The best way to build a successful handmade jewelry business is to plan from the essentials first, then move forward with how to sell and what to sell. This article is all about one of those all important business essentials: your target market.
Brainstorming Niche Markets
Always keep in mind the Golden Rule of Marketing:
For handcrafted jewelry that sells online, a great way to focus your efforts is to drill down to a specific niche market that you can "own" and be the go-to person for.
There are lots of ways to brainstorm niche markets.
A popular way to start brainstorming is to make a list of everything you do and love and start from there.
For example, I'm a mother, a wife, a crafty person, I'm trained in social work and mental health, and I also love geeky gadgets. There are a whole bunch of possible niches in there. Before we get into the drilling down though, let's be clear on what a "niche" is.
What is a Niche Market?
Make no mistake about a what a niche actually is for marketing purposes. A niche is not a demographic. A niche market is œa group of people with a common problem who congregate together.
In my example, "moms", "mental health workers", and "crafty people" aren't niche markets.
As Melinda Brenner wrote on her copyblogger post,
It s only a niche when they share a problem.
So what s the problem in your niche, and how are you going to solve it? Where does your niche group together so you can market to them specifically?
It s an online marketing paradox that the more you narrow your niche, the more successful your marketing will be.
You Can Solve "Pleasure" Problems
You may not think of buying jewelry as a way to solve a problem, but problems aren't always things like, "I have a wart, how do I get rid of it" or "My baby keeps crying - how do I get her to stop?!?". Sometimes a prblem is more pleasure seeking or desire/ passion based.
Don't know what I mean? Here are a few examples:
Problem: "I love elephants. I want to treat myself to a new necklace. I wonder if there's anything I get something really cool with elephants on it?"
- Niche: Elephant Jewelry
- Niche Market: Elephant lovers/ friends of elephant lovers
Problem: "I'm going to get married and I want my bridesmaids to be wearing coordinating blue sparkly jewelry. Where can I find blue sparkly bridesmaid jewelry?"
- Niche: Wedding Jewelry
- Niche Markets: Brides, Bridesmaids
Problem: "I need a meaningful gift for my niece's first communion. What could I get her?"
- Niche: Rosary Beads for Special Occasions
- Niche Markets: Christians-general, Italian Christians, Owners of Christian gift shops, etc.
Drilling Down to Niche Markets From Your List of What I Do, What I Know About, and What I Love
After making your own list of what you do, what you know, and what you love, take a look and see if there are any niches and niche markets in there that you can think of.
If you remember, my list was:
- Mother
- wife
- crafty person,
- social work
- mental health
- geeky gadgets
Here are a few niche market I might want to look at:
- Gifts for new mothers
- Breastfeeding beads (for babies that are easily distracted, moms sometimes wear beads for the baby to play with while nursing)
- I'm sorry gifts (for the husband market)
- Sewing themed/ crochet themed/ beading themed jewelry for people who love crafts
- Consumer survivor awareness fundraising jewelry (consumer survivor is a term for people who use mental health services)
- Geeky jewelry for nerdy people - always a fun and lucrative niche! - I bet charm bracelets with resin cast star trek the original series phasers and tricorders would be a good seller.... I wonder what the licensing would be like for that... Hmm...
What niche markets can you think of from your list of what you do, what you know, and what you love?
Best,
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