Marketing firearm related images?

[Oleg Volk]

When I post images here, one of the most common comments is: "I'd like that on my wall!" I made tshirts available through flashbunny, they seem popular enough. I then made prints like this available as well.

The response has been rather minimal. Of the orders I received, a third came from foreign customers, a third were for still life of flowers and such and only a few were actually for gun-related prints. I am wondering if I

A) misjudged the level of interest in RKBA and gun imagery
B) failed to advertise in the right place
C) published the wrong subset of my pictures
D) made some other error

Feedback from people with marketing experience and help with promoting the gallery would be much appreciated.

PS: In the meantime, the posters are getting translated into Polish:

 

[Monkeyleg]

Oleg, one obstacle may be that you've made so many images available for free for RKBA causes that their value has been diminished.

Without going into specifics, could you give us an idea of how many images you've actually sold?

The reason I ask is that I wonder how effective your website is as a selling tool. Unless you're promoting it heavily, I can't imagine a lot of sales coming from it. Even if you were paying to advertise the site using something like Google AdWords, the conversion rate from clicks to sales is still fairly low.

Have you considered selling the images to one of the royalty-free stock houses, such as Getty? One drawback to that idea is that you can probably be certain that your images will be used by some anti's.

It's been awhile since I received the newsletter from the Illinois State Rifle Association, where your images are published regularly, so I don't know if you've changed your copyright/disclaimer at the bottom.

If not, what about adding a line at the bottom promoting your site? It could be as simple as "Purchase fine gun-related photographs such as this at http://volkstudio.com/"

Just my thoughts for the moment. I'll keep noodling.

 

[Oleg Volk]

I sell images to publications fairly regularly. I started the print venue mainly because I had so many requests. In the past, I couldn't guarantee sufficient quality of prints due to the state of digital camera technology, now I can. Having provided the opportunity, I am a little puzzled at the lack of interest.

Gun News will print a link to my new gallery next month. Norman Rockwell and others had licensed their images for magazine covers, yet their fans would buy poster prints...so I am not sure that prior publication would diminish the value. Certainly, people can print the photos from my site, but the files there are smaller and more compressed. I tweaked the printable images quite a bit before uploading them.

 

[real_name]

Well, the prices are right, my guess is it might simply be a case of people not wanting to advertise their RKBA beliefs.
Maybe the political climate makes people reluctant to display that information on a t.shirt.
Like not many people wear Glock jackets.
Or maybe it just needs more word of mouth and other fine advertising.

Just 0.02* from a non-marketing expert

*Cash redemption value less than face value.

 

[Oleg Volk]

That's the thing: I sell about 30 tshirts per month but fewer prints. People aren't shy about advertising RKBA, but I guess display of photo prints at home isn't done much by people likely to visit my site.

 

[Monkeyleg]

"I sell images to publications fairly regularly."

Given that you're a professional photographer, I'd certainly hope so.

You're in a situation similar to what fine art photographers I know have experienced: they do a lot of art fairs just to sell a few prints.

I think the link in Gun News should just be the beginning. Have you considered doing some banner ads on other gun-related sites? Seeing as how you own one of the most popular gun forums on the 'net, you should be able to trade banner links easily.

And what about putting a banner right here on THR? It could go to the right of the THR logo. I'm willing to bet that most members don't even know you have gun prints for sale.

If you're willing, I'd put a page about your gallery of photos on my site under the Product Info page Product Info page. America Remembers (which markets the John Wayne coach gun, the George Patton pistol, the Colt Legends SAA, and the Leatherneck Garand) gets a 13% click-through rate for those pages, which is incredible.

As I see it, if you're not willing to hang out every weekend at gun shows selling your prints, then you should be marketing your website everywhere possible.

 

[Oleg Volk]

I would appreciate all links and banners on sites that belong to my friends. I am reluctant to turn THR into a vehicle for my commercial endeavors, beyond listing the link in my sig line.

 

[real_name]

I agree fully that a banner ad on THR would be productive and non-intrusive.
As much as I like THR for being ad free it is an anomaly in an otherwise overtly capitalist web.
Other vBulletin sites have google ads linked to the content of the thread subject.
(EDIT: Written before I read post #7).

Glad to hear the t.shirts are selling well.

 

[kel]

I vote for the price of the prints, and the subset of images you chose. Mainly the subset of images. I am always willing to pay more for something that I want, but I must want it. I would gladly place some of your prints in my home, but to be blunt the messages can come off as tacky to me. Art in the home needs to be quite subtle, at least in my mind, and you are almost guaranteed to fail at being subtle if you rely on text when your medium is photography.

Now for the material, the 1911, revolver, Luger, and AK are all firearms I might want to see on my wall.

The 1911 was not the type I liked, very un-classic grips. Parkerizing is classic, but I really just don't see the 1911 that way, I prefer bluing. The framing and angle was sufficient for my preferences, but the color/shape of the flower was bland to me and didn't add to the photo. A plant could add to it, but I feel like I need something more.

The AK, can't really criticize it, it just didn't have a message attached to it, and I am not too interested in the AK as artwork, at least not to the tune of the money involved.

The Luger was the best visually, but had no message, this is the one that I would most consider buying.

The revolver was another great print, but the message was not necessarily something I wanted to display. If the text at the bottom were gone (the 6 can stay) I would rank it right up there with the Luger.

Hope this helps.

 

[Barbara]

Maybe more "collector" guns. If someone collects Garands or whatever, they may be more likely to buy a poster.

Also, maybe combining the images with some kind of text, either famous quotations, or poetry (I think a lot of yours would go good with Kipling, which you did..it looks good!) Something more subtle I can put on my office wall or whatever would be good. You do a great job with combining phrases and pictures..but maybe the phrases are too out there for most people to use in their home or office.

 

[Barbara]

Um, ignore what I said, and read Kel's post.

(I like the radical stuff..adn there are places where they can be used..just consider branching out from it. Same with the nudes.)

 

[Oleg Volk]

Thanks for the advice. I'll have images of Lahti and Mauser pistols added soon.

What about the nudes? Americans seem to be concerned about those and my European friends tell me that guns detract from the people photos

 

[Monkeyleg]

Oleg, while your intentions are honorable, I must respectfully say that you're being obstinate.

I sincerely doubt that any THR member would view a banner ad for your photo site as somehow tainting this forum with "commercialization."

From time to time I drop in at AR15.com, and there are dozens of banner ads. It doesn't bother me one bit (other than frustrating me because I can't get those kind of ad revenues from banner ads on my site).

You own this site, and you allow members like me to put purely commercial links in their sig lines. I think you're allowed to do just a bit more.

I'll stop beating that horse before it expires, though, in the hope that you'll change your mind and just emphasize that you need to promote your site using every tool available.

 

[browningguy]

I need to admit that as an old fogey I've never heard of Flashbunny, and it would never occur to me to shop there for RKBA posters or t-shirts. I've even googled around a little and bought t-shirts from a couple of places I found, but never saw flashbunny.

 

[Oleg Volk]

My site does have the helpful effect on my ability to find design and photography projects. I am, however, always willing to take advice on marketing.

 

[Monkeyleg]

"I've even googled around a little and bought t-shirts from a couple of places I found, but never saw flashbunny."

Ta-da! If you can't find it, you can't buy it.

Promotion.

 

[real_name]

Well, as an American and European I think nudes are great.
If you ever get a contract to photograph a whole Israeli Defence Force girl squad I will gladly carry the bags.

 

[Barbara]

Nothing about the nudes in particular..except in the same respect as the gun images..they can't necessarily be hung all over suburbia.

 

[Trebor]

I'd be very interested in some high-quality images of nudes with firearms. I'm not interested in the chesty, cheesecake "Girls with Guns" images commonly found on calenders and the like. I did like some of the artsy stuff you did with Kit, for instance. I'll have to look through your gallery and see what's available.

 

[Trebor]

Ok, I took a look at what you had for sale. The one of Kit, "Nude, not Naked" and the "What are you looking at" are both tempting.

I Kinda liked the Luger pic as well.

I'm balking at the price. I'm not sure what high end prints normally sell for, but these are priced somewhere above my impulse buy comfort level. Maybe I'm not alone, and you'd sell more prints if they were priced just a little cheaper? Of course, that might not be cost effective either.

Just my thoughts.

 

[Oleg Volk]

Trebor, check your email

 

[repsychler]

My thoughts run along the same lines as Kel.
The stuff with text and slogans make fine posters, but if I want something to hang in my living room it needs to be more artistic and less overtly political.
I'd want to buy pictures of classic arms, or even better, "arrangements" of objects that tell a story. For example, a table with some playing cards on it, a shotglass of whiskey and an old revolver. Or an arrangement of uniform, gear and guns that a soldier would have. You could do one for different periods, revolutionary war, civil war, WW 1&2, etc.

 

[kel]

Regarding...

Warsaw, 1943. I think a yellow (or black and white) star on her shoulder would be a better way of placing her in context time/space wise. I think that is the most moving of the propaganda type posters in the collection and is something I might consider at the office.

 

[HCfan]

Truthfully, I didn't know that you had them for sale, didn't even know about the T-Shirts.

I don't come on THR very much and when I do I miss a great portion of previous posts.

It just seems as if you're not advertising enough. A banner would work for those of us that come on every now and then.

 

[357to44]

Add some ads/banners but do it in style. You would hardly prompt people to complain that you go over the board