By Ace Luciano 1-14-23
You need to get your firearm-related business in the public view for success. Here are 9 tried and tested ways of getting your business name out in public.
1 ) Put Your Logo on Your Car/Truck
Use your car as a roaming billboard. Put your logo on your car, making it as large as possible. Also include a tag line that sums up what your business does or what you specialize in. If you have a really compelling tag line, people will look you up online for more information; be sure your website is up to date so people can find you.
2 ) Join Social Networking Sites
Social networking sites are a great way to generate excitement for your business, and they are free to join. Make your page as fun and interesting as possible. If you have a party or event at your place of business, take pictures and post them with captions. You could also post a tip of the day on a topic related to your industry. Or you could write about issues related to your line of business or simply write how-to blogs.
3 ) Write Press Releases and Articles
Press releases and articles are free ways to advertise in a newspaper. To get a newspaper to print your press release or article, it has to be relevant. For press releases, write about major developments in your company such as a new product line that can change people’s lives.
For articles, you could write about industry trends or give advice about seasonal issues. For instance, a garden supply store owner could write about the best way to grow tomatoes. Make sure the article or press release does not read like an advertisement, or it probably will not get printed.
4 ) Put an Ad in the Yellow Pages
You can advertise in the printed yellow pages and online. This method of advertising can be pricey, but it will usually pay off. Lots of people still turn to the yellow pages when they are looking for a particular good or service. Plus, the good online yellow pages are shown whenever people do a keyword search on search engines.
5 ) Attend Networking Events
Get involved in your community. Join the chamber of commerce, go to school board meetings, or be a member of a local charity. Do not be pushy about advertising your business when you attend meetings and events. Make sure people can see that you really want to be involved.
Then, when you have conversations with other members, get them to talk about what they do and ask for a business card; they will usually then ask you about your line of work, which is when you can pull out your business cards.
6 ) Get Current Clients to Refer You
Your best source of business is from current customers. Treat them really well so they will keep coming back and also refer you to others, and be sure to give your clients an incentive to refer you. Hand your current customers some of your business cards, have them write their names on the back, and then tell them that if a new customer turns in the card, the original customer will get a free gift or substantial discount.
7 ) Advertise on the Internet
Try several methods to see which works best for your Internet advertisements. Google Adwords is a great way to do contexual and banner advertising across the web. Learn more about Google Adwords and pay per click to advertise your product online.
You may also want to use affiliate marketing, in which you strike up agreements with other web pages with a similar target audience to place ads on each other’s sites. Search engine optimization (SEO) will make your website more noticeable to search engines as well as other websites. Pay-per-click advertisements give other websites an incentive to place your ad on their pages.
8 ) Place Print Ads in Strategic Locations:
Print up flyers, brochures, and business cards and place them in locations you know your target audience visits. For instance, brochures and business cards can be placed in racks in other businesses that have a similar customer base as your company.
Hang flyers on community boards, street corners (following city laws, of course), and in windows of other businesses. Mailing flyers, brochures, or postcards directly to customers and prospects puts your ad directly in front of them, the most strategic location of all!
Be sure to thoroughly research each advertising strategy you plan to use or hire a professional. If not done right, then no amount of advertising will work.
9) Put up a profile and market your business on GUNSPACE
Let’s face it- you are in the gun business not just to make money, but also to support those that have the same beliefs and values as you do- so why would you keep giving all of your marketing dollars to companies that HATE you and all that you stand for? Give Gunspace a try.
Finally, keep in mind that not all advertising methods work for every business, so if one does not seem to be working for you, scrap it and try another.
Bottom line: Use what brings you measurable results
