Should I Use Social Media to Grow my Equestrian Business?
Social media is a powerful marketing tool for equestrian brands and equine entrepreneurs. Whether you are looking to expand your business as an equine physiotherapist, or start your own clothing range for riders, having a presence on social media is key.
Over 4.74 billion people use social media and 93% of internet users are also on social media. This is a huge audience to market your equine business to.
Reasons to Use Social Media for Your Equestrian Business
What can social media do for your business? There are lots of ways it can benefit you, including:
Brand Awareness – helps people find out about your brand. This is where the discovery part of social media can be really useful to introduce your business to new audiences.
Traffic – social media can help drive people to your website. Do bear in mind though that social media platforms are trying to keep their users on their platform for as long as possible so traffic shouldn’t be your primary goal with social media.
Sales – ultimately our goal as businesses is to make money. Social media has a part to play in this and can be a powerful tool in generating revenue. It can be tricky to track how many sales came directly from social media. For example, someone may see your Instagram post about a jacket and then later Google the name of the product to purchase it. Or, they might watch a TikTok and then purchase the item from a tack shop after recognising. Think of social media as being part of the sales funnel.
Trust – many customers will search for your brand on their favourite social media platform to find out more. Having a professional social media presence helps to build trust and confirm you are a reputable brand. Social media can also be a good way to share your expertise to help establish your brand as a trusted expert in the industry.
Connection – social media can help you connect with your customers. You can share about your brand and the team to build an affinity for the business. It’s also a great way to speak directly to your customers and for them to reach you. More and more customers and sending a DM to ask a question or get an update about their order, rather than calling.
Which Social Media Platforms Should I Be Using for my Equestrian Business?
With lots of different social media platforms available, it can be overwhelming trying to post on them all. You don’t need to be on every social media platform. Go where your target audience is. As your business grows, you can bring in specialist help to expand your reach across multiple platforms if needed.
The main social media platforms that are useful for equestrian businesses are:
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
TikTok
Pinterest
YouTube
LinkedIn
Can I Manage my Own Social Media Accounts?
Absolutely! One of the best things about social media is that it is a free and accessible way for brands to reach new customers. Getting started is as simple as setting up an account and posting your first photo, video, pin or tweet.
Having said that, social media can be very time-consuming. Generating ideas, creating content, regularly posting and interacting with your community can draw your focus away from running other aspects of your business.
If you’re finding that you’re short on time, are unsatisfied with the results you’re getting, or simply don’t really enjoying posting on social media, then it might be time to hire someone to manage your brand’s social media.
There are different ways you can work with a social media professional or agency. This could be consulting or strategy work to help you get back on track, or full management of all your social media accounts. They should work with you to develop a social media strategy that aligns with your business’s goals.
To truly connect and build trust with your audience on social media, work with someone who has equestrian experience. This will ensure there are no mistakes that a horse person would pick up on in the posts and they will be engaging. They will also have more knowledge about industry news and the problems faced by equestrians.
Can I Just Use Social Media to Market my Equestrian Business?
No. While social media is a fantastic asset, it should only form part of your marketing strategy.
Everyone freaks out when Instagram or Facebook are down but it’s a good reminder that we don't own our social media platforms so don't have full control. It's not just outages than can cause problems but account deactivation and algorithm changes too.
It’s always beneficial to diversity your marketing to build a sustainable business. Plus, you can reach different customers through different methods. Check out this blog on 6 Ways to Market your Equestrian Business Online for some ideas.
Not sure where to start with marketing your equestrian business on social media? Check out my equestrian social media management packages or get in touch.