate + material costs, or keep your hourly rate on the high side (i.e. $18/ hour is much more realistic than $10/ hour) if you want your business to be profitable.

Selling Artisan Jewelry Online
By Louise Coulson

In the olden days of the Internet (early 1990’s), that books, movies and music would sell well online, but crafts, jewelry and clothing, would not. In recent reports, retail jewelry sales have jumped as much as 250% in the first quarter of 2007. This jump is not necessarily in the area of one-of-a-kind or limited edition artisan jewelry, but it does indicate a movement toward a buying attitude by the public.

Your potential online artisan jewelry customer is a savvy individual who can easily access a wide range of jewelry artisans’ work and compare them. She will understand that artisan jewelry is designed and made by an artisan and will be unique. This customer expects the best in craftsmanship, quality materials and service for her money.

Jewelry can be a very personal and emotional purchase. It can be particularly difficult to sell online as it can be difficult for your customer to get an idea of the actual color, craftsmanship, weight and size of a piece without seeing it. Since the character of artisan jewelry is that it is unique and frequently one-of-a-kind, it may be hard for your potential customer to relate it to a known item like production jewelry and get an idea of what the piece is really like.

Here are some other difficulties for those of us who sell our artisan jewelry online. Read more…

copyright by Rena Klingenberg

Do you sell more jewelry by placing a visible price tag on each piece, or by leaving the price a mystery until the customer inquires about it?

Some jewelry artists prefer to leave prices off their jewelry, so customers will have to ask about pieces that interest them – thereby giving the jeweler the opening to establish a relationship with the customer and sell the piece. Read more…