EP 63: Shooting for a Great Customer Experience with STI’s Tony Pignato In Episode 63, Tyler and Jon discuss Facebook’s new story advertising feature. Users can now message their favorite brands directly through Facebook, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger. Tyler and Jon warn brands to not leave leads and sales on the table and to use story ads to develop a relationship with potential customers. Then, Tyler welcomes Tony Pignato, the Chief Marketing Director at STI, into the studio. Tony’s career began in the military where he served 20 years in the army. He then decided to work in the firearms industry with the largest online gun retailer in the world, BudsGunShop.com. He fell in love with the marketing aspect of the business and built their marketing infrastructure while earning his bachelor’s degree. His experience and love for what he does led him to work with STI International, the maker of the world's best shooting handgun. Tony gives us an inside scoop on STI and how they rebranded from being a niche product in the sport of competitive shooting to a product for anyone interested in purchasing a high-quality handgun. He also touches on the 2011 experience, leveraging events to drive sales, and different ways to communicate with your audience in a heavily regulated industry. Finally, Tony shares his biggest takeaway for marketers looking to share their story. Join Tyler, Jon, and Tony for more insight on how to build your brand and how to develop an outstanding customer experience. By the way- have you left us a review yet? If not, we'd be honored if you did! Timestamps 0:00 Intro 1:21 What’s in the News | Facebook Story Ads 5:18 Featured Guest | Tony Pignato 5:43 What is STI? 9:06 Tony’s Military and Marketing Background 16:50 Rebranding STI 22:00 Developing A Unique Customer Experience 31:10 Leveraging Events & Retail Partners To Drive Sales 35:35 Advertising with Significant Digital Marketing Restrictions 50:26 Most Effective Marketing Channel 53:05 Key Takeaway 55:18 Outro   Featured Guest | Tony Pignato LinkedIn What's In the News  Facebook Story Ads | Start Conversations in Messenger Lion’s Share Marketing Podcast Learn More About Tyler & Jon www.tylersickmeyer.com  Need Marketing Help?  www.FidelitasDevelopment.com Music Intro Music – Colony House – Buy “2:20” on iTunes Outro Music – Skillet – Buy “Lions” on iTunes