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Are newsletters dead? Should you be showing your email list a little bit more love?

Are newsletters dead?‘Are newsletters dead?’ I was asked this question on a training a few weeks ago. And I couldn’t say ‘no’ fast enough. Because I really don’t think they are. I think quality mailing lists are magic.

Are newsletters dead? Should you be showing your email list a little bit more love?


We know that not everyone you send your email to will open it. And we know that out of everyone who opens it, not everyone is going to click through and take the action/s we like… but that doesn’t mean they’re dead.

In fact, when someone gives you their email address (all done correctly, with permission, etc), they’re inviting you to contact them. Unlike social media where we’re largely hoping they see it, you’re delivered your message right into their inbox. This is hugely powerful, if you think about it, isn’t it?

You might not think that open rates are at the same levels you’d like, in a perfect world, but neither is social media reach or engagement, is it? The fact that so many people DO decide to not just acknowledge that you’ve sent them an email, but then open it to see what you have to say and spend their very precious time reading it is, again, something to consider.

There are lots of positives about newsletters and email marketing – and the good news is that it will cost you zero to find out about it (listen to the podcast as step one!), but it could also cost you zero to get started if you use any of the providers who allow you to start your list for free, and only start charging you when you pass a certain number of subscribers.

There are SO many reasons why email marketing is incredibly valuable to businesses, brands and influencers, don’t overlook it or see it as irrelevant. Unlike social media, the power to deliver the message (and have it delivered in front of the right people) is yours with an email… which is quite a big deal.

What do you think? Are you an email marketing devotee or have you *slightly* neglected your list of late and need to show it a teeny bit more care and attention?

Small & Supercharged Mastermind

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How to face significant challenges & persistent concussion syndrome with Issy Carlill & Dr Diane Adamson

How to face significant challenges & persistent concussion syndrome with Issy Carlill & Dr Diane Adamson

Not all that long ago, I had an email land in my inbox from Issy Carlill, also known as Zigzag Eventing. Issy had a story she wanted to share, that she felt would help others, and I jumped at the chance. If you’re an equestrian – you are going to enjoy this one. It’s interesting, terrifying, educational and also uplifting. It’s the kind of episode that I would not just encourage you to listen to, but I would also encourage you to share with other equestrians. Because, in all honesty, the information in it is so good- and so useful- that it really could change the game for someone…

How to face significant challenges & persistent concussion syndrome with Issy Carlill & Dr Diane Adamson


A few months ago, Issy’s two horses were involved in a road accident. Thankfully, both horses recovered and are OK, but that wasn’t the only thing going on in Issy’s world. In fact, at around the same time, Issy was diagnosed with a mild traumatic brain injury, and persistent concussion syndrome. The latter being from a concussion sustained from two years ago.

These are big subjects, so I called on Dr Diane Adamson, trauma consultant and Chief Medical Officer of BETA, to talk to us about brain injury and concussion in relation to what happened to Issy. And as you’d expect, she also offers lots of tips and information about how to deal with concussion, when to seek help, and so much more too.

These are serious subjects. This podcast is obviously not any form of medical advice at all- please contact your doctor if you have any concerns whatsoever- but I personally learnt a huge amount. I also cringed a fair amount thinking about previous injuries and how I should have responded in certain situations, after learning what really does go on inside your skull when you have concussion.

To follow Izzy online, you can find her on Instagram here. To follow Dr Di, you can find her on Instagram and on Facebook too.

Small & Supercharged Mastermind

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Ask a Masterminder- pandemic business and life lessons

This article was first published in Absolute Horse Magazine– to read this issue and any of the others, go to the Absolute Horse website

Ask a Masterminder- pandemic business and life lessons

pandemic business and life lessons

Small & Supercharged Mastermind is an online group supporting small equestrian and rural businesses and, as such, is bursting with amazingly knowledgeable people with lots to share. In each issue of Absolute Horse, we’ll be asking them a question and members will be sharing their top tips… this issue’s question is…

What’s been your biggest life/business lesson over the last year (i.e since the start of the pandemic)?

Kelly Baddeley – Knights of Middle England

The biggest business lesson I have learned through this last year is that you need to be willing and able to adapt to survive! We had to create new products and services that worked within restrictions and we got online as much as we could! Without adapting there is no way we would still be going and feeding our horses throughout this winter!

www.knightsofmiddleengland.com

Amy Pridige – Muddy Mare Clothing

Personally this year has taught me, like many others, to appreciate the small things in life. Business wise launching my brand five months before the pandemic started has meant I do not know my full potential and so it has made me more determined to succeed.

www.muddymare.co.uk

Tracey Cole- Tracey Cole NLP

Being able to run my coaching and trainings 100% remotely has been an eye-opener. It’s been super convenient for everyone. Clients and trainees have mentioned that having greater flexibility in scheduling sessions, no travel to think about and no need to leave their horses has helped them immensely.

www.traceycolenlp.com

Carly O’Brien – COB’s Equine Shop & Services

Bring a freelance groom and instructor, my business has been affected with the COVID-19 pandemic.  Being furloughed from the riding school and some of my holiday freelance work cancelled, I found I had spare time on my hands.

With this I spent time doing some online training. I completed mini courses on the British Groom Association website, an online horse management course and attended webinars about growing social media.

It has made me realise that I don’t need to be running around trying to get to all clients and being in a rush. I can work successfully without the hectic schedule. Work smarter not harder.

www.facebook.com/cobsequineshopservices

Ruth Chappell- Dressage Anywhere

In 2020 I started and completed the Couch to 5K programme and what it taught me is that consistency pays off. Just getting up and showing up when I really didn’t feel like it meant a positive step in the right direction towards my goal. I apply this thinking to everything I do now.

www.dressageanywhere.com

Jane Brindley- Horse Riding With Confidence Scotland

My biggest lesson during this period has been the need to be on my guard for any self limiting beliefs and to challenge them in order to fully thrive in challenging circumstances.  Continue to develop, seek help and support where needed and then get on and give it a go!

www.horseridingwithconfidencescottland.co.uk

Emma Halliday- Paddock Apparel

Seize the moment, life is short! Quite quickly into the pandemic I realised that this would be like nothing I had ever experienced and that the world as we know it would be changed forever. So, after years of deliberation I launched Paddock Apparel, an equestrian clothing brand with a conscious.

www.paddockapparel.co.uk

Amanda Marshall – 3 Donkeys

Adapt and evolve have been my ‘Go To’ words for the last year. With a positive mindset and a tweak here and there, it has been possible to keep focused. As a community we are stronger together, support and kindness has been and essential factor during these turbulent times.

www.3donkeys.co.uk

 

To find out more about the Small & Supercharged Mastermind group, have a look at the Mastermind page!

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How to pitch to be a brand ambassador

How to pitch to be a brand ambassador

Want to know how to pitch to be a brand ambassador?  A while ago, I produced a podcast about how to pitch to be on a podcast and it went down really well. I regularly get asked about how to connect to brands about being brand ambassadors, so I thought I’d apply the format to this idea and see how we get on…

How to pitch to be a brand ambassador

It’s competitive out there- with billions of people using social media and many wanting to be the next big thing, it’s hard to be seen and heard. But the good news is that you can, if you go about it the right way.

This podcast doesn’t guarantee you’ll get a yes each time you ask to be a brand’s ambassador, but it should, hopefully, improve you chances by a considerable amount. Perhaps more importantly, following the advise should also help to ensure that whatever the answer or outcome, you’re building connections and forming relationships that may help you achieve your goals in the future, and will enhance your enjoyment of social media… because the social bit in social media is really important!

In the equestrian industry, there are a lot of people contacting brands each and every day to ask them if they could work with them, collaborate with them, or be an equestrian brand ambassador for them. Many of these approaches are, well, pretty rubbish to be honest, and while those people are not really competition for you, they’re not doing you any favours either. Because brands become a little numb to requests after a while. BUT that doesn’t mean all is lost. As mentioned above, this podcast isn’t the silver bullet to all brand ambassador requests, but it can do a lot to help you build relationships, form connections and maybe even become a brand ambassador too.

Small & Supercharged Mastermind

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Influencer opportunities, changing names & working with brands you love with Lauren McDermott

Lauren McDermott

Lauren McDermott (previously known as Hunters & Heels) has an Instagram following of over 100k, and now works as an influencer and supports businesses she loves. Here, she tell us how she grew her Hunters & Heels account, the opportunities that social media has provided, and how and why she changed her name to @bylaurenmcdermott.

Influencer opportunities, changing names & working with brands you love with Lauren McDermott

Over the last few years, Lauren has worked to grow her following by sharing what she loves, and that’s something that 100k people and brands have bought into too. In this podcast, Lauren shares how her passion for Instagram helped her change job at Bobbi Brown to spend more time at home with her young family, create kits containing items she adores, co-design products to support causes close to her heart, and enjoy amazing experiences with her family too.

Of course, this has all taken time, dedication, hard work, and a clear direction – and Lauren shares it all in this episode of the Small & Supercharged Podcast.

I’ve followed Lauren for a long time now, and I’ve always been really wowed by the quality of her photography and the content she consistently creates. In addition to this, Lauren’s tone on social media has always been lovely, kind and positive and more than this, on the podcast she was exactly the same too! Lauren also puts a huge amount of effort into nurturing her community on Instagram though responding to comments, replying to DMs, and even putting on physical events such as the Hunters & Heels Instameet that Lauren hosted in pre-covid times!

It was a real pleasure to have Lauren on the podcast, and so kind of her to share her story so freely too. I hope you love it as much as I do!

To find out more about Lauren and follow her online in all the places…

The website

Instagram

 

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5 things to look for in the perfect collaboration partner

5 things to look for in the perfect collaboration partner

Finding the right brand or influencer to collaborate with can be tough, can’t it? With so many potential options out there (and so many potentially great options too!), how do you pick the perfect collaboration partner for you? Well, in today’s episode, I’ll help you find the right one.

5 things to look for in the perfect collaboration partner

I’m not going to lie- it is a bit of a jungle out there, but I’ve managed to condense my top tips into five key points to look for when you’re trying to find the right ‘person’ to collaborate with. From alignment to benefit and a whole lot of other ideas along the way, this podcast should help you, whether you’re a brand looking to work with other brands or influencers, or you’re an influencer looking to work with other influencers or brands.

When you find the right brand or influencer to collaborate with, it can be brilliant. Depending on the objective of the collaboration, you can grow your reach, increase your fans and followers, get involved with conversations, and grow and develop together. It takes time and effort to find the right people to collaborate with, but, it is so worth it. I would also say, though, that if you can’t find the right people, maybe consider revisiting it at a later date. In my experience, it’s better not to collaborate with anyone than to collaborate with the wrong person.

As always, if you tune in and you like what you hear, please do consider rating and reviewing- it means a lot! You can find the podcast on Apple, Spotify, and anywhere else you tune in too!

Small & Supercharged Mastermind

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