Naz Kretlow started the Houston-based 3 Graces of Gold three years ago, and her goal then and now was to connect with people who, like her, love vintage- and antique-inspired jewelry.
Enter the brand’s new YouTube channel, which she says has become its ideal space to develop connections and long-term relationships with fellow jewelry lovers.
“Some conversations deserve more room than a caption,” Kretlow says. “That led me to YouTube as a place where I could go deeper and share more thoughtfully.”
The video-sharing platform allows her to share longer, more detailed information and stories than ad-heavy sites like Instagram, says Kretlow. The short, pithy videos are easy to create, relatively inexpensive to produce, and provide a place for new and existing clients to find the brand.
Since she debuted the channel about a month ago, her videos have ranged from a few hundred to more than 11,000 views. Her average video is a minute to four minutes in length, covering topics from fine jewelry education to design to collector stories.
“Over the years of sharing jewelry on Instagram, there has been more and more of a shift and, frankly, a mandate toward shortening content to capture attention and feed the algorithm,” Kretlow says. “I get that all companies need to play ball with the app, and I continue to try to do it in a way that feels real to me. But I often find it in conflict with how I thoughtfully experience jewelry and what I’d like to share at my own pace.”
To start on YouTube, Kretlow says she developed a plan for what kinds of videos might resonate the most with 3 Graces of Gold clients and potential customers. Some videos are planned, others are more casual conversations. Kretlow uploads a new video every few days to keep the momentum going.
“I’ve always loved telling the stories behind the pieces, what I’ve learned about their history and the craftsmanship, and what makes jewelry elements so compelling. YouTube gives those stories room to breathe,” she says. “The jewelry is a big part of the story, but just as important to me is sharing why these pieces matter and how they connect us to ourselves, to each other, and across time.”
It helps that Kretlow is comfortable in front of a camera, so creating videos feels like she is talking directly to someone she knows. As for feedback, she says she looks for comments on YouTube as well as from clients in person or through email.
“What I want to dive into is also informed by the questions my clients ask and what they’ve asked me to share more about,” she says. “Many of my videos begin the same way many of my client relationships begin: with a question. I like talking to real people and not to myself, so often the process starts in a conversation with a client. Then I take that thread into a video that can be shared with more people.”
Clients so far say they enjoy the channel because it is free from distractions (read: constant Meta advertising) and it gives them a chance to learn more about the jewelry, 3 Graces of Gold, and Kretlow as a collector and founder.
“They’ve said it feels casual and relaxed, and as someone who gets overstimulated easily, I like that. I’m really hoping it continues to feel like a place for connection, even though it’s online and there are naturally some limits to how interactive we can make it,” she says.
It’s slow but steady growth. Her Instagram has more than 39,000 followers whereas her YouTube channel has about 50 subscribers and 18 videos. Will 3 Graces of Gold go viral or get millions of subscribers? As much as she hopes people will punch that subscribe button, she’s realistic—she is not becoming a full-time YouTuber.
“The thing I think about most is finding formats that allow me to communicate in a way that creates connection and feels natural to how I communicate anyway. For me, YouTube felt like the right place to tell stories, share what I’ve learned, and connect with people in a more personal way—similar to how we’d talk over coffee. That was something I wanted for my business,” Kretlow says.
Top: Naz Kretlow says YouTube is one of the more unique and enjoyable ways she is marketing 3 Graces of Gold. (Photos courtesy of 3 Graces of Gold)
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