To many of us jewelry artists the term ‘target market’ simply goes in one ear and out the other. I can’t speak for all of us… but I create for the sake of creation first and then look to share and sell my creations. Therefore I hadn’t put thought into my ‘target market’… it was more a blind than targeted thing.
However it is a good idea to evaluate who is the largest consumer of your jewelry so you know how to best market it. My style seems to appeal largely to women who are 39+… I have noticed this from my time at fairs and through some of the regular customers I have acquired. Yes plenty of younger women like my jewelry as well, but my main demographic is 39+. Now you may ask how can this knowledge benefit me? There are many ways.
Once I have identified my ‘target market’ I can decide if this is whom I want to keep marketing too. I can focus my creations to continue to appeal to this clientele… or I can move to make my designs different and wilder to draw a younger clientele. This decision can be based on who I think is more likely to purchase more of my work at the price it is available.
I myself haven’t changed any designs in order to focus on one group or another. I throw this concept out for all the handmade jewelry artists looking to start a business, as it is a good starting point. After evaluating my audience I personally am confident in the clientele I already have as they have purchasing power and a willingness to spend.
Now what audience do you have? And how do you best appeal to them. Here is the best way to find out. Attend a few craft fairs… I recommend this anyhow as it is a good way to get exposure. Also you can get a feel for your customers by seeing who spends the most time admiring your designs, and who is purchasing your jewelry.
If you are attracting a younger clientele you can still sell a lot of jewelry. However from personal experience your price points must be lower for a younger audience. I believe they are more likely to purchase with less thought… if an item is inexpensive. If you make costume beaded jewelry and easy inexpensive designs than this is your audience. Make your work bold and flashy and you will do well. However if you find that the younger crown ‘oh and ah’ at your work without purchase and the older crowd completely passes it over you should probably rethink your strategy. Make it less expensive by changing the materials you use… or rethink your designs to appeal to a different crowd.
This area can take a bit of trial an error… but knowing to be aware is a little bit of knowledge that goes a long way. You don’t really need to change your art for your clientele as I understand we all create our passion. However knowing will help you decide if your best method of advertising is at craft fairs or in social media… would you do better to make a bright hip website, or a classic uncluttered one. Yes small differences, but when you step back and look they are important ones to consider… and target marketing will make your decisions all the easier.