AuctionsSep 17, 2025
Mythical Set of Patek Philippe Pocket Watches Expected to Sell for $10M+A set of four Patek Philippe “Star Caliber 2000” pocket watches is part of Sotheby’s upcoming auction in Abu Dhabi.
TechnologyJul 30, 2019
The PR Adviser: Turning Staff into Influencers, Part II
Lilian Raji gives a lesson on hashtags in her latest column on influencer marketing. #Readit.
Lilian Raji is a strategic communications and PR adviser who helps companies understand their marketing problems, then designs and executes strategies to solve them.
Hello dear readers! It’s been weeks since Vegas. I hope you’re well-tanned from doing absolutely nothing in the sun. Or, at the very least, have bodies made supple by daily massages and nightly mojitos as you recuperate from the shows.
It’s time to pick up where we last left off in our influencer marketing focus.
We were in the process of creating an elite, super-engineered, influencer warrior named Anastasia who influences exclusively for you. Let’s continue!
Q. Dear Lilian,
Rather than paying influencers to help promote our business, how can I turn my staff into influencers?
Signed,
Keeping the Bacon at Home
A. When we last rendezvous-ed here on National Jeweler, your homework assignment was to grab a free copy of my Influencer Marketing Toolkit, and use the workbook “The Creative Brief” to help brainstorm Anastasia’s content strategy.
In your strategy development, did you include how you can involve your customers? If not, tsk, tsk, tsk.
The most important rule in sales, marketing or PR is that it’s never about you.
Buying is about the customer.
Whenever a customer buys from your Anastasia, she’ll ask the happy customer to do a joint selfie showing off the latest purchase. This gets posted and tagged on Instagram, where yours and the customer’s followers can see.
For gift purchases, encourage the customer to share pictures or video of the recipient receiving that gift, especially if it’s an engagement ring like this Royal Asscher-cut stone set in a twisted split shank.
When the picture or video arrives, onto Instagram it goes with a humble-brag post about Anastasia’s involvement.
Including real, live, happy customers on your Anastasia’s Instagram is the most authentic thing you can do. And never forget—authenticity is the gateway to influence.
Now, say several weeks have passed with Anastasia diligently posting alluring content, yet she’s barely cracking 2,000 followers. What gives?
With all the hours she’s putting in, surely she should have 100,000 followers by now, right?
Wrong. And don’t call me Shirley.
Herein lies the challenge of becoming an influencer.
How long have you known the name Kim Kardashian? A year? Four years? A decade?
Would you be surprised to know “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” first aired in 2007?
Yeah, it’s been that long. Let’s take a moment to acknowledge just how hard Kris Jenner has worked to keep her family relevant all these years.
“Don’t buy followers because those followers are often bots that don’t have
credit cards, or limbs to wear your jewelry.”
But back to Anastasia and her slow-growing follower count. Above everything else, it takes time to grow a significant following. Be neither impatient nor ashamed at the slow growth.
Instead, be ecstatic about every single follower Anastasia earns. Those followers are there because they want to know what Anastasia will post next.
That kind of desire is what carries you from the doorstep of authenticity to the bright lights of influence.
You’ll be tempted to try and take shortcuts. Don’t.
Don’t buy followers because those followers are often bots that don’t have credit cards, or limbs to wear your jewelry. Bought followers also hamper your authenticity when people question why none of your 1 million followers ever offer thoughtful comments on your posts.
Don’t engage software that tricks thousands of real people into following you by first following them. Those new followers, however human, aren’t interested in your recommendations. They’re following you out of a social media etiquette to follow back those who follow them.
To increase genuine followers, always include hashtags in your posts. This is a hashtag: #.
Hashtags tell Instagram how to categorize your post and make it easier for those following that category to see your post in their feed. Just make sure the hashtags you use are those people would search for.
I have a client who took to hashtags like Elizabeth Taylor took to jewels. He was so enamored with hash-tagging that he would hashtag his wife’s unique name and random things like #pots and #table.
Please don’t do that. Hashtags have a very specific marketing purpose. Use them wisely.
Nonetheless, don’t be afraid to apply conceptual thinking in selecting your hashtags.
Take a look at this Phillip Gavriel post. I love the lifestyle shot showing off those rings. They’ve used the perfect applicable hashtags (#jewelryaddict, #jewelrygram, #bling, etc.), but let’s think abstractly.
How about #fridaynightout? Having been used 184K times, a post with this hashtag is likely to show up in more feeds.
Also, #datenight! With 15.5 million previous uses, this one’s a no-brainer, especially with the lifestyle angle Phillip Gavriel has chosen for the picture.
I’m pretty sure Instagram users looking for style inspiration on #datenight or a #fridaynightout would love to know about these Phillip Gavriel rings. They’ll also want to see more jewelry recommendations from Phillip Gavriel by following the account.
Having a strong hashtag strategy is just one of many ways to increase followers. There are so many more things you can do. But, alas, we’re out of time!
Get your free copy of my Influencer Marketing Toolkit, and return to your content strategy drawing board. Use the worksheets in “The Creative Brief” to come up with additional abstract hashtags.
When we meet again next month, we’ll conclude Anastasia’s journey of becoming an elite influencer as we delve deeper into strategies to increase her/your followers.
In the meantime, my calendar is open to you should you need tips before then.
Lilian Raji is a strategic communications and PR adviser who helps companies understand their marketing problems, then designs and executes strategies to solve them. Learn more at LilianRaji.com. Submit questions for Lilian to answer here and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
Instead, be ecstatic about every single follower Anastasia earns. Those followers are there because they want to know what Anastasia will post next.
That kind of desire is what carries you from the doorstep of authenticity to the bright lights of influence.
You’ll be tempted to try and take shortcuts. Don’t.
Don’t buy followers because those followers are often bots that don’t have credit cards, or limbs to wear your jewelry. Bought followers also hamper your authenticity when people question why none of your 1 million followers ever offer thoughtful comments on your posts.
Don’t engage software that tricks thousands of real people into following you by first following them. Those new followers, however human, aren’t interested in your recommendations. They’re following you out of a social media etiquette to follow back those who follow them.
To increase genuine followers, always include hashtags in your posts. This is a hashtag: #.
Hashtags tell Instagram how to categorize your post and make it easier for those following that category to see your post in their feed. Just make sure the hashtags you use are those people would search for.
I have a client who took to hashtags like Elizabeth Taylor took to jewels. He was so enamored with hash-tagging that he would hashtag his wife’s unique name and random things like #pots and #table.
Please don’t do that. Hashtags have a very specific marketing purpose. Use them wisely.
Nonetheless, don’t be afraid to apply conceptual thinking in selecting your hashtags.
Take a look at this Phillip Gavriel post. I love the lifestyle shot showing off those rings. They’ve used the perfect applicable hashtags (#jewelryaddict, #jewelrygram, #bling, etc.), but let’s think abstractly.
How about #fridaynightout? Having been used 184K times, a post with this hashtag is likely to show up in more feeds.
Also, #datenight! With 15.5 million previous uses, this one’s a no-brainer, especially with the lifestyle angle Phillip Gavriel has chosen for the picture.
I’m pretty sure Instagram users looking for style inspiration on #datenight or a #fridaynightout would love to know about these Phillip Gavriel rings. They’ll also want to see more jewelry recommendations from Phillip Gavriel by following the account.
Having a strong hashtag strategy is just one of many ways to increase followers. There are so many more things you can do. But, alas, we’re out of time!
Get your free copy of my Influencer Marketing Toolkit, and return to your content strategy drawing board. Use the worksheets in “The Creative Brief” to come up with additional abstract hashtags.
When we meet again next month, we’ll conclude Anastasia’s journey of becoming an elite influencer as we delve deeper into strategies to increase her/your followers.
In the meantime, my calendar is open to you should you need tips before then.
Lilian Raji is a strategic communications and PR adviser who helps companies understand their marketing problems, then designs and executes strategies to solve them. Learn more at LilianRaji.com. Submit questions for Lilian to answer here and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
More on Technology
The Latest
TrendsSep 17, 2025
Silvia Furmanovich’s Book Tells the ‘Journey of a Jeweler’The Brazilian jeweler’s latest book marks her namesake brand’s 25th anniversary and tells the tale of her worldwide collaborations.
WatchesSep 17, 2025
Bob’s Watches Acquires Vintage Rolex Won on ‘The Price is Right’ The Submariner Ref. 1680 with a Tiffany & Co. dial came from the original owner, who won it as a prize on the game show in the 1970s.
Brought to you by
reDollar.com Is Rolling Out the Next Level Jewelry, Diamond & Watch Consignment ProgramWith their unmatched services and low fees, reDollar.com is challenging some big names in the online consignment world.
EditorsSep 16, 2025
Out & About: 7 Great Quotes From Converge in CarlsbadAt Converge 2025, Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff attended sessions on DEI, tariffs, security, and more. Here are her top takeaways.
Weekly QuizSep 12, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
CrimeSep 16, 2025
2 Robbery Suspects Killed in California Pawn Shop ShootoutSix people were shot last week at an Oakland cash-for-gold shop as employees exchanged gunfire with individuals trying to rob the store.
CollectionsSep 16, 2025
Chopard Adds New Designs to Its ‘Ice Cube’ Capsule CollectionThe jeweler has expanded its high jewelry offering, which launched last year, with new pieces featuring its cube motif that debuted in 1999.
Brought to you by
Rallying Call for the Jewelry Industry on Tariffs and Other Key IssuesJewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.
SourcingSep 16, 2025
Natural Diamond Council Launches Retailer Accreditation ProgramBen Bridge Jeweler and Lux Bond & Green were a part of the pilot program.
EditorsSep 15, 2025
Skipping the Necklace, Embracing Snakes: The Best Jewelry From the 2025 Emmy AwardsAssociate Editor Natalie Francisco shares eight of her favorite jewelry looks from the 77th annual Primetime Emmy Awards, held Sunday night.
SurveysSep 15, 2025
Resilient Shoppers to Boost Holiday Retail Sales, Says DeloitteIt’s predicting a rise in retail sales this holiday season despite economic uncertainty and elevated inflation.
SourcingSep 15, 2025
Gemfields Achieves $32M at High-Quality Emerald AuctionIt included the sale of the 11,685-carat “Imboo” emerald that was recently discovered at Kagem.
SourcingSep 15, 2025
AGTA Elects 8 Members to Board of Directors The newly elected directors will officially take office in February 2026 and will be introduced at the organization’s membership meeting.
EditorsSep 12, 2025
Out & About: Mining Sapphires in Rock Creek, MontanaAssociate Editor Lauren McLemore headed out West for a visit to Potentate Mining’s operation hosted by gemstone wholesaler Parlé Gems.
TrendsSep 12, 2025
Piece of the Week: Arunashi’s Fordite and Rhodolite EarringsFordite is a man-made material created from the layers of dried enamel paint that dripped onto the floors of automotive factories.
Events & AwardsSep 12, 2025
Al Gilbertson Wins 2025 Robert M. Shipley AwardGilbertson has worked as a researcher, jeweler, lapidary artist, appraiser, and business owner throughout his decades in the industry.
Policies & IssuesSep 11, 2025
Supreme Court to Hear Tariffs Case in November A decision likely won’t come until January 2026 at the earliest, and the tariffs remain in effect until then.
MajorsSep 11, 2025
Tabayer Opens Nordstrom Shop-In-ShopLocated in the revamped jewelry hall at the retailer’s New York City flagship, this opening is Tabayer’s first shop-in-shop.
SourcingSep 11, 2025
Need to Sell More Natural Diamonds? De Beers Has an App for ThatThe new, free app offers accessible educational content, like games and podcasts, for U.S. retailers.
MajorsSep 10, 2025
Stuller to Swap Gold Scrap for Full Credit to AccountAs the gold price rises, the manufacturer is offering a 100 percent payout through Sept. 30 for gold clean scrap.
SourcingSep 10, 2025
Tech Meets Style in the New Loewe x Jacob & Co. HeadphonesJacob & Co. partnered with the German technology company on two pairs of headphones, one set with diamonds and the other with sapphires.
TrendsSep 10, 2025
Tiffany & Co. Archival Jewels Bring Life to ‘Frankenstein’Guillermo del Toro’s 2025 “Frankenstein” will feature 27 jewels and objects from the storied brand, including pieces from its archives.
MajorsSep 10, 2025
24 Karat Club of New York’s Banquet to Return to Waldorf AstoriaThe Waldorf Astoria New York’s grand reopening this past summer means a homecoming for the industry group’s annual event.
SourcingSep 09, 2025
Anglo American to Merge With Canadian Copper Miner Anglo plans to merge with Teck Resources Ltd. to form Anglo Teck. The deal changes nothing about its plans to offload De Beers.
AuctionsSep 09, 2025
‘The Mellon Blue’ to Return to Auction, This Time at Christie’s The 9.51-carat fancy vivid blue diamond, which set two world auction records at Sotheby’s in 2014, is estimated to fetch up to $30 million.
AuctionsSep 09, 2025
Phillips Names Dianne Batista Head of Jewels, New YorkThe industry veteran joins the auction house as it looks to solidify its footprint in the jewelry market.
MajorsSep 09, 2025
MJSA Education Foundation Announces 2025 Scholarship WinnersThe nonprofit awarded four students pursuing a professional career in jewelry making and design with $2,250 each.
