Heat up your marketing efforts this winter with these thought-starters.
By Jennifer Paulson
The first of the year brings a little time for some rest and relaxation and, hopefully, a lot of motivation to kick your marketing game into gear! Spend a little of your down time planning the first few months of your annual marketing strategy to set yourself up for success the entire year. Here are a few ideas to get your New Year efforts off to a great start.
Reflect on 2021. Spend time sharing your reflections on the past year to highlight successes, key learnings, and gratitude. Record a video or write a blog post about the year’s achievements, and post it to your social media accounts and in your newsletter.
Blog about new goals. The benefit of sharing your goals is threefold. First, sharing your aspirations for the year inspires your audience and shares your process for what you want to accomplish in the New Year. Second, there’s a written record of your goals to hold you accountable. Third, you have great content to build from the entire year! It’s a jackpot of a post. Share your goals blog on your social media accounts and via your email list for amped-up engagement.
Keep highlighting your stars. If you chronicled your horses’ trips to year-end events such as the NRHA Futurity & Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships, don’t stop now! Share how you help them recover from a strenuous major event, what your vet goes over to ensure that their health is 100%, and how they get to unwind. Use Instagram Stories to post short video diaries of your horses to give people a look behind the scenes.
Share winter travel tips. Safety is a top concern when hauling to events in unpredictable winter weather. Share your best tips—especially if they can be tied to your sponsors—for weathering winter travel to help keep everyone safe on the road.
Post your show schedule. By sharing your potential show schedule, you demonstrate openness and accessibility to fans. Only post it if you’re willing to do two things: keep the calendar updated and meet with fans who come to a show to watch you.
Share “inside” tips. If you spend cold days reorganizing your tack room, cleaning gear, or straightening up your trailer, share these moments with your audience. They’ll engage with the content, which boosts your visibility and provides educational service to your fans.
