No Adwords? No Facebook Ads? No Problem! with Eric Marvin

In this week’s episode of the Lion’s Share Marketing Podcast, Tyler brings on Eric Marvin, director of marketing at Crimson Trace. Crimson Trace, a leader in the shooting sports industry, is unable to use Google AdWords and Facebook Ads, so Eric lays out their strategy in staying relevant and present to consumers in the face of these challenges.

But first, Tyler and Jen discuss some pressing news relevant to all marketers heading into the holiday weekend. Facebook Ads Manager is dealing with outages, and while this is not likely to affect marketers with existing campaigns, it is sure to hinder those looking to create new campaigns. Jen and Tyler both offer some advice on how advertisers can troubleshoot this in order to keep their Black Friday and Cyber Monday campaigns on track.

After covering the unfortunate news of the Facebook Ads Manager debacle, Tyler introduces Eric and they start by diving into the how Crimson Trace uses influencer marketing to navigate the social realm in lieu of Facebook Ads. Eric says that in addition to event marketing, influencer marketing can be really effective if you are careful in your selection of influencers to represent your brand. He stresses quality over quantity here, as it’s important to reach the right people - not just the most people- with your digital messaging.

Then, Tyler and Eric get into some of the challenges that marketers face today. Eric mentions that his biggest challenge at Crimson Trace stems from market conditions, but notes that he has been able to manage this through careful and creative budgeting, tracking the right metrics to gain actionable data, and effective communication.

Finally, Eric leaves listeners with the advice of always staying flexible and adaptable. The industry is changing, the market is changing, and the way consumers buy is changing, so it is important to evolve along with these changes.

Join Tyler, Jen, and Eric in this engaging conversation on how to effectively advertise without AdWords and Facebook Ads.

Time Stamps

00:00 - Intro
01:16 - What’s in the News | Facebook’s Ads Manager Meltdown
06:26 - Featured Guest Intro | Eric Marvin
07:01 - Marketing in the Shooting Sports Industry
08:39 - eCommerce Marketing without Adwords and Facebook Ads
09:31 - Other Successful Channels for Crimson Trace
10:44 - Building the Crimson Trace Team
11:44 - Influencer Marketing
13:45 - Event Marketing Strategy
14:33 - Growing your Email List
15:40 - Most Important Metrics
18:00 - Repositioning the Crimson Trace Brand
19:55 - Consistent Messaging Across a Broad Audience
21:37 - Biggest Marketing Challenges
23:53 - Encouraging Collaboration Between Sales & Marketing Teams
25:48 - Top Opportunities for Marketers Today
26:22 - Key Takeaway
27:35 - Outro

Featured Guests

Eric Marvin
LinkedIn

Music

Intro Music – Colony House – Buy “2:20” on iTunes
Outro Music – Skillet – Buy “Lions” on iTunes