Some Simple Ways to Sell More Handmade Jewelry

If you have your own jewelry business selling handmade jewelry designs, it's important that you consistently reevaluate and refine your approach to jewelry marketing. I want to share with you a real life example of a handmade jewelry designer who was able to significantly increase her handmade jewelry sales by making a few simple changes to her marketing strategy. It illustrates how a few minor adjustments can produce big results.

Patricia has been designing and making handmade jewelry for the past 2 years and she's quite good at what she does. Her jewelry has an organic, natural look with clusters of semiprecious beads and finely polished woods enhanced by touches of sterling silver. She has refined her line over time so it has a consistent theme that is uniquely her own, making it quite easy to brand.

Patricia's primary means of selling her jewelry is via jewelry/craft shows and word-of-mouth referrals. She does some limited marketing and wholesaling to local boutiques and galleries in her area. She sells very well at the craft shows she attends which proves there's a strong market for her handmade jewelry. Her chief complaint is that she doesn't receive enough orders between her regular shows and there are a limited number of shows for her to attend due to her unwillingness to travel long distances.

After talking to Patricia, we discovered several potential avenues that Patricia could use to reach new customers as well as increase sales to her current customers. At the time, Patricia did not have an online presence and didn't want to take on the responsibility of managing a full website. She did have a professionally done business card with her contact information and a tag line which described her unique jewelry concept. Here are the changes we made:

1. Patricia signed up to display her jewelry on an online art gallery. She needed a gallery that was slightly higher end since her jewelry sells at a higher price point due to the expense of her materials and the unique appearance of her line. We chose an appropriate online gallery for her work that was relatively inexpensive and actively promoted their artists via the search engines.

2. We redesigned her business card by adding a photo of her one of her most beautiful, "show stopping" pieces and then added the URL of her online gallery in bold print at the bottom of her business card.

Now when Patricia attends craft shows, she can hand out her business card with her show stopping piece prominently displayed. This reminds customers of the unique nature of the jewelry she offers and further brands her beautiful jewelry line. They can then take a close look at her entire line from the comfort of their home, because she was smart enough to include the URL of her online gallery on her business card. Does this result in increased sales? You betcha!

When a customer makes a purchase of her handmade jewelry, Patricia hands them her photo business card and shows them the link to her online gallery. She lets them know that they can find many more handmade jewelry pieces in her gallery and gives them suggestions on additional items they might coordinate with their current purchase. After hearing her suggestions, customers will often access her online gallery the same day and will make an additional purchase.

PLUS, Patricia has each customer sign her email book so she can send them periodic emails to remind them that her jewelry makes the perfect gift item for a special people in their lives. Of course she includes a link to her gallery.

AND, she leaves her photo business card with her gallery link everywhere she goes. The show stopping photo on the card is a strong motivator for potential customers to take a closer look at what she has to offer.

Patricia couldn't be happier! Her sales have increased without her spending any additional time marketing her jewelry which allows her more time for design and production. She's decided at this point to hire a person to help with production while she gradually builds the wholesale end of her business. She can direct the boutiques that are interested in her line to her online gallery, essentially having it to serve as a "wholesale showroom" of sorts.

This illustrates how a few simple changes to your handmade jewelry marketing strategy can have a significant effect on your jewelry business. Maybe it's time for you to reassess your own marketing plan. Are there a few simple changes you could make to increase your jewelry sales?