Diversity and inclusion within the equine industry is often a subject of debate. On one hand, we have a sport in which men and women can compete on equal terms in events, including the Olympics, however there are many other areas where we lack diversity and inclusion. The EQuerry / Co Team feel incredibly lucky that we are able to live and work with horses, so therefore we feel a responsibility to help create an industry where everyone can feel welcome.

It goes without saying that social media is a powerful tool when it comes to any equine business. The content you share on social media has the power to transform your equestrian brand from a nervous, unbroken 3-year-old into a competitive 4* event horse. However, it can be tricky to communicate what makes your brand unique and stand out from your competitors, which is why we’ve put together a guide for creating the perfect social media strategy.

Even in this digital era, email marketing is still considered more effective than social media, SEO, and affiliate marketing. We’re not saying that social media isn’t an invaluable marketing tool, but unlike email marketing, it’s nearly always dependent on the social network’s algorithm. With 3.8 billion email users worldwide, and over 90% of consumers checking their emails daily, the power of email marketing is undeniably great. Here are a few ways in which email marketing can benefit your equine business…

Your website is an integral part of your business as it can help you find new customers, increase reach within your niche, or raise your brand awareness. Checking your website regularly is a great habit to get into! And it’s much better finding problems yourself rather than hearing it from customers. We specifically picked these 5 checks because they can be easily forgotten but could have a surprisingly harmful effect on your brand’s reputation and growth.

Evergreen content, named after evergreen trees which keep their leaves all year round, is similar in that the content remains ‘fresh’ year after year. Evergreen content has a timeless subject matter, with no real expiration date, and can be repurposed - especially useful if you’re a rather busy equestrian business owner!

Website design is an indispensable aspect of digital marketing. Your website should be consistent with your horse brand’s overall image and feel, while accurately reflecting the purpose of your equine business. Your competitors may be just a click away, so if your website doesn’t meet the needs of your users, they’re likely to move on. When designing your website, try to make every decision from the customer’s point of view, and therefore make their visit as pleasant as possible.

Acquiring substantial visibility on Google has never been so important for sustained business growth, so we’re helping you learn the ins and outs of Google My Business to boost your SEO. Google My Business is a platform that every equine business owner wanting to be visible on Google should be taking advantage of.

It’s undeniable that the link between colour and brand identity is a strong one, and as you’re probably aware, each colour comes with often strong emotions and associations. Colour is a powerful communication tool, and colour psychology can be used to trigger particular behaviours in your customers. What are your brand’s colours and how are they building and contributing to your overall image?

Unlike WordPress, Squarespace does not need any SEO plugins. Yoast is a must-have for WordPress websites to make them as search engine-friendly as possible. And while Yoast does have its uses, its important you’re aware of its limitations too, so you can choose the best platform to build you equine business' website.

Many equine businesses are realising the value of having a strong brand ambassador program to help increase brand awareness, particularly online and social media. 92% of consumers are much more likely to believe recommendations from family and friends than direct messaging from a brand itself. Here’s some key characteristics that we believe should be prioritised during your search for your perfect brand ambassador.

Following the blog that Charlotte from Herd it Here Creative wrote for us a few weeks back, we felt it was necessary to discuss the topic further. Please see Christine, the EQuerry/Co MD and Founder, speak on the weekly The Creative Cowshed live, covering all things Squarespace vs Wordpress.

Business school can teach you a lot. But what about a few years after when the technology has advanced and you are behind on the trending marketing techniques. We are here to show you some fantastic marketing tricks that are not learned in business school, including grammar checks and marketing targets to help boost your equine business’ growth.

Instagram stories should not be overlooked by businesses; they can be used to increase engagement and to receive instant feedback on products and services. When you have a business account on Instagram, you are able to see how many interactions you receive from individual stories, which can help you decide which to keep as permanent 'highlights'. Highlights are great for grouping easily accessible testimonials, or to include useful information for new followers, or even to help your page reflect your brand image by useful tactful cover photos.

Gone are the days where you can build a website and leave it dormant for years at a time. Websites are working harder than ever, which is why you need a content management system that works for you! That’s why Herd it Here Creative have chosen Squarespace.

We know how difficult it can be to find enough imagery that is consistent and complementary to your equine brand. This a guide to finding and making the most out of the stock images available to your horse business.

When rebranding is done for the wrong reasons, it can defeat the entire purpose of rebranding and even have a negative impact on your equine business. On average, businesses tend to have a major rebrand every 7-10 years and make lots of smaller changes in between, but this will depend on your equine business and there are no set timings on when you should rebrand.

Customer testimonials are recommendations or reviews that may be voluntary, requested, or paid for. They are an important element of your equine business’ promotion should be easily visible and accessible in your website’s design. We realise it can be difficult knowing how to ask for a customer’s recommendation but it can benefit your horse business.

We’re often asked how often businesses should post on social media, and the short answer is: as regularly as you can consistently post valuable and meaningful content. However, studies have shown the optimal posting frequencies for different platforms (facebook, instagram, pinterest, etc) so we’re reporting on how often to post on the most popular social media networks.

Social media allows equestrian brands and businesses to connect with audiences in a more meaningful way than ever before. Despite this, few know how to leverage the popular platforms to truly benefit their business! We talk you through the latest social media statistics, and have created a FREE worksheet to help you carve out a social media strategy for growing your equestrian business online.

As web design continues to evolve and the businesses offering the best customer experience generally walking off victorious, we are giving you 7 things you can do to make your equestrian website stand out to attract your ideal customers!