Red Dot Arms Forum

I want to grow the forum and the chat room.

Any idea on how I can get the word out.

I will continue with the contest, but I need to have more people participate.

THanks

Do you have signs in the store letting people know about the contest. Maybe try and corner something other forums are not. Maybe get some more focus on local issues. And the third thing post a lot more on Facebook maybe post updates of the contest their to make people more aware

I do post in twitter everyday....have 32K+ on twitter. I do put on Facebook. In the store, i have the gun on display.

Create a small handout describing the forum and what you are trying to accomplish with it. Instead of telling people about it and having them try to remember give them one of the handouts. Include it with the other training materials during classes and then ask them to post reviews of training if they would like. I don't believe anyone other than Ringo and I in CCL III knew about the forum. Include it in the bags with purchases or boxes with shipments.

Chat is probably harder. I've only really seen them used on sites where somebody has some information they want to share but they don't want everyone having access to it, Scout.com forums do this. Even then, it was something set up ahead of time. Arrange for some chats centering on certain topics like what should be in a IFAK or Robb discussing how to handle carrying when you get pulled over and then advertise that ahead of time. Topics that are quite big enough for a whole class but people would be interested in enough to join the forum to participate. Or maybe get an hours worth of time from people we would be interested in asking questions.

I don't believe Twitter and Facebook are that effective. Too much stuff in the feeds and sometimes not much information. Like this Twitter post:

I can't tell that it actually for an active contest on the forum where I have to post to win it. If a lot of people are like me then they just look at the pictures and move on.

well word of mouth is a good way, i know i have already suggested to more than a handful of people to check it out, if everyone does that and even a fraction of the people actually do, that will be a nice little improvement.

Also, I've looked back at the emails I've received from RDA and there is nothing on them about the forum, though there could be.

(05-24-2015, 11:12 PM)AcilletaM Wrote: [ -> ]Create a small handout describing the forum and what you are trying to accomplish with it. Instead of telling people about it and having them try to remember give them one of the handouts. Include it with the other training materials during classes and then ask them to post reviews of training if they would like. I don't believe anyone other than Ringo and I in CCL III knew about the forum. Include it in the bags with purchases or boxes with shipments.

Chat is probably harder. I've only really seen them used on sites where somebody has some information they want to share but they don't want everyone having access to it, Scout.com forums do this. Even then, it was something set up ahead of time. Arrange for some chats centering on certain topics like what should be in a IFAK or Robb discussing how to handle carrying when you get pulled over and then advertise that ahead of time. Topics that are quite big enough for a whole class but people would be interested in enough to join the forum to participate. Or maybe get an hours worth of time from people we would be interested in asking questions.

I don't believe Twitter and Facebook are that effective. Too much stuff in the feeds and sometimes not much information. Like this Twitter post:

I can't tell that it actually for an active contest on the forum where I have to post to win it. If a lot of people are like me then they just look at the pictures and move on.

I'll try to write something up. Thanks

I tell every gun person about it. The real value in the formum is the getting to know people and the 'Ask an Expert' value. Everyone has opinions and that's really a great feature of it too! I value other people's opinions on firearms. And there is nothing like shooting someone else's gun at the range you were thinking about buying. That said, we live in a golden age of firearms. There are so many great guns out there.

Free popcorn?

Seriously, every time I've been to the shop there have been people waiting to purchase something. Make sure every one of those people knows about the site, and the promotion. Free Gun is something most gun store customers will look into. Hopefully word of mouth takes over from there.

another thing you can use to your advantage is the section on your site that is for ladies. i told my wife and she is going to join today, and she can tell her friends. one thing i notice is no other gun site i have been on has that option, my wife and her friends never know what to choose, what is right for them. this is a way they can get expert advise.

(05-25-2015, 05:46 PM)Karl B Wrote: [ -> ]Free popcorn?

Seriously, every time I've been to the shop there have been people waiting to purchase something. Make sure every one of those people knows about the site, and the promotion. Free Gun is something most gun store customers will look into. Hopefully word of mouth takes over from there.

Dang, I'm giving a free gun. I'll try popcorn next time.

Can't it be both?

Popcorn Gun

Is there a waiting period after purchase?

With each purchase send a thank you (email, regular mail, etc.) that offers a 10% discount off your next ammo purchase when you sign up for a new login on the forum, and maybe another one after your first 100 posts, by then they should be hooked.

You might need to track the login and limit 1 per email, otherwise we might end up with Ringo3632 and Ringo3633 and Ringo3634 and Ringo3635....

Take a backseat movies, popcorn has a new focus! That reminds me of that salt shotgun for flies. Lol

I've been trying to get people on. I'd agree with adding a small description and link to all emails, and a sheet to pass out in the classes. I think Acillatem is right that only him n I for sure knew about the forum and the contest in the part 3 class.

(05-26-2015, 11:34 AM)Dutz Wrote: [ -> ]With each purchase send a thank you (email, regular mail, etc.) that offers a 10% discount off your next ammo purchase when you sign up for a new login on the forum, and maybe another one after your first 100 posts, by then they should be hooked.

You might need to track the login and limit 1 per email, otherwise we might end up with Ringo3632 and Ringo3633 and Ringo3634 and Ringo3635....uppyeyes:

This would be easier to manage if the login on the rda site was tied to the forum login.

(05-26-2015, 11:32 AM)Brian S Wrote: [ -> ]Popcorn Gun

Is there a waiting period after purchase?

Yes, 5 day plus you need the tax stamp because it is a SBS. Not legal in Illinois, California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York obviously. Also, Boy Scouts are not allowed to point these at each other.

Mike I have only seen one site that chat worked and was effective. Even though it was "open" most of the time, it became a good tool and people participated when the "chats" were moderated and focused.

Pick a night (i.e. Tuesday) and schedule a topic (i.e. Safety, or enhancements, rifles, self loading, etc.) Encourage participation but discourage privates chats. It makes it difficult if 2 or 3 are discussing something not related to the subject.

(05-26-2015, 01:59 PM)Overtrim Wrote: [ -> ]Mike I have only seen one site that chat worked and was effective. Even though it was "open" most of the time, it became a good tool and people participated when the "chats" were moderated and focused.

Pick a night (i.e. Tuesday) and schedule a topic (i.e. Safety, or enhancements, rifles, self loading, etc.) Encourage participation but discourage privates chats. It makes it difficult if 2 or 3 are discussing something not related to the subject.

I like that.