I’m getting honest about two pitfalls I experienced when I first started out, how I adjusted my mindset and strategy to fix them, and why it’s been a game changer. Of course, you’ll get plenty of practical and actionable help to keep you from falling prey to those same pitfalls in your own horse business.
Welcome to the show notes! Remember, this is a brief summary from the How to Market Your Horse Business podcast. You'll want to listen to the entire episode for all the good stuff!
When I first started my business, I wanted to make the most of social media to build my potential customer base. Sound familiar? That’s because I was doing what many of you have likely been doing to market my business online.
I was creating helpful content, writing blog posts on my website related to marketing for small businesses, and sharing them on social media.
But, that was not connecting me with potential customers. At all.
So, what was I doing wrong?
Two main pitfalls were holding me back, keeping me from booking clients and customers using social media.
If you’re not getting traction on social media, they’re likely true for you too.
Two Pitfalls Keeping You From Booking Clients and Customers Using Social Media
You’re confused about your audience. The audience I was trying to target at first —small businesses—is HUGE. And, broad in terms of their desire, problems, and how I was best suited to help them in their business. I needed to get very clear (and specific) on who I was best-fit to serve. What specific problem do they have that I’m solving? How am I communicating that with effective messaging? And, what’s my promise to my audience in regards to their business? If we as equestrian entrepreneurs can’t answer that question, there’s a slim chance that our social media marketing is going to effectively answer it for potential costumers.
You have no personal voice, connection or brand. All of the content I was creating at first wasn’t exactly packed with personality. And, I certainly didn’t show my face or talk about myself much. I thought I just needed to provide value in my social media content. My personal why of Stormlily Ranch was the drive for the business and I knew I wasn’t looking to build a big marketing agency on the back of my own personal brand. And, let’s be honest. Imposter syndrome is 100% real for equestrian entrepreneurs. But, I was wrong. (More on that below.)
When I fixed these two key pieces of my own marketing, things started to change in my business. In other words, I started connecting with the RIGHT people on social media, building an email list of qualified leads, and booking clients that were 100% a right fit.
How’d I do it?
Two Keys to Making Social Media Work for Your Horse Business
(AKA How to FINALLY Book Clients on Social Media)
Clarify your audience. Getting clear on who you’re speaking to in your marketing is a non-negotiable in marketing. You must know who you’re best fit to serve. It takes hard work to niche down and be specific. But, from that clarity, the content floods will start coming. As you do the work to narrow down your audience, don’t be afraid to keep learning and refining.
Own your voice. Can we just acknowledge this can be scary? I get it! Good news, though. You do not have to try to do and be what everyone else is doing. Remember: People buy from people. There’s a reason even big-name brands work with individuals AKA influencers. People buy from people. So, as you’re marketing your horse business online, learn to embrace what sets you apart. As you do, you’ll make those personal connections with the right people that will turn into your customers.
IMPORTANT NOTE: These two keys are listed in this order for a reason.
If you do what I did and start creating social media content before you even know who you’re trying to reach, it’s going to likely fall very flat. Even if you’re incorporating your personal voice into the content.
You don’t get on a horse and go show before grooming or even putting a saddle on.
It’s the same with your marketing. There are key steps to follow.
That’s why I’ve named the marketing framework I teach in Take the Reins, my 1:1 coaching program, Saddle Up & Go.
You cannot skip steps and expect long-term, sustainable results!
What is Take the Reins?
Take the Reins is a personalized 1:1 coaching program for equestrian entrepreneurs who want to create a cohesive social media, website, and email marketing strategy in just 3 months.
If you’re an equestrian entrepreneur who has a vision for your business—you know where you want to go, you just need a leg up to get your marketing in line with your goals—Take the Reins was designed to help you get there.
Of course, you'll want to listen to the full episode to dig into each of the insights I shared and discover how you can apply each one in your horse business!
Links Mentioned In This Episode
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