106 - Laryssa and Liz Chat About the Value of Sharing Your Jewelry Making Process

Summary

Podcast Summary: Success With Jewelry Episode 106 - The Value of Sharing Your Jewelry Making Process

Release Date: October 28, 2024
Hosts: Laryssa Wirstiuk and Liz Kantner
Title: Success With Jewelry

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Introduction: Emphasizing Craftsmanship and Transparency

In Episode 106 of the Success With Jewelry podcast, hosts Laryssa Wirstiuk and Liz Kantner delve into the importance of sharing the jewelry-making process with customers. They highlight how showcasing craftsmanship can significantly enhance trust and differentiation in a crowded market, especially during the bustling holiday season.

The Current Landscape: Navigating a Busy Holiday Season

Laryssa opens the discussion by observing, “I have been seeing so many brands sharing more of the process and like bigger brands that you wouldn't necessarily expect” (00:27). This trend has become increasingly vital, particularly in the aftermath of COVID-19, as brands strive to engage customers beyond mere product displays during peak selling periods.

Liz adds context by explaining the pressures of the current economic climate, stating, “There’s just like a lot of pressure on this year because it's been a difficult one economy-wise” (02:21). The duo acknowledges the compounded challenges such as delayed holidays, heightened anxiety due to the election, and a 40% increase in gold prices this year, all of which amplify the complexities of the holiday shopping season.

Building Trust Through Process Sharing

Laryssa emphasizes that merely showcasing products isn’t sufficient to build lasting relationships with customers. “Showing more than just the product this time of year I think is important… it’s going to take more than just showing product, showing photos of product to really build trust” (03:52). By sharing the behind-the-scenes aspects of jewelry making, designers can differentiate themselves from mass retailers like Amazon, which do not typically engage in storytelling about their processes.

Practical Tips for Sharing Your Creative Process

The hosts offer actionable advice for jewelry designers hesitant to share their crafting processes:

1. Start Simple:

   • Laryssa notes, “People get very stuck on like, oh, I have to do a video that's like highly produced or like stop motion… That’s just simply not true” (05:18). Simple photos of a workspace or the current project can suffice.

2. Use Photographs Effectively:

   • Share snapshots of the bench, sketches, gemstone selections, or mood boards. For example, Laryssa suggests, “Maybe you only have time while you're making something to take one photo of the process” (06:04).

3. Plan and Document:

   • Liz highlights the importance of planning, “If that means putting a post-it note like on your workbench or in your office, just being more mindful about stopping at each step and like documenting it” (06:34).

4. Narrative Enhancements:

   • Accompany photos with brief narratives to provide context, such as describing a particular stage in the creation process or sharing the inspiration behind a piece.

Highlighting Success Stories: Jane Taylor Jewelry

Laryssa shares a successful example, “Jane Taylor Jewelry right now is doing on stories they’re showing… a custom design week on Instagram, and they’re sharing… their gems and what they could create with them” (08:06). This approach not only showcases the brand’s extensive gemstone collection but also engages the audience with creative possibilities, fostering a deeper connection.

The Emotional and Artistic Value of Jewelry

Both hosts underscore the artistic significance of jewelry. Laryssa reminisces about witnessing a piece of metal transform into jewelry in Todd Reed's workshop, igniting her passion for the intricate processes involved (08:37). This sentiment reinforces the idea that jewelry is not just a commodity but wearable art, a perspective that resonates deeply with consumers seeking meaningful purchases.

Conveying Value Through Transparency

Sharing the creation process serves as a powerful tool to justify pricing and showcase the intricate labor involved. Laryssa explains, “Sharing your process helps convince people of the value of something… all of the steps… your skills as a maker” (10:20). By understanding the effort and expertise required, customers are more likely to appreciate the craftsmanship and perceive the value in higher-priced items.

Final Thoughts: Supporting Art and Building Community

The episode concludes with a heartfelt reminder of the importance of art and community support. Laryssa reflects on the support shown to artists affected by Hurricane Helene, stating, “People do care, and art is important” (08:37). She emphasizes that despite global challenges, the appreciation for art, including jewelry, remains strong. Liz concurs, reinforcing that personal connections and stories make jewelry a preferred choice over generic options.

Conclusion: Encouraging Engagement and Sharing

Laryssa and Liz encourage listeners to implement the discussed strategies to enhance their brands. They invite the community to share their experiences and successes, fostering a supportive environment for jewelry designers and entrepreneurs striving for success.

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Notable Quotes:

• Laryssa Wirstiuk: “Showing more than just the product this time of year I think is important… it’s going to take more than just showing product, showing photos of product to really build trust” (03:52).
• Liz Kantner: “There’s just like a lot of pressure on this year because it's been a difficult one economy-wise” (02:21).
• Laryssa Wirstiuk: “Sharing your process helps convince people of the value of something… all of the steps… your skills as a maker” (10:20).
• Liz Kantner: “If someone compliments it, like a client being excited to share that, you know, that's an experience” (11:13).

Key Takeaways:

• Transparency Builds Trust: Sharing the jewelry-making process humanizes the brand and fosters customer loyalty.
• Differentiate Through Storytelling: Stand out from mass retailers by providing unique insights into craftsmanship.
• Start Simple: Utilize basic photos and narratives to share processes without needing high production.
• Plan for Documentation: Integrate process-sharing into daily routines to ensure consistent content.
• Highlight Artistic Value: Emphasize the artistry and effort behind each piece to justify pricing and enhance perceived value.

For more insights and to join the Success With Jewelry community, visit successwithjewelry.com and share your experiences or leave a review.

Transcript

[A]

Welcome to the Success with Jewelry podcast where we invite you inside our conversations about business success and marketing for jewelry designers and entrepreneurs.

[B]

We're Larissa and Liz, jewelry marketing experts with a combined 16 years of experience in jewelry marketing and proven track records and helping jewelry brands meet their goals. When you listen to or watch this podcast, you get an intimate and exclusive peek behind the curtain of all the things you wish you could know about earning success in this industry.

[A]

Welcome to episode 106. Today we will discuss the value of craftsmanship and how important it is to share your process. Stick around for the bonus content where we'll share examples of big brands focusing on sharing the behind the scenes. Hey, Larissa, let's get into it.

[B]

Let's get into it.

[A]

Let's get into it. I have been seeing so many brands sharing more of the process and like bigger brands that you wouldn't necessarily expect and we'll get into that more in the bonus content. But I just thought this was such an important topic to kind of COVID especially going into this, like, very like busy selling time and, you know, showing the product sometimes just isn't enough. So showing more than just the product this time of year I think is important. I think that. So full transparency, because that's what we like to do here on this podcast is like we wrote this outline today. Larissa is just looking at it now. And because we, we are in it, even though we are trying to plant, we've been trying to plan for holiday and all of that. It always kind of sneaks up on you, right?

[B]

It always sneaks up because there's always things to tweak and still figure out or like pictures to get campaigns to plan. And so yeah, it's kind of a busy time of year for us, definitely.

[A]

And like, even if it's not necessarily, I don't know what it is. And I feel like I've said this before.

[B]

I.

[A]

Every year, as little work as I have, like, as little clients as I have or as many clients as I have or whatever it is, I just feel like this time of year, around this time starts to like, just like the wheel starts spinning faster and like things start to get crazy because I don't have that much going on right now. Should I be saying that on the podcast? I don't know. But I have a lot. But I don't have as many clients as I normally do and it still feels very busy.

[B]

Feels busy. I think there's just like a lot of pressure on this year because it's been a difficult One economy wise. It's also like how do you be sensitive around all the different things and events that are also happening in the world as well as the timing of the holidays this year like Thanksgiving is much later than usual and kind of compresses things up to like Christmas. And so there's just like all these puzzle pieces that we're trying to fit together.

[A]

There's a lot of puzzle pieces and it's going to be a much. I mean what I'm reading is that it's going to be a later shopping season. So it's like going to be for last minute shoppers. And then there's just yet a lot of anxiety in the air I think in general with the election and then also just the price of gold going up. It went up 40% this year. And just there's a lot, there's a lot going on. But what we're here to talk about and I think it is important is sharing your process because you know it's going to take more than just showing product, showing photos of product to really build trust with your, your clients. And there's gonna, they're gonna have a lot of options of things to purchase this holiday season. Like I'm already getting inundate it with you know, sales. Like I guess, you know, there's a lot of sales going on already and then there's a lot of a push for holiday shopping already and it's just going to like amplify and keep getting more and more. So you need to stand out to.

[B]

Your audience any way that you can stand out. I mean Amazon's not going to do storytelling about their process targets not going to do storytelling about the process. So how can you be different and offer something that a customer wouldn't really be able to get anywhere else? Right.

[A]

And I think that sharing behind the scenes, showing the process, like really showing the way something's made, the way something's created can really help somebody understand the value of it, but also trust you in what you're doing. I'm somebody who like before I purchase something, even if it's a sweater or a toy for my kid, I read reviews, I look at every single photo. I love user generated content to help me understand and I love seeing that from a brand too. I love seeing just kind of like who they are, how they go about making something. And even though I'm so close to this industry, sometimes I'm astounded by how much really does need to go into a piece of jewelry. And if I'm still Like surprised or like, you know, learning about that. And I've been in the industry for over 12 years. Your end consumer, most of them probably don't understand either.

[B]

That's so true. What kind of tips would you have for someone that is maybe new to sharing process or also doesn't feel super comfortable being in front of the camera? Sharing process.

[A]

I think that people get, or designers get very stuck on like, oh, I have to do a video that's like highly produced or like stop motion or out of my skill set or is going to take a lot of time to share the process. And that's just simply not true. You don't need to do that. I love just seeing a photo of somebody's bench, a snapshot of like what they're working on now. Or if you are a designer and not a maker, like seeing inside somebody's sketchbook is always something that I really love to see. And then also, you know, you know, stones on the bench, choosing gemstones, your inspiration, a mood board that can help add context to what you're creating. You can give little glimpses without sharing everything and you can still like show your process and build trust without showing your face.

[B]

I think that also does take planning too. At least what I see with clients is like, we'll remind them to get like process pictures, but then they just forget and they do the whole thing and there's no documentation. And obviously at that point it's too late to go back in time. So it's like if that means putting a post it note like on your workbench or in your office, just being more mindful about stopping at each step and like documenting it.

[A]

Definitely. And you don't have to. If I've heard a lot of pushback, like, well, it like messes up my flow and making or it like takes too much time. Like think about ways that you can do it that are, are very quick. You know, if you're just getting started, like I said, you know, maybe you only have time while you're making something to take one photo of the process. Like that's fine, start there. Or if you did forget and you did finish a piece, maybe you still have the sketch or like some inspiration that you could take a photo of the finished piece with. So there's a lot of ways around it. And I think that we get caught up in like, okay, well if I'm going to share the process, it has to be like all of it. Or like maybe there's like too much to tell and you get overwhelmed by all the things that you could do or say, but, like, get really clear on, like, what it is that you're doing. Like, maybe it's the snapshot of your bench. Like, maybe that is the process. Process that you're sharing. And you're sharing, like, a little narrative. Like, here's the step where I've just finished carving the wax. Like, just a little bit to say about it, and just a photo just to show, you know, just a little bit. You don't have to go really far. Or there's somebody that I follow that shows, like, a picture of them at their bench, like, working, like, here's my bench fashion or whatever it is. And some people don't want to share their face, which is fine. But there are lots of fun ways that you can align with your brand and really show behind the scenes.

[B]

Absolutely. Yeah. I wouldn't. One thing I like seeing a lot is, like, a gemstone selection. If someone's like, ooh, which color should I put together? Like, which one of these colorways should I pick for my new piece? Like, that always catches my attention.

[A]

Jane Taylor Jewelry right now is doing on stories they're showing, like, they've. Jane has been in the industry for a really long time. She has an incredible eye for gemstones, and she has a lot of gems that she's collected over the years. And they're doing, like, a custom design week on Instagram, and they're sharing, like, gems and what they could create with them and, like, all kinds of ideas and some of their favorites. And I think that is just such fun content.

[B]

I love that if you have a gem vault or a gem collection, you should be doing something like that, definitely.

[A]

And I think that this is also, like, really important. I mean, I've said this story a million times, but I remember the first time I saw a piece of metal being transformed into a piece of jewelry, and it was in Todd Reed's workshop. And I just. From then on, I've been, like, so fascinated with the process, and not everyone can see that, but you do have the ability to share that now, and I think that's a really powerful thing. And people want to support artists. And I think if I learned. I mean, I learned a lot of things from Hurricane Helene, but one of the more positive takeaways is that people want to support artists. Like, just the amount of love and support that has come through for the artists who have lost their studios in Asheville, like, people do care, and art is important. So even though there's, like, all this other stuff going on in the world. Art is still important. And I think that everyone needs to hear that and remember it.

[B]

That's such a good, good takeaway. Everyone needs to let that sink in.

[A]

Definitely. I mean, jewelry is important. People have been adorning themselves for hundreds of thousands of millions of years. I don't know how many, forever. Let's just make up a number of a number. No, there's a real number. It's a bazillion years people are doing themselves. And jewelry is art and it's wearable art, which makes it almost even more special. So, you know, if you're getting caught up in that, like, spiral of, like, all the things, like, just remember that art's important and people care about art and what you're doing.

[B]

Yes. And people will continue to want to adorn themselves. Give them an option besides, like, Amazon.

[A]

I know the other thing, and I, I think I maybe mentioned this, but to dive deeper on this, this point too, is that sharing your process helps convince people of the value of something. So, like, with the rising gold prices with, you know, just the cost of all the things going up and you having to. A lot of designers out there have raised their prices, show the process to really show how much time something makes because. Takes to make. Because a lot of end consumers maybe convince people of the value. Like, it. It's like, okay, well, this piece, you don't have to say how long it took you to make, but, like, when somebody sees, like, all the filing you're doing, like, all of the different steps to the process, everything that goes into it, like, your skills as a maker, as a designer, that can really encourage somebody to purchase and not question the price.

[B]

It makes it more than just like a commodity at that point.

[A]

Then it also, like, kind of brings in the experience of it. So it's not just, oh, I'm buying a thing, it's like, oh, I'm buying this thing thing. And I know this about the process. And, you know, if somebody compliments it, like a client being excited to share that, you know, that's an experience, or, oh, I feel like I know this maker because, you know, I know that their favorite gemstone is moonstone and, like, this piece is a moonstone. And like, if you look at it in this certain light, there's a rainbow or whatever it is, like, that is special to a sale that, like, Amazon can't offer.

[B]

So true.

[A]

So true. Well, we want to know, do you share your process after hearing us chat about it? Are you going to let us know? Visit successwithjewelry.com and if you love the podcast, we'd love to hear from you. Send us a message or write us a review. Thanks for being a part of the success with Jory community.