Look Book

38 www.thejewelrybook.com Active members of the online jewelry commu- nity have surely participated in a social media challenge now and then or even a hashtag campaign. These can create brand awareness and engage your niche community more than ever before. And when coupled with themes of love and romance, such efforts attract even more attention! For proof, consider this trio from jewelry brands that have successfully uti- lized love-inspired hashtags. @engagement101 on Instagram Founder and editor Severine Ferrari of Engagement101.com recently debuted a campaign around nontraditional propos- als. Called #ProposeToo, it encourages women and couples outside of the norm (think women proposing to men) to think differently about proposals. Ferrari then shares their love stories by tagging them with the custom hashtag #ProposeToo. Her account also features #JustEngaged and #RecentlyEngaged hashtags for sharing photos and videos of the proposals and the jewelry! @luxbondgreen on Instagram (Full dis- closure: they are my client!) The family-run business with six jewelry stores in the Northeast (along with a shoppable web- site at LBGreen.com) has been in operation for 121 years. When pondering how to translate that history into memorable social media mo- ments, the firm thought of their little gold gift boxes—the first item customers lay eyes on when receiving a gift from LBG. This is why LBG asks clients to use the hashtag #LittleGoldBox when digitally sharing snaps of sparkling new acquisi- tions. The stores regularly share that con- tent on their accounts. Another campaign LBG uses? The tagline in hashtag form— Every Box Has A Story by way of #Every- BoxHasAStory. On LBG's social media accounts, each Sunday is Every Box Has A Story Sunday where the company shares relevant client content. These efforts have become a fun campaign that fans and em- ployees alike look forward to weekly. @jewelsbygrace on Instagram Grace Lavarro, founder of the online estate and antique jewelry business dubbed Jewels By Grace, knows how to engage with her community! Since she mostly deals in rare jewels, the cuts of her diamonds and gems are often estate styles not commonly seen in the market. To wit, she created the hashtag #Diamonds WithSoul to illustrate the mature and elegant spirit of the chunky facets and culets of her old mine and European cuts. This hashtag helps capture the understated sparkle and specialness of pieces that drive home points expressed in video clips and captions. And in response to trends trickling down from celebrities, socialites, and the press to consumers at large, Lavarro unveiled an #EngagementRingTales hashtag to edu- cate clients. In these posts, she shares a pic- ture of a person or couple along with exclu- sive close-ups of jewelry (usually a ring). She talks about the moment in jewelry his- tory when the trend was born and describes the original piece in detail. This has be- come not only a must-read for followers but also a fun way for them to learn more about jewelry in general and discover mer- chandise that is often similar in style to modern-day pieces. Now think about ways your brand can ex- press its history and personality on Insta- gram! Start with a hashtag and create a call to action for your community. Even better, let your community help you create the best and most original content organically! Ask them for their opinions. B y Benjamin Guttery Celebrate Love with An Instagram Campaign Three Jewelers Devoted to Love-Related Hashtags Social StudieS

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