Advertising your FFL locally

[B_Scott]

I may be interested in starting my own business as an FFL.
I have done a little bit of research and know I need to do a lot more.
One thing I can't figure out is how to advertise locally. I NEVER see local advertisements (paper or television) for gun stores. Does anyone do this? What was your experience like?
AND...In what type of local publications would/do you advertise?

I try to think about the places I go and the things I read, but I can't seem to get a lock on where the best place would be to place LOCAL ads.

Location doesn't matter, I am just looking for general responses.

 

[Standing Wolf]

Sad to say, most gun shops don't seem to advertise much beyond the yellow pages. Many cities' newspapers won't accept advertising for anything firearms-related any more. I have a hunch a good web site would give you a leg up on the competition, but it's probably still a small advantage.

Word of mouth advertising is still the most effective.

 

[WhoKnowsWho]

I normally see advertisements in the sports section (big) and classifieds (smaller).

 

[AZTOY]

I heard on the radio, a advertisement for West of the Pecos a local gun store. (96.1 KLPX Tucson AZ)

 

[ACP230]

One of the bigger local gun shops advertises in the local daily paper's classifieds occasionally. He also does an occasional radio ad.

The other one does a bit of radio advertising but its been a long time since I heard an ad from them.

The stores get a fair amount of word of mouth advertising for free. My shooting buddies call me up when something I'd like shows up and I do the same.

 

[Monkeyleg]

My friend advertises his gun store on the radio many times a week, mostly during talk radio shows. It seems to pay off for him. Of course, he signs a yearly contract so he gets a better rate.

 

[Hkmp5sd]

The local AM radio stations have a lot of gun store and gun show advertisements. Especially during Rush, Liddy and Hannity type shows. To a lesser extent, there are some that advertise on the local cable network and roadway billboards (a favorite for upcoming gun show advertisements).

 

[P95Carry]

My most local FFL does run the occasional radio ad' that I have heard .... and in fact I'd doubt the area is too upset by shooting oriented stuff anyways.

But ....... as he runs a broad spectrum ''sport'' store he can at least advertize his other wares as well ....... for instance he might run an ad' to coincide with start of trout fishing .... or mention his availablity of hunting licences etc ........ and ''throw in'' something like ''hunting supplies'' etc.

I guess in most places these days it may not be politic to have an ad' saying ''get the new S&W 500 here''!! But there are many ways IMO of subtle methods .... ''reloading supplies'', ''outdoor gear'' and so on .... all enough to make it plain to uninitiated that this is a gun shop.

 

[Hkmp5sd]

I guess in most places these days it may not be politic to have an ad' saying ''get the new S&W 500 here''!!

I must live in a good area. The ones around here advertise indoor ranges, sales on assorted firearms and CCW certification classes.

 

[Ringer]

Check with you local cable operator about local ad insertion. Depending how heavily they are into it they may be able to offer you a short 30 second spot targeted to your geographic area and timesloted around/during outdoor shows on specific cable networks, i.e. OLN, TNN, ESPN2. Might be more than you want to spend, but might be a good way to get in front of some local gun enthusiasts quickly. If you make the spot generic you could reuse it down the road.

 

[Pilgrim]

The "Free - Take one" pickup at the store advertising rags get a lot of coverage for a reasonable price. They go by the names, "Penny Pincher," "Thrifty Nickel" and the like.

Pilgrim

 

[MiniZ]

The local shops around here mostly advertise in the yellow pages. There is one that runs a weekly ad in the newspaper sports section, and another that actually does radio ads(note: This "dealer" has a very sucessful computer business. While I am sure he wants the gun shop to be self sufficient, he has other sources of income to help keep it open, and can spend extra on advertising if necessary).

Finally, you may also want to consider being listed in the "FFL finder" on GA, Gunbroker, etc.