Hiking and outdoors equipment stores have reached $7.4 billion in sales, up 2% from last year. It’s an upward trend since lockdowns have subsided from COVID-19 and shows no signs of decline. How then can you best capture attention in this growing market?
1. Own your small-business status
Any consumer anticipation for outdoor lifestyle brands to merge and conglomerate into big names for maximum reach is ill-founded. The artisan economy is alive and well, with cottage brands and hyper-local products. Big-box brands can deliver widespread bulk of in-demand products, but they are often unable to adapt to consumers’ individual styles and values as small businesses can.
Williams Knife Co. crafts multi-purpose knives. Unmatched function and quality set it apart in its field, and make its products coveted heirlooms. Williams Knife Co. appeals to a niche of outdoorsmen and thrives without mass production. In fact, the special nature of each product adds to the appeal of owning such an intricate piece.
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An SEO-optimized website is your most valuable tool to market your brand. With the right strategy, it can perform well in natural search and conversions, inform and delight your potential customers, and tell your brand story.
2. Share your good story
Does your brand boast a legacy of sustainability or giving back that other companies — and potential customers — would admire? Educating your base isn’t bragging, if you back it up. Consumers, especially outdoors lifestyle brands, align their purchasing power with shared values in brands.
Rain- and water-resistant gear maker Frogg Toggs has a singular mission in all it does: to keep users bone dry. Its emphasis on connecting with consumers and providing affordable products resonates with a loyal base, and is recognized easily by prospective buyers. Frogg Toggs can serve its base with a grassroots approach without having to go over the top in production, for quantity or products that have a potentially wider general appeal.
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You don’t have to save the world, but you can do your bit. Many outdoor lifestyle brands do. Rather than touting your accomplishments, create content that addresses the issues you champion. Brand building is enhanced by content about sustainable materials, repurposing, or whatever way you employ effective practices.
3. Showcase everyday people
You produce content your customers can relate to. Extend that to the images you use on your site and on social media. A chiseled model in your gear appeals at first glance, but what if you place people more congruent to your audience in the spotlight?
When you do so, you speak the language of your core user. The connection is emotional. It shows that you understand their experiences, and it demonstrates how your products can fit into their vision.
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Nothing is more granular than user-generated content. Social media posts that your customers produce are organic and shareable. Encourage such use with hashtags and posts with calls to action and giveaways. Put people in the limelight, and deep connections will follow.
4. Cross-sell
Research reveals that 45% of outdoor recreation customers buy more than one item. Of those, 71% bought one related to their central purchase. Take advantage of this knowledge by cross-selling similar items in targeted ads, promotions, and related-products features at POS.
When you select an item online at Duckett Fishing, you’ll see a set of related products based on that click. Suggestions can help you cross-sell your customers and educate them on other offerings.
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A drip email can be an effective tool that doesn’t infringe on immediate sales. It is emailed out days after delivery, with recommendations for other products your customers can use with their original purchase.
5. Build a like-minded community
An organic avenue to the consumer mindset is through their social media presence. When that interaction centers around a shared interest in your products, that’s golden. You can promote new content and sales in this channel and stay abreast of consumer chatter.
New users can ask for tips and tricks, lending insight into what content you could create to address their concerns. As an admin, you can chime in with explanations as warranted.
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Create giveaways and opportunities to share with hashtags in your channels. You can add value to ownership and encourage users to share winning posts in their own feeds.
A partnership with TBA Outdoors: Your bread and butter
As the climate for outdoor brand marketing changes, rely on us for guidance to stay ahead of the curve. Outdoor brand marketing agency TBA Outdoors not only knows marketing; our teams also know the nuances of your niche. Our roster of thriving partners proves it.
How can we help boost your targeted metrics and introduce you to new ones? It takes a conversation to start. Reach out today and let’s work together.
