← Success With Jewelry
Success With Jewelry
150 - Laryssa and Liz on Why People Really Buy Jewelry (and How to Speak to It)
00:17:18
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- [00:00]
A
Welcome to the Success With Jewelry Podcast. Your go to source for real conversations about business marketing and what it actually takes to succeed as a jewelry brand Today.
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B
I'm Larissa, the strategist, systems queen and the one who finds joy in turning big marketing challenges into step by step plans that actually work. Email marketing and generating revenue through it is a specialty of my agency, Joy.
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A
Joya and I'm Liz, your creative compass and advocate for designers doing things differently. I live for brilliant brand storytelling, beautiful visuals, and helping designers confidently show up and shine. I founded the Stakehold Collective to create community and support for independent jewelry brands.
- [00:40]
B
Together, we bring you nearly two decades of jewelry marketing experience and on this podcast we're pulling back the curtain on everything we've learned. Whether you're just starting out or scaling to your next big milestone, you'll get honest insights, helpful tips, and maybe a few giggles along the way.
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A
This is episode 150. Today we're diving into why people buy jewelry and what truly drives their decisions. It is never just about the piece itself. Jewelry represents emotion, identity, connection, celebration, and memory. When someone chooses a piece from you, they are choosing how they want to feel and what they want to express. We are breaking down the key motivations behind jewelry purchases, how customers form emotional connections to your work and and what you can do to communicate your value in a way that resonates. If you want to reach the right buyer and create pieces that matter to them, understanding the psychology behind their choices is essential. Let's get into it.
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B
This is such an underrated part of the whole sales process and thinking through the buyer's journey that a lot of people just don't consider.
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A
I don't think people consider it. As marketers, we have to think about it, right? And we're always thinking about it, even if we're not acknowledging that that's what we're thinking about. It's marketing is all about how you're making someone feel. Every sales experience is about how you're making someone feel. It's not just the piece of jewelry.
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B
Yes, that's so true. And with jewelry, it's all tied to that, like probably more than almost any other products that I can imagine.
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A
Yeah, Jory is very emotional. Although I would say that people are more invested in like brands and who they're buying from than ever, I would say, because even when I'm trying to think about something really uninteresting that I've purchased recently, but I think about it and I researched the company or like, I mean, here's an Example kind of is like, dishware or like, you know, plates and bowls and stuff. And I tend to buy from East Fork, which is a local Asheville company, and those are pretty common goods. But I like their values. I like that they donate to local causes and have community partners and things like that and support the, like, local Asheville community. So that's one of the reasons why if I'm looking for more bowls, that's who I tend to go to.
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B
Yes, that's so true. And also having that loyalty, I think not only your values and it connects with, like, whatever what you want to support, but the marketplace is such an overwhelming place that I think if you like a brand, it's just, like, easier to keep buying from them instead of having to, like, research and they'll go look for something, blah, blah, blah, blah.
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A
It's. It's so true. And I keep going back to buy from pretty much the same companies always. I'm not typically seeking out new ones necessarily, because it you trust them, you know what you're going to get. It's easy. Like, the obvious example that we could bring up here would be May Lindstrom.
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B
But I knew you were gonna say.
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A
It, but with other products, too. Like, I got really into typology. They have like a tinted. A tinted foundation type thing, or tinted. I don't know. I don't know anything about makeup, but they just have a tinted thing that I wear and a concealer that I like. And like, that's my go to right now. And I'm set. I don't need anything else. So it's just like, once you, like, really know a brand and trust it, you're going to stick with it.
- [04:23]
B
I feel like with jewelry, too, that all applies. I mean, the jewelry market's oversaturated. If you find a designer or a brand that you like, unless you want something totally different that they don't have, like, why would you try to shop somewhere else?
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A
This is reminding me of our episode about retaining, like, customers you already have, or, like, did we do an episode about that? We did do it, probably, anyway. But your customers are the people who are fans of your work and excited about it.
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B
Always.
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A
Like, those are people you really want to nurture because. Because they will keep coming back. And yeah, I think that also with jewelry, like, the whole emotional end of things is like, you know, you want to, like, maybe somebody got their commitment set from you. They're going to maybe want, like, all of their anniversary gifts to come from you as well, because that's like, A really nice story. Like, this is the family jeweler. That's kind of something that, that is a little bit more old school, but people used to have like a local family jeweler and that's who they would go to. And I think that, that, that's. That's still kind of a thing people think about.
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B
Mm. That just made me think back to when I was a kid. My mom had like a jeweler that she would go to for everything. Of course. Yeah. New Jersey, like pre shopping online. Like, I remember she took me there to get a gift for like my 16th birthday. And like, it was what it was like whatever they had, I got to pick my favorite thing from that. And that was, that was the whole thing. You know, you didn't have like the vast Internet to like shop and designer jewelry in general.
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A
It, like outside of the large design houses like Tiffany and Cartier, it's like a newer thing, you know, it's not something that's been around forever in the same way it is now. There's a lot of options now. And, you know, instead of thinking about, like, I need more clients, I need more clients, I need more clients, like, how can I take the ones that I have and like, really nurture them? Which is again, like a little bit off topic. But I think that building that relationship kind of does feel fit into what we're saying here, where a lot of times the first place somebody will look if they're looking for something is brands and designers. They already know.
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B
Yes. And that is why I love email marketing so much, because that is the best place to do all of that.
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A
And the story, I think, can really help with shaping a perceived value and building that emotion. Like what inspired the piece, Your passion behind designing and making and all the. That went into, say, sourcing the stone or all of the intricate details that, you know, your craftsmanship and all of that, that can really help build on the emotional end of things. And people really buying into what you're selling.
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B
Definitely.
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A
Some of the main motivation. Oh, no, you go ahead.
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B
No, no, I was, I was gonna say exactly what you were gonna say.
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A
Getting into some of the main motivations behind a purchase. You know, milestones always, I think, in commemoration. Like oftentimes, like even if you're a self purchaser, sometimes you're buying based on a promotion or something exciting that happened, or treating yourself for doing something hard and all of that. But also obviously, like the anniversary, the birthdays, like, this is really like the biggest motivation behind purchases usually.
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B
What was the motivation behind your last Jewelry purchase.
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A
That's a great question. I don't know. That's an awful answer. I think the last thing I purchased was a pair of Lara Wood earrings. And she has a gallery in the River Arts District. And I, you know, I love her work. I have iterations of her different collections and I love her enamel work which I don't. Didn't own anything of yet. And I want it to support Asheville. I want it to support her. I want it to support the River Arts District. So all of those things fed into it. And then she just had this one of a kind pair in stock that just looked really good and I liked them.
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B
Love that.
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A
How about you?
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B
I love that.
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A
Was it your 40th birthday?
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B
I never bought myself anything for my.
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A
But you need to.
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B
I know. I have a story about it. I can save it for the insiders. But my last jewelry purchase was just like a $40 pair of like handmade really statement colorful earrings by Delaney Blue I think is the brand. She makes these like clay and beaded like really wild earrings. And I bought them because I wanted something for like the fall Halloween season. And also I hadn't bought myself anything in a while. So like you wrote in your notes, like self expression, comfort kind of thing. And when I happen to be on the site, they happen to be on sale. So that pushed me over the edge to make a purchase.
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A
That often does or being like in an in person experience where you're shopping and it's like it's an experience and you're talking to the designer and they're like showing you options and you're trying them on and it becomes like a fun thing. I feel like that often leads to me actually purchasing as well. And then I guess the last big jewelry purchase I made was when my kid was born and I turned to a couple of jewelers that I know and asked them to make me customized aquamarine pieces, which was his birthstone. But I did turn to people I.
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B
Knew first to kind of create those that make sense. Well, it's easier like we're talking about. And you probably want to support them also.
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A
Yeah. Gift giving is another reason people purchase. I think that's always something of. We're coming up on gift giving season. I think earrings, pendants, they're always a nice gift.
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Yes.
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Yeah. And.
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Yeah.
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A
Okay. So what customers look for before they buy. And this is, I think this is something that's a newer thing, but they want alignment and values. I think a lot of times like you want to, especially if it's a bigger purchase. You want to be supporting someone that you align with their values or you believe in their vision or their passion. I feel like that's something a lot of people are looking for these days.
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B
I was almost buying hair product yesterday. I abandoned my cart, but in the cart, I didn't know this brand. Amica, have you heard of this brand?
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A
I haven't heard of them.
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Well, they sell at Sephora and stuff and I really love them. But anyway, I was in the car and they had a little call out, like, where that shows the price. It's like, oh, do you want to round up to donate to this, like, charity that we support? And it's some nonprofit that donates like scalp cooling products for people going through chemo. And I was like, oh my God, like, that's so aligned. And I didn't know that they, like, support this nonprofit. And I didn't end up purchasing or donating or anything at that time. But I thought about it afterward and.
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A
It still stuck with me.
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And now next time when I go to buy it, like, I will remember that.
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A
That's really nice.
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B
Yeah.
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A
I just went to their website and they have nice marketing. I think looking towards the beauty industry is so smart, like in terms of marketing, inspiration and idea, like, they are.
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B
Just ahead of it 100%. Yeah. There is so much inspirational marketing happening in hair care, skincare, beauty, a lot to like, borrow from those kind of brands.
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A
Yeah. But having that, having that extra, like, option to donate to a cause that, you know, feels aligned or something that you would want to donate to is definitely, I think, something customers look for and then, yeah, like trusting the maker, I think is super important proof of craftsmanship and quality. Like testimonials are a great way to show that showing behind the scenes, showing your process a narrative that they can share when wearing the piece. So, like, story is really important. Understanding the inspiration behind something's really important because somebody's going to connect to that and want to share that as they're wearing the piece that they purchase.
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B
Definitely.
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A
And then how to use psychology and marketing. Focus on the benefit, not just the features. And I think this is tough when it comes to selling like something that people don't necessarily need. Although I would argue that you do need jewelry or adornment or self expression or however you want to put it. I think jewelry's been around forever. Adornment's been around forever. So, you know, it is. We. We do need it in certain ways, but you don't really. It's not a vacuum Cleaner. You can't be like, it. Great if you have pets, but easy to wear, you know, what else would you say that would be, like, a benefit? Like, one of a kind.
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B
I hear, like, earrings, like, oh, your kids aren't going to, like, pull them out of your ear, that kind of thing.
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A
Yeah. If some things, like one of a kind or features, like a specific, like, gemstone that's really special. Things like that, those could be benefits.
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B
Comfortable, metaphysical benefits of gemstones. If you are into that, you know.
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A
If that makes sense for you, that could be something that you could share. So there's a lot to say. Sharing the why behind your work is really important. Like, why do you do what you do? And that's. That's impactful. That's good for you to be clear on, first and foremost, if you're not. But that's also something really important to share with customers. So it's not like, oh, well, I just make jewelry just because, like, why are you making jewelry? Why are you excited about what you're making? I want to know.
- [15:04]
B
Yeah, and there's a way, too. Like, even if you're talking about yourself and your why, to still make it about the customer. Like, kind of. There's a way to frame that so it doesn't just sound like you're just. This is all about you and you only.
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A
You know, I think that's really hard. Not to put you on the spot here, but do you have an example of how you could reframe? I'm like, I want to come up with one, but I.
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B
Okay, let me see, Let me see. I'm literally just gonna, like, spitball here. So you know how there's this trope of, like, oh, I love making jewelry because my grandma really like jewelry, and I remember being a kid and, like.
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A
Going through her playing in my grandmother's jewelry box.
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B
Yep. Yeah. So to spin that story and make it about a customer, like, you could still use that framing, but say. And I want my customers to also feel the connection of generations and, like, bring that generational love to life through my work. Like, so taking that feeling and explaining and saying how that could enhance another person's life.
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A
I love.
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B
That makes.
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A
That was a great example. Yes, that was a good example. Other things you can do is speak directly to how you want customers to feel. And that's great for product descriptions. Like, you know, feel, like, casual and confident every day that you wear this necklace kind of thing, or, like, bold hoops to feel, like, extra special for, like, an evening out. I don't know stuff like that. So speaking to how you want customers to feel while they're wearing your work and as always, sharing the process and the human behind the brand can be really helpful.
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B
100%. So.
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A
All right, was this helpful? What was your takeaway? Let us know. Visit successwithjewelry.com and if you love the podcast, we'd love to hear from you. Send us a message or leave us a review. Thanks for being part of our community.