Where are the Central Zone folks?|3D Archery Talk|Forum|Bow Hunters of Alabama

“Build it and they will come” only works in the movies.
But that is apparently what the BHA and Chapters believes. I have seen basically no shoot or chapter promoting going on except for some that Larry McAfee has done. His CAR POOL solution to high gas prices is great! Maybe nobody shows up because they don’t know you are even having a shoot….just saying.

If you have an event you should spend at least 10 times the amount of time marketing and promoting it as you do in preparing for the event if you want a good turnout. How? First of all try to make your event unique and fun so that they will want to come back again and it also gives you some uniqueness to promote about your event. “Boring” is not an attraction. Help make it a great experience EVERYTIME. “Bring a new shooter and get you and your friends lunch for free!” Tons of ideas out there.

Second, shout about it loud and often weeks before the event happens. Waiting two days before the event to start promoting is total waste of time. Most people have already made plans. You will just be to late…Lost Revenue Simply Because You Can’t Plan. That does not mean that you start making your promotion materials three ahead. It means that you have your materials/handouts, etc done so you will START promoting three weeks before the event. Start promoting your event about 3 weeks in advance. If you don’t have the capability to create handouts and graphic posts then let me know. I can make them for you. All you have to do is ask. It would help if you would get someone to take pictures at your event so that you can have them available to use in promotion materials next year. I have been shooting still and video wherever I shoot to give me something to use to post on forum, Facebook and Twitter. It really comes in handy.

Where: Post a note and flyer on BHA Forum. Post on Facebook. Post on Twitter…Post a flyer at the local sporting goods or archery shop…Post on your Chapter website. If you don’t have any of these then you have then set them up!!!! You have to have avenues to market….not just one….MANY!……..Yes, I very well know it takes time to manage each of these but they are tools to help you market your chapter and event. I can help you setup any of these that you want. I am currently building websites for Heritage, Cullman, and Morgan County Bowhunters. They are necessary this day and time to have them and manage them to help build your chapters and BHA and get the word out. If you don’t have time to manage them then delegate it to someone else. I have turned in a two-year plan to Mark Proctor for the BHA website and part of that is helping get ALL of the chapters a website so that we can promote BHA, the Chapters and all of the many events that happen. If you think it is work then you are right! but it is very necessary. If you are sitting and wondering why your chapter is not growing or your event is not successfull it is because you are not marketing either! The GOLDEN RULE of Small Business…..Growth and Success STOPS when MARKETING STOPS! If you don’t want to market your chapter or event then RESIGN! You are a roadblock for the growth and success of your organization. Marketing has to happen in some form or fashion everyday. All year long. Every month…

PLEEZ put some effort in to making your chapter or event successful..just setting up the targets is simply not enough….I am willing to help you promote and build Chapters in any way I can as I perform the BHA marketing activities. Chapter growth is ESSENTIAL in the growth and strength of BHA. BHA can NEVER grow to what it can be without the success of Chapters. More about “Chapters Growth and Vitality’ in another post…..

let me know if I can help Leldon….just what you described makes me wanna come…….I think I will….may have to CAR POOL!!!!

Kenny, I am not sure what you mean by getting this site where it needs to be? What would you liket to see different? Be specific pleez. Not taking your comment the wrong way but I need to know what people want to see in the website. It will probably be Aug 2014 before I finish what I am doing and getting everything I have envisioned installed. Luckily, knock on wood, the forum seems to be working without crashing. I have already turned in a two year plan to Mark which includes getting websites up. I cannot create these overnight but I can create them and get the clubs gathering information to populate their site with. If they want to grow we need to help them grow.

As far as the chapter sites….right now they are getting zero attention to their chpater….continuing to do nothing will not yield better results. I have already been contacted by clubs that are tired of not doing anything or growing. There are many reasons for it but many just do not know what to do. As far as what I can do for them is only one part. They shoudl also be working with their Zone Directors to help them if they ask……I am assuming they probably have not asked. This means you as Zone Director cannot help since you don’t know.

I do know that many clubs never have a meeting once a year. Few has two or three. I supposedly belong to Madison County chapter but the officers do not want to meet. They don’t want to deal with politics. I know that comment will stir up trouble but there are a lot of clubs that have members that want to grow but leadership don’t want to. It takes individuals that will make a commitment to participate in growing a chapter. It is Fricken’ HARD WORK to buidl and maintain a successful chapter. Many simply don’t have the time because of home and work requirements….That is perfectly fine. Some just have more time or really enjoy it and they put a little more effort into it. Yes, politics seem to follow simply because you can’t please everyone. If it was up to me I would terminate the membership of anyone that wants to cause trouble and not come in to the organization with a positive attidude and willingness to help. Life is too short to mess around with trouble makers. I would do it at state level too. LOL

No bowhunting education is going on at the chapter level much less the state level. If I am wrong please let me know cause I know a lot of people have joined BHA and their chapter to learn abut bowhunting.. A ton of education could be going on which would help clubs grow. People don’t want to be a member of something that does nothing. The join to gain benefits. about 20% are willing to work while 80% just want to attend and gain knowledge. That is the way organizations (including churches) are made up. Mostly in our world they join to gain hunting and archery experience. Not to give BHA $15.

Well, i could go on and on but I better shut my mouth now. I was going to write about chapters in another topic but I could not help my self. Yes, Kenny the traffic may be low but when you multiply it by 20 or so chapters it will help not only BHA but also the Chapters. It will take place over time. It is not going to make an immediate difference but if you want a great membership base in 2015 then you had better start working right now. We have 70,000 potential alabama bowhunters that we have reach and covince to become member of the state and local levels. The question they will ask is “Why should I join BHA or XYZ Chapter?”