Which digital equestrian marketing channels should I use for my equestrian business?

Equestrian Digital Marketing is now vital for horse business’ to stay relevant. Equestrian Marketing has evolved from the traditional marketing of cold calling, door knocking and SPAM emails to digital marketing including SEO, social media, and blogging. Equestrian Marketing is no longer about what you are selling but a contest for your customer’s attention.

So, what is equestrian digital marketing?  Digital marketing encompasses all marketing efforts that use an electronic device or the internet. With digital marketing, the goal is to reach and connect with the right people, on the right channels at the best time with a compelling message and a great experience.

With so many channels of digital marketing it can be daunting to know which one fits your equestrian business. The truth is that picking just one of these strategies is not going to help your digital marketing efforts. Instead they work best when it all works together.

What makes a great horse website?

• Easy to follow content – Keep your sentences short and your content relevant to the topic.
• A catchy front page – Hook your audience in within 5 seconds. If they don’t like what they see within the first initial 5 seconds you have lost them.
• Mobile friendly – Think about how your website will look on a mobile device.
• Simple design – Keep your website clean and uncluttered
• Easy to navigate – If your customers get lost they will just leave
• Images – Ensure that your images are of high quality and that you have the right to use them. If possible always take photos yourself.

There are two types of search marketing:

Organic/free search results – These are built up through your SEO (search engine optimisation)

Paid search – These are the results that come from Google Ads – formally known as Google Adwords. These are great to get initial interest in your website but are usually unsustainable. Unless you have a million-dollar budget to spend.

Read our blog about getting your business found online here.

Why should horse businesses use social media?

• Create relationships with potential customers
• Connect with the community before commerce
• Share content that people find valuable or entertaining
• Give people a reason to trust your brand
• Be memorable

For more tips on using social media here.

Why send marketing emails?

• Reach people who want to be reached
• You can share products and promotions
• Build trust
• Reach people in a more intimate way
• Automated campaigns make life easier

Whatever emails you’re sending, it’s critical that you consider what you’re trying to accomplish and structure your message and strategy accordingly. To make your life easier you can use platforms like Mailchimp or campaign monitor.

Read our six tips for sending successful emails here.