I grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania, where the go-to place to shop with nice stores lining an old-time main street was roughly a 30-minute drive away. That’s where I was introduced to Carroll’s, the jewelry store where everybody shopped, including my parents and all of their friends. It was that free, folksy, word-of-mouth advertising that Carroll’s depended on. Today, even though small jewelry retailers are faced with a lot more competition, don’t discount the power of word-of-mouth advertising. Only today it’s called “influence marketing”, which in a nutshell, is new speak for old-fashioned word-of-mouth advertising that’s been amped up to a much bigger scale. It’s still one of the best ways to get free advertising for your store—that is, if you know the tricks to get your customers to spread the word. We spoke to an expert in word-of-mouth advertising, Kyle Wong, CEO and Co-founder of the visual marketing firm, Pixlee, whose clients include small businesses, chambers’ of commerce, and sports teams, including the San Francisco 49ers.

DPA: What exactly are “influencers”?

Kyle Wong: They’re customers who are familiar with your store, and using their stories to articulate their great experiences with your service is powerful. It’s a free advertisement that can introduce you and your brands to new customers.

DPA: How do you get customers to promote your store?

KW: Jewelry-giving occasions, like weddings and anniversaries are inherently social things. Many people take photos of the jewelry they buy and post them on Facebook and Instagram. So the trick is encouraging people to share those photos with you so you can post them on your own website and/or on a giant television screen in your store.

DPA: And how do you get them to take pictures of your product?

KW: I recommend reaching out to clients through a post-purchase hand out—a card, on a receipt, or in packaging. For example, ask customers to submit photos wearing the jewelry they purchased and tell them it will be featured in your store and on your website.

DPA: But many loyal jewelry customers tend to be older and not social media savvy. How do you get their stories?

KW: Sure, some older customers may not use social media, but many do, and they can do word-of-mouth marketing for you too. We have helped small jewelry stores reach out across demographics by putting a social gallery up on their websites, so browsers can see how other people wore their merchandise. It’s been incredibly popular.

DPA: How does this get new customers into your store?

KW: Customer stories provide authenticity, context, and education behind a product. This is especially important for new shoppers. Say a potential customer is browsing your site for earrings, and they see how photos of others wore them, say to a party, with a work outfit, or to a graduation ceremony. This allows a potential customer to see someone who looks like them, dresses like them, and goes to similar events, so you’re more likely to convince this person that they need this product.

DPA: But how does it convince people to buy at your store?

KW: Seeing photos online can introduce them to the in-store experience—the touch and feel component of shopping with you. Millennials, in particular, are visual inspiration shoppers, meaning they can be inspired to buy things often by looking at photos. And using influence marketing can even help a small retailer compete against bigger online players.