Marketing Advice For Firearm Trainers

MARKETING ADVICE FOR FIREARM TRAINERS

Tiffany Johnson is a gifted firearms instructor that I have known for years. Originally a firearms instructor for master firearms instructor Tom Givens at the former Rangemaster Range in Memphis, Tennessee, she currently teaches basic pistol classes and NRA Instructor classes with Aqil Qadir at Citizens Safety Academy in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. She has earned instructor credentials from the State of Tennessee, the State of Mississippi, the National Rifle Association, and the Massad Ayoob Group. In addition, she is certified as a Rangemaster Advanced Handgun and Defensive Shotgun Instructor.

Tiffany Johnson / frontsightpress.com

Tiffany is also an attorney who practiced personal injury and civil rights law for several years before becoming a legal researcher and freelance writer. She teaches college courses at the University of Memphis and coordinates their Legal Studies program. What firearm trainers should especially find of interest is that she is heavily involved in marketing defensive firearm classes, preparing high-quality monthly newsletters, and designing and publishing the website for Rangemaster, as well as managing much of the behind-the-scenes preparation and operation of the annual Rangemaster Tactical Conference, which in my opinion has been the premier conference for firearm trainers and concealed carriers for over twenty years. 

I credit Tiffany with having played a large part of Rangemaster’s success over the years in selling out classes nearly a year in advance.  Of course, it helps that Tom Givens has established a well-deserved reputation for being one of the best firearm trainers in the business, but it certainly helps when concealed carriers who may not have otherwise been familiar with Tom learn in an attention-catching manner who he is, what he teaches, and when and where classes are held. She is a phenomenal source of information for firearm trainers who possess low-tech website design and electronic mass media marketing skills.

I asked her what suggestions that she might have for firearm trainers wishing to up their mass media marketing game. Tiffany recommends seeking out website designers with existing defensive firearms experience (which are often hard to come by) in order to avoid having to constantly be on guard for the designers’ selection of poor photographs and use of improper wording.  Most firearm trainers have probably seen such websites in the past. If that is not an option, she recommends that firearms trainers consider taking on and training a competent designer who is interested in defensive firearms training, and then continually work with that individual so that they eventually become skilled in maintaining a website that is oriented to both inexperienced and experienced concealed carriers.

It may be possible to actually engage in barter with such a designer and trade training for website work.  My experience has been that barter sometimes only works for a while, and some designers may lose their motivation to continue working on a website. However, the point is that the quality of a website is almost always going to be better if the designer is familiar with not only the use of defensive firearms but has received formal defensive firearms instruction.

Some firearm trainers do not have access to third parties that can assist in designing and launching a user-friendly website that captures the interest of prospective students. Tiffany is available to step in and assist.  Tiffany owns a company called Front Sight Press that specializes in designing and publishing websites for firearm trainers that are straight-forward, professional, eye-catching, and cost-effective using templates and WordPress. Front Sight Press can also design PowerPoints and instructional materials for classroom purposes. Her clients include instructors like Tom Givens, John Murphy, Tim Reedy, Gabe White, and Craig Douglas.

Firearm trainers interested in upping their marketing game should definitely consider what Tiffany brings to the table. She is a professional firearms instructor, attorney, college instructor, and tech-savvy website designer that is formally trained in document design. And last, but not least, she is a dynamo of positive energy with great social skills.  She can be reached through www.frontsightpress.com.