Outdoor Industry Marketing

 

The outdoor industry (like every other industry) is facing a pivotal shift. Yet many brands are still struggling with outdated digital marketing strategies, missing out on artificial intelligence’s full potential. This gap translates to millions in lost revenue and countless missed opportunities to connect with passionate outdoor enthusiasts, optimize processes, and save time.

Experts predict that AI will revolutionize business and marketing by 2030. After researching, testing, and implementing AI-driven strategies within our agency using tools like Databox and HubSpot with select clients, one thing is certain—the brands that embrace AI now will secure a significant competitive edge. And the window is closing rapidly.

“AI has the potential to level the playing field by making powerful tools accessible to businesses of all sizes, allowing smaller players to compete with industry giants. However, the key is in the execution. Those who recognize the opportunity and take action now will gain an early-mover advantage, while those who delay may struggle to keep up. AI doesn’t guarantee equal outcomes—it rewards those who adopt, adapt, and innovate effectively.” —Josh Claflin, President of Garrison Everest

As artificial intelligence reshapes the digital marketing landscape, brands that sell hiking, hunting, and shooting sports gear, camping equipment, adventure apparel, and outdoor experiences face both unprecedented challenges and remarkable opportunities.

According to McKinsey research, companies that effectively leverage AI in their marketing efforts see revenue increases of 15-20% and cost reductions of 10-15%. Many outdoor brands have yet to explore how AI can benefit their business and continue to rely on outdated marketing strategies.

Here are some stats for you to consider:

• Market size: In 2022, the global AI market was valued at $454.12 billion. By 2032, it could be worth $2,575.16 billion.
• Usage: 77% of devices use AI in some way.
• Job impact: By 2025, AI may eliminate 85 million jobs but create 97 million new ones.
• Business adoption: Over 80% of companies have adopted AI in some way.
• AI in customer service: 56% of businesses use AI for customer service.
• AI in manufacturing: The manufacturing industry could gain $3.78 trillion from AI by 2035.
• AI in marketing: 73% of marketers say AI plays a role in creating personalized customer experiences.
• AI in the economy: AI is projected to contribute $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030.

What you get in this article: 

In this comprehensive article, I will explore how AI is transforming the outdoor industry and provide actionable steps for leveraging these technologies to connect with outdoor enthusiasts in more meaningful ways. It also explains how you, as a business owner, marketer, or executive director, can start preparing for the inevitable changes just over the horizon.

Full disclosure, as a HubSpot Solutions Partner we lean heavily on HubSpot’s new AI-drive platform.

 

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The AI Revolution in Outdoor Marketing

The outdoor industry has always thrived on authenticity, heritage, conservation, sustainability and genuine connections with enthusiasts. Now, AI brings powerful tools that, when implemented, can enhance these connections rather than dilute them.

As AI becomes more widely used, people will come to expect it. Just look at the adoption of ChatGPT in the last year.

According to recent market research, outdoor recreation participation has increased by 18% since 2020, with corresponding growth in outdoor gear and apparel sales. This expansion brings increased competition and the need for more sophisticated marketing approaches. AI technology offers solutions that can help brands stand out in this increasingly crowded marketplace.

In the old days, you might buy a North Face jacket, Buck Knife, Remington 270 or Danner boots because that’s what your dad, brother or friend recommended. Today, such considerations to brand loyalty matter much less due to the availability of detailed product comparisons and customer reviews. Now, each product has to prove itself on its own.

 

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Why AI Matters for Outdoor Brands

Outdoor consumers encompass a diverse yet discerning audience. From weekend hikers to competitive fishermen and shooters, these individuals conduct extensive research before making purchases, placing high value on expertise and authenticity. Notably, approximately 10,000 baby boomers reach retirement age each day, a trend expected to continue through 2029.  This demographic shift introduces a younger, more tech-savvy generation into the market, influencing consumer behavior and preferences.

For instance, Millennials, who represent 38% of the U.S. outdoor consumer population, spend more time outdoors and allocate more funds to outdoor products than the average consumer. Additionally, 34% of outdoor consumers reside in urban areas, a figure anticipated to rise with ongoing urbanization trends. This evolving landscape underscores the importance for outdoor brands to adapt their strategies to meet the expectations of a more technologically inclined and diverse customer base.

AI enables outdoor brands to:

• Deliver hyper-personalized content based on activity preferences and skill levels
• Anticipate seasonal needs with predictive analytics
• Provide more knowledgeable product recommendations
• Scale authentic storytelling across multiple channels
• Create more efficient marketing operations while maintaining brand voice
• Keep track or brand reputation (NPS) and make changes before it’s too late

“A satisfied outdoor customer will tell approximately 9 people about their positive experience, while dissatisfied customers will tell up to 16 people about negative experiences.” – Outdoor Industry Association

 

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Key Areas of AI Transformation in Outdoor Industry Digital Marketing

 

1. AI-Powered Customer Targeting & Personalization

Modern outdoor enthusiasts expect personalized experiences. Using platforms like HubSpot’s smart content features, brands can now deliver dynamic website experiences based on a visitor’s demonstrated interests in specific activities like hiking, camping, fishing or hunting.

Weather-triggered and location marketing campaigns, predictive analytics for behavior forecasting, and AI-driven persona development are revolutionizing how outdoor brands connect with their audiences at precisely the right moment with exactly the right message.

If you’ve ever wondered why REI seems to know exactly when to send you that rain gear email just before a wet weekend, you’re witnessing AI personalization in action.

2. AI Content Creation & Optimization

Creating consistent, high-quality content across all product categories has traditionally been resource-intensive for outdoor brands. AI content tools integrated with platforms like HubSpot’s content strategy tools now enable more efficient production of product descriptions, activity guides, and seasonal content.

Computer vision technology helps classify and tag outdoor imagery, while automated video processing can transform hours of adventure footage into compelling highlight reels. These technologies help maintain the authentic storytelling outdoor brands need while scaling content production.

3. Conversational Marketing & Customer Service

Selecting the right outdoor gear often requires expertise. AI-powered chatbots and virtual shopping assistants, especially when integrated with HubSpot’s Service Hub, now provide 24/7 guidance on technical equipment selection, sizing recommendations, and compatibility questions.

Voice search optimization has become particularly important as outdoor enthusiasts increasingly use voice commands to research gear while actively engaged in outdoor activities. Brands optimizing for these natural language queries gain significant advantages in discovery.

Nearly 60% of consumers have higher expectations for customer service than they did just one year ago. For outdoor brands selling technical products, meeting these expectations without massive staff increases requires AI assistance.

4. Data-Driven Strategy & Analytics

Understanding the complex customer journey of outdoor enthusiasts requires sophisticated analytics. Dashboards combined with AI analysis can map the typically longer consideration cycles for technical outdoor gear purchases.

Predictive inventory management helps brands prepare for seasonal fluctuations, while attribution modeling clarifies which marketing channels most effectively reach and convert outdoor enthusiasts. These insights enable more strategic allocation of marketing resources.

5. Emerging AI Technologies in Outdoor Marketing

Looking ahead, augmented and virtual reality experiences allow customers to virtually “try before they buy” – testing how a tent sets up or what a scopes reticle looks like. Location-based marketing enhanced through a CRM helps connect with consumers during their outdoor experiences.

Sustainability metrics automation is particularly relevant for outdoor brands, whose customers often place high value on environmental responsibility. AI helps track and communicate these efforts more effectively.

Here are a few examples of AI in the outdoor industry:

1. Trip Planning
   AI-Powered Adventure Concierge: Outside launched “Scout,” an AI-driven chatbot that provides users with gear advice, trip itineraries, campfire recipes, and more, sourced from their extensive content library.
2. Navigation
   AI in Kayaking:  AI can analyze geographical and environmental data to create optimal routes for kayakers, considering factors like paddling distance and difficulty.
3. Wildlife Identification
   AI-Powered Binoculars: Swarovski Optik introduced the AX Visio, AI-enabled binoculars capable of identifying over 9,000 bird species in real-time using computer vision and geolocation.
4. Rescue Assistance
   

   Photo credit: Recco – Avalanche location

   RECCO Rescue Technology:  The RECCO system uses harmonic radar technology to help rescue teams locate individuals buried by avalanches or lost in the outdoors.

5. Smart Gear Integration
   Fire Detection in Forestry: In northwest Tasmania, AI-powered cameras have been installed to detect bushfires in their early stages, protecting forestry assets and enhancing public safety.
6. Safety Innovations
   AI in Environmental Monitoring: AI-driven satellite data analysis and remote sensing are utilized for environmental monitoring, aiding in early detection of natural disasters and enhancing safety measures.

These examples illustrate how AI is increasingly integrated into outdoor products and services, enhancing user experiences and safety.

 

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Implementing AI in Your Outdoor Digital Marketing Strategy

The most successful outdoor brands approach AI implementation strategically, focusing on technologies that enhance rather than replace the authentic connections that define the industry.

For many brands, starting with a platform like HubSpot provides the foundation for gradually incorporating AI capabilities. The CRM becomes the central hub for customer data, enabling increasingly sophisticated AI applications as your sales, service and marketing strategy transforms.

For example, over the past 2 years as the platform has evolved, we’ve been able to implement greater targeting and personalizations than ever before. We know when a prospect or past customer interacts with our social media or visits our website which enables us to send an offer via chat or email when the customer is actively in buying mode.

If you’re looking for ways to maximize your outdoor industry marketing and build your reputation in the industry—AI implementation is no longer optional; it’s an essential competitive advantage.

 

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Case Studies: AI Success in the Outdoor Industry Digital Marketing

Several forward-thinking outdoor brands have already embraced AI transformation:

• evo’s AI Shopping Assistant: Implemented an AI-driven shopping assistant, increasing engagement and generating over $3M in incremental revenue per year with an 85% customer satisfaction score.
• Apricoat’s AI Chatbot: Launched an AI chatbot that boosted conversions by 10%, generated $20.7K in additional monthly revenue, and handled 96% of customer inquiries.
• Quad Lock’s AI Audience Segmentation: Used AI to predict purchase intent, reducing retargeting CPA by 42%, tripling ad spend, and increasing incremental revenue by 389%.
• Currently, we are testing customer agents, check back soon for updates!

 

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Getting Started with AI for Your Outdoor Brand

Begin your AI marketing transformation with these steps:

1. Get familiar with agents, check out agent.ai (founded by Darmesh Shah)
2. Audit your current marketing technology stack to identify integration opportunities
3. Evaluate your customer data collection to ensure you’re gathering the insights needed to fuel AI systems
4. Start with one high-impact area (often personalization or content optimization) rather than attempting a complete transformation
5. Select the right technology partners, with platforms like HubSpot offering accessible entry points to AI capabilities
6. Measure results rigorously to build internal support for expanded AI implementation

 

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My Final Thoughts

I’ve spent over 20 years in the outdoor industry, always drawn to emerging technologies. I watched as the internet transformed everything in 2000, followed by the rise of mobile. Now, AI is the next major shift. The ability to solve marketing and growth challenges has never been more accessible—those who embrace change will lead the way in redefining business operations for the future. One thing is certain: the outdoor lifestyle will endure. People will always seek quiet, open spaces to experience God’s creation. What will evolve is how we serve our customers—becoming smarter, more efficient, and seamless. And soon, they will expect nothing less.

Curious about how AI can transform your outdoor brand? Let’s connect for a free assessment and Q&A to explore how HubSpot’s AI can enhance your customer service, sales, e-commerce, and marketing.

 

SCHEDULE A CALL

 

Do you have a game-changing idea for a new product in the outdoor, hunting, or firearms industry?

You likely came up with this idea after encountering a problem where the product you purchased either broke or failed to meet its promises. Whatever your idea, you probably wonder if you can make it into something you can sell.

Most entrepreneurs can’t resist the challenge of inventing something and making it a reality. As you might already know – you might have been born to do this.

Every day, there are individuals with great ideas who possess the imagination, talent, and unique insight to see things that others cannot. However, it’s hard to tell how many of these ideas have been lost over time due to hesitation or a lack of knowledge about where to begin. This lack of action has likely prevented these ideas from coming to fruition, which is a shame because they could have helped many people.

In this article, I will introduce you to a topic called product-market fit.

It is the first step in the brand development process, and it is an approach I have used for over 20 years to develop brands in the outdoor, hunting, firearms, and shooting sports industries.

And here’s why: Over 30% of businesses fail (some sources say as high as 90%) because their offering fails to achieve product-market fit.

“In other words, no one is eating what you are cooking.”

It’s heartbreaking to see people lose their hard-earned money, homes, retirements, and savings due to failed business ventures.

A client contacted me seeking marketing assistance after cashing in his retirement to start a business. However, the product failed to gain traction in the market as the problem it solved was more of a “nice to have” rather than a “must-have.” Unfortunately, the company ran out of cash before they could turn it around.

It’s a painful reminder of how unpredictable and unforgiving the business world in the outdoor industry can be.

Understanding the concept of product-market fit is crucial for dedicated entrepreneurs. This understanding can help keep you on the right track as you work towards solving a problem that many people have. Over time, finding the right solution can lead to building the company of your dreams, bringing with it benefits such as freedom, being your own boss, and increased income.

Starting a business in the outdoor, hunting or firearms industry involves taking risks and it’s not for those who give up easily.

However, with some upfront work, you can reduce the risks and ensure that your leap of faith has a soft landing.

 

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Step 1: Understanding Product-Market Fit

 

What is product-market fit? Product-market fit is simply whether or not you have a market for your product (service or offering) at the right time that will allow you to build a viable, profitable, and sustainable business.

After all, if you can’t make enough money from your product to cover the development, production, and marketing costs while being profitable—would it be worth it?

Marc Andreessen (the person who coined the term) defines product-market fit: being in a good market with a product that can satisfy that market.

Every top brand that comes to mind has achieved product-market fit, including products like the iPhone, Gatorade, Glock 17, and Trijicon’s ACOG, to name a few. These products solved a massive problem in an enormous market at just the right time.

Action Item: Solve a problem that a lot of people have. Then figure out how to solve it.

 

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Step 2: Research Industry Facts and Trends

Researching industry facts and segment trends is crucial to ensure that your product can grow into a sustainable business.

Start by researching industry facts and trends. You should analyze market reports, top products, industry publications, and relevant data to gain insights into customer preferences, market size, growth potential, and emerging technologies.

You can identify new market segments, anticipate customer needs, and develop innovative solutions by staying up-to-date with industry facts and trends. Researching industry facts and trends is essential so you understand if the segment you are entering is sustainable and thriving.

If you have a game-changing product, what is it going to take to build awareness and move customers to this new segment?

Over the past year, there has been a significant push in the silencer space, with Silencer Central making strides to capture market share from its competitors. Silencer Central has simplified a complicated process by helping their customers through a difficult purchase.

By understanding the market dynamics and customer preferences, you can develop strategies to thrive and adapt rapidly in the changing business environment and identify aggressive brands making big moves to capture market share.

 

Action Item: Identify industry facts and trends.

 

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Step 3: Understand Search Trends

Understanding internet search trends is also crucial for you to optimize your online presence and reach your target audience effectively. By analyzing search data, you can identify popular keywords, topics, and search queries relevant to your product, service, or offering. Since internet marketing is the first place you’ll start, its important what you have to work with and can expect.

Use tools like Google Trends, Exploding Topics or Answer the Public to track the popularity of specific keywords that pertain to your product over time to understand search trends. This will help you identify emerging trends, seasonal variations, and customer interests.

By understanding search trends, you can know if your product has a stable or growing interest. Search interest and trends are another indication of whether or not you can achieve product-market fit.

When assisting my clients in assessing the fit between their product and its target market, we guide/coach them on thoroughly examining search trends and keyword volumes. Over the years of marketing businesses online, I can confidently determine the amount of organic search traffic that can be generated to drive sales. Additionally, I can estimate the portion of the marketing budget that needs to be allocated to SEO/content marketing and paid search advertising in order to achieve revenue goals and generate a positive return on investment.

Action Item: 93% of searches start with a search engine.

 

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Step 4: Competitive Analysis

Conducting competitive analysis is another crucial measure for you to understand the competitive landscape and identify growth opportunities—or what I call the “whitespace.”

By analyzing your competitors’ strengths, weaknesses, positioning, offering, and pricing, you can understand what and who you are up against and develop strategies to differentiate your product and gain a competitive advantage.

When conducting competitive analysis, you must gather information about your competitors’ products, pricing, marketing campaigns, distribution channels and customer feedback. Additionally, you should take a look at your competitors’ social media feeds to understand who their target audience is. By doing this, you will be able to identify gaps in the market, develop more precise and unique value propositions, and stand out from the competition.

This may involve adding unique features to your product, investing in a robust customer service department, or targeting specific niche markets to get a foot hold.

Action Item: By understanding your competitors and the market dynamics, you can position your product and become a brand your customers love from day one.

 

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How will you know if you achieve product-market fit?

The companies I’ve worked with tend to experience an upshift when they achieve product-market fit. You feel a change in momentum as your sales increase and positive customer reviews start to roll in.

It’s important to have standardized tracking in place to measure key metrics and determine if there is a product-market fit.

At Garrison Everest we track the following metrics in HubSpot Service Hub:

• Qualified traffic and leads
• Repeat customers and returns
• Reviews, NPS (Net Promoter Score) and CSAT (Customer Satisfaction)
• Email subscribers
• Forum and social media mentions
• Social media engagement (not followers)
• Sales

We use digital dashboards so you have access to your most essential metrics 24/7 allowing you to pause, pivot or accelerate marketing efforts that saves cost and time.

You will know you achieve product-market fit when everything lines up and growth comes easily and organically. If words get out on the street, you have a good product; you just need to stay out of your own way.

 

So in conclusion, conduct thorough research on your industry segment, analyze keyword interest and traffic, identify your competitors, and determine the necessary steps to compete against them. By tracking the right measures and metrics, you can discover the ideal market fit for your outdoor product, get a good grasp on keyword interest and traffic, understand who your competitors are and what will be needed to compete against them to find the “whitespace” and track the right measures and metrics. All this can be used to create a business plan and a winning brand and marketing strategy.

 

 

 

When it comes to tracking digital marketing in the outdoor hunting and shooting sports industry, it’s easy to get confused with what metrics matter most. A lot of times we think we are tracking the correct metrics or ‘key performance indicators’ for improvement—but get lost in the pretty charts and graphs of what are commonly referred to as ‘vanity metrics’ that can lead outdoor industry marketing managers astray.

In this post, I want to give you a practical way on how to track, measure and report on your online efforts using a scorecard we use with our clients to prove the efficacy of our digital marketing efforts. The scorecard also helps us to understand where our strategy needs improvement and what to adjust over the course of our campaign(s).

So let’s dive in!

 

1. What is a KPI?
A key performance indicator (KPI) is a business metric used to evaluate factors that are crucial to the success of an organization. KPIs differ per organization; firearm businesses’ KPIs may be net revenue or a customer loyalty metric, while the government might consider unemployment rates, or non-profits, donations.

In digital marketing, there are three classes of KPIs we recommend you pay attention to.

A. Mechanical KPIs
Mechanical KPIs deal with the performance of your digital hub, or in other words—your website. Four critical KPIs to gauge are:

• Organic traffic – The number of strangers visiting your website of their own free will that found you on the first page of search engine pages vs. paid where you paid to be on the first page.
• Bounce rates – Bounce rate is one of the most misunderstood metrics. Bounce rate is the percentage of single-page visits (or web sessions). It is the number of visits in which a person leaves your website from the landing page without browsing any further. A good industry bounce rate to aim for is 20-30%. To decrease bounce rates, entice your users to click to a second page on your website.
• Website Grader – Your website must be fast and load under 3 seconds and meet these basic standards. 
• Search engine optimization –Does your website meet the minimum criteria to be considered optimized?

A fast-loading, search engine (and don’t forget mobile) optimized website is the first step in ensuring a strong digital marketing foundation.

B. Website Conversion KPIs
Website conversion KPIs deal with how well your site is changing traffic into leads and nurturing them for customer conversion. Here is a list of conversion KPIs and how to improve them.

• Returning visitors – Add a blog and other fresh content to keep your prospects coming back.
• Visitor-to-lead conversion rate – Create problem-solving offers with landing pages and forms to convert visitors into leads.
• Lead-to-customer conversion rate – Does your shopping cart get above a 2% conversion rate? 
• CLV– Customer lifetime value (CLV or often CLTV), is a prediction of the net profit attributed to the entire future relationship with a customer.
• CAC – Customer Acquisition Cost can be calculated by simply dividing all the costs spent on acquiring more customers (marketing expenses) by the number of customers acquired in the period the money was spent. For example, if a company spent $100 on marketing in a year and received 100 customers in the same year, their CAC is $1.00. (Source: Kissmetrics)
• Workflow conversion rates – Research from Gleanster suggests that, even when it comes to qualified leads, more than 50% of leads aren’t ready to buy on the day they first convert on your site. If you call up these leads and push them into making a decision right away, you will likely lose them. Workflows help by nurturing these leads through an automated workflow that are based on a series of actions taken by leads on your website with the goal of nurturing them to customers or warming the sale. Make sure to track these steps and optimize for each stage.

You can also conduct A/B testing on small tweaks to your website that can be tracked over time, so you know if your metrics are improving or declining.

C. Brand KPIs
In the digital space (websites, mobile, social media, text, blogs, forums, etc.), it’s much easier to track brand engagement and understand if your brand is taking hold in your customer’s minds. One way is to monitor customer interactions and comments on social media or through Google Alerts. Record how many positive and negative social signals (likes, shares, retweets, and mentions) are posted about your firearm, ammunition or hunting product and track over time.

A few relevant brand KPIs are:

• Direct traffic – Direct traffic comes from people who actively type in your brand’s name from memory, giving you a good indication of how well your prospects remember your products/services.
• Brand mentions – How many people out there are posting positive or negative comments about your brand or product?
• Network growth – Are your networks growing across your social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn)?
• Blog subscribers – Are people finding your content interesting and signing up to receive more?

 

2. What KPIs don’t matter?
In the firearm and hunting industry, we are up to our eyeballs in statistics. From FFL registrations, background checks and the annual surveys released by the NSSF, these reports help us get our heads around how the industry is doing and how it relates to the health of our businesses. But there are some KPIs out there that just don’t matter.

Mentioned at the start of this post, vanity metrics are considered nice to have but don’t necessarily give us actionable data on making decisions about our marketing. Vanity metrics are things like registered users, time on site, pages/visits, downloads, and page views. They are easily manipulated and do not necessarily correlate to the numbers that matter: active users, engagement, the cost of getting new customers, and ultimately revenues and profits. (Source: Techcrunch )

I’ve talked to a lot of companies in the industry who consider Facebook and Instagram ‘Likes’ key metrics. But many struggle to tell me how many of those ‘Likes’ drive traffic, customers and sustained engagement.

Did you know that only 3% to 5% of your Facebook Page’s “fans” see the content you post? Regardless of how many people have clicked ‘Like’ once they’re on your brand’s page, the vast majority of them never return to the page itself and never see the content in their newsfeeds.

What to Measure Instead: % Feedback and Impressions

Use Facebook Insights, Facebook’s free analytics tool, to check which posts generate the highest level of engagement. The higher the level of engagement, the higher your EdgeRank score. (EdgeRank is kind of like SEO for Facebook newsfeeds) Think about the content and conversations that have the highest % feedback and impressions, and then come up with a plan for how you can replicate it. (Source: Hubspot)

3. You can’t measure what you don’t track.
If you’ve ever tried losing weight, you know that every week you’ve got to stand on the scale to check your progress. Digital marketing is the same way. When it comes to tracking, there are a number of tools out there to use. We explicitly depend on Google Analytics and a paid software program called HubSpot.

When it comes to reporting, Google Analytics is way more powerful. It’s more flexible than HubSpot, and puts data in a granular, broken-down form. With Google, you can tell more about your online marketing and website mechanics as a whole, and you can slice the data in a million ways.

But, HubSpot shows you more about how individuals interact with your marketing and website. It lets you connect performance data to an individual lead, giving you insight into their specific journey, and helps you nurture them through the buying funnel. HubSpot is also better organized than Google, and will show you the need-to-know information about your marketing campaigns. (Source: Nectafy)

 

 

4. Track it with the scorecard.

Now that you got a good download on what the right and wrong KPIs are, let’s turn these metrics into something you can use.

A good place to start is by setting a SMART goal across the board at 20%. 20% is enough to cause you to feel a little pressure and angst, but it’s not so high that it’s out of reach. Digital marketing takes time, and it’s important that at each stage you test your efforts to see if they’re working or not—in a logical way (we’ll be discussing what to test in a future blog post).

In our scorecard, we’ve listed out most of the metrics stated above in a table to track over 6-months. Make sure to collect data from your sales team every month to accurately report revenue. Pay specific attention to increases and pieces of content that help you make actionable decisions.

By scorecard tracking, you’ll be able to more accurately gauge the performance of your digital marketing efforts and turn strategy into targets.

As marketers, we track so many different data points to better understand what’s working and what’s not that it can become easy to lose sight of what’s most important. Reporting on your business impact doesn’t mean you should no longer pay attention to site traffic, social shares, and conversion rates. It simply means that when reporting your results to your executives, it’s crucial to convey your performance in a way that your C-suite can get excited about.

Rather than talking about per-post Facebook engagement and other “vanity” metrics, use the six metrics we detail in the below cheat sheet to report on how your marketing programs led to new customers, lowered customer acquisition costs, or higher customer lifetime values. When you can present marketing metrics that resonate with your decision-makers, you’ll be in a much better position to make the case for budgets and strategies that will benefit your marketing team now and in the future.

 

Photo Credit: Chris Dorsey

Are you looking to take your online outdoor business to new heights? In the vast and captivating realm of the great outdoors, digital marketing plays a pivotal role in boosting your business growth. From hiking gear to hunting equipment, the outdoor industry is thriving. According to a recent report from Outdoor Retailer, outdoor participation grew 2.3% in 2022 to a record 168.1 million participants, which makes up 55% of the U.S. population over age 6. Hunting participation is also up according to the Council of Hunting and Shooting Sports. To fully tap into its potential, you need to unleash the power of outdoor industry marketing.

Whether you’re a small startup or a well-established brand, this comprehensive guide will provide you with all the necessary steps, tactics, and tools to start boosting your brand’s visibility and ultimately drive product sales.

I’ve accumulated over two decades of experience in the outdoor industry, and I invite you to review this guide of these tried-and-true marketing frameworks that have consistently delivered results for my marketing company and the clients we serve. We’ll also explore the essential elements you need to establish in order to connect with consumers effectively and drive business growth.

In this comprehensive guide, we will list the proven “must-do” frameworks to help you grow your business and provide a pro tip in each section. We will discuss:

 

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Understanding the target audience in the outdoor industry

In the outdoor industry, assuming you have a product that solves a problem and have identified its product-market fit. The very first thing you must do is understand your target audience. The outdoor enthusiasts’ community is diverse and has many different subcultures, unfortunately, mostly divided by political associations. Thus, a deep understanding of your target audience is essential to tailor your message and effectively reach them.

After you’ve come up with a product to sell and the problem it solves, you need to dial in your target audience an to do that, you need to create buyer personas. This process involves creating fictional characters that represent your ideal customers. You can create these personas based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and other relevant factors.

Moreover, it’s crucial to research your target audience and gather insights from surveys, social media, and other sources. This process will help you understand their pain points, needs, and preferences. Once you have this information, you can develop marketing strategies that resonate with them.

Another important aspect of understanding your target audience is identifying the communication channels they use. For instance, younger outdoor enthusiasts tend to use social media like YouTube and Instagram more than traditional advertising channels. Therefore, your marketing efforts should focus on the social media platforms where your target audience is most active.

PRO TIP: Understand product-market fit and conduct a customer interviews. Enable self-identification in your website forms to speed up your process.

 

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Clarify your message

Many outdoor brands struggle to engage their audiences and drive them to take action effectively. Achieving this goal can be challenging without a clear and persuasive message that resonates with your target audience. This is where StoryBrand’s BrandScript becomes valuable. By utilizing the StoryBrand 7-part framework to shape your message, you’ll gain clarity on what to convey about your brand and the sequence in which to convey it.

StoryBrand’s framework emphasizes the role of being the guide in your customer’s story rather than the hero, which prevents overwhelming your customers with excessive information. It will also provide the information to create your website’s wireframe, email automaton and other collateral as you build our your branding assets. To learn more, read more about how to utilize the power of story to clarify your message. 

PRO TIP: Play the guide in your customer’s story, not the hero.

 

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Branding

Branding refers to the process of creating a distinct and recognizable identity for a product, service, company, or individual. It involves crafting a unique image, name, logo, one-liner, packaging, outdoor lifestyle photography and and overall perception that sets the entity apart from its competitors and makes it memorable to its target audience.

Effective branding is essential for several reasons:

1. Differentiation: In a crowded marketplace, branding helps a business or product stand out by highlighting its unique qualities and value proposition.
2. Recognition: A strong brand identity makes it easier for customers to identify and remember your product or company.
3. Trust and Credibility: A well-established brand often conveys trust and reliability. Customers are more likely to choose a brand they recognize and trust.
4. Customer Loyalty: Strong brands can build a loyal customer base who prefer your products or services over competitors.
5. Perceived Value: Branding can influence how customers perceive the value of your product. A strong brand can often command higher prices.
6. Consistency: Branding ensures that all aspects of your business, from marketing materials to customer service, convey a consistent message and experience.
7. Emotional Connection: Successful branding can create an emotional connection between the brand and its customers, fostering loyalty and advocacy.

Branding is about creating a unique and compelling identity that resonates with your target audience, builds trust, and helps your business or product succeed in a competitive marketplace. Don’t forget to take the time to develop your outdoor brand.

PRO TIP: Exceptional branding can be the decisive factor in elevating sales and ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction, transforming a good business into a great one.

 

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Build your outdoor industry website

Building a website involves several steps, and the approach you take can vary depending on your goals, technical skills, and budget. Here’s a general guide to building a website:

Define Your Goals and Purpose

• Determine the purpose of your website (e.g., personal blog, business, e-commerce, portfolio).
• Identify your target audience’s problem and speak directly to it.

Choose a Domain Name

• Select a domain name (e.g., www.yourwebsite.com) that reflects your brand or content. Ensure it’s unique and easy to remember.

Select a Web Hosting Provider

• Choose a web hosting provider that suits your needs and budget. Popular options include HubSpot or WPEngine.

Choose a Website Building Platform

• Decide on the platform you’ll use to build your website. Popular options include:
  • HubSpot CMS: Is a fast-loading, easy to use drag-and-drop builder integrated into HubSpot’s overall CRM suite.
  • WordPress: Versatile, widely used, and suitable for various types of websites.
  • Website Builders: Such as Duda, BigCommerce, or Squarespace, which offer user-friendly, drag-and-drop interfaces.
  • Custom Development:  If you have coding skills, you can build a website from scratch.

Design Your Website

• Utilize your BrandScript from your messaging to outline your wireframe.
• Design a static layout/architecture using Adobe Illustrator before integrating into your theme.
• Select a theme or template for your website. Customize it to match your brand and style.
• Create a layout that is visually appealing and user-friendly.

Add Content

• Create and organize your website’s content, including text, images, videos, and other media.
• Ensure your content is engaging, informative, and relevant to your audience.

Optimize Your Product Pages

• Take pictures of your products on a clean white background.
• Write engaging descriptions that are optimized.
• Add lots specifications.

Optimize for SEO

• Implement on-page SEO techniques to improve your website’s visibility on search engines.
• Use relevant keywords, optimize images, and create a sitemap.

Configure Outdoor, Hunting or Firearms E-commerce Website Settings

• Set up essential settings, such as site title, tagline, and navigation menus.
• Configure security measures, like SSL certificates, to protect your site.
• Set up payment processors, shipping and tracking.

Test Your Website – Desktop, Mobile and Tablet

• Test your website across different browsers and devices to ensure it functions correctly and looks good everywhere.

Launch Your Website

• Once you’re satisfied with your website, it’s time to publish it to the internet.
• Promote your website through social media, email marketing, and other channels.

Monitor and Maintain

• Make sure to get web support to regularly update your website with fresh content and security patches.
• Monitor website analytics to track performance and make improvements.

Remember that building a website is an ongoing process, and it’s essential to keep it updated and responsive to user feedback and changing needs. If you’re not comfortable with technical aspects, consider hiring a web development agency or designer to assist you.

PRO TIP: Use a fast-loading six second looping video on your home page to engage your visitors.

 

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Utilizing social media for outdoor industry marketing

Social media is a powerful tool that can help you expand your reach and connect with your target audience. However, to effectively use social media for outdoor industry marketing, you need to understand the platforms your audience is most active on.

One of the most popular social media platforms for outdoor enthusiasts is Instagram. Instagram is a visual platform that allows you to share photos and videos of your products in use. To effectively use Instagram for outdoor industry marketing, you need to create a strong visual brand identity and regularly post high-quality content that resonates with your audience.

Another popular social media platform for outdoor industry marketing is Facebook. If you target an older audience, this is the place to find them (Source: Exposure). Facebook allows you to share a variety of content, including text, photos, videos, and links to your website. To effectively use Facebook for outdoor industry marketing, you need to create engaging content that encourages interaction with your audience.

YouTube is another social media platform that can be effective for outdoor industry marketing. YouTube allows you to share short videos and in depth content. To effectively use YouTube for outdoor industry marketing, you need to create concise, engaging content that encourages subscriptions and interaction with your audience and is another great channel to target older prospective customers.

PRO TIP: Invest in a generous budget to secure the services of a top-notch outdoor lifestyle photography who specializes in the outdoor industry.

 

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Content marketing for outdoor businesses

Content marketing is a powerful tool that can help you attract and retain customers. Content marketing involves creating and sharing valuable content that educates and entertains your audience. Here are several tips for effective content marketing in the outdoor industry:

 

 

1. Share Stories and Experiences
Sharing stories and experiences is an effective way to connect with your audience on an emotional level. You can use storytelling to showcase the benefits of your products and how they can enhance outdoor experiences.

2. Provide Educational Content
Providing educational content is an effective way to establish your brand as an authority in the outdoor industry. You can create content that provides tips and advice related to outdoor activities, such as camping, hiking, hunting and fishing.

3. Create Product Reviews and Comparisons
Creating product reviews and comparisons is an effective way to showcase the features and benefits of your products. You can create reviews that highlight the strengths and weaknesses of your products and compare them to other products in the market.

4. Use Visuals
Using visuals is an effective way to capture the attention of your audience and showcase your products. You can use high-quality photos and videos to showcase your products in use and highlight their features and benefits.

PRO TIP: Produce concise videos, each lasting 60 seconds or less, containing valuable tips, and utilize them as YouTube shorts.

 

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Leveraging influencer partnerships in the outdoor industry

Influencer partnerships are a powerful tool that can help you expand your reach and connect with your target audience. Influencers are individuals who have a significant following on social media and can influence the purchasing decisions of their followers.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Elite Tactical Systems Group (@etsgroup)

To effectively leverage influencer partnerships in the outdoor industry, you need to identify outdoor, hunting and firearm influencers who align with your brand values and target audience. You can reach out to influencers and offer them free products or compensation in exchange for promoting your products on their social media channels. We use a tool like Upfluence to identify influencers and engage them for campaigns.

When working with influencers, it’s important to establish clear expectations and guidelines for the partnership. You should also ensure that the influencers disclose their partnership with your brand to their followers to maintain transparency. This is an FTC requirement.

PRO TIP: Identify influencers with genuine influence who can actively promote your brand to their followers. The best influencers have built real trust with their followers.

 

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Effective email marketing for outdoor businesses

Outdoor industry email marketing is a “must-do” framework that can help you connect with your audience and promote your products. More importantly, they keep your brand top of mind. Here are several tips for effective email marketing in the outdoor industry:

 

1. Segment Your Email List
Segmenting your email list involves dividing your list into smaller groups based on demographics, interests, behaviors, or other relevant factors. This process allows you to tailor your message to each group and increase the effectiveness of your email campaigns.

2. Use Compelling Subject Lines
Using compelling subject lines is an effective way to capture the attention of your audience and increase open rates. Your subject lines should be concise, engaging, and relevant to the content of your email. Most email marketing programs like HubSpot have AI subject line generators linked to your CRM that tracks what resonates with your target audience.

3. Provide Value
Providing value is an effective way to establish trust and credibility with your audience. You can provide value by offering exclusive discounts, educational content, or other incentives that encourage engagement with your brand. Don’t just send offers or discounts, mix it up with content and incentives.

4. Use Eye-Catching Visuals
Using eye-catching visuals is an effective way to capture the attention of your audience and showcase your products. You can use high-quality photos and videos to highlight the features and benefits of your products and encourage engagement with your brand. Don’t just a photo in your email. Put in the work to create a professional looking design and watch your open and click through rates go up.

PRO TIP: Maintain consistency with a monthly routine of sending three emails: one featuring a blog post, another showcasing a customer testimonial, and the third offering a promotion.

 

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Optimizing SEO for outdoor industry websites

Optimizing your website for search engines is a “must do” to increase traffic and visibility. Here are several tips for optimizing SEO for outdoor industry websites:

1. Conduct Keyword Research
Keyword research involves identifying the keywords and phrases that your target audience uses to search for products or services related to your business. You can use keyword research tools to identify these keywords and optimize your website content accordingly.

2. Use Relevant Meta Tags
Using relevant meta tags is an effective way to provide search engines with information about your website content. You should use meta tags that accurately describe the content of your website and include relevant keywords.

3. Optimize and Create Website Content
Optimizing your website content involves using relevant keywords and providing high-quality, engaging content that resonates with your target audience. You should also ensure that your website is mobile-friendly, fast-loading, and easy to navigate. Add a blog to create fresh, keyword rich articles that generates traffic.

4. Build Backlinks
Building backlinks involves getting other websites to link to your website. Backlinks are an important factor in search engine rankings and can increase visibility and traffic to your website. You can build backlinks by creating high-quality content that other websites want to link to or by guest posting on other websites.

PRO TIP: The fastest route to establish SEO prominence is through the development of your brand, consistent content and the acquisition of backlinks.

 

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Key marketing strategies for outdoor businesses

 

The outdoor industry is highly competitive, and your marketing efforts need to stand out to succeed. Once you build out the necessary elements, you’re going to want to expand into offline channels to meet your customers where they are. Here are several key marketing strategies that can help you grow your outdoor business:

1. Leverage User-Generated Content
User-generated content is a powerful marketing tool that can help you build trust and credibility with your audience. User-generated content includes photos, videos, and reviews created by your customers. Sharing this content on your website and social media channels can help promote your business and encourage others to engage with your brand.

To leverage user-generated content, you can create social media campaigns that encourage customers to share pictures of themselves using your products. You can also feature customer reviews on your website and social media channels.

Use Case: We organized a video contest for one of our clients, offering a free product valued at $179.00 as the prize. When we tracked the user-generated videos, we discovered that they generated a 5x return on the number of people who viewed these videos on Instagram.

2. Host/Attend Outdoor Events
Outdoor events are an excellent way to showcase your products and connect with your target audience. Hosting outdoor events can help you build brand awareness, generate leads, and increase sales. You can organize or sponsor events like camping trips, fishing tournaments, hiking excursions, short films and other outdoor activities that showcase your products.

3. Create Engaging Video Content
Video content is an effective way to showcase your products and connect with your audience. You can create videos that showcase your products in use, highlight the features and benefits of your products, and provide educational content related to outdoor activities.

4. Offer Special Deals and Promotions
Special deals and promotions can help you attract new customers and retain existing ones. You can offer discounts, free shipping, and other promotions to incentivize customers to purchase your products. These promotions can also help you build customer loyalty and increase revenue.

5. Collaborate with Other Outdoor Businesses
Collaborating with other outdoor businesses that align with your values can help you expand your reach and build brand awareness. You can partner with other businesses to create joint marketing campaigns, cross-promote each other’s products, and share marketing resources.

6. Traditional Marketing methods such as PR, print ads, billboards, and display ads still play a crucial role in the outdoor industry. However, these methods can be costly, and PR requires the expertise of someone with a vast network who can get your brand in front of the right publishers. At our agency, we strategically utilize these methods, but only when we have a sufficient budget and can prove ROI. Traditional marketing methods typically works for well-known brands.

7. Trade Shows can be costly but can offer many benefits. The SHOT Show (Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show) offers numerous benefits for professionals in the firearms and outdoor industry. It serves as a prime networking opportunity, allowing industry stakeholders to forge valuable connections. Attendees gain insights into the latest product innovations, industry trends, and regulatory updates. The show supports business growth by facilitating orders, distribution agreements, and market research. Educational sessions provide valuable knowledge, and it fosters responsible firearm use while promoting community building within the industry. Overall, the SHOT Show plays a pivotal role in advancing the interests of businesses and professionals in the shooting, hunting, and outdoor sectors. Learn more about how to ge more from SHOT Show costs and registration.

PRO TIP: Smaller shows and events provide fewer distractions and a greater focus on your brand.

 

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Turn your outdoor customers into promoters

One often underestimated aspect of the outdoor industry is the development of a superior customer experience. Our typical approach to customer experience involves providing a contact number for customers to use in case they encounter issues or wish to initiate a return. However, it encompasses far more than this. Customers anticipate swift responses to their inquiries and value having well-informed staff available to assist them when seeking additional information. If you implement all the elements mentioned in this guide, the final step in outdoor industry marketing is to ensure that your customers remain loyal and become advocates for your brand. We suggest using the HubSpot CRM for outdoor brands to deliver an outstanding customer experience.

The top four benefits of the HubSpot CRM and Service Hub are:

1. Streamlined customer support: The Service Hub provides a unified inbox that consolidates all customer interactions from various channels, such as email, live chat, and social media. This allows your team to efficiently manage and respond to customer inquiries, resulting in improved customer satisfaction.

2. Knowledge base and self-service tools: With the Service Hub, you can create a knowledge base to provide customers with self-service resources like FAQs, articles, and tutorials. This empowers customers to find answers to their questions independently, reducing the need for repetitive support requests and freeing up your team’s time.

3. Ticketing and automation: The Service Hub offers a ticketing system that allows you to organize and prioritize customer issues. You can automate ticket creation, routing, and escalation based on predefined rules, ensuring that customer inquiries are handled promptly and efficiently.

4. Reporting and analytics: The Service Hub provides robust reporting and analytics features that give you insights into your team’s performance and customer satisfaction. You can track metrics like response times, resolution rates, and customer feedback, enabling you to identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions to enhance your customer service operations.

PRO TIP: Gather feedback from your customers to identify their primary pain points and empower them with self-service information. Integrating a chat feature on your website can lead to a 20% boost in sales.

 

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Tracking and analyzing outdoor industry marketing efforts

Tracking and analyzing your marketing efforts is essential to measure their effectiveness and make informed decisions. Here are several tools you can use to track and analyze your outdoor industry marketing efforts:

1. Analytics
Google Analytics is a free tool that allows you to track website traffic, user behavior, and other metrics related to your website. You can use Google Analytics to measure the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns and identify areas for improvement. However, you may want to consider other analytic tools like Independent Analytics, Databox or HubSpot.

2. Social Media Analytics
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter provide analytics tools that allow you to track engagement, reach, and other metrics related to your social media campaigns. You can use these tools to measure the effectiveness of your social media campaigns and optimize your strategy accordingly.

3. Email Marketing Analytics
Email marketing platforms like HubSpot provide analytics tools that allow you to track open rates, click-through rates, and other metrics related to your email campaigns. You can use these tools to measure the effectiveness of your email campaigns and optimize your strategy accordingly.

4. Survey regularly
Many companies overlook the importance of regularly gathering feedback from their customers. This oversight can lead to the development of unwanted products or, even worse, a lack of awareness about issues customers may encounter with their products. To avoid these pitfalls, it’s crucial to conduct annual or bi-annual customer surveys. At our company, we utilize HubSpot’s Service Hub to track various metrics, including chat performance, support tickets, Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Effort Score (CES), and Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT). These surveys play a pivotal role in helping us anticipate sales trends, gauge customer sentiment, and contribute to our collection of reviews and positive social media buzz.

5. ROI (return on investment)
Each marketing program you undertake should, at the very least, yield a return on your investment. If you invest $1, your goal should be to generate 3 to 5 times that amount in return. If these programs are not achieving that level of return, it’s essential to reevaluate your approach from the beginning to ensure you’ve done everything correctly. If not, consider surveying your customers to understand why they didn’t make a purchase and gather insights on how you can improve.

PRO TIP: You cannot enhance what you do not monitor and measure.

 

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Conclusion: Thriving in the outdoor industry through strategic marketing

In conclusion, the outdoor industry is an immense and thriving market that presents many opportunities for growth. To fully tap into its potential, you need to unleash the power of outdoor industry marketing. By understanding your target audience, positioning, branding, messaging, website, leveraging social media, creating compelling content, and using other proven marketing strategies, you can grow your outdoor business and connect with consumers.

Remember to track and analyze your marketing efforts to measure their effectiveness and make informed decisions. As you embark on building these frameworks out, always stay true to your brand values and focus on providing service and value to your customers. With these insights and strategies, you can build a thriving business in the outdoors and make a lasting impact in the outdoor industry.

 

GET EXPERT OUTDOOR MARKETING HELP

If you’ve been doing outdoor industry marketing a while, you may have noticed that the traction you once had is beginning to wane.

You’ve been able to build a sizeable email marketing list, your social media following has grown exponentially and you’ve been able to boost online sales through organic website traffic.

However, with the explosion of content in our industry, especially in the hunting, shooting sports, camping, and CCW segments—how can you continue to breath new life into your brand and content marketing to keep growing?

In this post, we look at lifestyle marketing—and how by integrating your customer’s narrative into your brand’s story—you can put your product into a context that goes beyond its features and benefits.

 

What is outdoor lifestyle marketing?

When thinking about a lifestyle, first think about what a lifestyle is. A lifestyle is a set of habits, attitudes, beliefs, interests, opinions, ideas and thoughts based on an individual’s unique God-given personality.

For example, you may define the outdoor lifestyle as:

• Adventure
• Free
• Family
• Discovery
• Conservation
• Escape

Or you may define the 16 million CCW holders lifestyle (Source: Axios) as:

• Freedom-loving
• Defensive
• Aware
• Protective
• Heroic
• Concerned

“Lifestyle brands define who people are and who they want or hope to be.”

Many industry brands solely focus on their product’s features, and minimize their customer’s lifestyle or don’t incorporate them at all into their marketing strategies. When attention to lifestyle is left out—brands miss out on a pathway to connect deeper with their customers. Lifestyle brands give your buyers a goal and vision to become something better. This aspirational aspect is what makes lifestyle marketing so effective. 

Exercise: How would you describe your outdoor lifestyle? What products represent how you live?

 

How do you build a outdoor lifestyle brand?

Turning a brand into a lifestyle brand takes some time. Consistent, intentional effort that is driven by your company’s leadership is key to permeating your company’s culture to drive authentic experiences. Below are six tactics to help you get started:

Know your Tribe
“Tribe,” coined by Seth Godin, states: “Tribe is any group of people, large or small, who are connected to one another, a leader, and an idea. For millions of years, humans have joined tribes, be they religious, ethnic, political, or even musical. It’s our nature. Now the Internet has eliminated the barriers of geography, cost, and time.” You must get to know your tribe as thoughtfully as possible to harness their pain points, interests and motivations—then you must lead them in the lifestyle your brand represents. 

Create awesome branding 
Brands that invoke the best visuals and messaging are more likely to garner emotional attachment. Almost all lifestyle brands have an active design component. A visually appealing logo/symbol of your brand that your tribe adopts will make them want to stick it on the back of their truck, or perhaps get a tattoo (just Google “Glock tattoo“).  

Invest in your culture
As your brand becomes more trusted, it’s important to show your people. Most companies in the hunting, shooting, and outdoor industry don’t show the people behind the scenes. The best cultures become the best lifestyle brands. Make sure they are living the lifestyle your brand embodies.

Leverage influencers
The lifestyle affinity is a natural fit for influencer marketing because your influencers are already living the lifestyle you want to integrate into your messaging. Your influencers can boost your content and storyline to their audiences through social media, garnering trust and expanding reach.

Create content
Content will continue to be an essential part of any digital or influencer marketing strategy for the foreseeable future, because of its effectiveness and long-term benefits. When creating content, don’t blow smoke about how great, amazing, game-changing, evolved, re-imagined, etc. your product is. Show how it improves your tribe’s lives without pushing your product.

Be present
Like any relationship, sometimes all it takes is showing up. Brand awareness is a key part of building a lifestyle brand, and this is where gorgeous cinematic hunting, camping or hiking video/photography and other tactics help you stay top of mind and part of people’s lives.

 

Four examples of outdoor lifestyle marketing brands

 

Beretta

Beretta’s lifestyle marketing consists of aligning their brand with an upper-class type of shooter and their experiences. The brand’s creative platform contains fonts that are clean and a color palette that suggests luxury. Their photography represents the customers they wish to align with that could be described as sophisticated, traditional and affluent—most likely influenced by the brand’s European origin. Part of what makes Beretta a lifestyle brand is its clothing line. Not only can you own and shoot the Berretta brand—but you can also wear it.

Beretta also integrates a robust content marketing program that adds value to its customers by helping them get better at their shooting and outdoor pursuits.

Sitka

Sitka Gear based in Bozeman, Montana is also a prime example of what it means to live the outdoor lifestyle. Sitka’s helpful articles, short films, and transparency in their design and manufacturing processes make it an excellent lifestyle brand. Much more than a camo company—their focus on their “Tribe” is based on their mission statement to “inspire, delight and enlighten hunters.” Their mission towards conservationism also gives the brand a much higher purpose, which makes it more attractive, exciting and admirable.

Yeti

No other company in the outdoor world does a better job than Yeti in integrating their products into the outdoor lifestyle. Yeti seeks to touch every aspect of someone participating in the outdoor world through story-based content. From Spearfishers to Big Horn Sheep Hunters—Yeti is a brand built for the wild as stated in their tagline. I found it especially interesting that they also have a Spotify list with songs from a broad genre that puts music to the Yeti Lifestyle. This is just another way lifestyle brands are looking outside the traditional channels to build their names into their customer’s lives.

 

Magpul

There was some confusion a few years ago when Magpul decided to evolve their firearm accessories brand into a lifestyle brand with the addition of apparel like gloves, shirts, and pants. Magpul has now become more than just a company known for its magazines, stocks, and handguards.

 

Make the connection

 

When thinking through on how to align your brand with your customer’s lifestyle—you must begin with their characteristics, problems, challenges, hopes, fears, and dreams; and start to build your marketing strategy around them, not your product.

Seek to dramatize your material around their outdoor, hunting or shooting activities—but also look for other aspects that define them. For example, your imagery can speak to the pride they have as a first responder, their desires to spend more time with friends and family, a lost loved one (see Beyond the Roar by Leupold below), ambitions of climbing Mount Everest, adventure (see Weatherby Timeless Video) or hunting with their Son or Daughter. Anything your brand can do to take them out or into a place they want to be is a critical component of lifestyle marketing. Your brand must become a storyteller that allows your customer to see themselves as their best self. 

The below video by Leupold is a great example of engaging lifestyle storytelling.

 

“Lifestyle marketing must be somewhat mythical and paint a visual that seems almost dream-like while remaining brutally authentic.” 

Modern consumers who are empowered by digital technology are highly discerning. When you succeed in integrating your product seamlessly into their lives, becoming a natural part of their personal story, you won’t need to actively ask for their engagement. They’ll perceive your product as if they stumbled upon it, a perfect match for their self-image and place in the world.

If your content strategy needs a boost, perhaps lifestyle marketing is the tactic you need for continued success.

Article image source: Fluid Peak Productions a lifestyle marketing company.

Photo credit: Back Down South

Because content is the lifeblood of all your outdoor industry marketing it will be important to figure out how and where you will source it. 

Do people read blogs anymore?
In addition, when surveyed (29%) read blogs 1-4 times a month, 18% read every day, and only 17% never read blogs.

Studies shows business blogging and content creation leads to 55% more website visitors (Source: Hubspot). This one standalone fact is what makes creating content and writing blog posts so crucial when conducting content or inbound marketing. It’s nearly impossible to generate a steady flow of organic traffic and leads without content. By expanding your digital footprint with keyword rich blog posts, videos and downloadable offers, you create more ways for your prospective customers to find you.

In this post, if you’re a marketer or business owner starting an content marketing program in the outdoor, hunting or firearms industry—I’ll give you five places to find ideas for your content (blogs, videos and offers).

 

1. FAQs

The first step after you’ve identified your buyer persona(s) is to create a list of all the questions your customers ask about your product. This should give you a good list of about 10-20 topics to start. Answer every question you can think of that’s been asked by your customers—then write those answers into 500-2000 word blog posts on your website.

2. Insource

Your company or network is full of experts who know a thing or two about your products and how it works in context. Interview them on topics your customers are most interested about. For some firearm or hunting companies, your sponsored shooting team or pro staff can provide valuable insight and information on current trends; what’s happening at the range or in the field where hunters and shooters tend to talk about the latest and hottest products.

3. Crowdsource

Crowdsourcing allows you to obtain (information or input into a particular task or project) by enlisting the services of a number of people, either paid or unpaid, typically via your social media channels, forums, or on your website directly. Start by asking your audience questions and allow them to answer it themselves. Then take their input and compose them into posts.

4. Outsource

When all else fails, you can outsource your content creation to an inbound marketing agency or hire writers from websites like Writer’s Access, BlogMutt and Content Writers. All have gun and hunting friendly writers available. Another great industry resource you may not have heard about is the Professional Outdoor Media Association. You can post project needs on their website that will enable you to get in contact with some of the industry’s best writers and photographers. 

5. Repurpose

If you already have content, you can reuse it. Have your outsourced writers transcript your videos into blogs. Create videos from your blog posts. Take a collection of blog posts and create an ebook out of them. Use some of your content as product promotions. The great thing about content creation is you can always recycle it. Don’t let any of your past content go to waste.

Bring it all together

Now that you have a good collection of content, begin thinking through how your content will pull your visitor through your sales funnel. The goal in inbound marketing is to provide relevant content that educates your prospect through the buying process and gives them the information they need to make an informed decision. Top of the funnel topics consist of how-to’s, and tips and tricks. Middle of the funnel content consists of in-depth whitepapers and product demos. Bottom of the funnel offers consist of pricing and case studies. Create these offers and send them to your leads via email using a program like MailChimp. 

Schedule your content into monthly chunks and campaigns to stay on track. Post to your social media accounts daily and send to your email subscribers on a consistent basis. Track effectiveness with Google analytics or with your marketing automation tool.

In conclusion, sourcing and writing content doesn’t have to be difficult. Taking the time to plan and schedule can help you create consistent and viable content for your inbound marketing program.

 

 

It is inevitable that at some point in your company’s history you will be faced with a outdoor and hunting logo redesign or a rebranding of your hunting, outdoor or shooting sports company.

Remember the good ole’ start-up days? It was a lot easier just to design a few concepts that made sense, approve it and get on with building your business. But now things are a little more complicated: you have thousands of customers, a few sub-brands, hundreds of employees counting on you and a few more competitors. Suddenly, that little insignificant symbol that no one thought twice about is a big deal.

For business owners or outdoor industry marketing managers, managing a logo redesign is a major change—and change is hard! To help you stay clear of any potential pitfalls, here are five things to keep in mind during the course of your next hunting, outdoor or firearms logo redesign project.

 

1. Get an outside perspective

When designing a new logo, it’s critical to start with an understanding of what your customers think about your current identity and brand. Their input will form the foundation of your creative brief and give substance to your efforts. Their answers may provide key insights that you otherwise would have missed.

For more information on interviewing your customers please see: 8 Ways to Build Your Hunting Brand

2. Identify your value propositions

If you’re designing a new outdoor and hunting logo without a solid understanding of what your brand stands for, it’s likely you’ll struggle to define accurately what your key differentiators are and what value you bring to the marketplace, your employees, customers, and channel partners. If you’re struggling to identify what your “why” is, it may indicate a deeper problem, and you may need to take a deeper look at your brand. Below is a TED talk from Simon Sinek that explains how to create a brand that dominates your category—worth the watch.

Remember, a logo is a representation of what you want to communicate and should be connected to your visual system or “kit of parts” i.e package design, trade show booth design, outdoor website design, product catalogs, advertising etc. A logo rarely functions on its own.

 

3. Write a concise outdoor and hunting creative brief

If points 1 and 2 (above) are not defined, then your creative brief will be filled with guesses and estimations. It’s possible to still create a logo, but you may be missing out on key insights that would be helpful to your design agency when they begin the project. A good creative brief contains the following points:

• Project summary
• Audience profile or buyer persona
• Perception/tone/guidelines
• What needs to be communicated
• Competitors
• Examples of logos you like/dislike

A detailed creative brief saves time, endless revisions and equips your branding agency with the right information to maximize the design process.

4. Don’t design your outdoor and hunting logo by committee

When you receive your first round of concepts back from your outdoor industry marketing agency don’t email it out to everyone in your company for feedback. Chances are you’ll get a hundred different suggestions and “advice” on what needs to be changed. Don’t include those who haven’t been involved in the process from the beginning.

The famous maxim: a camel was a horse designed by committee—is true in this situation. Form a select team of 2-4 people to help you choose the best logo for your company. Make sure all options have been vetted and are properly understood before presenting to your company’s stakeholders—then send out your top 2 choices to the company (if you want their involvement).

And as hard as it may seem, make sure to design your logo based on what your customers want and expect, and not so much on what you like.

 

5. Present your outdoor and hunting logo

Another reason not to send your concepts out to the company until you have a strong consensus of what the strongest 2 or 3 final concepts are—is to make sure each concept is explained properly.
Create a video or website  about what the new logo means and how it will look with the other parts of your visual system.

Redesigning a new logo is a challenging exercise. To get it right, you must take the time to talk to your customers, identify your value propositions, write an accurate and concise creative brief, collaborate internally and present the concepts thoroughly. By doing so, you will avoid these common logo redesign pitfalls.