How to get innovative with marketing when Google and Facebook aren’t an option

When it comes to what is and what is not acceptable, you could be forgiven for thinking internet giants just make it up as they go along. It was recently announced that Neo-Nazi groups have been allowed to remain on Facebook because the social media giant found they did not violate its “community standards”, reports The Independent.

However, when it comes to weapons, they know where they stand. Facebook and Google both ban advertising, and Google Shopping listings for all weapon-related goods. This sounds perfectly reasonable for extremities like guns, however, the ban includes things like a pair of leggings with concealed carry, and self-protection wearables.

This can be a major headache for certain startups that operate in this space, such as Yellow Jacket Case, a company that has had to get creative with their marketing; their phone case doubles as a stun gun and backup battery for your phone, making it a no-go for Facebook and Google ads.

To understand how Yellow Jacket has navigated the tricky field of marketing without internet giants on their side, we reached out to the company and spoke with Hannah Jobe, Operations Manager who said:

“When Facebook and Google put their restricted advertising rules into effect, generating leads online became challenging. We decided to shift our trade show strategy from defense in order to expand into tech. By doing this we opened the door to an exponential amount of new leads (both in the US and abroad), new media, and an entire new audience. This meant more traffic, social followers, social shares, and more data. The data allows us to create specific sectors within our email marketing so our audience is receiving information that is relevant to them.”

She adds: “As far as finding relevant international markets we aim for geographical regions where innocent civilians are victimized by high assault rates and need to have access to a powerful self defense tool. From there we reach out to potential distributors in those regions. However, at this point in our growth we are seeing a steady influx of international companies reaching out to us in order to provide the Yellow Jacket Stun Gun to their communities.”

It isn’t easy when the odds are stacked against you, but the startup world is filled with creativity and positivity. When faced with adversity, true entrepreneurs and startups understand that nothing is impossible and all hurdles can be overcome with the right dose of innovation and inteligence.

Disclosure: This article includes a client of an Espacio portfolio company