Getting people in the door has always been a key factor and discussed many times. I recommend you think like someone who doesn't know anything about slotcars. Where are they? What do they do? What is a common denominator for cost effective advertising? What are parallel interests where advertising might catch their eye? You certainly don't want to waste money on soccer moms.
I personally believe social media is a major common factor. We all get bombarded with ads on social media no matter the platform. I personally just purchased a 12 string Hollow Body electric guitar because I saw a pop up ad on Facebook. I didn't go looking for it. I wasn't interested in buying another guitar. It wasn't really an impulse but the ad caught my eye and I saved the link until I was ready. In the end I spent in the upper hundreds for it.
I also know FB ads can be targeted with key words (racing, hot rods, cars, NASCAR) and in a zip code radius up to 50 miles. I believe you can even select age groups, gender, etc. Children don't have money. But single fathers in their 30's are looking for something to do with their kids. So maybe you get the father in on a weekend and mention week night racing too, or whenever your competition racing is.
Ads can cost as little as $5. ( We would spend $20-50 per ad when launching Caveman Bodeez back in the day) So a low budget can put your track in front of people's faces on a regular basis. Oh, and you can select the dates for your ad to be displayed.
For your area, I would select a zip code that covers the most population or maybe two zip codes that have your store on the outer edge of the radius. That would stretch you reach a bit farther. Maybe into Providence and then another zip to cover Boston and north/ north west. You can play with the ad map for the best coverage.
Last thing is create a post that has several pictures or videos where people can see the cars and not just a blur. People won't know the blur is a slot car. Remember they don't know what a slotcar is. Several clear pictures cars and enough text so interested people are forced to open it. Get your best painter to do up a body of something that is recognizable, hardbody NASCAR or a drag car comes to mind. But something they will know and catch their eye at a glance for the main picture. Include an overall pic of the place when it's full so it looks like lots of people are doing this and its the place to be. I would also include some pictures of inside the store/tracks empty ( clean, well lit and friendly), the outside ( so they know what to look for if they come) and a straight on pic of your sign. ( again so they know what to look for). Include a link to your tracks social media accounts. Hopefully your media has more for folks to look at beside three guys and race results.
Maybe talk to several of your customers and offer some free track time for picture night. Have them dress a little better then normal. no vulgar shirts etc.
I made this video years ago when we had our store and YouTube was the only media at the time. But we had racers come in one Saturday with changes of cloths and all the cars they owned to set up many of these shots. Other parts were videoed during actual races. I edited everything with free software over a few days replaying it over and over and over and over, making sure you could see everything with time to truly see the objects in the pictures.
https://youtu.be/ojh...czH2wYHFT-UoL8Z
We would do a yearly car show with free racing that day too.
Don't forget to ask new customers where they heard about you? It will provide information for future ads on what platform to post or not. If twitter doesn't bring in customers, no reason to spend money there.
Pm me if you would like more information and I will give you my phone and we can talk.
