Podcast Title: Success With Jewelry
Episode: 127 - Laryssa and Liz on How to Share Updates With Confidence
Release Date: April 21, 2025
Hosts: Laryssa Wirstiuk and Liz Kantner

Introduction

In Episode 127 of the Success With Jewelry podcast, hosts Laryssa Wirstiuk and Liz Kantner delve into the art of communicating updates with confidence to build trust and engagement within the jewelry business community. Drawing from their combined 16 years of experience in jewelry marketing, they provide actionable strategies for effectively sharing news, handling price changes, promoting events, and leveraging positive business milestones.

Effective Communication of Updates

The Importance of Clear Communication

Laryssa opens the discussion by emphasizing the significance of timely and clear communication with your audience. Whether it's announcing a price increase, an upcoming event, or a major business update, effective messaging is crucial for maintaining trust and keeping the community informed.

Laryssa [02:25]: "There's a lot of people who have things to communicate with their audience right now... And you want to make sure they hear those things."

Challenges in Communication

The hosts share personal anecdotes highlighting common communication pitfalls. Laryssa recounts missing a local Arbor Day event due to inadequate promotional efforts, underscoring the need for multiple touchpoints in messaging.

Laryssa [01:14]: "I didn't see it posted anywhere... You need to post more than once for it to get through to everyone."

Strategic Approaches to Messaging

Liz introduces the concept of responding thoughtfully to external factors affecting the business, such as tariffs. She advises against immediate, reactive communication, suggesting a more measured approach to ensure messages remain relevant as situations evolve.

Liz [03:38]: "I do not necessarily recommend reacting in real time... Sitting on it for a minute and being thoughtful about how you want to present that."

Laryssa agrees, highlighting the pressure social media can exert on businesses to respond swiftly, which may not always be beneficial.

Laryssa [03:38]: "You see everyone else reacting or it feels like if you haven't said anything yet, you need to say something."

Pricing Strategy and Communication

Regularly Reviewing and Adjusting Prices

Both hosts stress the importance of routinely assessing pricing strategies, especially in an industry where material costs like gold can fluctuate rapidly. They advocate for building pricing flexibility into business models to minimize the need for frequent adjustments.

Laryssa [05:38]: "We know that the cost of gold is going up pretty quickly... so really thinking through your pricing strategy."

Liz suggests strategic pricing adjustments, such as increasing prices only on new stock while maintaining current prices for existing inventory, to avoid alienating repeat customers.

Liz [05:58]: "Maybe hold off increasing prices on existing stock, but move forward with new pieces."

Balancing Transparency and Oversharing

While transparency is key to building trust, Liz warns against over-communicating, which can come across as insecure or overly compensatory.

Liz [06:33]: "I see over sharing sometimes too, and it almost feels like compensating for something."

Laryssa concurs, advising that unless it's a significant price change, businesses might not need to announce every adjustment, comparing it to everyday price increases on products like flea medication.

Laryssa [08:37]: "Nobody told me that, and they're not gonna care to tell me that... it's just almost an expected progression of things in this economy."

Handling Customer Concerns

The hosts recommend preparing responses for potential customer inquiries about price changes and considering options like honoring original prices for loyal customers to mitigate dissatisfaction.

Laryssa [09:43]: "You could always maybe think about honoring that original price or have some sort of discount available for that person."

Promoting Events and Major Announcements

Planning and Lead Time

Liz emphasizes the necessity of giving ample lead time when promoting events or announcements. She highlights how meticulous planning can prevent misunderstandings and ensure that promotions effectively reach the target audience.

Liz [10:46]: "Give people a lot of lead time... even with announcements, like price increases... it could be good to reach out to them one on one too."

Consistency and Repetition

Laryssa points out the frustration customers face when event information is scarce or hard to find, advocating for multiple promotional efforts across various channels to maximize visibility.

Laryssa [12:41]: "Putting some sort of runway together... make sure people know about them."

Utilizing Multiple Channels

The hosts discuss the importance of not relying solely on blanket marketing tactics. They suggest direct, personalized communication methods, such as one-on-one outreach and building a text message list, to ensure messages are received and engaged with.

Liz [13:56]: "Building up like a text message list... SMS feels personal. It's direct. It's highly likely they'll see it."

Making Information Accessible

Laryssa shares an example of a designer who effectively listed upcoming events on their Instagram page, making it easy for followers to find and remember important dates.

Laryssa [13:56]: "Having all the upcoming events listed... was so easy for me to understand to see what was upcoming and then I could put them on my calendar."

Leveraging Positive Business Developments

Promoting PR and Achievements

Both hosts agree that celebrating and promoting positive business milestones, such as press features or awards, can enhance a brand's credibility and reach. They advise integrating such achievements into regular marketing content to keep the audience informed and engaged.

Liz [15:31]: "Not just set and forget, but like you could bring that up semi regularly too."

Laryssa [15:31]: "Remember when it was featured here?... PR-ing your PR."

Key Takeaways and Best Practices

1. Consistency is Crucial: Regularly update your audience with important information without over-communicating.

   Laryssa [19:13]: "It is really important to be consistent."

2. Be Clear and Direct: Ensure your messaging is straightforward to avoid confusion and maintain trust.

   Liz [16:16]: "Repeating yourself essentially and make it less about you."

3. Use Multiple Communication Channels: Diversify the platforms used to share updates to increase the likelihood of reaching your audience.

   Liz [14:15]: "SMS feels personal. It's direct. It's highly likely they'll see it."

4. Balance Transparency with Brevity: Share necessary information without overwhelming your audience with excessive details.

   Liz [18:05]: "Brevity is really underrated too."

5. Personalize Communication: Engage in one-on-one outreach to make customers feel valued and considered.

   Laryssa [14:23]: "Make sure this information is clear and somewhere that people can find."

Conclusion

In this episode, Laryssa and Liz provide a comprehensive guide on how jewelry designers and entrepreneurs can confidently share updates with their audiences. From handling price changes thoughtfully to promoting events through strategic communication channels, the hosts emphasize the importance of clarity, consistency, and personalization in building and maintaining trust within the jewelry community. By implementing these strategies, listeners can enhance their marketing efforts and foster stronger connections with their customers.

Listen to the full episode here.