Effective advertising methods?

O

old_engineer

Joined
Jun 22, 1999
Messages
67
I have a couple of questions for any of the custom makers who would be willing to answer:

What methods of advertising have you tried?

What have you found to be the most/least effective?

Also, for the buyers of custom knives:

How do you go about selecting a maker?

I recognize that these are simplistic questions, and that some of the answers may be self evident. My curiosity stems from my experiences with advertising my engineering business (admittedly quite different from the knife making business).

My engineering web site generates lots of hits, but almost no business. (I do get a constant flow of email spam, calls from software engineers in India looking for work and a flood of resumes every spring, though). Putting the same information on paper (or even on CD ROM), and trotting it around to various businesses will generate at least some interest. I still feel the web site is a useful tool for wnding word of mouth customers to see what the business does.

My one effort to advertise in a monthly engineering publication was almost unbeleivably costly, and generated no business.

When my knives get good enough to sell, I don't want to make similar mistakes. Any inputs are greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Robert Couture, the old engineer
 
Robert, I can relate to what you are saying. Our website generates OVER 120,000 hits a month. Yet sales are slow. The problem is how to make a customer want it, NOW. This is why the on-line auctions are sucessful. Snooze ya lose. I don't believe the net is mature in its own right to have created a means for doing that, as yet. The net has much growing up to do. Don't blink. You may miss it.

------------------
Howard A. Faltz, Owner
Arizona Knife Source
"Keep it Sharp"
Luke 22:26
www.azknife.com
 
Hi Robert,

The question is simple the answer is not. There is no secret forumla for success with a small business. That is why 75% fail in the first 3-5 years. That is why the IRS does not expect a new business to generate taxable in come for the first 3-5 years. When applying for loans from such places as the SBA, they expect as part of your business plan that you will draw minimal or no salary for at least the first 3 years. Are you spotting the trend here.

Most corporations and some small business's get investors to provide venture captial. 25 -50% of this capital is greared towards marketing and/or advertising. The marketing mix is pre-determined in your Marketing plan, based mostly on demographics and spending habits of those who live within your demographic limits.

Most of us in custom knives do not have access to such capital. There fore we gain a following through sheer stamina. Custom knives is a war of attrition. As with all business's, some make it some don't.

At knife shows you will have many people pass by your table and either, not look, look and say nothing, pick up your knives and ask questions and leave (with the dreaded and feared "Ill be back"), or they actually buy something.

The web is the same way, except for the most part it is even more anonamyous. Hits on your web site fall into the first three categories of the show.

Much like at a knife show, it is up to you to get that potential customer talking. After all if you don't care about your knives, why should the customer.

A lot of makers web sites suffer from the following:

Updated only rarely

They do not discuss who they are, why they make knives, what they can do for a customer.
WHY SHOULD YOU BUY A KNIFE FROM ME!!!!!!

Some, have a photo gallery of knives past, most do not.

Some have a guest book, but how many makers actually follow up to those who take the time to do that.

Too many makers, and some dealers have to much of everything and not enough of one thing. It is almost impossible to be all things to all people.

Figure out what kind of knife you do best and make a point to discuss why you do this knife best, at length.

If you try and make all types of knives, you'll never get good at any of them.

Define your market, develop your own style, then target areas that will appeal to your market. Develop a marketing strategy that will best serve your specialty and wallet.

No, this is not easy. It is very difficult. If you are not willing to put in long hours, be ready for a lot of rejection and disappointment and continusly improve knife after knife. Then go ahead and stop right now as you will not make it.

There are no simple answers, however if you have a plan, the fuzzy answers will eventually come into focus.

Les
 
I have tried advertising in Knife magazines, outdoors magazines, Chefs and cooks magazines and a few others. The only response to ads that I have had has been with the ads in Knives Illustrated and the Chefs and cooks mag.

The reason is repetition, I am told that unless the public sees your ad three or more times they will not remember it. The two magazines that I mentioned have an ad in every issue. Where I have just placed a single ad or only a few ads nothing has happened.

My web site gets a fair number of hits but has generated only a small amount of business. Maybe Les has a point and I will have to get more aggressive with the web site presentation. The site is laid back now, kind of like my own nature so I will have to change that a bit.

------------------
george
www.tichbourneknives.com
sales@tichbourneknives.com

 
Old Engineer,

I hope you don't mind that I'm not a maker of knives, but I do have some suggestions as how to be most effective on the Internet, since that is the business I'm in.

One make sure your site comes up on as many search engines as poosible. If someone is doing a search for "Custom Knife makers" you want your site in the first 20 not the first 200.

Make your site fast to load, and fast to get to the Goods (the knives). That's what they are coming to see. Even 4 or 5 clicks of the mouse button will lose some potential customers. Your site maybe getting hits, but they may not have waited to see your product.

Understand, that there's a lot of excellent work out there, and most people are browsing, the first time they see your site. I've got 50 or more sites in my "favorites" out of which I've selected about 25 knives for my "wish list". I couldn't buy them all if I hit the Lottery. However I am a buyer, selective yes, but still a buyer. My point is, your work had better stand out from the crowd, make them go WOW! I don't care if it's the Internet or a Show.

Of the many Great knife sites, two that I can suggest that do it very well are; Johnny Stout and A.T.Barr (who by the way isn't taking any orders because of a 2 year backlog). One of the most Beautiful but worst to view is Pachi Knives.

This is a very new and complex medium, the Internet. I've come to the conclusion there are no experts. It's changing too fast, from too many directions. I do know that I.B.M. wants to be known as Internet Business Machines. Michael Bell of Bell Computers, put it very well, "The Internet is a Weapon, either you pick it up or your competitor will, but someone is going to die." There is no better marketing tool then the Internet, and there never has been, I don't know what will be. Anyone who is in business better learn to play the game and do it real quick, or you'll be out of business.

I don't have a crystal ball, if I were to make a prediction it would be that Custom Knives will be sold at Real Time Auctions, not like Ebay, but more like at Christies.
I think that will be the biggest shot in the arm to the entire Custom knife community. Will prices go up? Yes. Will interest and exposure go up? Yes. Will it broaden the potential client base? Yes. Is this a good thing? Yes.

I may be wrong but, I believe that right now there are more Custom knife makers, then there are Members to BladeForums. It's no wonder why it's such a hard business to be successful at. Out of 1000 people, how many would know who: Moran, Loveless, Lake and Horn are? I've got a feeling this is all going to change very soon.

Nuff Said.
 
I have had my ad in Blade magazine now for 2 issues. I have gotten numerous requests for catalogs. My ad in Blade is not to generate immediate sales. To be honest, I don't know how many more orders I could handle. My ad is for long term name recognition. I want to sell knives when I go to shows. It helps to have someone know who you are before you get there. My most recent website has been up for about 5 months. It is bringing in a substantial amount of business for me. I think that is in large part though to how quick I respond to e-mails. Always within 24 hours, and usually with in the hour. I would have to say the biggest boost to my business though as been from word of mouth. My customers have really been fantastic about spreading the word. I once read where Pat Crawford said "make quality knives, the money will take care of itself", keep in mind I read that many years ago, and the quote may not be exactly worded that way. But you get the jest.

------------------
Lynn Griffith
Available knives now listed on
My website
GriffithKN@aol.com

 
Two very good points, Lynn.

Nobody in there right mind would open a store or a gallery, leave it unattented for a week, and then complain that business was bad. That's what some people think you can do with a web site, big mistake.

Good word of mouth, will never go out of style, it's the same of the Internet. Isn't that what's happening on the Forums? Reputations are being built here, now it's just bigger and faster, that's good. In business there's something know as, "the rule of 250," it says that if you do the right things in dealing with people, they will tell a few people, if you do the wrong thing, they will tell everyone they know, (about 250 people).

Just something to think about.
 
Just thought I'd chime in here mainly because I can't sleep and also I feel that although everyones given excellent advise I think some very important issues havn't been addressed .

while teaching yourself to make knives you also need to develop your oun distinct style , you need to develop a style is immediatly recognized as your own even without your logo. this is your signature even more so than your logo.

once you find your signature style and develop your craft the customers will find you. Guys like Les ,Howard will help represent you and your work at shows that you can't attend.They are very valuable spokes persons however you have to give them something unique , quality , useable and priced fairly to sell .After perfect what sells your knife. thats the question to ask your self.To many guys out there are building Bob Loveless droped hunters . There workmanship is great . The problem is that there are approx 300 Bob Loveless copies at every show I attend and makers setting behind there tables complaning that it's a lousey show. If you were the customer what would you be looking for ? something new and exciting or another Loveless copy with,I know ; maple handles this time! Don't get me wrong I love the Loveless droped hunter I'm just using it as a case in point.
Put your own flavor in your knives and when you fall in love with them , others will to !

Hope this is helpfull
Aloha!!! Ken Onion
 
Thank you all for your inputs. All of the information you've given me is worth its weight in gold. I have always found people in the knife community willing to share. That is one of the reasons I'm drawn to this work. I hope I can contribute in the same way.

Thanks again,

Bob Couture
 
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