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How This Jewelry Designer Grew Her Email List and Created Viral-Worthy Content—Without Ads or Expensive Photoshoots
March is “Product Tester” Month in the Inner Circle. It’s a training created for our members by Jane Hamill of Fashion Brain Academy. And last year it got jewelry designer Trisha Flanagan thinking—could this work for her business? She gave it a shot, and the results were pretty amazing. She built a high-intent email list, got real customer photos (without an expensive photoshoot), and turned testers into paying customers. Here’s how she made it happen.
The Jewelry Business Dilemma: Visibility vs. Budget
When Trisha Flanagan set out to grow her jewelry business, she faced two big challenges: expanding her email list and gathering high-quality content to showcase her pieces. She had plenty of product photos but not nearly enough of real customers wearing them—something crucial for building trust and engagement.
The usual solution would have been a professional photoshoot. But for a small business, the costs of hiring models, photographers, and stylists can add up fast. Instead of taking that route, Trisha turned to an unconventional but highly effective strategy: inviting real customers to be product testers in exchange for free jewelry.
The Lightbulb Moment: A Free “Product Tester” Campaign
Trisha decided to give the Product Tester strategy a shot, offering free jewelry in exchange for honest feedback and user-generated photos.
This approach not only helped her collect authentic content from real customers but also grew her email list. It turned out to be a simple, cost-effective solution that tackled both of her biggest struggles at once.
Choosing the Right Product
While her Morse code jewelry had always been a best-seller, Trisha had another product that needed more visibility—her fidget rings. These rings, designed for people with anxiety, ADHD, or skin-picking habits, were flying off the shelves at in-person markets but weren’t selling well online.
She realized she needed real testimonials and visuals to highlight their benefits. But instead of just telling people how great they were, she wanted customers to try them and share their own experiences. A product testing campaign was the perfect way to do that.
The Power of “UGC”
Rather than investing in a polished, expensive photoshoot, Trisha saw an opportunity to leverage user-generated content (UGC). Not only was it a budget-friendly option, but it also made her brand feel more authentic and inclusive.
With UGC, she could showcase a variety of people wearing her jewelry, representing different skin tones, hand sizes, and styles—something a single photoshoot wouldn’t easily achieve. Plus, customers sharing their own images naturally created social proof, making it easier for others to picture themselves wearing her pieces.
Building the Campaign
1. Setting Up the Product Tester Program
To make the application process simple, Trisha created a dedicated landing page on her Shopify store with a Typeform survey. The page explained the opportunity: participants would receive a free piece of jewelry in exchange for wearing it, providing feedback, and sharing a photo.
2. The Application Questions That Made the Difference
Instead of letting just anyone sign up, Trisha crafted a 12-question survey designed to filter out those who weren’t truly interested. The questions covered everything from willingness to wear the jewelry for two weeks to metal allergies, ring size, and even shipping location.
She also included a question about subscribing to her email list—an easy way to grow her audience while selecting testers. Surprisingly, almost everyone who applied was happy to stay connected, making this a win-win strategy.
3. How She Recruited Testers (Without Ads)
Trisha’s Instagram following wasn’t massive—just 1,500 people—but that didn’t stop her from getting the word out. She asked her existing audience to share the opportunity with friends and also reached out to other small business owners whose audiences aligned with hers.
This grassroots approach worked. People shared the campaign, leading to a steady stream of applicants. And the best part? No money spent on ads.
The Results: A Flood of New Subscribers & Authentic Content
The results exceeded expectations:
- 150 new email subscribers
- 51% survey completion rate (a strong stat in marketing)
- A collection of diverse, high-quality customer photos
Trisha proved that even without a massive following, a well-structured campaign could generate real engagement and business growth.
Turning Testers into Customers
Growing an email list is great—but only if you leverage it to increase your sales. Trisha turned those new subscribers into paying customers. Here’s how:
Follow-Up Emails with Exclusive Offers
After the testing period, she sent an email thanking testers for participating and offering a special discount on their next purchase. Since they had already worn the jewelry and enjoyed it, many testers took her up on the offer.
Encouraging Reviews & Social Proof
She also asked testers to leave a review on her website, which helped improve her product listings and build credibility with new customers.
Adding Testers to Her VIP List for Future Promotions
Since these customers were already engaged, she added them to her VIP email list, where they would get early access to new launches, behind-the-scenes updates, and other perks. This kept them interested and increased repeat purchases.
Instead of just getting free content, Trisha used email marketing to turn testers into lifelong customers.
Why This Works for Any Small Business
This wasn’t just a one-time experiment—it became a repeatable, scalable strategy. The key takeaways?
- You don’t need a big audience—just an engaged one.
- People love being part of something exclusive. A simple invitation to test products made customers feel valued.
- Authentic content outperforms polished studio shots. Seeing real customers wear the jewelry made the brand more relatable.
- Low-cost marketing strategies can yield high-impact results. With no ad spend, Trisha gained both customers and content.
Running This Strategy Again
Encouraged by the success of this campaign, Trisha is already planning to do it again with a different product. And this strategy isn’t limited to jewelry—any business can try it.
Even if you don’t have a huge Instagram following or email list, you know people who would love to test your products. Reach out, get creative, and start gathering real customer content that helps sell your brand.
If you’re ready to give it a shot, all it takes is a little initiative, a simple survey, and a willingness to think outside the box.
Related Links:
Check out Trisha’s jewelry at www.trishaflanagan.com
Check out Jane’s podcast here: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/category/podcasts/
Why Jane Hamill Loves The Product Tester Strategy
https://thesocialsalesgirls.com/heres-what-to-do-differently-next-year-episode-195/
A 6 figure start-up strategy that you can use even if you’ve already launched
