It used to be that if you weren’t listed in the Yellow Pages, your customers would never find you. Today, the same is true of the internet. But simply having a digital storefront and a Facebook page aren’t enough to send shoppers through your doors.
Bolstering your online presence has never been more important. The impact of COVID-19, such as lockdowns and social distancing restrictions, have led people to spend more time online, opening up ripe opportunities for marketers to engage with consumers. Despite the opportunities, only 62% of marketers believe their current marketing strategies are effective.
“Going digital takes some extra effort, but if you do it right, your customers will not only find you, but choose to connect with your brand and depend on you for your products and your expertise, again and again,” said Derek Adams, vice president of digital strategy at RDI Diamonds, one of the largest premier diamond suppliers.
Not sure where to start or how to accelerate your current digital marketing? Here are five ways you can kick-start your digital efforts, starting today:
Digitize Your Traditional Marketing
Don’t overlook your print media materials. Augment your advertising to make it digital by adding a QR code that enables viewers to interact and easily get to the information they seek. QR codes can work somewhat like coupons if they send viewers directly to a page on your website that offers information about your products or, better yet, includes an offer or discount. QR codes don’t work as well if they simply send customers to your homepage and make them work to find product or contact information.
Create Excitement Through Compelling Visuals and Offers
There’s a lot of competition for eyeballs on the internet. To cut through the chaos and attract attention, you need to generate excitement. Diamonds undoubtedly spark joy, so take advantage of that fact by leveraging quality visuals in your online campaigns to showcase your jewelry offerings. Also include inclusive lifestyle and aspirational photos that reflect your brand and values. And incentivize customers by offering something of value beyond jewelry. For instance, provide a discount or a coupon with a specialized QR code, like how Rare & Forever recently offered customers the chance to enter a contest through its authorized jewelers. Whichever you choose, be sure you can offer it at scale.
Optimize for Mobile Devices
Americans spend a whopping 186 minutes a day on mobile devices, and it’s estimated that half of web traffic worldwide comes from mobile. Needless to say, an effective website is one that looks good and operates well on mobile devices. This means making sure that your photos and copy translate well to a smaller screen, and that your site is responsive and provides easy navigation and convenient options to connect with a sales rep and purchase products.
Take a Strong Hold in Your Local Market and Beyond
Going digital is an excellent way to expand your market. After all, the internet has no borders, and for the right value, many customers are willing to travel to purchase in-store—where they can get hands-on viewing and personalized expertise, qualities they can’t get online. Don’t miss out on opportunities to strengthen your network in your hometown and beyond by smartly investing time to ensure your business ranks high in Google Search. You can do this by optimizing your Google Business profile to make sure customers can find you if they are looking for what you are selling. Owning that space is the basis of your business. If you miss out, you’re giving away your fair share of the market to your competitors and failing to deliver to customers what they can’t buy online.
Leverage Your Customer Lists Through Modern Messaging Tools
Similar to a coupon in a magazine, text message marketing (SMS) provides customers with time-sensitive offers or discounts. It’s a valuable way to regularly engage with people who have already provided you with their phone numbers. With open rates as high as 98%, SMS marketing is a highly effective digital marketing tool. It’s not surprising, as 68% of people surveyed said checking, writing, and replying to text messages is the activity they are most engaged with on their phones. Many jewelers use a customer messaging platform like Podium because it makes it easy to message customers and also collect payments, gather reviews, and more.
Digital marketing initiatives like these will help give people a reason to care about your brand, in turn strengthening existing customer relationships and building new ones. Rare & Forever–authorized jewelers have access to specialized tools that make creating these initiatives quick and easy. These tools provide digital and offline sales and marketing assets that are inclusive and representative of today’s diverse buyers, along with training videos and a rewards program to incentivize and inspire.
Ready to modernize your jewelry business by becoming a better digital marketer? Sign up for a free consultation with our marketing team to learn how you can get an edge on the competition by taking advantage of the unique services available through our preferred partners program.
