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86 www.thejewelrybook.com w In this past year, as in person events were cancelled, many brands have shifted their strategy to focus on digital. Paired with a website and email marketing, Instagram is a social media platform with incredible potential for selling. If you've been using it and are frustrated, that could be because it's changed, so some of the techniques you've used in the past to grow your following and increase your engagement may not be working. Here are fi ve things you can do to increase your engage- ment, grow your following and increase your sales. • Create shareable and saveable content. Encouraging shares is the best way to increase your follow- ing! Think about quotes, thoughtful captions, relevant images and client photos. Instagram's algorithm views saves as an indicator that the post is good and then shows it to more people. A save also means someone is planning to come back to the post in the future. • Personalize your feed! A beautifully curated feed with generic stock photos won't work anymore. What sets your brand apart? Share more context and relatable content. This doesn't mean you need to share your personal life or anything you feel uncomfort- able putting on the internet, it means your content should be more conversational. Avoid generic marketing to the masses and speak directly to your client. • Try Video. Videos used to be challenging to create, but now it's as simple as pulling out your phone. Instagram offers several places to share video: in your feed, stories, Reels, IGTV or live! It's worth trying if you're looking to grow because the platform is prioritizing this content and showing it to more people. I recommend showing your face, it goes a long way with your audience, but if you aren't ready for that, there are a lot of creative ideas you can try like showing your process or how to style the jewelry. • Think Niche. Huge growth and being everything to everyone is no longer the goal! Lean into what makes your brand unique and focus on connecting with your ideal client. Encourage conversations in your comments and direct messages and offer incredible customer service, just as you would offl ine. When selling fi ne jewelry on social media, direct messages is where sales happen! • Community leads to loyalty and trust. Creating a community around your brand will lead to loyalty, trust and sales. To do this make sure you are sharing your brand values, listening to your audience and encourag- ing user generated content. Also, try a live video event! By posting on Instagram consistently, being clear on your messaging and trying out some of these new ideas to connect with your audience, you'll generate leads. Nourish these leads and I promise sales will come. I hope these tips were helpful! For more resources, visit my website or contact me to view some of my past webinars and don't hesitate to reach out. Marketing Creating a Successful Instagram S trategy By Liz Kantner

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