3plains
3plains is a privately held, full-service digital marketing agency founded in 2003 in Minneapolis that exclusively serves outdoor recreation SMBs, delivering web design, SEO/PPC, creative services and a proprietary CMS tailored to hunting, fishing, outfitter and conservation clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersMinneapolis, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What 3plains does
3plains is a privately held, full-service digital marketing agency headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, founded in 2003 by Ryan Trask and focused exclusively on the outdoor recreation industry. The company provides three integrated service lines: web services (responsive website design, custom development, hosting and its proprietary 3plains CMS), internet marketing (SEO, PPC, local SEO, retargeting, social media, email and SMS marketing, content marketing and digital strategy), and creative and design (logos, print materials, video production, photography, panoramic/virtual tours, aerial photography and trade show exhibits).
Its core technology is the proprietary 3plains CMS, a content management system built specifically for outdoor-industry websites, supporting unlimited pages, photo galleries, slideshows, video embedding, a contact-form builder with auto-responders, a lead management system with marketing integration, and an optional e-commerce module supporting Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Amex and PayPal. A web-based client portal ties website management, email services, Google Analytics and the email marketing platform into a single operational surface for SMB clients.
3plains earns revenue through a blend of project-based creative and website work (logos, brochures, business cards, full site builds) and recurring monthly retainers for internet marketing, hosting, maintenance and service plans. Customers are predominantly small and medium outdoor businesses (hunting outfitters, lodges and ranches; fishing guides and charters; shooting and firearms retailers; outdoor product retailers; and outdoor tourism/hospitality), with additional work for conservation nonprofits and major hunting/fishing advocacy organizations. The company operates as a remote agency across three U.S. time zones with offices in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Nashville and Colorado Springs, and sells through a consultative, quote-based inside-sales motion supported by referral and trade-show channels. No external funding or institutional ownership is disclosed.
3plains firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 3plains
- Legal name
- 3plains
- Website
- https://3plains.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- 3plains is a privately held, full-service digital marketing agency founded in 2003 in Minneapolis that exclusively serves outdoor recreation SMBs, delivering web design, SEO/PPC, creative services and a proprietary CMS tailored to hunting, fishing, outfitter and conservation clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where 3plains is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Minneapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
3plains business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Web Design & Development Services: Custom website design, website redesign, web development, managed WordPress, CMS implementation, website hosting, and maintenance services. Primarily project-based with ongoing maintenance contracts.
- Internet Marketing Services: SEO (organic and local), PPC/Google Ads management, social media marketing, email marketing, content marketing, retargeting, SMS marketing, and digital strategy services. Typically recurring monthly retainer arrangements.
- Creative & Design Services: Logo design, print design, brochure design, business card design, graphic design, rack card design, video production, photography, panoramic/virtual tours, aerial photography, and trade show exhibit design. Project-based services.
- Service Plans & Maintenance: Ongoing website maintenance, service plans, domain name management, and email hosting services. Recurring revenue through service plan subscriptions.
- 3plains CMS Platform Licensing: Proprietary CMS platform offered as part of website packages. Clients manage their own content through the platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Bronze Business Card Design - Standard single-sided design |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Silver Business Card Design - Double-sided design |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Gold Business Card Design - Premium fully custom design |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
3plains product offering
Product offeringCore offering
3plains is a full-service outdoor marketing agency delivering web design and development (including its proprietary 3plains CMS platform), internet marketing (SEO, PPC, local SEO, social media, email, content, retargeting, SMS), and creative design (logo, print, video, photography, panoramic virtual tours, aerial photography, trade show exhibits). All services are tailored to the hunting, fishing, outfitter, lodge, ranch, and conservation organization segments of the outdoor industry, sold primarily through a quote-based direct sales model with recurring monthly retainers for marketing and maintenance engagements.
Product overview
3plains is a full-service outdoor marketing agency that operates as a unified services platform rather than a modular software product. The company offers three core service divisions: Web Services (responsive website design, custom development, managed WordPress, hosting, and their proprietary 3plains CMS platform), Internet Marketing (SEO, PPC, local SEO, retargeting, social media, email marketing, content marketing, digital strategy, and SMS marketing), and Creative & Design (custom logo design, print materials, brochures, business cards, graphic design, rack cards, video production, photography, panoramic/virtual tours, aerial photography, trade show design, and infographics). The 3plains CMS is the company's proprietary content management system that powers client websites, featuring built-in tools for contact forms, lead management, photo galleries, slideshows, video embedding (Vimeo/YouTube), blogging, and optional e-commerce capabilities. Clients access services through a web-based Client Portal that integrates website management, email services, Google Analytics, and email marketing tools. The company specializes exclusively in the outdoor industry (hunting, fishing, outfitters, lodges, ranches) and has been operating since 2003.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Web Services Comprehensive web development, design, hosting, and maintenance services for outdoor industry businesses, including responsive website design/redesign, custom development, managed WordPress, CMS implementation, hosting, maintenance plans, domain management, and email hosting. Sold to outdoor businesses as project builds with recurring hosting/maintenance.
- Internet Marketing Full digital marketing service suite for outdoor businesses including Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay-Per-Click (PPC), Local SEO & Marketing, Retargeting, Social Media Marketing, Email Marketing, Content Marketing, Digital Strategy & Review, and SMS Marketing. Typically delivered under recurring monthly retainer arrangements.
- Creative & Design Creative design services tailored for outdoor businesses including custom logo design, print design, brochure design, business card design, graphic design, rack card design, video production, photography, panoramic/virtual tours, and trade show exhibit design. Project-based offerings.
- 3plains CMS (Content Management System) Proprietary content management system purpose-built for outdoor industry websites, enabling unlimited page creation, photo gallery management, slideshow tools, navigation management, video embedding (Vimeo/YouTube), blogging, configurable contact forms with lead management, optional e-commerce/online store module, and built-in SEO optimization tools. Allows clients to manage multiple websites under one account.
- Client Portal Web-based portal for existing 3plains clients to access and manage their account, including website management, email services, Google Analytics, and email marketing tools under a unified login.
- Email Marketing Platform Dedicated email marketing platform hosted at emailmarketing.3plains.com enabling clients to manage email campaigns; website contact forms automatically flow into the email marketing system to support downstream marketing automation.
- eCommerce Module Optional e-commerce add-on module for the 3plains CMS enabling secure online sales with payment processing for Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Amex, and PayPal, including basic terms of service and privacy statement templates.
- Photography Services Professional on-site photography services for hunting lodges, fishing operations, and outdoor businesses, including still photography, panoramic photography, aerial/drone photography, and photo editing.
- Panoramic / Virtual Tours 360-degree virtual tours and panoramic photography services for hunting land, hunting lodges, and fishing lodges, produced using fish-eye lens photography and photo stitching, requiring on-site visits.
- Aerial Photography Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Income growth of 40% reported after switching to 3plains marketing services
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use 3plains
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
3plains technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
3plains partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered notable and minor.
- Pheasants Forevernotable3plains supports Pheasants Forever as a partner, working on brand identity refreshes and logo designs. Pheasants Forever is North America's leader in upland habitat conservation efforts.
- Delta Waterfowlnotable3plains supports Delta Waterfowl, a major waterfowl conservation organization.
- National Rifle Association (NRA)notable3plains supports NRA, the prominent firearms advocacy organization.
- Ducks Unlimitednotable3plains supports Ducks Unlimited, a major waterfowl conservation organization.
- National Wild Turkey Federationnotable3plains supports National Wild Turkey Federation, dedicated to wildlife conservation.
- Rocky Mountain Elk Foundationnotable3plains supports Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, focused on elk conservation.
- Paralyzed Veterans of Americanotable3plains supports Paralyzed Veterans of America, providing advocacy for veterans.
- Quail Forevernotable3plains supports Quail Forever, focused on quail habitat conservation.
- Brandt Screen Printing & Embroideryminor3plains refers clients to Brandt Screen Printing & Embroidery in Mankato, MN for merchandise and embroidery services.
- Safari Club International (SCI)notable3plains supports SCI, a major hunting advocacy organization.
- Dallas Safari Clubnotable3plains supports Dallas Safari Club, a regional hunting advocacy organization.
- Mule Deer Foundationnotable3plains supports Mule Deer Foundation, focused on mule deer conservation.
- Coastal Conservation Associationnotable3plains supports Coastal Conservation Association, a marine conservation organization.
- Quality Deer Management Associationnotable3plains supports QDMA, focused on deer population management and education.
- Union Sportsmen's Alliancenotable3plains supports Union Sportsmen's Alliance, focused on conservation through fellowship.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
3plains competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Disruptive Advertising: Mid-sized digital marketing agency focused on PPC, SEO, and social media for SMBs. Directly comparable to 3plains in service mix (paid media + organic) and SMB sales motion, though 3plains is more vertically specialized.
- TopSpot Internet Marketing: Digital marketing agency focused on industrial/manufacturing verticals. Comparable size and model; relevant as an example of a vertical-specialized SMB marketing agency similar to 3plains' outdoor specialization.
- KlientBoost: Digital agency specializing in PPC, landing pages, and CRO for B2B and SaaS. Comparable in team size and SMB sales-led motion; overlaps with 3plains' paid media offering though with different vertical mix.
- Straight North: Mid-sized digital marketing agency offering SEO, PPC, web design and email marketing to SMBs. Same service mix and SMB target customer as 3plains and broadly comparable scale.
- OuterBox: Full-service digital marketing agency offering web design, SEO, and e-commerce. Comparable in scope (web + marketing + creative) and SMB mid-market orientation.
Broad incumbents
- Thrive Internet Marketing Agency: Larger, established full-service digital marketing agency offering web design, SEO, PPC, social media and content. Overlaps substantively with 3plains but serves a much broader set of verticals.
- Boostability: Established white-label and direct SMB-focused digital marketing agency known for SEO. Comparable SMB target market and SEO-centric offering; broader in vertical coverage than 3plains.
- Ignite Visibility: Award-winning full-service digital marketing agency covering SEO, paid media, social, email and web design. Comparable service breadth and SMB/mid-market focus.
- WebFX: Large, established full-service digital marketing agency with proprietary technology (MarketingCloudFX) and broad SMB-to-midmarket focus. Comparable service catalog and SMB target market, but at significantly greater scale.
Emerging players
- Cardinal Group Media: Outdoor industry marketing specialist focused on hunting, fishing and conservation clients. Closest possible vertical peer to 3plains given near-identical customer base and outdoor-recreation focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
3plains social profiles
Digital presence3plains compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
3plains financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
3plains leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
3plains funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
3plains M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about 3plains
What does 3plains do?
3plains is a full-service outdoor marketing agency delivering web design and development (including its proprietary 3plains CMS platform), internet marketing (SEO, PPC, local SEO, social media, email, content, retargeting, SMS), and creative design (logo, print, video, photography, panoramic virtual tours, aerial photography, trade show exhibits). All services are tailored to the hunting, fishing, outfitter, lodge, ranch, and conservation organization segments of the outdoor industry, sold primarily through a quote-based direct sales model with recurring monthly retainers for marketing and maintenance engagements.
Is 3plains a public or private company?
3plains is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was 3plains founded?
3plains was founded in 2003. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is 3plains based?
3plains is headquartered in Minneapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does 3plains make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Web Design & Development Services are the primary driver. The others are internet Marketing Services, creative & Design Services, service Plans & Maintenance and 3plains CMS Platform Licensing.
Who are 3plains's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Disruptive Advertising, TopSpot Internet Marketing, KlientBoost, Straight North and OuterBox. Broad incumbents are Thrive Internet Marketing Agency, Boostability, Ignite Visibility and WebFX. Cardinal Group Media is listed as an emerging player.
Does 3plains have an API?
No public API is recorded for 3plains.