Advertise and market like a millionaire with tips from some of the best in the performance-horse business.
By Megan Arszman
With so many options for marketing and advertising—social media, digital, print—it’s easy to get lost in a flurry of ideas and things to do for your business, whether you just hung out your shingle as an NRHA Professional or have been in it for years. You want to be everywhere: Facebook, Instagram, NRHA Reiner, arena signage, etc. You want everyone to know who you are. But are you guilty of having champagne, rather, single-barrel bourbon marketing dreams on a clearance sale 24-pack beer budget?
It’s easy to want to mimic the marketing plans of the most visible riders and programs, but it’s important to step back and take the time to create a brand, develop a plan for your business and continue to work hard in the saddle, so you can be successful in the marketing arena.
But how tough can it be? We spoke with Cam Essick, owner of Pacific Range design group and consultant to many NRHA Professionals, and Kelsey Price, marketing professional and wife of Kole Price. Here we’ll cover:
Part 3: Traditional Marketing Campaigns
Part 4: Treating Yourself Like a Prospect
Treating Yourself Like a Prospect
Essick likens an NRHA Professional to a college sport recruit.
“You’re no different than a guy playing baseball or football in college,” she says. “You have all these recruiters looking at the details of what you do and looking at similar recruits, trying to find the best prospect.”
The owners are the recruiters, and they’re looking for that trainer who not only can successfully train and show their horse, but can work together with them to build a relationship that will last.
And most important in that relationship is to be honest in what you can do in the arena and in the barn, then stick with that to make it a specialization, says Essick.“I believe everybody is good at something, but not everybody is good at everything. I think you need to find what you do well, make sure that you can back it up every day, not just one year, and then go forward with that. But realize that you can’t be an Andrea Fappani if you’re not Andrea Fappani. You can’t be a Shawn Flarida or a Todd Bergen if you’re not Shawn or Todd. Just be really mindful and honest. The rest will come.”
