Marketing Smarter Not Harder

I have been sadly neglecting my jewelry business lately in favour of working on this website and on my article writing.. I have a love/hate relationship with the internet- I love the possibilities, but I hate what a time pit it can be! I guess my twiddle diddle, just one more tweak personality is to blame though.

I finally took some new pictures of my work. Here are 3 shots. Enjoy!

Rock Candy Earrings ~ Labradorite Chips and Sterling Silver

Butterscotch Drops ~ Citrine, sterling silver, wire-wrapped , oxidized, tumble-polished.

Boro Teardrop Triple Wrap Earrings ~ Boro Teardrop Beads, Sterling Silver, oxidized, tumble-polished

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…

I never know what expression to use when I write my articles. As a jewelry-making business person, how do you refer to yourself?

Help a weary article writing woman out. If you look to the right of the screen, and maybe scroll down a bit, you will find a Poll on the middle-right navigation column. Put in your vote and help me figure out what the heck to call you people.

P.S. For the record, I sometimes refer top myself as a designer, jewelry artist, or artisan. None of them really feel right to me though.

Thanks in advance for your input!
Warmly,
Christine Gierer of the Jewelry Sweet Spot

copyright by Rena Klingenberg

If you sell your art or crafts at shows, fairs, and festivals, you can increase your profits by focusing on selling at juried shows. Although juried shows are harder to be accepted into, and the booth fees and other expenses tend to be higher, they are often much more profitable for artists than the shows that are less expensive and easier to get into.

Some juried shows have strict requirements about how your booth is set up and what you can sell – which, although this can feel limiting, can also help “keep the riff-raff out” and maintain a high quality show.

The appeal of being in juried shows is that they are generally run well, with a good mix of higher caliber vendors, and they tend to attract a larger crowd – often bigger-spending shoppers who like to purchase quality handcrafted items. (Our favorite kind of customers!) Read more…