Valuable marketing information to help your horse business succeed.
I just read a news report stating that more people are posting their classified advertising on the Internet instead of in printed newspapers. So if you are still only posting your horses for sale in your local paper seriously reconsider the Internet as your top choice for horse ads.
If you rely on your horses for income, you are going to have to have good marketing skills just like any other business. That’s right, horses don’t sell themselves! If you are a breeder, riding instructor, trainer, boarding facility, or horse dealer, you are going to need to reach and impress your potential customers in order to sell them your products and services. How do you do that? Just follow the steps illustrated below and you’ll be well on your way to enjoying a successful horse-related business!
1.) Know who your customers are. Who needs your products and services? If you are a training facility, then people with untrained horses need you. If you are a boarding facility, then horse owners who don’t have space at home for their horses need you. If you are a riding instructor, then your potential customers are anyone who wants to learn how to ride horses. You get the picture! A big part of making sure your horse business works is identifying your customers.
2.) Find out where your customers hang out. Where do horse people congregate? At feed and tack stores, at horse shows, at online horse-related web sites and chat rooms, to name just a few. Now break it down even further. Let’s say you are a breeder of Morgan horses. Sure, you’ll find some Morgan enthusiasts at the tack shop and feed store, but you’ll likely find them in droves at breed-specific shows. Find out what newspapers and magazines your potential customers read as well.
I just found this news release about a new horse business started by a young person named, Alyssa Hapgood: Teenager’s patent leads to family business
Your business is your heart and soul, but for everyone else receiving your business card it is just another advertisement in a day filled with ads every which way they turn. So how can you design your business cards so that they attract and hold someone’s attention so they will pocket the card and use it later?
Horses are know for running and jumping, but now there are a few that have taken up painting. They hold the paintbrush in their mouth and nod and swing their head while applying paint to canvas or paper. I bet some of these horse artist have sold more paintings than some human artist.
Horse business owners take note that the owners of these horse painters know how to get publicity; publicity equals more sales. Check out the PR news on Romeo and Juliet – newspapers, web sites, blogs, horse magazines to bird magazines. What does your horse or horse business do that is a bit different – news worthy ? – well get the news out with press releases and blog postings!
In July of 2006 Bryan Tilghman contacted me about purchasing a horse logo design for a horse hoof product he was working on marketing. The product idea seemed sound to me and I was impressed with the fact that he seemed to have done his homework by researching the available product options and markets.
Too many people contact me wanting to start some kind of horse business, but they haven’t done ANY research at all. I have even turned down logo clients telling them to rethink their marketing plan (like make one in the first place) and then get back with me.
The birth of a business idea
You are going to spend a ton of time, effort, and money building up your horse business to become a success you don’t want to make it harder by saddling it with a bad name.
Your business needs a name and tag line that is imaginative and memorable.
Step 1. Gather your herd:
Hi, I am Joni Solis and this is where I share my love of horses and help horse business owners with helpful articles. Looking for professional horse graphics visit my site: Horse-Logos.
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