Marketing your business used to centre around magazine advertising, but these days you can publicise yourself well on little or no money thanks to the internet and the rise of social media. PR, marketing and social media expert Rhea Freeman, a speaker at the Equestrian Employer Association’s conference last month, gives her advice for promoting equestrian businesses online.
1. Do your research
Think about your target market and where your audience hangs out. Are they found reading magazines, viewing websites or on social media? If it’s the latter which platforms do they prefer?
2. Social media is free, so why not use it?
“As well as not needing to cost anything, social media also allows you to promote yourself whenever you like. You are in control of when and how you promote yourself and what content you put out there,” explains Rhea.
3. “While social media is good for the above reasons, you don’t own it. If it goes offline then that can cause you problems. Algorithms on social media can also be tricky but everyone has to work within them; try not to get too frustrated by them as at the end of the day social media is a free tool,” says Rhea.
4. All businesses should have a website even if it’s only a basic one
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A free website will help your SEO (search engine optimisation) and as well as visually representing your brand it also lets people know who you are.
“These days most people will Google people who they aren’t familiar with to find out about them. If they don’t have a website it makes you think ‘how legit are they?’” continues Rhea.
5. “You own your website so you can do what you like with it. You can’t do that with Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms. If social media breaks down and you lose that presence, you still have a website and the ability to contact your client list (if you have a database set up) which ensures your business remains credible,” concludes Rhea.
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Working on a freelance basis, Emily has attended a wide range of horse shows and events as Horse & Hound’s onsite reporter, as well as writing features for both the magazine and website since 2004. Emily assisted the British Horse Society with the launch of its national equestrian awards initiative, and also plays a key role in the press teams for major sporting events including Wimbledon and the London Marathon.
