“Radio doesn’t work.”
If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard somebody tell me this…they’re mostly wrong.
Just ask some of the local jewelry store owners I know who have built incredible businesses thanks largely to their radio strategy and extraordinary ad writing.
And while I’m not here to convince you to dump your digital marketing in favor of radio, I am going to share with you some of the key takeaways I’ve learned from working with local, showroom-based jewelers who aggressively do both.
You see, the thing is, there’s a reason radio has worked so well for jewelers, especially in the hands of a skilled ad writer. These are also the exact same reasons many digital marketers don’t get the success they expect.
That’s why I’ve come to believe successful jewelry campaigns are less about the medium and more about properly executing the following 3 things:
Lesson #1: Get Your Brand Message Right
Successful jewelers who invest in radio advertising know they must say something compelling to get your attention, hold your interest, and make you feel good about their store.
You can’t do that by blathering on about having the “finest selection” and “best prices” in your town. Everybody says that.
Great radio ads create a “personality” for your brand. They create a unique voice. They develop characters you feel like you know.
Big businesses refer to this as branding. I call it giving people a clear understanding of how your store is different from the dozens of other jewelers in the same listening area, all while giving them a good reason to visit.
Lesson #2: Reach & Frequency Matter
Many local jewelers fail to really understand the reach of your digital marketing.
One of the big reasons jewelers love radio is you reach a lot of people. Now, not all of them are targeted or interested in jewelry today, but at some point they may be jewelry customers and they probably know someone who is buying jewelry soon.
On the other spectrum, I often see jewelers whose digital campaigns aren’t reaching many people at all. Just look at the organic reach of your social media posts or the number of people actually opening your emails. It’s probably not a big number.
With digital marketing, you need to make sure you’re reaching enough people for your campaigns to be effective. And not just reaching more people, but doing it with the right frequency as well.
By frequency, we mean the number of times people see your ad. Google Ads and Meta Business Manager (Facebook Ads Manager) provide your frequency numbers on each campaign. Don’t overlook the importance of having enough budget so people see your ads 2 – 7 times which is how many times it takes for them to take action.
Lesson #3: Balance Customer Bonding & Sales Activation
It’s tempting to focus your digital marketing efforts only on people who are “in-market” for jewelry right now. But that is such a small percentage of people. And their buying window is short.
Customer bonding is a long-term play. But most of my jewelry clients are 2nd or 3rd generation, so they’re always cultivating relationships with their clients in hopes they last for years to come.
That’s why a majority of your marketing budget needs to go towards customer bonding if you’re a serious jeweler. It’s tomorrow’s business.
But there’s also a place for reaching those people who are “in-market” today. That’s where Sales Activation comes in. Using messages focused on the urgency of inviting people to your store for a personalized consultation or even a special event, those are the ads that get people to take action now.
But you can’t run sales activation ads all day. Not unless you’re a car dealer.
Jewelers have long-term relationships that take time to develop, so put most of your efforts into customer bonding, and you’ll be glad you did!
