Readers Share Where They Get Content for Social Media

question:

Where do you get content for social media posts?

• We have been able to link arms with some local wedding planners, photographers, and event spaces to collaborate on styled shoots. They are happy to have amazing jewelry and typically the photographers pay for the workshop. Everyone seems to be super-happy, and they are successful for all involved. — Natasha Henderson, Saxon’s Fine Jewelers, Bend, OR
• We take photos of custom work we have done, stuff going on in the store, and share posts from our manufacturers. We have quite a following for the B&E singers. Whenever a staff member has a birthday, we bring in a cake and sing “Happy Birthday.” These posts usually bring the most comments and attention. And it is not due to how good we are — frankly, we suck! — Shari Altman, B&E Jewelers, Southampton, PA
• I’m always on the lookout for ideas. One must think about promotion all day! — Steven Wardle, Forest Beach Design, Chatham, MA
• Vendors mainly. GemLightbox we purchased for the store has been huge. Awesome photos using it. — Tom R. Nelson, Nelson Jewelry, Spencer, IA
• Everywhere, first from in our store. Our merchandise and props, great content from vendors. Other fashion companies. The internet. And even our customers. — James Gattas, James Gattas Jewelers, Memphis, TN
• My wife and partner photographs and posts all of our social media content and advertising. The ROI far surpasses any other advertising we have done to date. — Joe Caron, Caron’s Jewelry, Bristol, RI
• Nowhere in particular. Maybe From your magazine, which is my favorite. — Edward Guerboian, Edward Co. Premier Jeweler, Santa Monica, CA
• We are doing something new with an advertising company. We did do our own. Sometimes a better response to more real looking pictures. — Gene Arthur, Arthur’s Jewelry, Reidsville, NC
• We usually feature pieces that are new or we are getting a lot of inquiries about; we post our shop dog Elvis frequently, he always gets a lot of likes too! If we’re running a promotion, of course we advertise that. And lastly, if precious metals spike, we’ll post about buying. — Lucy Conklin, Toner Jewelers, Overland Park, KS
• God. — Alan Perry, Perry’s Emporium, Wilmington, NC
• The best content is when you create it in store. Vendor content is great to fill days, but it doesn’t perform as well as original content. — Christopher Sarich, Noah Gabriel & Co. Jewelers, Wexford, PA
• My wife works up half of them herself, and then we have an advertising agency work up the others with my wife supplying the pictures and the idea of the content. — Mark Goodman, Goodman Jewelers of Abingdon, Abingdon, VA
• Creating content is one of the biggest challenges to actively posting. For the most part, we take the photos and videos ourselves. I do have some designers who help us by supplying content that we can post as our own, which is really helpful. Sethi Couture is EXCELLENT at doing this. We get a whole slew of photos and a media plan to go with it. — Melissa Quick, Steve Quick Jeweler, Chicago, IL
• “Content is king!” We get much of our content from our wholesale partners and industry organizations, but the best content is that which we develop in-store. Clients’ engagement photos and videos are the best and generally out-perform anything provided from the outside. — Jon Walp, Long Jewelers, Virginia Beach, VA
• Pictures we take in-store, posts created on Canva, and well as marketing images from suppliers specifically for social media. — Kim Hatchell, Galloway & Moseley, Sumter, SC
• Our social media depends a lot on our custom production and latest product selection. Inspiration often comes from current popular series, fashion, and nature. Those always keep us innovative with new intriguing pieces! — Denise Oros, Linnea Jewelers, La Grange, IL
• We do all our social media content in house! It is more authentic when it is done by your team. — Kaeleigh Testwuide, The Diamond Reserve, Denver, CO
• I make things up that are fun (I like to use animals in the pictures, like dogs, goats and chickens). I post a lot of clients’ engagement proposals, and I use our designers’ pictures. — Elizabeth Saba, Presley Co. Fine Jewelers, San Diego, CA
• We take 90% of our photos in house using our GemLightbox and lovely employees as models. We also use content from the brands we carry, if their branding matches our own. As the marketing manager, I make it a point to sit down a couple of times per week and map out our upcoming content. We’re very thoughtful about including a wide variety of shots: rings worn on hands, lifestyle, white background lightbox videos and photos, etc. Our customers notice when we take the time to truly think about the content we’re posting, opposed to throwing something up last minute just because. — Bethany Swoveland, Design House Jewelry Studio, Waco, TX
• We take all of our own product pictures in house. We hired a college student to take the lifestyle shots. We also hired two Instagram influencers. — Dianna Rae High, Dianna Rae Jewelry, Lafayette, LA
• We usually feature our own products or things that happen in our lives (most popular posts are when we integrate our personal lives with the jewelry). However, I do like to share pieces from AGTA (as I’m a member), JCK, or even magazines like Town & Country who have excellent jewelry-driven articles. — Sandra Locken, Sarini Fine Jewellery, Vulcan, AB
• Start thinking of ideas from staff or customers. Things they ask when they come in the store, for example. Then take them to bed and sleep on them. Usually by morning, I have an idea or two. Now the problem is having the time to edit, add pics and post. — David Blitt, Troy Shoppe Jewellers, Calgary, AB
• I have given up on social media for a while. I am tired of getting negative comments from people I have never heard of who will pull their comments for a price, offers from Russian women who are looking for husbands, cures for male pattern baldness, home breast augmentation, grannies looking to hook up … — James Doggett, Doggett Jewelry, Kingston, NH
• I create my own. I partnered up with a local clothing company and we cross-market for our digital looks. Their clothes, our jewelry. I have two staff members go around town in mini-photo shoots. They love it and so do my social media followers. — Krystal Shiklanian, Radiant Fine Jewelry, Plymouth, MI