How to Increase CGN Membership 10x (to 1/3 million) in 1 yr?

[EBR Works]

Just for reference..

This is NOT how to get people to join.

I was eating lunch dude!!!!

At least you laughed.....

[mmartin]

Ghawazee, that was it indeed.
I remember Sisi being very adamant that bellydancing wasn't just about gyrating in a bikini and that if you could not do it and be both entertaining and attractive in a ghawazee with full sleeves you weren't doing it right.

+100 on that.

I don't discriminate against the gyrating in a bikini type.

and I'm sure they look lovely, but everything has it's place and that isn't belly dancing!
you go right ahead though, if you're inclined...
megan

[mmartin]

* First and foremost: I need some help taking the existing database of volunteers, getting it into a format we can more effectively utilize and get some people to follow up and fill in some blanks. From there we can build the programs and setup project teams.

ConstantContact.com is easy to set up for mailing lists, you can identify teams/subteams, get people assigned to one or many, control/update contact info or allow them to, do straightforward contact mailing easily, or fancy emailing with a little work.

small cost involved, very reasonable for the power it provides. if you need help setting it up, I've got current skills. and it's very easy to teach others to use once set up, so it's not a single point of contact/bottleneck.
megan

[mmartin]

the biggest obstacle ive come into with spreading calgunnery is speaking with older people, which is a large part of the gun community, who are completely computer illiterate.

yep, that's a population that should be addressed. megan

[jdberger]

I like the double sided flyer and hang tag idea.

Computer illiteracy is a huge issue - however, the folks I'm running into that want to get involved figure out a way to either get to CGN or get their info from someone who's already there.

That said, I think that the hangtags should promote CGN and NOT CGF.

CGN doesn't ask for money. It's free. It's communal. It doesn't have sketchy connotations due to it's possibility of being confused with some of those "no compromise" blowhard organizations, or even worse, AHSA.

Because of all these reasons, CGN is more inviting (it's logo is even more inviting).

That said, I'd like to do a "hard push" on vendors to start including CGN materials with sales. Something along the line of Corleone "protection" without the bad accents, violence and bloodshed.

Too long, vendors have taken us for granted. They spread FUD, bash CGN and when asked to help with the cause (where it wouldn't cost them a dime) they abstain because they don't want to do anything political.

Well, there's a price for apathy.

[/militant jberger]

[mmartin]

IThat said, I'd like to do a "hard push" on vendors to start including CGN materials with sales. Something along the line of Corleone "protection" without the bad accents, violence and bloodshed.

Too long, vendors have taken us for granted. They spread FUD, bash CGN and when asked to help with the cause (where it wouldn't cost them a dime) they abstain because they don't want to do anything political.

Well, there's a price for apathy

this stuff often works better if you're giving something rather than wanting something... so what are we going to give them for their cooperation and participation?

how about offering training materials in the interpretation of law, case law, etc. to dispell the FUD? how about a tearsheet with a short history of progressive gunrights restrictions and the legal foundations/lawsuits that undo it? how about a one-evening class in how to get your C&R, and why you want one? or other available licensing? charge a small fee or free if you make a cgf donation?

how about we make up a list of 10 reasons the ammo shop benefits from promoting CGF/N? people love lists... especially if it really IS about what they GET for doing something.

or if you're wanting something more fear based, how about a "top 10 mistakes FFLs make before an ATF/DOJ audit"? give them that in exchange for a $50 dollar donation to the fund, or in exchange for putting our flyers in the bag with purchases.

megan

[AndrewMendez]

Get a statement off to Nutnfancy (http://www.youtube.com/user/nutnfancy) and request his help in publicizing the cause. He has got 40k+ subscribers and his latest vid that hit youtube's front page is at 100k views in a matter of days.

And I like the general public friendly sticker idea. "Gun owner and not a criminal! CGF.com"

This goes back to my YouTube idea as well! There are soooo many people that waste their lives on that site! We need to join in!

[wildhawker]

I like militant jdberger.

I like the double sided flyer and hang tag idea.

Computer illiteracy is a huge issue - however, the folks I'm running into that want to get involved figure out a way to either get to CGN or get their info from someone who's already there.

That said, I think that the hangtags should promote CGN and NOT CGF.

CGN doesn't ask for money. It's free. It's communal. It doesn't have sketchy connotations due to it's possibility of being confused with some of those "no compromise" blowhard organizations, or even worse, AHSA.

Because of all these reasons, CGN is more inviting (it's logo is even more inviting).

That said, I'd like to do a "hard push" on vendors to start including CGN materials with sales. Something along the line of Corleone "protection" without the bad accents, violence and bloodshed.

Too long, vendors have taken us for granted. They spread FUD, bash CGN and when asked to help with the cause (where it wouldn't cost them a dime) they abstain because they don't want to do anything political.

Well, there's a price for apathy.

[/militant jberger]

[steadyrock]

this stuff often works better if you're giving something rather than wanting something... so what are we going to give them for their cooperation and participation?

how about offering training materials in the interpretation of law, case law, etc. to dispell the FUD? how about a tearsheet with a short history of progressive gunrights restrictions and the legal foundations/lawsuits that undo it? how about a one-evening class in how to get your C&R, and why you want one? or other available licensing? charge a small fee or free if you make a cgf donation?

how about we make up a list of 10 reasons the ammo shop benefits from promoting CGF/N? people love lists... especially if it really IS about what they GET for doing something.

or if you're wanting something more fear based, how about a "top 10 mistakes FFLs make before an ATF/DOJ audit"? give them that in exchange for a $50 dollar donation to the fund, or in exchange for putting our flyers in the bag with purchases.

megan

All good ideas. To add:

* How about a 10% discount on advertising rates on CGN if they include fliers in every order?

* How about a "Calguns Preferred Vendor Status" with special placement on the new front page or in the forums themselves, and a card at Christmas?

[wildhawker]

The thought was to create a "CA gun laws basics" (purchase, transport, AW basics etc) handout so they can use it to educate their newb customers. The ranges and FFLs we've talked to have said that it would be tremendously helpful to their business.

So, boiled down, we can offer indirect but valuable customer support and a customer base as well as advertising opportunities and unparalleled communications tools.

Freedom isn't free, nor will all our efforts be. I am confident that the intrinsic value of this community will be apparent to the vast majority of store owners/operators.

this stuff often works better if you're giving something rather than wanting something... so what are we going to give them for their cooperation and participation?

how about offering training materials in the interpretation of law, case law, etc. to dispell the FUD? how about a tearsheet with a short history of progressive gunrights restrictions and the legal foundations/lawsuits that undo it? how about a one-evening class in how to get your C&R, and why you want one? or other available licensing? charge a small fee or free if you make a cgf donation?

how about we make up a list of 10 reasons the ammo shop benefits from promoting CGF/N? people love lists... especially if it really IS about what they GET for doing something.

or if you're wanting something more fear based, how about a "top 10 mistakes FFLs make before an ATF/DOJ audit"? give them that in exchange for a $50 dollar donation to the fund, or in exchange for putting our flyers in the bag with purchases.

megan

[jdberger]

I like Megan's push/pull, too.

I'm just a little p'od right now with all the "we lost, I quit" idiots and the Corporations that couldn't be bothered to help us out by letting us put a flyer on their freakin' counter because they didn't want to get involved.

JHC! Our efforts were going to save THEM money.

[nicki]

Outreach.

Calguns has done outreach, Gene and Don did a great job at the SAF GRPC 2009 in speaking to other gun groups.

When I have all the videos edited, I will ask SAF to do a blast to not only groups who were there, but also to past groups as well.

The SAF GRPC 2010 will be in San Fran, so SAF has a interest in getting the word out bigtime.

One thing I am looking at doing is doing a encore follow up webcast of the whole conference. If any of you know how to do this and have the tools to do so, send me a PM. In all honesty I am clueless.

I just covered the funding and got a competent camera person out to do the job and she is doing the post editing right now as we speak.

The campaign for liberty and other similar type groups would be a natural to do something like this.

We at Calguns don't have our hands tied by national groups, we are independent and can adjust as we need.

As Brandon says, we need regional groups to make things happen, but we also need to create what I call for a lack of a better term, the Calguns Strikeforce.

Where we can make the most difference is in primaries and in local races.

Due to term limits, one third of the assembly and one quarter of the state senate changes every election cycle.

We must try and have pro gun candidates in all primaries. It is the primaries that really decide who wins the elections.

This is where we get the most bang for our buck and our involvement.

Even if our candidate loses, winners remember who supported their opponents and smart politicians reach across to the supporters of the losers and try to bring them into their camp.

Politicians will look and even if they are anti gun, if they see that opposing us makes them ineffective in getting other things done, they will back off.

The issue of course will be opposing us will be expensive.

Eventually we will grow in size that we can influence all primaries. At that point we can wheel and deal with both Democrats and Republicans.

Gun rights activists have put too much of their eggs in the Republican basket.

Rod Wright gave a speech a few years back and his told the audience that his fellow Dem's couldn't believe gun owners were actually supporting him because he was a Black Democrat.

Something to think about.

Nicki

[mmartin]

I like Megan's push/pull, too.

I'm just a little p'od right now with all the "we lost, I quit" idiots and the Corporations that couldn't be bothered to help us out by letting us put a flyer on their freakin' counter because they didn't want to get involved.

JHC! Our efforts were going to save THEM money.

however if we failed to sell THEM on that idea, bad on us.

if we are not able to convince them to act, we:
1) haven't scared them enough
2) helped them enough
3) shown them their upside clearly enough
4) educated them enough
5) made them feel the pain of not helping us enough.

if you can put someone DEEPLY in touch with the pain they feel now or will feel for failing to act, and then you put in front of them the path to making that pain STOP, they will take it.

carrot and stick, stick and carrot. we're really very simple...

megan

[wildhawker]

All true, and time worked against us on this one.

however if we failed to sell THEM on that idea, bad on us.

if we are not able to convince them to act, we:
1) haven't scared them enough
2) helped them enough
3) shown them their upside clearly enough
4) educated them enough
5) made them feel the pain of not helping us enough.

if you can put someone DEEPLY in touch with the pain they feel now or will feel for failing to act, and then you put in front of them the path to making that pain STOP, they will take it.

carrot and stick, stick and carrot. we're really very simple...

megan

[mmartin]

All true, and time worked against us on this one.

dang you mean elves aren't going to come do the work for us in the middle of the night? rats. I was SO looking forward to a full night's sleep...

still, the pain they are ABOUT to feel for not having worked with us on this one is something we can use. "see what happens when we don't all pitch in? you thought this wasn't important enough for your action, well here's what it's going to cost. and here's what you need to do to start putting things right..."
megan