A No-Cost Way to Market Your Jewelry to Tourists
by Rena Klingenberg
 One of the stops on our family vacation last summer was a tour of Boyd’s Glass Factory in Cambridge, Ohio. It's a small business that manufactures glass figurines, and then ships them all over the world.
The owner, Mr. Boyd, is an entertaining gentleman who gave us fascinating, behind-the-scenes tour of glassmaking, including some fun photo opportunities.
We didn't necessarily intend to buy anything when we went into the Boyd Glass Factory / giftshop.
But after our tour, we all very much wanted to buy a glass item - partly to have a keepsake from the interesting tour, partly because we liked Mr. Boyd, and partly because after the tour we really had a much greater appreciation for the glass items created in the factory there.
So he made a nice sale after our tour - and we left with beautiful glassworks, great memories, and a new understanding of the glass industry.
It was a very pleasant win-win situation.
 Now here's the part I especially wanted to tell you about:
How did we find out about this tour? From Mr. Boyd's free listing in the AAA Travel Destination Guide for the state of Ohio, a free book we had ordered a few months earlier to help us plan our trip. Mr. Boyd said he receives a fair amount of visitors just from this listing.
The AAA company (which you may be familiar with because of its (automotive services) provides lots of travel information, and they publish free Travel Destination Guides that cover all of the United States and much of the rest of the world.
It doesn't cost you a penny to have your tour or attraction listed in the AAA Guide for your region. AAA is simply trying to make useful guidebooks of things people would enjoy doing when they travel.
And you don't have to be a big company to be listed. Many of the attractions and tours listed in these guides are small, out-of-the-way things and places, and some have either very limited hours, or even seasonal hours by appointment only. In your listing you can choose to omit your address if you prefer, so people would have to call you for directions and come only during your appointment times.
Once you're listed in the guide for your area, each year AAA sends you a card inquiring as to whether your listing info is still current or needs to be updated.
If this sounds interesting to you, you can find out more about the AAA Guides at http://www.aaa.com/AAA_Travel/Guides/travel_destination_guide.htm, or phone 1-800-477-4222.
You might also try contacting your local AAA office, and let them know you're interested in finding out more about being listed in the guide for your area.
 And here's a similar opportunity: Motels, hotels, and resorts often have their own small "local business guides" in each room, listing restaurants, shopping, and attractions in the area. Check with your local motels and hotels to see if they have such guides, and how you can have your jewelry business listed in them.
Now, can you provide a tour or activity for tourists? Remember that there's a huge variety in people's interests, so nearly anything you do will probably have an interested audience.
For example, you might provide tours of your jewelry studio, give jewelry making classes, provide jewelry making activities for children, give a gemstone or rock tour, a lampworking demonstration, a polymer clay or PMC demonstration, etc. Can you relate it in some way to the area where you live? Travelers especially enjoy activities and tours that evoke the place they're visiting. Also try thinking along the lines of "themes".
 Once your tourist group finishes your tour or activity, they will be very motivated to buy your jewelry, just as we felt about buying Mr. Boyd's glass. They'll feel a connection with you, and they'll have a much greater appreciation of your art. Also, travelers love to bring home mementos from their vacations.
So end your tour or activity at a nice little "gift shop" display that's all set up for your visitors to shop from. Of course your jewelry is the star of this gift shop - but be sure to also include a selection of related, lower-priced items that appeal to young girls and boys. You could even buy small quartz crystals in bulk and sell them individually from a neat container.
And why not have postcards made up with photos of your jewelry, and sell them from a pretty rack in your gift shop display area? I can't tell you how many times I've bought postcards from a place I just enjoyed touring! You can have postcards made from your own images at online printers like iPrint.
Be sure your website URL is somewhere on the postcard - and you'll be  marketing your jewelry not only to the person who receives the postcard in the mail, but also to everyone who handles it along the way.
|
