In the Loupe

The strategy to sell online and in your brick-and-mortar is not a one size fits all practice. The population of your city, the average budget for a shopper in your area, and the distance your customers will travel all matter when creating your business strategy. This episode features two jewelry store owners, Jeff from Miner's North & Todd from Meig's Jewelry, and we talk about their...

Social media marketing has become more important than eye contact and a firm handshake - but it's left us with so many questions. When to post? What to post? How often to post? Who to tag? How big of a budget should I have for digital marketing compared to traditional marketing? If you're feeling lost in the chaos of the internet, you're not alone. In this episode, we're here t...

What's most important: a stellar in-store experience, the perfect ring, or an unparalleled online experience? We talk to recent ring buyers about their buying experience and what they care about most in their shopping experience. From ring sizing to wedding bands, we discuss how buying experiences and expectations have shifted and give advice on how retail jewelers can adapt their processes a...

Re-post it, re-tweet it, re-blog it! When something catches your eye, you can instantly share it with your audience on social media. Sharing is caring - and free marketing. So what makes some posts so share-worthy?  Katie Kinlaw, Punchmark's Digital Marketing Manager, discusses some of her top picks for influential social media accounts within the fine jewelry sphere. Listen to discover what...

Everything is going smoothly - and then an email pops up on your phone in the middle of the night from a disgruntled customer saying they can't complete the checkout process. What do you do? This week's episode discusses this scenario and more website Q&A with Punchmark's CTO Bryan Cockerham and Associate Creative Director Sarah Weekes. They touch on everything from visual desig...

Stepping up and becoming a leader requires fearlessness, integrity, and an entrepreneurial mindset. If you're already a successful business owner, you can probably recall the somewhat risky decisions you had to make, the hard jobs that only you could do, and the late-night conversations that left you inspired and hopeful. We speak with Ross Cockerham & Ben Smithee about their experience l...

2020 prompted a lot of changes in the way we sell and consume, from our coffees to our sneakers. Research predicts that many of the changes to a traditional retail method are here to stay. So how should you decide which of your changes to keep going forward and which ones to ditch the minute we can ditch the masks?  Ross and Ben talk to us today about which changes are more likely to stick around...

It's pretty easy to spot a good website design when you're on a site that feels and looks effortlessly clean and is easy to use, but it can be difficult to place your finger on exactly what details make it so nice to use. In this episode, we talk about our favorite websites in the fine jewelry industry and what sets them apart. From visual design to custom ring builders, we hope you find...

Digital marketing tools are no longer limited to big companies with seven-figure marketing budgets. In fact, for anywhere from nine to fifty dollars a month, you can get your own personal marketing assistant who's available 24/7, posts everything to your social media accounts, and even calculates how well you posts do when you publish them in the morning versus the evening. Sound too good to...

Welcome back to Season 2 of In the Loupe, hosted by Punchmark and The Smithee Group. Guests, Katie and Cody, re-introduce the podcast (and mention why you might want to go back and listen to season 1 if you haven't already!). We get into a bit of birthday shenanigans and spill some secrets about what you're going to hear in season 2. From digital marketing to business leadership, we&apos...

In the Loupe is a weekly podcast that is dedicated to educating business owners on the latest tools and techniques that you need to be taking advantage of. Brought to you by Punchmark, the jewelry industry's leading website provider, and The Smithee Group, a digital growth agency. This is your one stop shop for not just surviving, but THRIVING in a digital age. We cover digital marketing tech...

After each live show, the hosts would stay on a little longer after the episode ended and talk a little more casually about the episode's topic and their own personal feelings about it. These are the best snippets from each episode's post show from Season 1!  In the Loupe is taking a short break, but we will be back with Season 2 in early January!  Send us Fan Mail  Send feedback or lear...

That's a wrap! Season 1 of the 'In the Loupe' podcast is coming to a close and we're looking back on some of the top moments from the season and answering your questions. We'll also give a teaser on what's to come in the next season, which you don't want to miss!  Send us Fan Mail  Send feedback or learn more about the podcast: punchmark.com/loupe Learn about Pun...

Your website is the most important aspect of your web presence, serving as the centralized point for communication and shopping. Coordinating your business's messaging to pass through your website in strategic and dynamic ways is important when attempting to dominate the online space.  This will be a live recording of the In the Loupe podcast, a podcast produced by Punchmark & The Smithee...

I said the word Keurig and now Facebook is showing me ads like crazy!' Does Facebook listen to your conversations to deliver better ad experiences? While we can't answer that, we can give you the inside scoop on social ads and how to thrive with Facebook and Instagram ads.  Hear from Katie Kinlaw (Digital Marketing Manager - Punchmark) and Cody Giles (Director of Integrated Marketing- Th...

Now that we've talked through SEO and how to boost your search ranking organically, we'll touch on paid search strategies for platforms like Google.  Listen in as Katie Kinlaw (Digital Marketing Manager - Punchmark) and Cody Giles (Director of Integrated Marketing- The Smithee Group) talk through the pay-per-click model and search engine marketing and what you need to know to get started...

You've revamped your website experience, but you need to make sure people discover it. Now we're talking SEO, or Search Engine Optimization. SEO helps to drive more viewers to your website, and in this episode Blake Smith (Media Strategist- The Smithee Group) and Bryan Cockerham (CTO & Partner- Punchmark) are telling you what you need to know to get there.  Send us Fan Mail  Send fee...

We've said it before and we'll say it again: Your website is the most crucial tool when it comes to winning in the digital environment. So, how does it stack up?  In this episode, Mike Burpoe (Lead UI/UX Designer- Punchmark) and Cody Giles (Director of Integrated Strategy - The Smithee Group) are talking best practices when it comes to your website and what you need to focus on to drive...

You've become a pro at developing and posting great content on social. Now what? The key to driving social growth is inbound and outbound engagement! What does that mean? Tune in to find out as Erin Lashley (Brand Strategists- The Smithee Group) and Katie Kinlaw (Digital  Marketing Manager - Punchmark) provide top strategies on how to maximize engagement on your profiles so your social number...

'I just don't know what to post!' - Ever had that thought when you're trying to figure out what to do on social? We're breaking it down and giving you the tools you need to keep your content fresh and up-to-date.  This is the second half of a two-part episode that features Katie Kinlaw (Digital  Marketing Manager - Punchmark) and Evelyn Stetzer (Integrated Brand Strategist...

I just don't know what to post!' - Ever had that thought when you're trying to figure out what to do on social? We're breaking it down and giving you the tools you need to keep your content fresh and up-to-date.  This two-part episode features Katie Kinlaw (Digital Marketing Manager - Punchmark) and Evelyn Stetzer (Integrated Brand Strategist- The Smithee Group) discussing orga...

We all know how important the in-store experience is to your brand. But how does that translate online? Your website is considered 'homebase' when it comes to digital, and the experience that customers have online is just as important as the experience they have in-store.  Join Elise Poeana (Director of Client Success- The Smithee Group) and Sarah Weekes (Associate Creative Director- Pun...

What are the fundamentals of digital marketing and why is it relevant to your brand? In this episode, Katie Kinlaw (Digital Marketing Manager - Punchmark) and Cody Giles (Director of Integrated Strategy - The Smithee Group) give you the 411 on digital marketing and what it takes to win!  Send us Fan Mail  Send feedback or learn more about the podcast: punchmark.com/loupe Learn about Punchmark&apos...

Welcome to the 'In the Loupe' podcast, featuring Punchmark and The Smithee Group! We're kicking off the series with a message from Ross Cockerham (CEO & Co-Founder of Punchmark) and Ben Smithee (CEO of The Smithee Group), where we'll chat about the importance of your website and digital marketing presence, and what you'll learn throughout the first season of the podcas...

In our final episode, Ross Cockerham, Co-Founder & CEO, and Michael Burpoe, Lead UI/UX Designer, discuss the Survival Kit’s original goal, and what lead to its creation. Together, they cover what they have learned about the jewelry industry’s battle with the pandemic, and recap the best tips for jewelers who are making the leap into e-commerce. They also announce Punchmark’s next podcast, In t...