The holidays are over and it’s time to put away the red ribbon, sweep up the confetti, and generally recover from the tornado (or snowstorm) that just ripped through your jewelry studio. But before you pat yourself on the back for a job well done, it’s important to take stock of what worked and what didn’t during the holiday season while it’s still fresh.
Toward the end of December/Beginning of January, I always make it a point to sit down with my team and assess everything from sales numbers to stress levels, how we improved from the year before, and what we could do to make next year a little easier. In 2024, we experimented with several new sales techniques, so there were a lot of lessons learned. There were also a few mistakes made that I want to note for upcoming years, so I don’t repeat them. Because we’re all a community in the jewelry world, I’d like to share those lessons with you, both the big successes and the “opportunities for betterment”.
Here are my biggest marketing takeaways from the 2024 holiday season.
What works for others may not work for you.
After seeing other independent jewelry designers find success with flash sales on Instagram and Facebook, I was eager to try it out for myself. Unfortunately, our first attempt didn’t get nearly as much traction as expected. My team reassessed and tried again with a bit more lead-up, but it was still underwhelming. Although this tactic works great for others (and you should try it if you’re curious), it just wasn’t the model for us. And that’s okay!
I learned that my brand’s clients are more motivated by personal attention and a luxury experience than by discounts. Rather than continue to walk into a wall (so to speak) we decided to pivot our strategy.
Make people feel special
For the past three years, my business had a holiday promotion called “Sparkle Box”, in which clients pick a type of jewelry (bracelet, earrings, necklace) and receive a surprise piece chosen by myself, for a discount. When the flash sale didn’t go as expected, we decided to bring the Sparkle Box back as a VIP exclusive for loyal customers. To our surprise, our conversion rate was even higher than the year prior!
We had a higher success rate with direct outreach than we did with marketing emails and social media promotion. Sometimes the relationships and personal outreach really are better than all the bells and whistles. Who knew? In the future, we will spend less time on glossy marketing and more time on personal outreach.
Build your messaging up all year
Throughout 2024, my team was constantly messaging a few key themes in our newsletters and social media. We focused on styling concepts such as layering and stacking, mixing metals, alternative and unique gems, and customization. During the holidays, we were delighted to discover that customers had received the message. Unprompted, they would ask things like, “Which ring would stack well with the one I already have?” or “What other necklace can I layer with this?”
Because we put in the effort early, we spent less time explaining our brand aesthetic and more time helping clients pick the perfect pieces. Plus, it was a lot of fun! No matter what your brand aesthetic is, planting the seeds early on will make the holidays much smoother.
Communicate Frequently (But Don’t Spam People!)
One of the most challenging aspects of marketing is finding the right balance between frequent communication and not annoying your clients. Generally, my team sends a newsletter once a month, but in November we decided to take a risk by sending three newsletters.
We knew there was a possibility of turning people off with too many emails, so we focused on short-and-sweet, image-heavy, and shoppable content that people could browse through quickly. We also made sure each newsletter was different and not repetitive. To our surprise, we didn’t see a significant number of unsubscribes from the newsletter!
Be Prepared for Last-Minute Orders (and for January!)
In 2024, both the presidential election and the late Thanksgiving holiday delayed holiday spending. Because we knew that even more people would be shopping last minute, my team prepared by making sure we had lots of ready-to-ship staples on hand. Our most popular pieces were ready to go out the door once the holiday shopping really hit.
When it came to more complex pieces, such as commissions, I was careful to ask if a client’s deadline really was the holidays. In a few cases, we were able to move these projects to January, so I already have work on the calendar for the post-holiday dip!
Be Inclusive
This year, we made a big effort to be inclusive, specifically leaning into more Hanukkah content than ever before. In addition to a Hanukkah-focused newsletter (one of our three for November) and a Hanukkah gifting blog post, we had multiple Hanukkah-focused Instagram posts, including carousels. Rather than one obligatory post, Hanukkah content was a regular and essential part of our holiday messaging.
We knew we were on the right track when several clients reached out to thank us for recognizing their traditions during the holiday season. More than being an effective marketing strategy, it’s simply the right thing to do. It feels great to be included, and people really do notice when you make the effort to honor all traditions.
Be Flexible
The 2024 holiday season was full of trial and error, but our team kept experimenting with new strategies. Because we were flexible, we were able to change directions in the moment, which helped us to be successful. Because we incorporated our learnings from last year and laid solid groundwork for the holidays, this season was less stressful and hectic than the year prior. With all our learnings from this season, we can expect the next one to be even better.
I hope that you can take these insights and carry them forward in your own marketing strategy. Remember, every jewelry business is different, so take what makes the most sense for you and your customer base and leave the rest.
Here’s looking forward to an amazing 2025!
