How to capture the social media market

Sure, you may have Facebook and Instagram pages. But how effective are you in actually engaging your circle of friends and clients? Follow these five simple tips to dramatically expand your social media reach and convert friends and contacts to leads and sales.

The average person is on their cell phone a minimum of three hours a day, including significant time on social media. Actively engage people where they already are to dramatically increase your pool of potential clients and increase sales.

1. Tell your story. People respond to stories on a powerful emotional level. What makes you unique and interesting? You know yourself better than anyone else. Facebook and Instagram are more personal than traditional advertising. You’re selling yourself. Who are you? Do you have a rags to riches story? Are you a fifth generation jeweler? Have you overcome adversity or obstacles? Are you bringing your children into your business? People want to do business with people they know. Share yourself. You’ll increase your circle of friends and potential clients. The greater your circle of Friends, the larger your pool of potential clients who will turn to you for their jewelry needs.
2. Disrupt attention with your hook. Now that you’ve identified your unique story, tell it in the most compelling way. This is the essence of brand storytelling. Your post should grab attention. People scroll thru hundreds if not thousands of posts a day in their feeds. Yours has to stand out to disrupt that flow. An interesting, compelling photograph or short video is crucial. Try a “wow” piece of jewelry you’re currently featuring, an image post featuring a celebrity (“What’s hot on the red carpet”), something that ties into what’s currently trending (“How are you dressing for Zoom calls?”) or something that appeals to emotion (pictures of your children, pictures of cute animals or funny images. Humor is a great disruptor!)
3. Create drama thru plot and resolution. As you weave your story, use suspense and resolution. Did your business face challenges thru the pandemic? Did you have to close your storefront or face other unique challenges? Were you uncertain what direction to take? Did you reinvent yourself and your business in ways you did not anticipate? The more dramatic you make your story, the more you’ll appeal to emotions and evoke wide and strong responses.
4. Post strategically, not sporadically. Research has shown that your social media profile expands thru regular posting (6+ times a week) and that potential customers are comfortable with sales pitches about once a week. Alternate between informative posts (“Paperclip chain necklaces are currently hot!”), entertaining posts (picture of a cat wearing a diamond tiara), posts that ask for advice or response (“Do you prefer yellow or white gold?) and direct calls to action. Limit direct calls to action to once a week. These can include requests to follow your social media channels, email or direct message (DM) you, join contests, receive discounts by taking action (such as providing an email address), and direct sales pitches. By posting strategically, you’re expanding your social media reach, becoming an influencer, and dramatically expanding your pool of potential clients. Use strategic rather than sporadic, haphazard posting to capture the social media market.
5. Use different strategies for different platforms. Each platform has its own culture. LinkedIn is very different from TikTok! Find what works best for you and your friends and customers. Familiarize yourself with each platform’s style to have the most impact there. On Facebook, dramatic hooks with catchy headlines and images are crucial. Join groups, such as Jewelers Helping Jewelers, and post and respond to posts there. The more your posts are commented on and shared, the greater exposure they’ll get, based on the Facebook algorithm. On Instagram, images are key and should be carefully curated to tell your story. You Tube is ideal for content creation, including informative videos, that can then be re-posted on other channels. Pinterest has its own “look book” culture, great for sharing and collecting style inspirations. Your story doesn’t have to be the same on all channels, but should be congruent.

Social media culture can be daunting at first. The thought of regularly engaging there may seem overwhelming. But as you regularly participate, you’ll realize it’s not a distraction from your day-to-day business, but a very powerful tool for expanding it – increasing your customer base, cultivating clients, and closing sales – thru brand storytelling.