Starting an Outdoor Related Business - Part Three

Marketing your new outdoor business is an enormous undertaking...did I say HUGE! So my only advice is to "bring in the experts". You really have no idea how big the industry is until you dive in and stay under for a while. For the next week or so, dive into the SHOT Show (The Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show) and Conference. According to their website and it's true, SHOT is the world's premier exposition of combined firearms, ammunition, law enforcement, cutlery, outdoor apparel, optics and related products and services. The SHOT Show attracts buyes from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. SHOT 2013 is being held in Las Vegas, NV January 15-18. If you visit SHOT Show online go to SHOT INFO, click Search 2013 Exhibitors, and click on the letters to show who is exhibiting. It is truly amazing and exciting to see the advancement of hunting and fishing.

Now that your really excited, how do you start swimming with the sharks or let's say trout. When I was looking for a marketing/public relations firm, I met with several that made no lasting impression on me whatsoever, but there were two fellas that I wish I would've been able to spend thousands with their respective companies. 

One, is Jeff Bergman with Providence Marketing Group. Without giving a complete bio on him and making it sound like I'm related, I'll just say good guy and straight shooter. You'd be a friggin' idiot not to give him a call. 

Secondly, Jason Bear at Full-Throttle Communications. Jason comes from a rich bloodline in the outdoor marketing arena and his knowledge is worth tapping into. 

Another good resource for everything outdoors is the Black's Sporting Directories published by Grand View Outdoors. The Black's Sporting Diectories are a series of annual buyer's guides and directories currenlty covering the Archery, Fly Fishing and Shotgunning industries. They are definitely worth looking through and remembering the names of companies and top execs. You will begin to notice the one's that keep showing up everywhere else you look.

At the end of the day, I would spend the majority of my budget to utilize the knowledge and abilites of a good marketing / public relations firm. Do you really want to be online having to deal with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, Blogging, Chating, Posting, Commenting, Linking, Liking, Favoriting.....oops sorry for the social overload. Anyways, with all of that, a quality firm will put a solid plan on how to do everything that is available.

Too much info to get into sales channels and distribution so onward to tomorrow.