190 - Laryssa and Liz on Black Friday and the Holiday Sales Question: To Discount or Not to Discount

Welcome to the Success With Jewelry podcast, hosted by Laryssa Wirstiuk and Liz Kantner, two experts passionate about helping independent jewelry artists thrive.

Welcome to episode #190! We're still in our holiday planning series, and this week Laryssa and Liz are tackling one of the biggest decisions jewelry brands face every Q4: whether to participate in Black Friday, how to think about discounting, and what to do instead if a sale doesn't feel right for your brand.

In today's episode, Laryssa and Liz cover:

• Why Black Friday is the noisiest marketing weekend of the year - and what that means for your strategy

• How to decide whether discounting makes sense for your brand, your margins and your positioning

• Why staying in your own lane during Black Friday weekend is easier said than done - and how to prepare your mindset for it now

• Creative alternatives to a straight discount: early access, volume-based collector's sales, limited edition holiday packaging, storytelling deep dives and more

• What to do if you decide not to participate in Black Friday at all - and why that's a completely valid choice

• Why Small Business Saturday might be a better fit for independent jewelry brands than Black Friday

• How to handle an "off day" Black Friday without confusing your customers

• Why sharing your values during this noisy season can be a powerful differentiator

• How to set realistic expectations about engagement during the busiest marketing weekend of the year

In the bonus segment for Insiders only, Laryssa and Liz share what they're seeing from their own clients right now - including a real example of a limited-run drop with an early access strategy - and a cautionary tale about what happens when a brand misses the moment after an in-person connection.

Liz Kantner works with independent jewelry artists to help them find their unique voices and succeed in today's marketplace. With over ten years of experience in jewelry marketing and sales, Liz offers consulting services and digital strategy. She's also the founder of the Stay Gold Collective, a private group providing live training, industry insights, and personalized feedback. Learn more at https://www.lizkantner.com.

Laryssa Wirstiuk is the founder and creative director of Joy Joya, a digital marketing agency for the jewelry industry. She's the author of Jewelry Marketing Joy and the creator of JoyDeck, a platform designed to make marketing accessible for jewelry makers and designers. Discover more at https://joyjoya.com.

Tune in to hear Liz and Laryssa share valuable insights, tips, and strategies for success in the jewelry industry!