| If you rely on your horses for income, you are going to | | | | 4.) Know how to write a good advertisement. How |
| have to have good marketing skills just like any other | | | | you come across to your potential customers will |
| business. That's right, horses don't sell themselves! If | | | | make all the difference in the world when it comes to |
| you are a breeder, riding instructor, trainer, boarding | | | | whether or not they will choose your products and |
| facility, or horse dealer, you are going to need to reach | | | | services over those of a competitor. Be creative and |
| and impress your potential customers in order to sell | | | | give your ads a little zing! Make them memorable. Let's |
| them your products and services. How do you do | | | | say you are selling a horse. Instead of writing an ad |
| that? Just follow the steps illustrated below and you'll | | | | that only tells the horse's color, size, breed, and |
| be well on your way to enjoying a successful | | | | discipline, try adding impressive bloodlines if appropriate, |
| horse-related business! | | | | accolades won, and personality traits that you think |
| 1.) Know who your customers are. Who needs your | | | | your customers will appreciate. An ad that is personal |
| products and services? If you are a training facility, | | | | and tells the audience more than just the dry details is |
| then people with untrained horses need you. If you are | | | | sure to get a lot of response. |
| a boarding facility, then horse owners who don't have | | | | 5.) Set yourself apart by giving away some "freebies." |
| space at home for their horses need you. If you are a | | | | Give something away for free, and the customers will |
| riding instructor, then your potential customers are | | | | come to you. Your give-away can be as simple and |
| anyone who wants to learn how to ride horses. You | | | | cost-effective as an open barn day that allows the |
| get the picture! A big part of making sure your horse | | | | community to come and enjoy your facility, or your |
| business works is identifying your customers. | | | | could go large-scale and sponsor a class at a show. |
| 2.) Find out where your customers hang out. Where | | | | Remember, the goal is to get your name out there in |
| do horse people congregate? At feed and tack | | | | front of those who would benefit from your product or |
| stores, at horse shows, at online horse-related web | | | | service. Be creative! |
| sites and chat rooms, to name just a few. Now break | | | | 6.) Know that word of mouth can make you or break |
| it down even further. Let's say you are a breeder of | | | | you. Your current customers are the best |
| Morgan horses. Sure, you'll find some Morgan | | | | advertisements you have. Work to retain them, and do |
| enthusiasts at the tack shop and feed store, but you'll | | | | what you can to make them happy. They'll tell friends, |
| likely find them in droves at breed-specific shows. Find | | | | who will tell more friends, and so on. Run your business |
| out what newspapers and magazines your potential | | | | with integrity and honesty, and treat your customers |
| customers read as well. | | | | fairly. Always represent your products and services |
| 3.) Advertise! Now that you've done all that research | | | | truthfully. The old adage "under promise and over |
| to determine who your customers are, where they | | | | deliver" works well in the horse world, too! |
| hang out, and what they read, it's time to put your | | | | With a little marketing knowledge in hand, you'll have |
| product and service in front of them! Put ads in | | | | your horse business up and running in no time. Make |
| magazines and newspapers that they read, hang up | | | | sure to visit the great resources below to expand your |
| flyers at tack and feed stores, and advertise in show | | | | equine knowledge. Seek wisdom first. |
| programs. | | | | |