The jewelry industry is dynamic and fast growing. Today, you can surf and shop the internet for a number of e commerce jewelers (like BlueNile.com) or head to big-box stores (like Costco) to buy a diamond ring. Furthermore, consumers are purchasing year-round and often for themselves instead of others. Yet, independent jewelers are still clinging to the same marketing tactics they’ve relied on for years: word-of-mouth advertising from loyal customers, a rich narrative celebrating the store’s family legacy, and holiday-centric promotions. Both consumer behavior and the market are changing—and jewelry marketers risk being left behind if they don’t give their strategies a digital revamp.To help you evolve, here are three easy tweaks you can make to capitalize on industry trends.

‍1. Leverage your online brand advocates instead of relying on traditional word-of-mouth marketing.‍

Social media is the modern day word of mouth marketing—and your customers are your biggest brand advocates. If your brand does not have a social media presence, make it a priority to set up accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The only way to find your brand advocates is to be active on the platforms that they are using. When it comes to brand message, people trust their friends more than your marketing team. When customers post and share authentic photos of your products with their social followings; they are essentially recommending your products to their peers. Reward these loyal customers with discounts, gifts with purchase, exclusive offerings, and private sales to keep them posting.

‍2. Market with your customer stories instead of relying on your store’s family legacy.  

‍Highlight customer stories to strengthen your brand story. Collect photos and captions that your customers are sharing about your products online. By doing so, you will uncover a trove of powerful marketing assets. People love authentic stories that tug at their heartstrings. Celebrate your customers by recounting what your jewelry means to them. With your customers’ permission, share these photos and videos on your own marketing channels to inspire others to purchase. Consider devoting an entire space on your website to share these stories of engagements, anniversaries, graduations, and other occasions.

‍3. Run social media campaigns year-round instead of only making big promotional pushes around the holidays.

‍Run social media marketing campaigns on the regular: weekly, monthly, or at your own interval. Today’s consumers are buying jewelry year-round, not just at traditional gift-giving times. As a result, it’s important to keep engagement up throughout the year. The most effective way to do this is to run social media contests on social media. Create or find your brand hashtag and encourage customers to start posting.  As customers begin to post photos with your hashtag, pay close attention and make an effort to “like” and “comment” on all submissions. When customers see your brand engaging with real people, it helps to validate your social presence and humanize your brand.

Implementing these digital jewelry marketing tips will give your business’ marketing strategy the jump-start it needs. By remaining active on social media and celebrating your customers, even small retailers can compete against the bigger online players. Sure, it takes time and effort to develop a social following and to maintain different channels, but consider the returns: Your jewelry business will be much more competitive in today’s retail landscape and your brand’s larger social presence will ultimately drive more sales.