Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alice Tan. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alice, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you think folks should manage their own social media or hire a professional? What do you do?

Social media plays a huge part in building Third Tone. With limited capital, I decided to handle social media myself instead of outsourcing. Social media is a free form of marketing so I 100% try to utilize these platforms to build a community. With so many platforms and trends popping up in such a short span of time, it can be difficult to keep up at times. But I sit down every week to plan out a strategy and create relevant content. The best part of handling social media myself is that I get to interact with my customers and get to know them on a personal level!

Alice, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I launched Third Tone in 2021. I come from a Jewelry PR background and worked for major events like Met Gala, MTV awards, etc. I have been obsessed with jewelry since I was a teen. I love the fact that you could wear a single piece of jewelry for a hundred times in a hundred different ways, and that piece of jewelry will never fail to elevate your whole outfit.

Third Tone offers a curated selection of affordable jewelry that is luxurious, modern and timeless. Our products are designed to create a capsule wardrobe, as well as accentuate your existing wardrobe. I am a huge advocate of rewearing your closet, mix & match to create a new look. When you find quality, timeless pieces, you can easily pull an outfit together. I am very happy with all the pieces we carry – every single piece has a story behind. Some pieces were named after my heritage – I am Malaysian Chinese, some were named after the weather. I take inspiration from daily activities and transform them into modern designs. There is still so much to learn in this journey of entrepreneurship, I look forward to learning new skills and techniques that will help me grow both as an individual and as a business owner.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

With limited capital and zero background on starting a business – I miraculously launched Third Tone website with lots of trial & error and researching. Just when I thought the hard part was over, MAINTAINING your business is another form of art. I was very lucky to have friends & family supporting the business in the beginning. When it hit the 6-month mark, I would go by a whole week without any sale. It was getting tough, I had to figure out how can I drive traffic to the site and convert them into sales. I started reading more business books, attending online seminars to learn from fellow business owners. Took a chance and invest more into the business. What I essentially learn is that you cannot do everything on your own. Ask for feedbacks, seek for help, understand what your customers want and not just fixated on your own ideas.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I don’t have a million followers (yet) but I am proud of our little community #TeamThirdTone! I reply to every comment and DM. I want my customers to feel that they’re not buying just from another brand, but from someone who cares about their opinion. They are able to message me whenever they want and I always appreciate feedback, no matter what it is. It’s hard not to focus on your followers number, it can be tedious as the algorithm is constantly changing. But I think it’s also important to engage with your current followers – they’re the ones who are already interested in the brand so show them love!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shopthirdtone.com
• Instagram: @shopthirdtone
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopthirdtone
• Other: TikTok: @shopthirdtone Pinterest: @shopthirdtone

Image Credits
Photographer Instagram: @alynnat