Running your training business is about more than wet saddle blankets.
By Megan Arszman
I started training horses because I’m not much of a people person, but I get along well with my horses.
I’m already so busy dealing with training schedules, show entries, and getting my clients to pay on time. I can’t manage anything else on my plate.
I need more horses in my barn.
Do any of these phrases sound familiar? You hung out your shingle, earned your first open paychecks, and placed your first full-color ad in all the industry publications. However, you feel like you’re missing the mark in getting your message out there in the right way to attract more clients.
Communication with the humans in the business, not just the horses, is key to a long and successful career as a trainer. It can be frustrating to know where to start, but the beauty of that is, there’s always someone there who can help you.
Jamie Samples is the owner and president of Yellow Barn Media, a marketing company with an emphasis on the horse industry, and she’s one of the first to admit that marketing is hard work.
“I agree that marketing can be overwhelming,” she says. “But, it’s a vital action to keep your business running so you don’t go bankrupt.”
Samples stresses that not doing marketing is not an option to continue running your business. It’s important to know what you do well and where you can use some help. It’s a lot like working a horse on his rundown when you just can’t seem to figure out what you’re doing wrong, so you reach out to a fellow NRHA Professional for some tips.
“Know your strengths and know who can fill your weaknesses and hire them out,” she adds. “It’s really about scheduling out a little bit of your time, putting a strategy in place and then implementing that strategy,” she continues.
In this series, Samples will cover:
Part 1: Why Facebook Isn’t Enough
Part 4: Sharing Your Knowledge
Part 5: Making a Call to Action
Choosing Your Outlets
Now you need to develop your marketing plan. Just as you plan out your show season, you need to come up with a marketing plan as to what you want to share and when. One easy way to do this is to hire someone such as Samples who can sit down and help you determine the best way to market yourself.
“I know smaller barns or younger trainers don’t have the $1,500 a month to hire somebody like me to do their stuff, but there are individuals such as myself who offer tips and can help you at least get things started on the right foot,” says Samples.
Because of the growth in popularity of social media, marketing can feel overwhelming if you don’t have a game plan. Samples has had some horsemen say they’ve heard about all the different avenues of marketing, and they’re scared of that long list of outlets that demand your time. She recommends that you choose your battles, especially if you’re doing it on your own. You don’t need to complicate things further. “Simplify it and find out where your people are and how they’re consuming their information, and then we can talk to them there,” she says.
Your website is where you market yourself as a trainer, and it needs to be updated consistently. No one wants to look at your “Upcoming Shows” page to see that you’re entered in the 2021 All American Quarter Horse Congress when it’s April 2024.
Mass emails can be helpful if you have a large clientele and you want to let everyone know what’s on tap for the week or month. Creating regular newsletters allows you to update everyone all at once, without having to answer the phone every five minutes.
Social media is where you get the most eyes because people are always looking for content. This is where you want to regularly share videos, whether they’re videos from your last show or how-to videos. Facebook and YouTube are the perfect places to share these messages. Also on social media (e.g., Facebook or Instagram) you can share your personality. This is where you want to interact with your followers so you can grow their commitment to your program.
Read the rest of this article at the links above.
