This article, written by Archer Creative, was also published in Chaff Chat.
Want to fast track successful marketing for your horse business? It’s time to get back to basics with a simple marketing plan, so you can drive more sales and acquire more customers.
When it comes to effective equestrian marketing, let’s get one thing straight: you don’t need a large team or a big budget, you need a simple, results-driven and straightforward approach.
A successful marketing plan must be scalable. From large international companies to family-run businesses, effective marketing is the key cornerstone to making sales. And making sales means your equine business is growing.
So, where do you start?
Part One of this four-part series explained the first steps of writing your marketing plan, while Part Two delved into the fundamentals of print, online and event marketing. Now, we review the channels that will excite your customers – content marketing, promotions and giveaways, and your all-important marketing materials.
Content Marketing
Perhaps one of the most powerful marketing tools available to you, content marketing is the creation of interesting, entertaining or valuable content – be it text, image, audio or video – that will appeal to your customers. When done well, it can position you as authoritative and credible and, ultimately, build trust with your customer.
What content marketing is not is a mouthpiece for your equine business. When developing content and finding opportunities for sharing it, it’s essential you remember the 80/20 rule. More than 80% of the content you create, should be customer-focused, not promotional. Content that is inherently company-centric will simply fall flat.
As you continue developing your marketing plan, content marketing should play a key role in all of your activities. Are you attending an event or trade show? Are you running a six month advertising campaign? Are you starting up a Facebook page? All of these offer opportunities for sharing winning content.
Promotions and Giveaways
Everyone loves a freebie, but promotions and giveaways that truly add value to your equine business must fulfil three important essentials. Memorable and successful promotions must (1) tap into your business goals, (2) represent your brand well and (3) appeal to your customers.
Beyond discounts and free samples, the best promotions and giveaways create brand experiences your prospects and customers will remember, and want to share with their friends. Leaving a positive and lasting impression, the most successful promotions and giveaways engage and reward customers, while making social sharing easy.
Promotions and giveaways add strength to your marketing efforts and give you an edge at your next event. Start by developing 3-4 promotions and giveaways that tie in with your planned marketing activities. Identify how these campaigns will fulfil your marketing objectives, and keep your customers front and centre.
Marketing Materials
Next, it’s time to determine how your branding will tie all of these together. Your brand is more than simply your logo; it encompasses everything people see, hear, think and feel about your equine business.
From your logo and business cards, to your flyers, adverts and shopping bags, your marketing materials embody the look and feel of your equine business. These marketing materials are the tangible items that prospects use to find you and customers will recall when they choose to do business with you.
That’s why it’s so crucial you invest time and resources in developing marketing materials that add visual appeal. Distracted design and careless copy can be a real turn-off for prospects seeing your business for the first time, while polished and professional materials set you apart from your competitors.
Want to read more? Stay tuned for Part Four on referral programs, joint ventures and partnerships, and reviewing your marketing plan. We’ll wrap up this discussion with insight into the relationships that add strength to your marketing objectives.
Looking for some outside support? Don’t wait for success, create it — with the experts in equine marketing, Archer Creative. To learn more about how we can help you exceed your growth goals, call us on 1300 077 126 or visit www.archercreative.net.au.
