While making jewelry has its gratifying charms, actually selling your handiwork produces its own charming effects. But the business side of your craft can be markedly different from the design side; yet, selling jewelry takes both creativity and some good business sense. The following article offers a multitude of tips geared toward marketing your jewelry and finding sound markets to sell it. Today, jewelry artisans and crafters have many venues available to sell their items. The internet is now a mainstay for such artisans. Not only is eBay a household word and a good place to test the waters for your wares, but building your own signature site to house your items is key in today’s global market. In the past, crafters were more limited by the number of craft shows or bazaars they could travel to, but the internet allows the items to be viewed by a worldwide audience twenty-four hours a day freeing the artist to create more jewelry instead of sitting each weekend in a craft stall at a mall for instance. But the traditional venues—craft consignment store, craft fair, even flea market can also be a great way to view people’s reactions to your product first hand. Especially around the holidays, craft shows can be very lucrative and also a way to develop a mailing list and put the word out about your internet site. When it comes to your craft booth or website, presentation is key. Your site should be well-organized and explain how to contact you and make a purchase in a user-friendly manner. Experiment with your digital camera to get the most attractive shots of your jewelry. Provide a mailing list to let customers know about new lines or upcoming sales. As for the traditional booth, be sure to provide attractive displays for your items—spinning racks and trays will allow you to show off items effectively. Be sure to offer flyers and business cards that show your website and contact information. It may also be a helpful idea to provide a few mirrors and to where the jewelry yourself to model it for your customers. These are simply some basic ways to market and sell your jewelry. The important thing is that you offer well-crafted pieces you are willing to stand behind—use quality findings and stones whenever possible. The better the quality the more you will be able to ask in cost. Ideally you will be able to put some of your profits back into your business to buy better materials and create more expansive displays. Take some time to be a customer visiting other artisan websites and craft booths to learn how others sell their crafts. |