Always Innovating
What does a publishing company with over 80 years of experience do when the world insists “Print is dead?” It’s simple: evolve. FMG’s ability to adapt and innovate while it remains committed to print is a testament to its long-term success.
Utilizing its print assets as a stepping stone, FMG’s evolving digital properties are reaching tens of thousands of consumers who not only demand content, but are also highly motivated to purchase products advertised or mentioned in these properties. These programs include e-newsletters; dedicated client emails; the GUNS Magazine Podcast a YouTube channel with “Gun Cranks” and video podcast episodes, product videos; an active social media presence and more.
One of FMG’s most successful digital ventures is its e-newsletter program. Ten e-newsletters now mail weekly, attracting increased attention from advertisers due to their high open and click-thru rates. GUNS Insider and American Handgunner Insider, the newest additions, launched in September to immediate success. Each sends to over 75,000 subscribers and averages a 29–32% open rate. Other high-performing e-newsletters average 45.4% (Personal Defense), 41.41% (Carry Options) and 39.24% (GUNS Podcast Rewind).
FMG also offers clients the opportunity to send dedicated emails to promote new products and sales promotions and broadcast company news. In recent weeks, these emails achieved open rates ranging between 27 and 33% and click-thru rates as high as 15%.
South East Sales Manager Tom Vorel notes, “Our e-newsletter listing ads perform very well, but if someone wants to get an important message out about a new product or important company update, they will receive much better engagement with a dedicated email.”
Success isn’t only being seen in email programs. Videos featured on FMG’s YouTube channel — correlating with products featured in print — are resulting in high-volume views, quality engagement and (perhaps most importantly) sales, too.
“After writing the cover story for November GUNS Magazine on my Freedom Arms custom Model 97 in .45 Colt, I did a quick one-minute YouTube video with a brief overview of the gun — noting the fact it had been a cover gun — and invited viewers to check out the Freedom Arms website,” shares FMG Special Projects Editor Roy Huntington. “According to Bob Baker at Freedom Arms, the video really lit up the interests of shooters.”
“Let’s just say, we took some orders!” laughed Baker. “They all weren’t exactly like the one Roy showcased, but nonetheless, it still generated a good deal of interest in our guns — and definitely generated sales.”
The popular video has garnered 302,000 views to date and 482 comments. But perhaps YouTube viewer Gene Yohannan put it best: “You show me everything I love about guns on here. You should all be proud of the content across the board, both online and in those beautiful pages of the magazines.”
Using the foundation it built on print, FMG continues to innovate and find ways to reach firearms enthusiasts anywhere they are. For more information about the ways FMG can help deliver your message across a spectrum of channels, contact your FMG rep or email advertising@fmghq.com.
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