MajorsApr 01, 2026
Foundrae Sues Pandora for Allegedly Copying Its Medallion DesignsFoundrae also accused the jewelry giant of copying its mood board style of marketing.
TechnologyAug 26, 2015
How to get sales out of social media
Displaying the best part of your brand, building trust and providing value are essential to making social media profitable, Likeable Local’s Evan Seto explains.
Evan Seto is the marketing apprentice at Likeable Local, a social media marketing platform and app for small and mid-sized businesses. He can be reached at evan@likeablelocal.com.
Social media is a powerful tool for any jewelry business’ strategic plan. Just a few years ago it was barely part of the equation, and now it’s an essential aspect of any game plan. Best practices dictate some particular things about social media and how to use it, as the channels can be great for building your brand--but you have to find a voice and stick with it.
Use social media to display the best parts of your brand, whether that’s your jewelry, your customers or your staff and workplace culture. Your brand is on social media already; it’s up to you whether you want to be the one who controls it. Social media can also be a great customer service tool, as that’s where your customers are. Listen to them and interact with them, especially if they interact with you. This way, you’re reaching your customers more effectively in an arena they might be more comfortable in.
Those are your social media best practices, but sometimes you might wonder about your return on investment. I’m here to tell you that all of those things you thought you knew about social media, rip them up and throw them out the window. Okay, don’t actually do that; they’re still very important aspects of a social media business strategy. But what I’m saying is that it’s also okay to use social media to sell and market. Here’s a great example of a jeweler using social media to sell:
(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));
Make a statement this summer with the Pandora Palm pendant - new to the summer collection. #ArtofYou #Pandora
Posted by Leitzel's Jewelry on Friday, August 7, 2015
Here’s where you need to be careful. There is a large segment of the population that becomes uncomfortable and/or defensive when they sense somebody is trying to sell them something, and this applies especially to social media. Consider why people are on social media; while it varies from platform to platform, essentially people are there to be in a safe space where they can interact with their friends and connections. This is where those first social media best practices come in--by building your brand on social media, you also build trust between your jewelry business and your potential consumer.
Once that brand trust is established, people will be more amenable to seeing your sales pitch come at them through social media. This
is where value becomes important. People don’t like feeling like they’re losing on a deal; ideally, they would like to see a greater perceived return for their perceived loss. However, if everybody operated with complete mental clarity, no business would ever turn a profit. Lucky for you, human psychology is much more complicated than a strict win/lose calculation.
Consider apps like “Game of War” and “Clash of Clans.” You might know them from their massive advertising campaigns, one of which was notorious for starring a certain Sports Illustrated swimsuit model. You might have wondered why there are such massive ad campaigns devoted to free apps. The reason is that the developers want to draw people in. They start them off with a small reward--resources they use to start the game out.
As the user invest more time in the game--time that is extended by having to wait for things to develop--they’re less willing to abandon the game, not because they are necessarily feeling like they’re still deriving value out of the game, but because they don’t want to feel like they completely lost the time they already sunk into it. Thus, inertia. The technical term for this is the sunk cost fallacy, and admittedly, it does seem a bit underhanded and cynical. However, the negative vibes of this example are reflective of the way these companies utilize these strategies. Let’s brighten these up a little bit for your business’ strategy.
What you want to be doing is taking the basic principles of sunk cost. Provide value, even if it’s for free, and get people invested into your brand. Consumers who are invested in you and the success of your brand are more likely to be loyal and supportive customers. It’s fine to use social media for sales, but make sure you’re always providing additional value--things you can offer your customers that doesn’t require them to necessarily give up anything.
In the same way selling can work on social media, social media works for this kind of selling. Social media helps you capture an audience much better than a phone call and email. After all, once you’ve got the like or the follow, they’re connected to you and inertia will keep the vast majority around, in a way that calls and emails don’t hold on to contacts. From there, keep using social media to nurture away, and before you know it, your social media sales pitches are taking hold.
Looking for more social media tips to refine your business’ social media strategy? Check out this free eBook, 7 Proven Strategies to Maximize Twitter for Your Business.
Evan Seto is the marketing apprentice at Likeable Local, a social media marketing platform and app for small and mid-sized businesses. Reach him at evan@likeablelocal.com.
More on Technology
The Latest
AuctionsApr 01, 2026
John Jacob Astor IV’s Titanic Pocket Watch Heads to AuctionA Patek Philippe for Tiffany & Co. timepiece owned by the American businessman who died on the Titanic will be offered at Freeman's Chicago.
SurveysApr 01, 2026
Consumers’ Outlook Improves Again in MarchThe Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index edged up, with optimism about the present outweighing worries about the future.
Brought to you by
Protect Your Customers and Your BusinessYou deserve to know what you are selling–to protect your customers as well as your business and your reputation.
IndependentsApr 01, 2026
Zachary’s Jewelers’ Constance Polamalu to Release Children’s BookThe retailer’s Zach Bear gift comes to life in “Zach Bear and the Window Necklace,” which centers on curiosity, bravery, and helping.
Weekly QuizMar 26, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Events & AwardsApr 01, 2026
AGA Opens 2026 Gemological Scholarship, Research Grant ApplicationsApplications are open for the AGA Gemological Scholarship Program through May 15, and until June 2027 for the Gemological Research Grant.
ColumnistsMar 31, 2026
Q1 Clues That Reveal Where Your Jewelry Store’s Sales Are Heading These customer behavior patterns say a lot about how successful your jewelry store is going to be this year, Emmanuel Raheb writes.
Brought to you by
Is This You? Every Jeweler Has This Problem; We Have the Solution.Every jeweler faces the same challenge: helping customers protect what they love. Here’s the solution designed for today’s jewelry business.
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Mejuri Adds Silver to ‘Puzzle’ CollectionMejuri’s popular collection of 18-karat yellow gold vermeil rings debuted in sterling silver alongside new “Puzzle” slider charms.
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Buddha Mama, Ashley Longshore to Host Pop-Up in DallasThe Miami-based jewelry brand and the NYC-based artist will be in Dallas from April 9-11.
SourcingMar 31, 2026
NDC Designates April 8 as 'World Diamond Day'The initiative invites those in the industry to share stories on social media highlighting the meaning and impact of natural diamonds.
SourcingMar 31, 2026
GIA VP Jillian Wolk to Take Over at Tracr Wolk’s first day on the job as CEO of Tracr, De Beers Group’s blockchain platform, will be May 1.
EditorsMar 30, 2026
Tom Moses Looks Back on His Decades at GIA Moses, who will leave the lab in May after nearly 50 years, discusses his start in the business, gemstones that stand out, and what’s next.
TrendsMar 30, 2026
Oscar Heyman Debuts First Spring CatalogThe new catalog, which showcases 35 one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry, is a compliment to the company’s popular holiday catalog.
SourcingMar 30, 2026
Rio Tinto Hauls Last Load from DiavikProduction has ceased at the Canadian diamond mine, which has yielded more than 150 million carats of rough diamonds in its 23-year run.
MajorsMar 30, 2026
Tanishq Opens First New England LocationThe store opening marks the 10th United States location for the India-based jewelry retailer.
MajorsMar 27, 2026
Saks Global Has Changed Its Mind About Closing These 3 StoresTwo Saks Fifth Avenue locations, one in Florida and one in California, and one Neiman Marcus store are off the chopping block.
IndependentsMar 27, 2026
Jimmy West, Longtime LJG Executive Director, Dies at 72West, who started in the art department at the Leading Jewelers Guild in 1979, is remembered for his patience, kindness, and dedication.
CollectionsMar 27, 2026
Itä’s ‘Yarí Whirl’ Ring Tells Every Side of the StoryIn the “Tesoro” version of the ring, our Piece of the Week, each side of the gold hexagonal nugget has a unique colored gemstone design.
WatchesMar 26, 2026
Q&A: Citizen Watch America President Jeffrey Cohen on Eco-Drive’s 50th AnniversaryCohen discusses the evolution of Citizen’s light-powered technology, the brand’s cross-generational appeal, and tariffs.
IndependentsMar 26, 2026
Peter Smith Pens Book on Human Behavior in Sales“Essentially Human: On Sales and Salespeople" reveals the underlying human traits and behaviors of the most successful sales professionals.
CollectionsMar 26, 2026
Lionheart Celebrates 13 Years of ‘Cassandane’The collection features symbols of love, luck, and light, based on the story of Queen Cassandane and Cyrus the Great of Persia.
Events & AwardsMar 26, 2026
NAJA, Instappraise Introduce New ScholarshipIt’s the third scholarship to be launched as part of the partnership to help appraisers advance their professional credentials.
Events & AwardsMar 26, 2026
JA Still Accepting Entries for 2026 CASE AwardsThe deadline for entries in the jewelry design competition has been extended to April 3.
SourcingMar 25, 2026
Rob Bates Steps Down as JCK News Director After 28 years with JCK, the veteran industry journalist is launching his own publication on Substack called The Jewelry Wire.
GradingMar 25, 2026
New York’s Natural History Museum, Wiley To Build Minerals DatabaseWiley said the project will give scientists worldwide access to the American Museum of Natural’s History renowned mineral collection.
CollectionsMar 25, 2026
Boochier Turns Flower Friendship Bracelets Into Fine JewelryThe “Flower Puff” collection looks to beaded flower friendship bracelets from childhood, turning the silhouette into nostalgic fine jewelry.
