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ZKK
18 January 2014, 04:28
I wanted to start a new thread to make sure everyone got there chance to enter and didn't miss out. I am giving away a Brain Breacher Mod3 on my fb page. https://www.facebook.com/zombiekillerkutlery

I would love to see someone who appreciates my work and could really use one of my blades win! Good luck guys!
http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t347/johnleehomicide/0152-1.jpg (http://s514.photobucket.com/user/johnleehomicide/media/0152-1.jpg.html)
http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t347/johnleehomicide/0262.jpg (http://s514.photobucket.com/user/johnleehomicide/media/0262.jpg.html)
http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t347/johnleehomicide/0102.jpg (http://s514.photobucket.com/user/johnleehomicide/media/0102.jpg.html)

voodoo_man
18 January 2014, 04:58
Bah facebook

ZKK
18 January 2014, 06:36
Sorry man, it's a must for a business these days. Maybe I can do something for my friends here someday? Thanks

UWone77
18 January 2014, 13:39
I'll make sure we direct some traffic your way.

FortTom
20 January 2014, 15:57
I don't know who told him that Facebook was a "must" for business these days, maybe Facebook. Kids and Grandma's maybe, but I've yet to meet on person, and this has come up many times, that among our hobby participate on Facebook. Have you been told it's a "must" for business., or do you have 2 or 4 quarters of data that prove Facebook improves your sales?

Although I think everyone appreciates sponsor giving away an expensive gift, but I'd bet they only go to Facebook, because they have no other choice to enter, will probably never visit again, and "likes" are basically useless. Do you really think that "likes" are a genuine marketing analytic tool? MZ, Facebook's "still" CEO has publicly stated that he'll always cooperate with the Govt, I anyway he can.

I'm one person, and I don't matter, but you baiting people to go to Facebook under the guise of giving you a "like", in exchange for very small chance of winning a knife, well keep the knife, I'll keep the "like". At the very best, Facebook is a great way to spread spam on a forum, without actually having the text on the forum.

If this pisses folks off, well I guess those folks will have to be pissed, they can take it out on me here though, I don't require they spread info all over Facebook to hit a "don't like" button. This is my opinion, and not intended to reflect the opinion of any other member of this forum.

FT

UWone77
20 January 2014, 16:50
FT,

I've always enjoyed your candid replies, and I sincerely mean that. When it comes to a start up business, you need exposure as it's a numbers game. The more people that see your product the more likely you may get a sale from it. Facebook is the largest medium in the world right now and it's free, so it's a no brainer for people to start a Facebook page for their business.

That being said, Facebook has become more and more of a non-factor for businesses especially firearms related ones. Right now you'll be lucky to get 1-3% views, so even with over 27k+ fans on FB, we might get a few hundred views on our posts there. Hardly seems worth it. Facebook wants people to pay for every single post to promote it, that's just not cost effective marketing, but a huge money maker for Facebook. Facebook also changes their algorithms constantly reducing your views even further.

Firearms manufacturers and related businesses need to keep other venues like the forums to get their products and information out there.

FortTom
20 January 2014, 17:13
FT,

I've always enjoyed your candid replies, and I sincerely mean that. When it comes to a start up business, you need exposure as it's a numbers game. The more people that see your product the more likely you may get a sale from it. Facebook is the largest medium in the world right now and it's free, so it's a no brainer for people to start a Facebook page for their business.

That being said, Facebook has become more and more of a non-factor for businesses especially firearms related ones. Right now you'll be lucky to get 1-3% views, so even with over 27k+ fans on FB, we might get a few hundred views on our posts there. Hardly seems worth it. Facebook wants people to pay for every single post to promote it, that's just not cost effective marketing, but a huge money maker for Facebook. Facebook also changes their algorithms constantly reducing your views even further.

Firearms manufacturers and related businesses need to keep other venues like the forums to get their products and information out there.

SEO becomes more difficult every day. I built a website for a friends business, several years ago, and have kept it "fresh" and current, using all ethical ways to promote it. Do you want to take a guess how many independent Harley Shops there are?[:D]

Finally, an "expert" convinced him he needed a FB page, to drive traffic to his website. A year later, and he's got likes from about as many of his customers that he normally has. Website traffic has moved absolutely zero, as a result of a FB page.
I refuse to resort to spam, or pay a company who basically does spam on a massive scale, under the guise of SEO.

FB is also intrusive and very friendly to people who would like to see our common interests and hobbies go away, forever.

I've taken this thread off track enough, so I'll leave it there. But if I were to want to get the word out on a new product line, I think I'd take into consideration how many people will be turned off, vs. the number who will visit for a slim chance of winning something. The "likes" then become warm fuzzies for the vendor, but the value of them are very difficult to measure, if they have any at all.

FT

Sak007
20 January 2014, 17:19
Beautiful knife but don't do the Facebook .

Computalotapus
20 January 2014, 17:36
The giveaway is a good way to drive business. To be honest I have found more firearms and knife vendors on Instagram than any other social media.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

GOST
22 January 2014, 13:32
Like the finish, but I also don't use Facebook.

ZKK
23 January 2014, 03:01
Thanks guys, contest is almost finished thanks to your help!
Facebook may not be a "must" for all but for me it is. I make every blade one at a time by hand and love having fb as a medium to have a connection with my customers. I've become friends and met many, cool and interesting people I never would have. I am not a production driven business I make a small number of hand crafted products. For this I need to approach my work more as art than simply attempting to make profit. Fb as with this forum allows me to have contact with people like you guys. I really really appreciate the love here guys, I've been very touched by how you've allowed me to share my art with everyone . I'll get some contests rolling here soon,I have a couple sweet edc's coming out, tshirts , just gotta pay some bills first. Thanks!

FortTom
24 January 2014, 18:26
Thanks guys, contest is almost finished thanks to your help!
Facebook may not be a "must" for all but for me it is. I make every blade one at a time by hand and love having fb as a medium to have a connection with my customers. I've become friends and met many, cool and interesting people I never would have. I am not a production driven business I make a small number of hand crafted products. For this I need to approach my work more as art than simply attempting to make profit. Fb as with this forum allows me to have contact with people like you guys. I really really appreciate the love here guys, I've been very touched by how you've allowed me to share my art with everyone . I'll get some contests rolling here soon,I have a couple sweet edc's coming out, tshirts , just gotta pay some bills first. Thanks!

ZKK, first let me say, I followed another link here I think, to your website, and yes you make some awesome knives. I have a little insight to how they are made, and I understand that hand made knives like you deliver, well you have a lot of time, and sweat involved, and you need to move them in order to be a viable business. Custom knives like you manufacture are usually out of my price range, but I've received a couple as gifts.

I hope you didn't mistake my opinion of FaceBook as a negative swipe at you or your products. Absolutely not, I drool over handmade knives like that. My problem is strictly with Facebook, and without listing a litany of reasons, I have to say that I could sit here and guarantee you that at least 90% of the friends I shoot with, ride with, drink beer with, well they just won't do Facebook, especially the gun people, unless it's to check up on what their teenager's are doing.

Long story short, and for good reasons, not "conspiracy theories", Facebook's privacy policies are pretty lame, and it's management has admitted to offer the government access to any and all data. I've got nothing to hide, but I don't offer up anything that I don't feel they or FB doesn't have a "need to know". And that's where I think you're going to get a lot of push back as far as folk not wanting to log in, and give you a "Like".
Not because you don't have a great product, it just boils down to FB.

The remedies I've personally seen for that is (yeah I know it takes a lot of time) but go to every forum that you're a member or vendor on and post your contests there. You'll probably get a boat load more traffic to your site, you're still only giving out one prize, but advertising is spreading, and on large forums, people doing a search on knives or ZKK, are going to come up higher on the list. I do believe I found this forum doing a search for a problem with a rifle.

I'm sure you know most of this already, but I know how stressful it can be starting a new business, and betting your life and soul on it, and beating the competition. I just didn't want my post to be another "stressor" for you, thus the explanation, as I'm sure you have enough on your plate without having to deal with a bunch of crap from the "peanut gallery".

Good Luck, I wish you all the success in the world,

FT.

GOST
26 January 2014, 14:55
FortTom, your spot on.

voodoo_man
26 January 2014, 15:12
+1 for facebook sucking.

ZKK
28 January 2014, 17:06
I completely understand people's distaste for face book. I complain about their intrusive garbage constantly. On a personal level I have many friends around the globe that are real friends I've known long before facebook, nice to see family pics and keep in contact with old buddies. I also taught martial arts for years and since facebook, it allows me to be more available to my students .

I have serious medical issues, after which I lost my extremely stressful job of 13 years that caused a majority of my problems. Flushed me down the crapper like yesterdays turd. I never planned on selling my knives to pay bills it was always a way to deal with stress from my job, but no one in their right mind will hire someone with my medical problems. I earn my money and will not take disability, I can still make knives just not as many or fast as I could before my medical problems started. I know nothing about running a business, at all. I've worked in the service of others my entire adult life. I've just try to use facebook contests to reach more people that would appreciate my work and never see it. Since facebook and the nature of my business I've had orders from all over the globe from feds to hells angels, military in every branch, seals, rangers, recon, swat, leos everywhere around the country, foreign military, pmcs all kinds of people with much more interesting lives than myself . I have been absolutely floored by the customers that have found me on facebook.

The only forums I am on are the ones I was on before I started selling knives. Besides here I'm now only on M4C and Michigan Gun Owners. I really know Jack about the internet and promotion, but I really can't produce many knives now anyway.

To save money on heat treating I do blades in batches of similar make. I then finish the blades one at a time and put them up for sale. I only take a few custom orders as it's hard for me to make multiple varied knives for people. Knives like my Apache line have been sold in group buys to leos and martial arts schools allowing me to save money and pass on the savings.

I promise you guys that as soon as I am able to keep the bank from stealing my freakin' home and keep my grinder running I'll have a contest or maybe a group buy at a real good discount here, on MGO and M4C. I do really appreciate the endless piles of info I've found here. I also greatly appreciate any knowledge I can gather from your business experience FT. I admit openly, I have much to learn about this "business" stuff, I'm just a knifemaker that got punched in the head for 20 years. Thanks Guys!

tact
28 January 2014, 19:10
Wish you much success.

ZKK
8 March 2014, 07:13
Don't miss out ! Almost there guys, the last ZK2 blade for unknown amount of time. Depending on how , if or when I get stronger after surgery.

ZKK
7 May 2014, 05:48
Contest ended, I will try to run a contest here as soon as I can. This forum as provided endless amounts of entertainment and information to me as well as a really cool place I can showcase my work. I will try to run contests here from time to time to thank everyone, just gotta get back on my feet first. Thanks again guys!