"Where to advertise" Topic

I was wonder if I could get some more suggestions about the best places to advertise new products. I'm many looking at ways of advertising the product to the end user/consumer, and not trying to address marketing to stores/distributers. I'm not saying that marketing products to the stores isn't necessary, I'm just not focusing on that topic here. I guess this is more of these are the basic ones you want to hit.

Websites:
Here of Course
tabletopgamingnews

Magazines:
Medieval Warfare
Ancient Warfare
Wargames Illustrated

What I am working on is in the historical 28mm plastic direction if that helps to narrow down what I am looking for. I'm not trying to say we should narrow down the topic, by all means if we have suggestions for Sci-Fi as well as anything else please add it on for others looking to do the same may find good ideas as well.

Other areas to think about:
Advertising in conventions where ever feasible
Free stuff to conventions for prizes
Social networking sites

Make sure you are Google friendly.
Make friends with bloggers so they can share your news.
Kepp at it, never give up, never surrender.

Here, and other miniatures sites, Yahoo Groups that are appropriate, magazines, and perhaps the various new online media outlets (not sold on those so much, but some are using them – don't have any info on how successfully, other than a recent study that said about 80%+ totally ignore Facebook ads).

Still, worth a try, if you don't have to pay for advertising there.

Going to local retail stores, conventions, and/or running games with your products at all of the above would help too.

Oh, and don't be shy. Let us know what it is, if its ready for market now, and/or announce it here, when it is available.

If you've got a decent advertising budget, I hear the new US dirigible program has been cancelled, so one of those might be available for a steep discount, on the open market.

I'd look great, flying low over LA, advertising Coca-cola, and work and travel offworld. Perhaps you could work out a deal with Coke, and/or Pepsi, Mike's Hard Lemonade, or the latest Vodka manufacturer to share advertising space/time on the aircraft.

Heck, you'd probably get some free press in the news too, if you bought one of those, and put it to good use.

Without treading on Bills toes hopefully, you can use 6sided.

1. start a blog – we tweet blog posts to 2000 gamers and fully support our blogs to maximise SEO impact. 6sided blogs get more than 50k pageviews DAILY now:

6sided.net/wargaming-blogs

2. Upload images of your products to our minipics galleries, this allows people to view and shre those images and discuss them.

6sided.net/minipics

3. Advertise with us across the blog network. With such rapid growth in traffic, the money is gratefully received to help us break even!

wargamesadvertising.com

Our bloggers get access to an email helpdesk as well, and if you upgraded your blog to be a supporter, I'm sure we would help with questions relating to SEO + online marketing (it's what both me and Ian do in real life) ;-)

Cheers

Jaz
6sided.net

I'm many looking at ways of advertising the product to the end user/consumer, and not trying to address marketing to stores/distributers.

While it is not what was asked, I am under the impression that getting your product to retailers is also quite good means of gaining visibility to end users, since the retailers will try to make their customers aware of the products they have available.

As for other possible ways, keep an eye on rules manufacturers cranking out sets or supplements for the periods covered by your products. Some of these can be looking for pictures of painted figures to decorate their pages (often with manufacturer specified in the caption text – ask for it), or even selling some advertisement space in the end of the book. For example take a look at the recent Clash of Empires rules and supplements.

Adepticon is a convention drawing 1850+ players based in Chicago. Each year there is a "swag bag" given a way as part of registration. Companies such as Privateer Press, Warlord, Mantic and Wargames Factory have provided sprues & product for the bag in the past. If you are interested in connecting with tournament players, I recommend Adepticon as an excellent way to do so.

adepticon.org

Thanks for all the feedback. I was worried there was going to be a huge list of other places that I haven't thought about. I like the idea of swag bags, the only issue I run into is that I have smaller sprues that don't contain enough parts to make a complete miniature. Sounds like a fun scavenger hunt in between all the people attending. I have swords looking for shields. I worry that the danger in asking around for a nice pair of legs to finish your mini might lead to sudden onset of unconsciousness from a hit to the head by gamer girl's hand. I guess I will have to make a sampler sprue eventually.

Mako – Shy maybe. I thought I was this close a year ago, and would have been mortified to have announced it then and not delivered by now. As it is, I have lots of stuff done and just a few parts and things to work on. So here goes: 28mm not as heroic (I tried to be closer to scale, but it is what it is) multi-part, correction very multi-part footmen. A little more to the point 13th century English that should work as Crusaders as well. I think during that time frame the English and the Crusaders may have shopped at the same store chain.

I will get something out on the plastics figures message board in the next few days. I will work on seeing how well I can paint a few up, so people can see them in their full glory. I'm really excited to see what people think the the chain mail parts especially.