Crafting Great Social Posts: Tips from Two Celebrated Indie Jewelers

Some fine jewelry stores make social media posting look easy—they seem to dash off posts that are pleasing to the eye, nudge customer engagement, and entice sales with regularity. 

Others struggle, and social media experts say it’s often because they’re overthinking content (or are too rigid with a pre-planned content calendar, leaving little room for spontaneous, and even silly, posts). 

To get a better beat on how to produce posts that delight consumers, The Zing Report talked to two beloved indie fine jewelry retailers who do just that, almost every day:

Shetler Fine Jewelers

Michelle Shetler, owner of Shetler Fine Jewelers in San Antonio, Texas, and her marketing director Emily Honiglum, post at least once a day on Instagram, which then automatically updates the store’s Facebook page with the same posts. “We have put a lot of thought into [Instagram] over the last several years, trying to make a place that’s joyful and a source of inspiration to all those who visit the page,” Shetler explains, citing the store’s “Wedding Wednesdays” post that show real-life engagements, as being particularly successful. “We’re celebrating happy engagements, showing custom jewelry, and trying to bring those feelings to life through photography.”

Recent Instagram posts include an arm stacked with Marika Gold bracelets against a backdrop showing a Valentino bag; a pretty stack of diamond and sapphire rings by Precision Set; and an invitation to the store’s in-house custom and repair open house.

Shetler suggests that retailers promote specific pieces and jewelry designers, yes, but also identify and then focus on areas of the business you want to expand. In Shetler’s case that would be  custom jewelry and bridal. But don’t be afraid to think out of the box. On July 4th, Shetler posted a simple image of six women in striped bathing suits jumping into a pool in Southern California. The photo, by Gray Malin, broadcast a laid-back, summery mood, and the post was well-liked.

Finally, Shetler recommends keeping captions short and sweet, and paying attention to what days and times of day most people are reading your posts. 

Worthmore Jewelers

Worthmore Jewelers, another retailer that creates Instagram and Facebook posts that jump off the page, has two locations in Georgia (one in Atlanta and one in Decatur), and is run by cofounder Harris Botnick—who recently tapped his daughter, Molli Botnick, to lead the company’s social platforms.

“We’re definitely not a cookie-cutter jeweler,” he explains when noting that it’s been challenging for social media creators outside the business to nail the store’s very specific tone. “We’re not in white gloves and button-front shirts. We let our personalities shine through, and social media is the front window of the store…Everybody’s goal is to get Worthmore’s personality into these tiny pictures.”

To that end, hiring 26-year-old Molli, who grew up with the business, was the ideal answer. What’s she doing that’s working so well? “I look at the entire flow of the Instagram and Facebook feeds,” she tells us. “And we pay attention to the details. I make sure that two bracelet shots aren’t side by side, or on top of one another, and I make sure the shots aren’t taken at the same angle.” Also, “we take legitimately good photos,” she adds—an important facet of creating great social content. 

A recent look at Worthmore’s page includes earrings perched on fingers with nails lacquered in eye-catching yellow polish; a diamond ring peeking out of an orange rose; and a red Louis Vuitton belt bag that the store is re-selling. The overall feel of the page is colorful and cool, and the page attracts viewers from everywhere from California to New York.

In addition to the high-quality photos and good flow, Molli advises people to concentrate on crafting great captions, not just filling up space with hashtags. She likes conversational banter and even song lyrics. But above all, she says, “Have fun with it!”

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