Art Jewelry--How to Compete?
Jewelry is a tough, competitive business. And art jewelry is more so. How do you compete with so many other artists selling jewelry? How do you make your mark and attract loyal clientele? This lens is a guide to help you sell your jewelry, and resources to use to help.
For more information for working artists, follow Working Artists Life.
Competition is Alive and Well in the Jewelry Market
- Define Yourself as a Jewelry Artist
- Make Yourself Special
- Who is Your Target Market?
- Where Do You Find Your Target Market?
- Market, Market, Market
- Find Your Style
- Would You Like to Buy Jewelry?
- Have Business Cards
- You Are an Entrepreneur
- My Blog
- Ask for Feedback from Artists You Trust
- Wear Your Own Work
- Selling Jewelry is a Business
- Are You an Artist? What is your most difficult obstacle?
- If You Like This Lens, You May Like These!
- About lakeerieartists
Define Yourself as a Jewelry Artist
Know your style
Who are you as a jeweler? As an artist? What is your style, your niche?If you are to succeed in this competitive market, you need to think hard about this. You may not know exactly at first and your identity may change somewhat over time depending on your customers' needs. But it is vital to answer these questions.
How are your customers supposed to know what makes you different from the pack if you don't.
Make Yourself Special
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
Amazon Price: $8.97 (as of 12/04/2009)
List Price: $15.99
Used Price: $4.00
This is a great book to read if you are in any business. It talks about the little things that make any business either mediocre or great! Sometimes the niche a small business can fill is taking care of the little things that big business misses.
Release Date: 12/31/1969
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Who is Your Target Market?
Who will buy YOUR product?
Who does your jewelry appeal to? Are your price points in the $10 to 25 range or the $100 to 500 range. That will change your target market.Are your pieces religious in nature, are they made of glass, are they made of products that people may be allergic to?
Will your products appeal to a certain demographic? Figure out who your jewelry is made for so that you can market to those people.
For example, my work is made of primarily silver and fine silver and my price points start at about $25. So people who will not spend $25 for a pair of earrings are not in my target market.
Where Do You Find Your Target Market?
Where do they live and shop?
Okay, you have found your target market. Yay! Now, you want to sell to them. Make sure your target market has money to spend. If I want to find people who are willing to spend $100 or more on jewelry without batting an eyelash, I need to look for the more affluent sections of town.You may be surprised to find out that you can do well at an organic farmers market because people that spend more money for food usually can afford to pay more for jewelry.
So the next step is to do research on your target market.
Market, Market, Market
Guerrilla Marketing, 4th edition: Easy and Inexpensive Strategies for Making Big Profits from Your SmallBusiness
Amazon Price: $9.72 (as of 12/04/2009)
List Price: $14.95
Used Price: $7.97
Guerilla marketing is a great concept and as an artist you need to market. Don't expect people to come to you--you need to go to them and invite them to come to you.
Release Date: 12/31/1969
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Find Your Style
I can't say this enough. Find your style and stick to it.This doesn't mean that you can never change, but find what works for you and what you love and create a statement with your work.
Create a line of products. Create sets that go together.
Find a style that you can repeat in some fashion over and over.
Are you funky? Sleek? Vintage? What?
It should be enough of a style that someone can recognize your work if they have seen it before.
Would You Like to Buy Jewelry?
- Paula Atwell Jewelry and Watercolor
- This is my shop online which is part of Lake Erie Artists Gallery.
Have Business Cards
And Make Sure They are Professional Looking
Okay, this is one of my pet peeves.Are you in business? Then have business cards
Once you get going, you can make your business cards even more professional and memorable by adding your professionally designed logowhich is less expensive than you think. Once you have a logo
Another possibility is getting them from Zazzle. They give you all sorts of cool templates to work from.
Stripes No. 0044
by
CSProfileCards
make your own business cards With www.zazzle.com
More Graphic Design Profile Cards
You Are an Entrepreneur
Awakening the Entrepreneur Within: How Ordinary People Can Create Extraordinary Companies
Amazon Price: $18.96 (as of 12/04/2009)
List Price: $24.95
Used Price: $4.00
Excellent advice for any business, because at heart all artists are entrepreneurs.
Release Date: 03/04/2008
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My Blog
This is my day to day doings as an artist and a gallery owner.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byAsk for Feedback from Artists You Trust
Make Sure What You Are Selling is Really Good
Ask people you trust to give you feedback on your work. For instance, as a gallery owner, I can usually tell what will sell in my gallery. I know my audience, and what I am looking for. I expect different levels of quality for $8 and $80.Check your quality. Even a $10 item should stand up to wear and tear.
Is your work really saleable???
Wear Your Own Work
Everywhere you go!
Are you proud of your designs? If not, you shouldn't be selling them.Wear your work everywhere you go. Show them off.
That way you can test them at the same time for sturdiness, comfort, and design flaws.
Why should anyone else wear your work if you don't?
Selling Jewelry is a Business
You Have to Treat it Like a Business to Succeed
Every day will not be a success. But if you want to succeed you have to strategize for the long term.You will have to build a customer base just like any other business.
Your biggest job is to find out where your potential customers spend their time and go to them. Once you figure that out, then it is a matter of consistently presenting your work to them enough times until they really see you.
Good luck!
Are You an Artist? What is your most difficult obstacle?
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Reply
- Stazjia Stazjia Nov 11, 2008 @ 3:55 am
- You've given really excellent advice to anybody wanting to sell their own jewellery. Welcome to the Art & Design Group.
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Reply
- JaguarJulie JaguarJulie Oct 15, 2008 @ 11:28 am
- A few years ago, I would never have thought that the market for art jewelry would be as excellent and diverse as it is today. I personally will look for art jewelry when I want jewelry.
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Reply
- triathlontraining triathlontraining Aug 13, 2008 @ 9:21 pm
- Very nice job!
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