April 24, 2008
Jewelry Social Networking Across Three Countries
Social networking is definitely one of the most effective ways to market your jewelry online.
Here's a true story that spans three countries and occurred over the past few weeks.
It involves three people who have never met in person but share the bond of loving the same style of art and jewelry.
Once upon a time, not long ago, I was at my computer desk in my bedroom in the USA.
I was visiting the blog of my friend Carolina Gonzalez who lives in the Canary Islands, and came across her post about jewelry artist Lorianne Jantti who lives in Norway.
From Carolina's blog post, I visited Lorianne's blog, and absolutely loved her jewelry - so I added one of her pages to StumbleUpon.
The StumbleUpon link led Lorianne to email me a lovely message - and she then wound up submitting her jewelry display idea to one of my sites.
Then, while I was publishing her jewelry display submission, I clicked on the link back to her site to make sure it was working correctly - and fell in love with Lorianne's jewelry all over again.
On her Boutique page I found the Rivendell necklace in Lorianne's DaWanda storefront:
. . . which took my breath away, and I immediately purchased it.
(I love to buy jewelry made by other jewelry artists, especially when it's made using techniques I don't do myself!)
Today, a package arrived in my mail from Norway:
. . . which contained the even-more-stunning-in-person Rivendell necklace.
I'm completely thrilled with it (and haven't taken it off since I unwrapped it)!
But I would have never even known about Lorianne or the necklace if it weren't for the online social network that ran from the USA to the Canary Islands, to Norway, and back to the USA.
This social network involved two blogs, three people, StumbleUpon, a jewelry display ideas website, a jewelry artist's website, and a DaWanda storefront.
Social networking travels millions of different paths like this, all day long, all over the Web, in nearly every place on Earth.
If you're not actively participating in social networking and social marketing to promote your online jewelry business, you'll never know how many easy sales and repeat customers you're missing out on, like the one in this true story.
These are incredible times for anyone who's offering high quality products via the Internet.
Don't miss the boat! It's so easy, exciting, and fun.
You can learn everything you need to know about selling your jewelry this way in my latest book, Social Networking: Sell Your Jewelry Online the New Way.
There's also a "happily ever after" side-effect of social networking - you'll meet some fantastic kindred spirits all over the world who love the same things you do, and become your instant friends.
Comments
April 25, 2008
Carolina Gonzalez said:
Hi Rena!
Thanks for sharing our story!! After all, the best of meeting you and Lorianne on the Internet is not the marketing, but the invaluable chance of sharing my adventure with such wonderful, creative and hard-working artists as you both are! Having you as friends has not only helped me with my business, but made my life richer in so many other ways!
Rena Klingenberg said:
Hi Carolina,
I so agree. When we work alone most of the time in our studios or at our computers, it's easy to get "tunnel vision" and feel isolated.
It makes all the difference to have friends like you, who are on different paths in the same adventure! You support me, inspire me, and make me laugh - and it's good to know you're out there following your muses too!
Lorianne Jäntti said:
"When we work alone most of the time in our studios or at our computers, it's easy to get "tunnel vision" and feel isolated." - This makes me feel less weird!
Thank you so much Rena for this lovely article! I'm thrilled your necklace arrived well and that you're enjoying it so much
I've just been taking a dip through a few art and whimsical communities, doing just what you speak of, and indeed finding more wonderful people and gorgeous things made by them!
I'm so glad I made that feature post with Carolina's lovely shop in it, you got to love her work! I'm planning another "things I love on the web" post pretty soon, who knows what more magic it may bring!
Rena Klingenberg said:
Hi Lorianne,
I know you'll have some wonderful successes and new friendships in the faery and fantasy communities! Speaking from experience, they won't be able to resist your jewelry.
It was fun to trace how each social connection was a link in this chain of events between the three of us - and it gave me some ideas for ways to do this more consciously.
Zack said:
Hi Rena,
This is such a perfect example for small business owners showing how useful the 'Net really is for their businesses AND social lives.
I'm going to point all my clients who ask me why they should have a blog (or even a web site) to this post. Thanks!
Rena Klingenberg said:
Hi Zack,
Thank you so much! I appreciate that.
Reconstructing this social networking event was an eye-opener for me about interconnectedness - and how all sorts of things happen at each step along the way.
I didn't quite appreciate the ripple effect of social networking before.
beadinggem said:
The part I like about social networking is the international friendships and contacts I've made because of it. It has been very heartening to learn the love of jewelry making can bring together people from different countries and cultures and perhaps inspire each other in ways which were not possible without the internet.