The tactical space isn’t a straightforward place for a company to market. Today, I want to take a hot second and dive into ways that folks in this area can set up their marketing to make more money than ever! Let’s get right to it.
The Power of Permission-Based Marketing in the Tactical Space
In the tactical space, we need to approach this in a way that gives us maximum control over our customer information. Relying solely on paid ads to generate revenue is risky. For example, in 2021, an internal error caused Facebook to shut down for seven hours in the middle of the day. Crazy, right? But for many businesses that depend on Facebook, it was a massive blow because they didn’t have a plan outside of Meta.
This is a prime example of why the focus should be on obtaining first-party customer data like email addresses and phone numbers. This strategy gives you full control of your company’s communication channels. Plus, when you have a direct line to your audience, you can speak to them without interference, building trust and loyalty in a community like ours that deeply values privacy.
Understanding Your Audience: What Tactical Enthusiasts Want
This isn’t rocket surgery, but let’s dive down this rabbit hole. Have you ever been part of a sales pitch where exactly 0% of it was helpful or interesting? I remember being at a Ford dealership looking at two different F-150s, and the salesperson wouldn’t stop talking about basic features like A/C, power seats, and XM Radio. I legit thought I was going to fall asleep. This is why understanding your audience is so crucial.
As a business owner, it’s essential to know why people are coming to your site and what they truly want. Think about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs here.
As a business owner engrossed in their company; this can certainly be hard to do but if you can step into the shoes of your customer and know what they need and what they stand to gain from your product; your marketing will vastly improve.
Crafting High-Impact Lead Magnets
We’ve all seen them, opted in, and (hopefully) created them—the pop-up. They’ve been around since dial-up because they work. But in the tactical space, we can do better with the wording, timing, and offers.
Every business has different profit margins, so it’s important to understand yours before creating lead magnets. Offering a 5% discount might feel like an insult to the customer. If your margins are tight, consider providing value in another way.
For example, if you sell body armor with a $300 all-in kit but only make $50 per kit, don’t discount it. Instead, offer value-adds like a free PDF of training tools with purchase or a 5-10 page eBook. You could even sell this resource on your site for $9 but include it for free as part of your offer.
Using Email Marketing to Build Authority and Engagement
Email marketing serves more than one purpose. Yes, we want to dominate the inbox, but that means more than just “getting sales.” The secondary (and often overlooked) purpose of email marketing is to keep your brand top of mind.
If you send 4-6 emails per month (or 100 like PSA #IYKYK) and your customer only clicks on 2, that’s still 2-4 more times per month they’re seeing your brand name in their inbox. With consistent branding and smart use of email, you’ll establish authority with your customers, and your business’s success will snowball.
Maintaining Engagement and Turning Subscribers into Loyal Customers
Pop-ups and newsletter sign-ups are quick and easy ways to bring customers into your email ecosystem. But here’s the deal: window-shoppers will always be your biggest audience. Eventually, though, they need to commit or move on.
You need to speak to this segment differently from first-time buyers and loyal customers (your “fanboys”). They may be holding out for an offer or unsure if your brand is the right fit. Test different approaches to find out what’s holding them back.
- Don’t know enough about your brand? Send an education email.
- Unsure what your product can do for them? Send a product insight email.
If you’re seeing high open rates but low click rates, these are likely the issues.
Tips for nurturing your list through consistent, relevant, and actionable content while driving long-term loyalty.
Whether you’re using organic social media, paid ads, or partnerships, your goal should always be to grow your email list non-stop. Each entry point into your company’s email ecosystem should be labeled appropriately so you know where they came from, what they expect, and what they need.
And once they make their first purchase, your work isn’t done—far from it. Whether you’re selling badass T-shirts, ammo, or armor, our community is always in need:
- In need of more products from you.
- In need of clear, uncensored information.
- In need of help and insights specific to our niche.
Not every email has to sell, but every email should have a purpose.
How are YOU leveraging your efforts to grow your email list?!