How to Attract an Audience for Your Equestrian Business with a Brand Strategy that Works

Why Brand your Equine Business Anyway?

Ok, follow me with this…

It’s 4 pm on Friday. Your workday is just about to end… you have a screaming headache. You need something to help, and you need it now. Go to the medicine aisle at your local market and what do you grab? Advil… because “You can’t hit pain much harder.” 

Or, you stroll into your local tack shack looking for new boots. What’s at the front of your brain? Tony Lamas… “Handcrafted since 1911.”

How about finding the best online store to buy horse products? SmartPak “See why riders love us!” Or, State Line Tack “We make riding affordable.” 

Get the message? Your BRAND is everything. Truly the difference between someone picking your product over the one next to it on the shelf. Or click on your link instead of the one above or below you. 

But, how do you go about creating an equine brand marketing plan to draw attention to your business? Cuz Lord knows, creating your business from the ground up was a job in itself. 

You must start by outlining your branding ideas.  A road map, if you will, to help you design the perfect equine brand strategy.

How to Create a Clear Brand Strategy for your Equestrian Small Business

Define Your Brand Story

Number one on your to-do list!   

Who the heck are you and what do you offer? 

It’s time to clarify your equine business marketing message.

You need to be crystal clear here. The best way to do that is to put yourself in your customer’s shoes. See things from their point of view. Their perspective. What do they think or feel when they interact with your brand? How does your product or service impact them? How does it make them feel about themselves?

Start by determining your company’s mission: 

• What is the goal behind what you are selling? 

• What are you doing for people to make their life better or easier? 

• What problem do you solve?

• How are you honoring your customer’s journey?

• What is the heart and soul of your business? 

• What do you want people to know about you, your company, and your product?

Create a clear and defined message to answer all of these questions. Even allow questions your customers ask to drive your direction. 

The more in-depth you get with your answers, the more defined your brand story will be. Leave no rock unturned, my friends.

Clarify Your Target Market

Who is your ideal client? 

Do you know who they want to become or who they hope to be? These are the kinds of questions you need to ask yourself when formulating your branding plan. Because ultimately, the goal behind your branding is to help your ideal customers figure out who they are and where they are going. Help your clients transform into the person they strive to be. The version of themselves they seek.

In the discovery, they learn WHY and HOW your product helps them get there.

Do investigative research and learn about your ideal client. You need to know what they think and how they think it. Read here to get down to the nitty-gritty of learning about your ideal client.

Integrate Your Business

Everything about your horse business needs to fit together. Your company name, logo, product, and business presence all need to link together in some way. You want to have a clear and consistent message to present to your current customers and future customers. 

Think about creating an elevator pitch. What’s that you ask? If you are in an elevator with someone and they ask “What’s your business about?” How would you answer before you get to the next floor?

You need a one-liner to answer that question before the elevator doors open and you walk out.   Words to identify your product… your company. 

Create a catchy phrase that makes people think of what your business provides them when they hear it. What your business stands for and what you offer your clients. You want your clients to visualize themselves using your product. See themselves in the product. As if you created the product solely for them. 

But, how do craft an elevator pitch? 

Put the message of your business in 5 words or less. Pick something quickly recognizable and memorable. Be sure to accentuate the benefits of your company, not the features of your company. What is it about your specific product or service that sets your equine business apart from others in the industry? How is your business going to solve the consumer’s problem or need?

A word on creating your logo. Use a professional or a talented person you know to create your equestrian business logo. Make your first one your best one. Some small businesses come up with a logo and change it after a while because they don’t like it. This can be risky because people will remember the first one. Take your time to create the perfect logo for you and your equine-based business.

Collect and Harvest Social Proof for Your Equine Business

What’s that? 

Well, your social proof lets your current and potential customers know about the quality of what you sell. Giving them an idea of what they can expect from your business. 

But, how do you get there? Where do you find social proof for your business?

The big one — You start with an excellent customer experience. Let your past and current customers speak to the experience they enjoyed with your business through testimonials and/or reviews. 

Let your customers know, “What you see is in fact what you get.” No smoke and mirrors here, people. Show your audience that your equine business is an actual authority in the industry. 

Let them know you stand behind your business and will guarantee their satisfaction. Let your customers see your brand values. 

Reassure your customers as your business grows and evolves, your quality will remain the same.

Learn more about cultivating social proof for your equestrian business with The Business Animal podcast #5.

Building Customer Loyalty

You want your customers, future customers, and people in your industry to trust you 100%. Your business influences direction in your industry. Tell your audience you are experienced and know what you’re doing. 

You are essentially making a promise to your customers. 

You want to create a bond with them. So… when dry spells hit, and I’m telling you… they will, your customers will stick by your side. No matter if your business goes up or down in any given period, you have your loyal customers to keep your business going. Show the horse community you are dependable. 

Business Value

People are willing to spend money when they know they are getting a solid product of excellent quality. 

Your words… your images… how your present your business directly reflects the quality of your product or services. 

Don’t skimp here if you want to drive this brand message home with your audience. Everything you put out there - your product, your services, phone messages, emails, equine images, social media posts must represent your brand in the best way possible. 

Brand Focus

It’s a tough world out their folks. Running a small animal-based business sure isn’t for the weary at heart. Stay focused and consistent. 

It is so easy to feel like you have to do all the things to market your business when in reality you need to research the places that consumers are likely to be looking for the product or service you provide. 

Those are the areas that you should be focusing your time and energy on. 

It's not necessary to be on all the platforms creating unique content. Focus on your niche and develop yourself as the go-to person for that product or service... just because other businesses around you are trying to do "all the things" doesn't mean that you have to.

Remember, a solid and focused brand message gives you an edge over your competitor.

Images for your Horse Business

Honestly, the images you use are the face of your business. Plain and simple. They are the first impression of your business. And a powerful image often stays with someone longer than the words do. On your social sights, powerful horse images draw your viewers in and make them want to read what you have to say and engage in what you are offering. Oftentimes, people simply enjoy looking at a beautiful picture of a horse. 

I kid you not, photography is the BEST way to highlight your equestrian brand. Don’t use adequate photos from your iPhone or free images off the internet. 

This is your business. YOUR business. Why settle for anything less than the best. 

Connect with Fast Horse Photography today and plan a customized equestrian branding photography session. A session designed specifically for YOUR brand, YOUR business. Tailored to meet the needs of your brand strategy. Beautiful horse images for social media ads, equine magazine ads, billboards, book covers, website design, equine and equestrian products and services, marketing material, and anything else you are looking for. 

Read all about an equine branding session with Fast Horse Photography right here. 

Maybe you need equestrian photos for a branding project you are working on RIGHT NOW? Fast Horse Photography has a vast selection of licensable stock images for ALL your equine branding needs. Add your logo, tagline, and wording and you have a solid marketing tool in minutes. Easy as 1...2...3.

Lookin’ for more ideas to strengthen your marketing strategy? Head on over to the Business Animal Podcast with excellent ideas and powerful marketing solutions for your animal-based businesses.

If you want an edge over your competitors. If you are trying to make a splash in the equine industry… start by formulating a strategic plan for your equestrian business brand. Once you have your plan, take action and set up your branding photoshoot. 

Follow these steps to become an industry leader with a loyal customer base who return to you over and over again for the answers to their problems.

Contact Fast Horse Photography to set up your equine branding photo session today!

What’s holding you back from making your business a diamond in the rough?