Let's ponder promoting events

[Devnull]

So does anyone have any ideas on better/new ways to promote our shoots in New Mexico?

[Norm1057]

Hello,

I'm Norm in Alamo and recently attended an AS here. While I learned alot and had a blast, my wife and son had an even better time. I remember hearing radio ads for the Cowboy Action Shooter Events. I am not sure of the cost but would imagine some air time could be found for cheap or free in support of a good cause. Has this approach been tried?

[Devnull]

Not that I am aware of. Our budget for these things comes out of our own pockets so if we can find a good deal (Or free is even better!) I think it would be a great idea.

[spitstickler]

Hi Devnull, Here are a few ideas.

We are doing an electronic monthly newsletter in Texas: http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=12062.0 It's a good way to keep Appleseed and upcoming shoots on the mind of someone who might not come to our website on a regular basis. Western Rose sends out an invitation to previous attendees inviting them to sign up and we always get new people subscribing after events. I'm sure this helps with repeat attendance but currently there is no way to track the data.  

Most recent issue: http://us1.campaign-archive.com/?u=255c2a8c369391018b1d8ff2b&id=bfe288aa48


We are just starting to get active in the social media realm

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/appleseedtexas  People who "like" us on Facebook receive a post on the wall with our little icon when we make an announcement, change status, update the page, etc. All their friend see it. Again, no way to gauge effectiveness, but from my own experience when I started the program. A simple post on my wall saying I was going to appleseed brought friends out of the woodwork asking questions. Some of whom, I would have never thought they would be interested. Several of them have attended events since then. We've only had this going for a little over a week and already have almost 40 people in the group.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/AppleseedTexas  Still figuring this one out, but people that "follow" you on twitter, get an update every time you make a post. They can retweet, as well and pass it along to all their followers. The whole Twitter thing is growing rapidly. Just try to find someone running for office who doesn't have a twitter account. If they can use this as an effective way of spreading information, so can we!

One really cool thing about all of this, is that you can fairly easily tie all of these elements together. Facebook "like" button and twitter links in the newsletter, set up Facebook where it is connected to your Twitter account and posts appear both places, etc.  It does take daily attention to keep the social media aspect going, but doesn't require much time. Pop in a couple of times a day, check for new posts to respond to, etc. The beauty is the vast numbers of people that can be potentially reached with the medium.

Like most promotional things, there is no magic bullet that I've found. Nothing beats word of mouth, but the avenues listed above give us a way of getting our name out and the word spread. At some point we'll be past all of the easy pickens' (those who hear about Appleseed one time and immediately sign up for an event.) Statistics show that most people have to be exposed to something multiples of time before they ever make a decision to "buy" As people start reading about us in newspaper and magazine articles and see us being talked about around the web, we are making those exposures.

[oladcock]

"I'm Norm in Alamo and recently attended an AS here. While I learned alot and had a blast, my wife and son had an even better time. I remember hearing radio ads for the Cowboy Action Shooter Events. I am not sure of the cost but would imagine some air time could be found for cheap or free in support of a good cause. Has this approach been tried?"

Norm, get your tail to the next available one, you'll get your patch! Your better half is close too!

Yes, we've run spots on KBIM in Roswell, both myself and Jimi. Didn't seem to do much. We got a little coverage in the local paper back in April but so far they haven't published our press release for our Oct and Dec shoots. I'm doing a hunter ed class this evening and I dove tail that into Appleseed by saying hunter ed will teach you safety, Appleseed will teach you to shoot! Handing out flyers at hunter ed classes can't hurt. The hunter ed coordinator in ABQ was supposed to have sent out an email with our flyer to all HE instructors in the SE area. Been trying to get her to attend one in the ABQ area. I sent email flyers to our Tea Party and 2ATF organizers asking they be sent to their "lists". Our local PD training officer put flyers in their break room and we've received some bites from that. We're attending a Turkey shoot being put on by the Lions Club tomorrow and will be handing out flyers and answering questions. Hitting up the bigger churches. Plus we 7th step every where we go.

Our efforts at gun shows haven't seemed to do much. Bailing as best we can, we need a bigger bucket or a lot more little ones! ....O.L.

[Fred]

     Some good ideas and good energy on this thread.

     The key points are:

         1. If there is a Magic Bullet, we haven't found it - and likely there is no MB, only sweat, persistence, and hard work.

         2. "Get out the word" on a personal basis is labor-intensive, but seems to have more impact that anything else.

         3. We are currently promoting the notion that an instructor should never come to an AS without bringing someone with him, some new potential Appleseeder. Some friend, relative, family member, co-worker, neighbor - the "who" hardly matters. Think this one over, as this is a quality step up above the rest. Imagine being in a car with an AS instructor for an hour or more - going - and then coming back. Lots of time for personal 7th-step Appleseeding. If you don't wind up eventually being a Red Hat, it'd have to be a miracle...
 
     Improvise, adapt, overcome. Persist. Never give up.

     I have a hunch, when the history of this program is written, those words will be seen as "key".

[PHenry]

I have re-written (yet agin) all of my event speeches to reflect asking for help. I bring fliers to each event. I collate three into a SWAT reprint along with a "business" card for our SC, and ask very directly, that each attendee take a packet and make it count by posting and passing out (offering specific suggestions).

I tell them that we need them (everyone likes to be needed right?). I infer that they owe the instructors for what we bring to them. Time will tell if this works.

We have had some success with the social networking sites for sure - out promo boss is a good at it. He also writes a Florida newsletter and sends it out to every attendee we have info on (we have a volunteer sign up sheet on admin table that gits pointed out. The letter tells of past and future events, etc. caseyblane is our promo boss and he does a great job.

In the end, nothing beats pressing the flesh, in person, fliers in hand, and being a diplomat for the mission - every one of us, every day, everywhere we go.

[Earl]

Not being particularly friendly, I have trouble imagining taking someone to an Appleseed, I will work on that. There isn't much room left in my Caravan after I get the rifles and stuff for the Appleseed in it (plus my regular shooting gear). I also seem to be an hour and a half to nine hours away from the Appleseed sites I have been attending. I have been playing with 2011 doing only Appleseeds within an hour of my home, and looking hard for a local place to have Appleseeds all year long, my backyard isn't as big as Wade's. I do know that wearing the RWVA hats at shooting events gets questions.

[JustJeff]

     Some good ideas and good energy on this thread.

     The key points are:

         1. If there is a Magic Bullet, we haven't found it - and likely there is no MB, only sweat, persistence, and hard work.

         2. "Get out the word" on a personal basis is labor-intensive, but seems to have more impact that anything else.

         3. We are currently promoting the notion that an instructor should never come to an AS without bringing someone with him, some new potential Appleseeder. Some friend, relative, family member, co-worker, neighbor - the "who" hardly matters. Think this one over, as this is a quality step up above the rest. Imagine being in a car with an AS instructor for an hour or more - going - and then coming back. Lots of time for personal 7th-step Appleseeding. If you don't wind up eventually being a Red Hat, it'd have to be a miracle...
 
     Improvise, adapt, overcome. Persist. Never give up.

     I have a hunch, when the history of this program is written, those words will be seen as "key".

Prior to my first Appleseed I was invited to help man a table at a gun-show.  Both days I rode up, spent the time at the gunshow, and rode back with a very nice "Redhat," talking all the way.  Seems the "Redhat" is "ineffective" though....even though my time spent with him was one of the major reasons I haunt these boards and continue to 7th step and go to Appleseeds....  "Each one bring one" is a great concept which works...I've brought/caused several in the local area (and from OathKeepers) to attend their first Appleseed.  Attendance at a 1st one usually means attendance at a 2nd, 3rd, etc.

[PHenry]

Earl,
I have been called "abrasive" and much worse myself. I am not a natural "salesman", but when I am interested in something it shows and I use that to Appleseeds advantage. I must have employed 100 different ways to work Appleseeds into a conversation.

Saving a country is a hard sell in America, where people lean toward a very narrow, spoiled viewpoint, that results from a lack of adversity. Like ranges, I no longer impose on their sense of "Public Virtue", or Patriotism, as it is nearly dead in them. I appeal to their own self interest, and sell the marksmanship angle to get them out.

The fire of Liberty will either spark or it will not when exposed to the story. We cannot make them care - only get them to an event and hope it takes as it did in us.

The idea of local Appleseeding is valid in my mind. I have been working on that concept here in FL for some time now. I call it "local motion". If we could develop a set of instructors for each venue, it would reduce impact on staffing and expense on program, allowing us to run more events at a given venue with less effort and cost. Your idea is sound - do what you can and kudos for the effort expended to date sir. 

[Strawberry Roan]

We can't forget to include reaching out to Tea Party groups and the 9/12 groups.  These are Americans that are already motivated and could benefit from additional inspiration.  There's a new group starting in Roswell called Question with Boldness that we've reached out to and we'll see if that comes to fruition.  Boy Scouts, Big Brother/Sister organizations, Youth Clubs, VFW's, Lion's Clubs and other civic organizations are possibilities too.  Newspapers and radio stations often will do PSA's for free, although those are usually just reminders for those who have already expressed an interest.  Local, supportive non gun businesses will often help display posters, flyers and pamphlets.  We've got a few at our local print shop and our coffee shop that have gotten interested in attending.  I have found that just in my activities as an involved citizen provides many opportunities to 7th step.  Kind of leading by example.

Earl and PHenry, I can relate, lol.  All this stuff is pushing me WAY out of my comfort zone.  Duty calls though, so I will sacrifice for my country!   I reckon time will tell if it's made me a better person, or not....

[oladcock]

PHenery, "The idea of local Appleseeding is valid in my mind. I have been working on that concept here in FL for some time now. I call it "local motion". If we could develop a set of instructors for each venue, it would reduce impact on staffing and expense on program, allowing us to run more events at a given venue with less effort and cost. Your idea is sound - do what you can and kudos for the effort expended to date sir."


Yes sir, "local motion" has potential as we're in contact with these folks just in our daily running around. Trying to do promotions from 100+ miles away is tough and not as effective. Jeff, yep, that's a rough crowd you have around with, I just hope you are equaly as ineffective! ...O.L.

[PHenry]

Strawberry Roan,
I have done the story for two BSA troops and it went over well. I have two versions - one condensed (about 30 min) and one full length (about 60 min). U r welcome to them - PM me with your Email addy. We are not qual'd under BSA rules to teach them to shoot (of course they can come on their own and I suggested same), but we can teach them their unique heritage. Even if they don't seem to take it in - it does affect them in long run - just being exposed to it is good for their souls.

oladcock,

[JustJeff]

Jeff, yep, that's a rough crowd you have around with, I just hope you are equaly as ineffective! ...O.L.

I need to work on my "ineffectiveness" with the rifle, then maybe I can aspire to being as "ineffective" as he is.  I'm already fairly "ineffective" at getting those I know to participate.  And don't forget that I've "ineffectively" coerced a certain IIT into becoming the "President in waiting" of the NM OathKeepers.....just waiting on that durned inaugration ball.

[oladcock]

Jeff, 

PH, PM on the way, thank you sir....O.L.

[Strawberry Roan]

PHenry, sure appreciate the assist on the 3 strikes!  I do fairly well on the short stories, but keeping up with the million things going on during the strikes has been hard to hammer in!

Jeff, you crack me up!  Once a decision is made, there's a whole lot of pent up excitement and ideas that are going to be hopefully ahem "ineffective"!   There's a great team growing here in NM!  Inauguration ball, 

[nmmi9100]

Rio Rancho AS fliers posted at Sportsman's Warehouse and St. John's United Methodist today.

-David

[oladcock]

David, You guys need to pester Jennifer at the NMDG&F, she's the Hunter Ed coordinator. She's been good about sending our info to to all SE NM HE instructors, I'm sure she'd do the same for every part of the state. You also need to get her to an AS along with her family and dept employees. I don't have as much clout with our AS's not being close by. I'll PM her email to you....O.L.

[SamD]

Yinzall all just press on.
Do the best you can, irrespective of external influence  circumstance  or commentary 

I'll take care of ineffective,
that's my turf and I ain't about to let y'all break my rice bowl just yet   

[TaosGlock]

At the NRAWC we put an event flier right inside the foyer of the entrance to the main office/gift shop where everyone eventually goes. We even gave them a slick DVD video to play on their main TV that advertises events they host.
At our local range here in LC we put up event flyers inside the covered range we rent and on the phone poles that support the rifle range roof. Permission was granted as we rent the range.

Both the city of LC and the NRAWC have yearly catalogs promoting the various activities at the range, so a short article with a pic or two works great.
And now, even a link to the FOX News interviews will be included. The NRAWC staff knew about those interviews before we did as we were instructing there that weekend and they told us it was good promo.

Remember to remind the admin/range staff that the number of shooters times the range fees is how much money they will get. That usually stops the whining about us using the ranges.

At the NRAWC for example lets say we have 75 shooters, the theoretical maximum. Their fees are $20/day...expensive. So $40 times 75 equals $3000 per weekend.
Take that times the max number of shoots we can do there (the trophy hunts limit the number of shoots) 7 per year and you have a staggering $21,000.
In reality it is much less but that is the real potential and they know it.
They are more than ready to help with promos.

[PHenry]

TG,
That's a simple, yet excellent idea - calcing the max possible rev. Then, when they say we are not delivering - remind them that we need to fill the lines and need help getting word out. Instills sense of "ownership" and responsibility.

I will forward to entire FL cadre for digestion and implimentation.

Thanks,
PH

[Devnull]

TG,
That's a simple, yet excellent idea - calcing the max possible rev. Then, when they say we are not delivering - remind them that we need to fill the lines and need help getting word out. Instills sense of "ownership" and responsibility.

I will forward to entire FL cadre for digestion and implimentation.

Thanks,
PH

Also remember the host application states the range is to promote the shoot. (I don't rely on them to do it though.) So technically according to the signed contract they ARE supposed to promote the shoot locally. That includes ranges who waive any range fees.

Obviously money is a motivator for ranges to sign up with us, however it is a crappy reason.

"But Devnull, getting a range is a good thing PERIOD right?"

Yes and no. Once we get a range acquainted to the program we need to point out to them the OTHER reasons why Appleseed is good for them.

1: By teaching people to shoot we are further increasing the interest in shooting sports.
2: They will have more people using the range later on so they will get more range fees/club memberships.
3: Their club members are going to be more proficient at shooting, therefore they will shoot more and bring more friends to shoot.

And the most important reason:

We are saving a nation.

I cannot understand why any range would stand against the success of this program. They know our nation is in trouble. They know our heritage is being replaced by Coke adds and Women half naked on TV. (Not that I'm complaining about those women mind you. I am after all human... but it's becoming who we are as a nation!) They see the decreasing number of people signing up for memberships every year. I'm sure they see the worn out sofas strewn on the side of the road to their ranges, so they know people are sitting on their posteriors more and more causing early failure of our living room friend. So why wouldn't they do whatever they can to fix this problem?

I think one thing we need to do is talk to our existing ranges. (Especially those who charge range fees.) We need to try and get them fired up over our mission. When we discuss Project Appleseed we need to let our enthusiasm come out. Our angst over the direction our nation is going needs to be communicated. We need to combat the apathetic disposition were encountering from these ranges.

I plan on talking with Del Norte (Or the city range) and seeing about having one Appleseed a month in the Albuquerque area. Also I'm gunning for Socorro to increase the amount of shoots they allow us to have. (Though I still cannot make it down there tomorrow to ask for another shoot... Can anyone here make it down there @ 19:30 tomorrow? I would like to see 8 next year there.)

We also need to remind them of their obligation in the host app to promote the shoot. In areas where we do not have someone there it is VERY hard to promote a shoot. Those ranges ought to have the fervor for our mission and be actively getting the word out in their area.

The most important thing in promoting Appleseed is word of mouth. We've seen what usually happens at a shoot after a gun show right? The personal explanation of what were doing is FAR MORE successful than putting fliers up somewhere.

"So what can we do to increase the word of mouth promotion?"

Simple.

1: ALWAYS bring someone with you to an appleseed.
2: Encourage others to bring someone with them to their next appleseed.
3: Talk everyone's ear off you know about appleseed.

If everyone coming to an appleseed brought one person with them to their next shoot we would double our numbers EVERY year. If they bring two different people to two different shoots well were riding the gravy train!

If we bring one motivated person a year to a shoot, odds are were going to increase our instructor pool. (Which we need. We've got some big shoes to fill next year!)

Now here is another thought. Us orange and red hats ought to be working a minimum of 8 shoots a year right? (Barring GOOD excuses of course...) What if we brought 1 new person to each shoot? Our typical staffing is around 4 people, so that's 4 new shooters to the program per shoot and a total of 32 new people in the program just from those 4 instructors! That's a good sized line right there!

I am not sure how many instructors we have in New Mexico right now, (But were going to change that here REALLY soon!) however from the ones I know of we have at least 16. So that would be 128 new shooters a year right there!

So therefore we all need to bring at least one person with us to each and every Appleseed. That isn't a big goal to achieve folks.

What is the cost of Liberty? Is liberty worth one weekend a year? one a month? How do we put a price tag on the value of our freedom? Can we quantitatively say "Well my liberty is only worth four weekends in a year. Oh and I don't want to look foolish so I'm not going to go around talking about freedom and liberty. Nah, I'll leave it to someone else."

What was Liberty worth to Isaac Davis? His children were very ill. He lit out on a mission where the certainty of death was great. After all they were going against the world's most well trained and well equipped military! Still, he did what he saw as right and went on his way to defend his family and the liberty he loved so much.

I'm the last person who will be saying "Appleseed is more important than your family" because I don't believe that. Everything we do should be for our Posterity. (Posterity as all of you know is our future generations.) Isaac Davis was faced with an immediate and palpable threat and he responded as such. Were faced with a cold war of sorts. The slow degradation of our rights, freedom and essentially our Liberty. Ours is a marathon where we need to keep a good pace and trudge onward. Issac Davis' was one of immediate peril.

We have to ask ourselves what are we defending? What is Liberty and the American Revolution?

John Adams said it best.

"But what do we mean by the American Revolution? Do we mean the American war? The Revolution was effected before the war commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people; a change in their religious sentiments, of their duties and obligations...This radical change in the principles, opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people was the real American Revolution."

Were trying to change the hearts and minds of our fellow Americans. Even the people running ranges seem to have forgotten this.

In as much were also trying to shape the hearts and minds of our posterity. Our future generations are our posterity. In today's society everyone wants to pass the buck on. How many times have you heard "Well, I figure my children or my grandchildren will have to deal with X". Why? Why should we put off a problem we see building onto them?

"As parents, we can have no joy, knowing that this government is not sufficiently lasting to ensure any thing which we may bequeath to posterity: And by a plain method of argument, as we are running the next generation into debt, we ought to do the work of it, otherwise we use them meanly and pitifully. In order to discover the line of our duty rightly, we should take our children in our hand, and fix our station a few years farther into life; that eminence will present a prospect, which a few present fears and prejudices conceal from our sight. " Thomas Paine

"If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace. " Thomas Paine

"I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history and naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain." John Adams

So were not really in a need to study war in the classical sense, however we need to take seriously what we are about. Are we about going out and just having a good time? Shooting for the heck of it? Are we in this program to bolster our own egos? GOD FORBID that we should be setting about the deeds that we are in this endeavor for our own personal gratification! Woe unto our posterity if we should be so selfish as to put ourselves before their liberty!

This is what we fight for. This is what we spend 4 hours on the road going to some dusty range to accomplish. Our efforts are not for our own promotion but rather for our future generations.

Remind those ranges about what were fighting for. Get that fire lit in your belly. KNOW WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT!

So were all going to bring someone to our next Appleseed right?

So what else can we do to save our nation today?

[PHenry]

Devnull,
Well written sir and I concur with every bit of it. God bless you - I mean that. 

I am a hard-core realist and when confronted with an enigma, I am loathe to spend time working out the why, preferring to find the way around it with as little time wasted as possible. If we can get a range truly on-board - of course that would be plan A and a great accomplishment, but in my experience, which is not so little, range people are worse than the average American when it comes to awareness and a sense of Public Virtue, or "civic duty".

One of my oft repeated expressions is "It is what it is". I have disciplined myself to say that when faced with an "obstacle", which in turn allows me the strength to see it instead as a challenge  to be mastered.

Don't let an old sour-puss like me put even the smallest hitch in yer git-a-long sir - go forth and be aflame with the righteous spark of Liberty (even I have my moments of same), however, when all else fails - appeal  to their avarice and self-centeredness and try the "what's in it for them" approach, hoping that the siren call of Liberty will melt their cold, cold hearts.

Host agreements are words on paper and that should mean something, but only among the truly good in society. If the lure of greater revenue gits a range that is failing to do any promo, on top of same - worth it to me. $30 in range fees has yet to cause a single attendee to leave an event where I have served. Some have groused, but w hen faced with the fact that we have no control over the fees - they pony up and move along.

You've got it pegged sir, and are clearly an asset to the program.

As Wade would day - "This is a team effort and I'm glad you're on the team". 

[Devnull]

Well thank you PHenry. I try to do what I can.

I agree that sometimes playing to the range owners' greed is a good method, but once we've got them hooked it's time to go to work on changing their perspective. We can take every opportunity that we have talking with them to continue to change their hearts and minds just like we would to anyone else we talk about appleseed with. (Which should be everyone of course.  )

[PHenry]

Dev,
Best bet is to git them to hear the story. If there is even a flicker of Liberty buried deep within their genetic code - the story will bring it out and they will do the right thing. If it isn't there - no chance of getting to them on that level.

I also employ the "cleaner than we found it" trick. After a few events, someone always notices that we really leave the range looking nice and the old men who are stuck with such duties are also board members and before long - they want you out more often, if only to keep range clean.

We need to bring every "trick", every "tactic" to bear - our cause is just, our methods unimpeachable. Surely the Creator will smile upon the children of Liberty. 

[oladcock]

Good stuff you guys and PHenry, thanks for the scout info. I'll do my dog and pony to the local leadership Thursday night.

"but in my experience, which is not so little, range people are worse than the average American when it comes to awareness and a sense of Public Virtue, or "civic duty"."


Yep, our range here isn't charging us anything and if I pushed them to uphold a promotion agreement, they'd make it easy and send us packing! Actually as a member they'd tell me to handle it, so nothing there would change!   We've got some folks on the board that as long as they've got their pet shoots, they have little interest in growing or dealing with anything that might require some time or physical labor. Hopefully we will get some leadership changes at the end of the year. I agree we need to push them but to do so carefully. Over do it and we could lose a range for a long time......O.L.

[PHenry]

Folks who are not active members of a public range are blissfully unaware of the petty politics involved. Saving a country or supporting the 2A? Not a priority. I have watched them work to borrow near a half million $ to build a range only a half dozen board members would ever use. It took a lot of campaigning and arm twisting to get that sunk. It is the nature of the beast and most often will not change. As such, it affords us an opportunity to improve our own characters through adversity - nature's best teacher. 

[oladcock]

Yep, ours is a mixture of public and private land with a pending land swap/purchase so they are reluctant to make improvements or rock the boat until that process plays out......O.L.

[nmmi9100]

Promoted the Del Norte shoot at the Annual Meeting of the NM Bighorn Gun Club.  Lots of club member interest.  Board gave me the floor for a few minutes to describe the program.  I think we'll have a fairly easy time of getting on the calendar next year.

After the meeting, I talked to about 25 folks individually that were very interested in the program.  Half dozen or so sounded as if they'd make it and bring their kids.

-David
Edgewood, NM

[Devnull]

Way to go David! 

Be sure to mention to them that if any board members want to attend one of our upcoming shoots to contact me and we will let them shoot for free. (Try to encourage them to come to next weekend's Del Norte shoot if you can.) 45 minutes and on the other side of the mountain is far enough away for us to pursue having a shoot out there.