SEO And Marketing - How It All Started – Paint With Gunpowder

How It All Started - Marketing & SEO - What's Next

"Paint With Gunpowder" all started from a conversation I had with my brother-in-law after a B-league softball game.

I had started messing around with the idea of doing gunpowder art on a more regular basis but wasn't sure where I wanted to take it. I had told my wife about it, and she laughed and said that I should do it if I wanted to.

I had created a couple of test pieces to see what style I wanted to try but it was just a hobby and something that I enjoyed doing.

My brother-in-law Sean May lives pretty close by so he came over to see some of the finished pieces. We talked about some different ways we could market it since he was doing email marketing at the time.

He had heard about an artist that would do live streams of his pieces and then auction them off the next week. He also ran limited edition t-shirt runs where you could only get it right as he was making the piece.

I thought it was a pretty cool idea but wasn't sure how to implement it.

We had both been mulling over some ideas and then after a softball game and a couple of beers, we both agreed that we should get something going and see where it goes.

We had no idea what that meant, but it felt like the statement, "progress over perfection."

That next weekend, Sean started running some Facebook Video ads on my burn videos without telling me.

After two days, the first video had hit a million views.

He approached me at breakfast with the news.

To say the least, I was shocked!

It was a little overwhelming to know that over a million people around the world had seen my artwork. It was even more overwhelming as I started to receive hundreds of messages a day. I didn't know what to do since everyone was asking for commission pieces.

It continued to build from there since multiple videos went viral with over 40 million combined views.

Sean created a couple of ways to build an email list and started building a Shopify website so I could sell prints and my original artwork. 

He continued running a few Facebook ads while testing different audiences. In a nutshell, that is how everything started.

Now my focus is on being able to use my artwork to create something that gives back.

My new project is called "Gunpowder For Good."

I'm working with my brother-in-law and his agency 1UP SEO to hone in to be able to create something very special where I can give back and have a significant impact in the world.

Sean is helping with the branding, marketing, and search engine optimization while my wonderful and beautiful wife is helping with PR and management.

Yep, this is a family business!

I'm excited to start this new chapter and can't wait to be able to give back every day.

I also want to give a plug for my brother-in-law's company 1UP SEO, as they have done a fantastic job on our site and marketing campaign. If you are looking for more exposure for your business, they are one of the best in the business.

SEO Agency

You can find more information about them and their services on their Facebook page.