Simply put, the customer journey is the many touchpoints a customer has with your company before, during and after they make a purchase.

Don’t worry about how long it takes to reach 50,000 followers. Your followers are arriving organically; they’re authentically interested in what you have to offer.

When you go beyond follower counts and examine influencers who get people to act on their recommendations, you find people who’ve established authentic voices with their followers.

There are a million websites that promise to help you find influencers, but they don’t come cheap. And I’ve yet to find one that does an exceptional job in keeping you from becoming victim to influencer fraud.

Pinterest and Instagram have proven to be the better money-makers. And when it comes to this business we’re in, this jewelry business of ours, the right picture of the right jewelry can inspire a thousand women to wage war against their fiduciary obligation to their savings account.

Ultimately, luxury can be defined by how a product makes a person feel. They’ve splurged a bit to buy something they’ve always wanted, and they feel very good about the purchase. They know the item is made of the finest quality. But if something goes wrong, if there’s an unfortunate defect, they also know the brand will stand by its product and make things right.

Knowing these four personalities of the luxury customer is essential in developing a luxury brand, as selling to each one requires a different strategy.

Rather than invest money in participating in a press preview day, invest time in pursuing as many desk- side appointments as you can each month. Or better yet, use that money to invite editors to drinks or dinner, where you can really bond one-on-one.

Every single person that walks through your door must be treated as royalty. Because how they’re treated determines the story told about your store. And it’s those stories that build a brand.

The very essence of creating an experiential site is to evoke emotion from visitors. Emotions are the quintessence of luxury.