As gun sales have declined over the past four years, the gun industry has experimented with behavior-triggering digital tools to attract and retain customers, according to an industry presentation obtained by The Trace and ROLLING STONE.
In May 2024, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the firearms industry trade association, hosted a webinar with this presentation for the thousands of firearms dealers who are members of the NSSF. As the industry’s primary representative, the NSSF navigates political and cultural headwinds to ensure the viability of its members. Their research suggests that customers are increasingly buying guns online.
The presentation, given by Will Altherr, digital marketing director for Guns.com, a popular online platform that sells guns and accessories, highlighted the role of email in driving consumer behavior through the sales funnel.
How digital tools should pull buyers deeper into the funnel
In Altherr’s analogy, buyers move through a funnel that leads them downward the closer they get to making a purchase. “If you’re selling products on your website and you get to a point – or a customer gets to a point – where they’re putting something in their cart, they’re basically just one step away from checkout,” Altherr said. “This is extremely low-funnel activity.”
Altherr asked, “So how can we get them to overcome that barrier from cart to purchase?”
His presentation, consisting of 13 slides, recommended tools for tracking, adaptation and behavior triggers. Altherr explained the strategies in detail in his remarks, a transcript of which was viewed by The Trace and ROLLING STONE. The tactics described are familiar from the world of online trading. From food orders to clothing. But the presentation showed no consideration of the consequences that could arise if the tactics were widely applied to the sale of firearms and ammunition.
Regular customers instead of first-time buyers: The true business model
As The Trace and ROLLING STONE have reported in the series “The Secret Files of the Gun Industry,” first-time buyers do not account for the majority of the industry’s profits. Instead, dealers rely heavily on customers to continually purchase weapons, ammunition, and accessories, allowing individuals to build mini-arsenals. Large numbers of retailers investing in tailored digital marketing, combined with the ease of online trading, could reinforce this trend.
NSSF dealer surveys obtained by The Trace and ROLLING STONE show that between 2018 and 2022, internet sales increased from 26 percent to 33.5 percent.
The surveys provide insight into the market. However, they still provide valuable information for the weapons industry. In this case, they seem to signal plenty of room for digital growth. And that customers, who are increasingly migrating to the Internet to buy weapons, are receptive to Altherr’s recommendations.
Automated trigger emails as a central sales engine
Altherr did not respond to a request for comment, and the NSSF declined the opportunity.
During the webinar, when Altherr discussed what to do if a customer adds items to their cart and then leaves the site, he recommended setting up an automated “abandoned cart email.” A proven method of e-commerce that automatically goes to the customer within a few hours and reminds them of their unfinished business. Depending on whether they purchased something, they could receive another email shortly afterwards.
“The same applies to browsing cancellation,” Altherr said in the presentation. “If someone views a product page, one step before adding to cart, you should target them.”
Altherr explained that automated emails are a key part of an email marketing strategy, which, according to the presentation, “includes programs that automatically send emails based on customers’ experiences on your website.” In addition to initiating a purchase, the emails can be effectively used as a “win-back” to win back an inactive customer.
This is how the industry’s manipulative email examples work
The presentation includes three examples of automated emails. All with an emphasis on the concept of scarcity, which addresses an industry-fueled phenomenon that industry officials call “panic shopping.”
An example that addresses cart abandonment shows a man in a baseball cap looking through the scope of a military-style rifle. “Still thinking about it?” they say. “We’ll hold onto the contents of your shopping cart for as long as possible! Order now. Before it’s gone!”
Another example shows a man wearing an orange winter hat aiming a handgun at a target outside the frame. “PRICE REDUCTION ALERT,” it says. “We just wanted to let you know that the TAURUS G3C you are interested in is now on sale.” It adds: “Act now before she’s gone…”
A third email refers to a gun that is “BACK IN STOCK.” It contains images of handguns and men with rifles in the wilderness. “After selling out, this customer favorite has returned,” the email said. “Time to get what you’ve been waiting for!”
Altherr told his audience that mass marketing emails were another tool that could be used effectively. However, they should be used sparingly as they are sent to each customer and cannot be personalized. The presentation says: “Metrics on these emails, such as open rates, click-through rate, conversion rate, are typically not the strongest. Unless it’s a big holiday promotion.” Like a Black Friday sale. In such a case, a tempting email might say: “SAVE RIGHT. SAVE RIGHT! ALL GUNS FREE SHIPPING!”
Segmentation: The heart of accurate gun advertising
For a personalized email marketing experience, Altherr recommended “segmented emails,” which divide customers into categories based on data collected by the seller.
Altherr became animated on this topic when discussing 1911 pistols. Powerful, steel-framed firearms that are easy to conceal.
“I know for sure when I go to our Guns.com. I know that people regularly type the word, the search query ‘1911’ at the top of the page. Because that’s a high-demand product that our customers love to buy,” Altherr said. “So if I want to create an email that performs very well, I can say, ‘OK, everyone who has shown interest in 1911s will get an email that’s all about 1911s.'” With this approach, Altherr explained, “your open rates would go through the roof.” Because “you give customers exactly what they want.”
Altherr said another “great segmented email” for Guns.com was about “military classics.” The presentation shows an example with an image of a handgun leaning against a brown leather holster. “From collectibles to pistols with an antique feel, our MILITARY CLASSICS collection offers something for every gun lover,” it says. “With clear and concise descriptions, you know exactly what to expect when you pick up your gun. And at a competitive price!”
Military classics, display advertising and aggressive third parties
The presentation also covers “digital display media” and third-party marketing. She points to a highly specialized advertising firm called Armanet, which describes itself as the company that “built the transparent, high-performance, trustworthy ad platform that the gun industry deserves.” The presentation says Armanet should be used to “generate immediate, measurable consumer demand.” This includes “retargeting ads,” which target previous website visitors, and “geo targeting,” which advertises based on location.
Depending on the political climate and whether a mass shooting event has captured the country’s attention, social media compliance can be a problem for the gun business. Content promoting guns is almost inherently provocative and raises questions about the glorification of violence for many, leading to account suspensions or bans.
If one of these cases occurs, the presentation recommends contacting the company Open Source Defense, which focuses on digital gun rights advocacy and investing in “civilian defense.” Altherr said the best contact there was Chuck Rossi, who did not respond to an inquiry. According to Open Source Defense’s website, he was Director of Engineering at Facebook from 2008 to 2018. Towards the end of that period, he “worked to make the company’s gun policies more transparent to users, advertisers and content creators.”
The open source site says, “If you’re not working for gun rights online, you’re not working for gun rights,” adding that the “issue comes down to building culture, and culture starts and spreads online. So that’s the most impactful place.”