Equestrian & Rural Digital Marketing

Digital marketing can sound scary and ‘big’, but I promise you two things. One, it is as big as you want it to be. And two, you need to get a handle on it and make it work for your equestrian or rural business.

This kind of marketing can take many forms. I think of it as anything that is digital – as in – online. There are lots and lots of ways you can promote your equestrian or rural business online and so this area contains quite a lot of information.

But please, please, don’t be afraid of it. This form of marketing is a real gift as the entry level in zero – you can start with no financial outlay and the effort you put in can really deliver amazing results if you just give it a go.

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Starting a dog food brand in a global pandemic with Lucy Millar from Run Dog Food

Starting a dog food brand in a global pandemic with Lucy Millar from Run Dog Food

lucy millar run dog food

What a treat you’re in for today- pun intended!


Starting a dog food company at the start of a global pandemic might not have been in the plan, but Run Dog Food continues to go from strength to strength despite its challenging start!

On today’s podcast, I chat to Lucy Millar, the lovely lady behind Run Dog Food, which is a cold pressed dog food brand for working and pet dogs that launched at the start of the pandemic.

Lucy’s dedication to creating truly exceptional food for dogs is inspiring, and as you’ll learn from our chat, it wasn’t an easy road. Lucy talks about what cold pressed dog food is, why she created a dog food, her highs, lows, successes and stresses. And we get a preview of what’s to come too!

This is a brilliantly honest chat about starting a business when the world was falling to bits, how she overcame obstacles, the positives of planning and much more besides. Enjoy.

To find out more about Lucy and Run Dog Food, make sure you have a look at the website and follow along on Facebook and Instagram.

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5 reasons to invest in yourself

 

5 reasons to invest in yourself

The media is full of negative news- there’s no denying that- but even with all that’s going on, today, I want to urge you to not skimp on investing in yourself. More than that, I want to encourage you to invest in yourself more than ever. Don’t worry- I haven’t completely lost my mind, there are LOADS of ways you can invest in yourself for free, and there are loads of them in this podcast!

5 reasons to invest in yourself

 

With everything going on in the world at the moment, you may have decided to cut any learning budget in a bid to save money. I’m not here to say you must spend money on your growth and development if there’s nothing left in your budget- but what I will say is stopping all forms of training and investment in your personal growth is never a good idea.

The good thing is, you don’t have to spend a fortune on training- really, as with a lot of things in life, you can generally invest time or money (and maybe even both!) to broaden your horizons. From super high ticket courses through to free podcasts, audiobooks, video trainings, books, webinars- the list is nearly endless and there is plenty out there to suit any budget. I promise.

Why should you invest in yourself now?

  1. If you’re not learning, you’re going backwards. If you’re not trying to grow, develop and upskill, you’re losing ground if your competitors are committed to learning. Just because you’ve stopped, it doesn’t mean everyone else has. You don’t want to be lapped by taking your foot off the pedal when it comes to growth, training and personal development.
  2. You’re not alone. If you work for yourself, particularly if you work from home on your own, it can be really lonely. But the thing is, what you’re experiencing won’t be unique to you- you’re not alone. If you invest your time and/or your money in a community full of likeminded people, you will reap the rewards, feel more supported, be able to find shortcuts and expedite your growth.
  3. It can save you time. If you learn from others and their experiences and mistakes, you’ll likely save yourself a huge amount of time. The investment needed for this benefit is time. If you opt for a group like Mastermind, it’s money too, but if you go for a free group, it’s time. You can also get involved with free online trainings, books and lots of other methods to help progress your learning and save yourself a lot of time.
  4. Community and connectors creates opportunity. Connecting with people, whether in real life or through groups, can lead to huge opportunities. It’s a side benefit of why you should invest in yourself- time or money- because just one connection can make an introduction that can change the trajectory of your business, maybe even your life!
  5. It can help your business to grow in challenging times. We all need inspiration to help us grow, but particularly when times are tough, it can be harder to ‘dig deep’ and find these. That’s why investing in yourself is key. Investing in your education can help encourage different thoughts, new ideas and connections. And these are vital to surviving and even thriving when times are tough.

 

Small & Supercharged Mastermind

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#ad #spon #aff … let’s talk labels and influencer marketing

Oh, this is one of the most requested podcasts, so I am delighted to be able to bring you a podcast all about labelling your sponsored/gifted/affiliate linked content. This is a MUST listen for anyone who is or would like to be an influencer. It’s really important…

#ad #spon #aff … let’s talk labels and influencer marketing

This is a subject that is a constant point of annoyance for me, which makes being able to share more about it so important. Be clear- I know that everyone makes mistakes and everyone needs to learn- but when I see repeat ‘offenders’ who really should know better at the same time as seeing others really scared to do the wrong thing, well, it just doesn’t sit well me me at all. So hopefully, this podcast- the information within it and the addition resources available mentioned- should really help those who want to do the right thing.

I do understand that it can be really confusing, but I always refer people to the guide available on the ASA’s (Advertising Standards Authority) website that helps talk people through it all. So I reached out to the people over at the ASA and I’m really thrilled to say that they have listened to this podcast and have said they’re happy with the content. Why did I do this? Because it’s so important to me that everything is as accurate as it can be. I want you to listen, learn, check out all the free resources and no longer be confused about what to label your content (when you need to, of course).

This is a podcast for influencers- yes- but it’s a podcast for anyone who has ambitions to be an influencer, who receives free products or payments (but maybe doesn’t see themselves as an influencer), and also brands. Yes, brands, I’m talking to you. It’s really important you know how this works too.

We need to be doing a better job of labelling content correctly. I see so, so many examples of incorrect and misleading ads. We need to do better. And this podcast should help.

Some key points to remember about labels and influencer marketing

  • If you want your audience to trust you, label things correctly. People need to know when they’re being sold to.
  • There is a code that relates to influencer marketing. Get familiar with it but don’t fear it.
  • It’s against the law if an ad isn’t clearly identifiable.
  • Don’t promote something as unbiased and generic when you’ve been incentivised to do it. This could be because you’ve been paid to say it or even if the product has been gifted.
  • ‘Payment’ isn’t just money. Payment is also the loan of a product, a free trip, or a gifted item.
  • Any payment needs to be disclosed. Affiliate links also fall into this category.
  • Ads must be really easy to understand and clear. This means putting your ad label upfront- on social, the front of your caption. The first word.
  • You don’t have to use the word ‘ad’, but there’s more information in this guide about what words can be used, and some that you might want to avoid.
  • If the label isn’t easy to understand for a normal person, that’s not a good one to use.
  • If the label is hidden at the end of the caption, that’s not advised as it’s not clear.
  • You can get help if you’re stuck- check the guidelines PDF here, but you can also find info relating to the copy advice line and more.
  • Make it clear. Always. If you take nothing away from this podcast or blog, please let that be to make it clear. Read the guidelines here.

 

And remember, when we, as consumers, see people labelling ads as ads, can we support them? If it’s something that creator is passionate about, shouldn’t we be supporting them anyway? Don’t not react or engage because something is an ad!

 

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Are press releases dead?

are press releases dead

Are press releases dead? It’s a question I get asked a fair amount, and while the short answer is no, the longer answer is more a ‘no… as long as…’. And the long answer is what you’ll get on this episode of the Small & Supercharged Podcast!

Are press releases dead?

The world has changed from the days of being able to write a press release, send it out, and then feel happy that you’d done big things in helping get your amazing new product out there. Now, you have the option to do a whole lot more with that press release… and that means it can be used for so much more than was originally intended.

The thing is, the way press releases used to work still has value, but with a few extra steps, press releases can be incredibly valuable to you if you repurpose well!⁠

On this episode of the podcast, I explore why the humble press release is very much- in my opinion- alive and kicking, and how to make it (and the process of building your press list, etc) work really well for you.

Small & Supercharged Mastermind

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Podmas #14 all about festivals, friendship and four hooved friends with Thea and Heidi from HorseTribe and HorseFest

Thea and Heidi HorseTribe and HorseFest

Podmas is back- and today, we’re joined by Thea and Heidi from HorseTribe and HorseFest.

Podmas #14 all about festivals, friendship and four hooved friends with Thea and Heidi from HorseTribe and HorseFest

HorseFest’s first in person event was due to happen in 2021, but due to covid, got moved to 2022. However, that hasn’t stopped founders Heidi and Thea from making an impact. In fact, the pandemic led them to start HorseTribe, an online learning platform that helps to promotes HorseFest’s key values of education and inclusivity in the equestrian space.. but in the comfort of your own home! And the ladies share all about it on today’s Podmas.

This episode of Podmas was recorded as a Live in the Small & Supercharged Group. These Lives, available to members of the Small & Supercharged Mastermind group, gave members the chance to promote themselves and their festive offerings to the wider Small & Supercharged and equestrian community.

All the HorseTribe links…

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Intro music- “Jingle bells” by scottholmesmusic.com

This year, we recorded Podmas in a slightly different way and used the audio from Lives that were broadcast in the free Small & Supercharged Facebook group at lunchtime. Everyone on Podmas was a member of my membership group, the Small & Supercharged Mastermind group for small equestrian and rural business owners and influencers, and it was such such a joy to be able to share more about the fabulous businesses and the people behind them inside the group.

What’s Small & Supercharged Mastermind?

In Mastermind, each month, we have marketing and mindset masterclasses, social media ideas, weekly Lives, Facebook trainings, group chats and LOADS of opportunities. Podmas is a great example of the type of opportunities Masterminders can tap into and benefit from. Find all the details here.

 

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Brand ambassadors or influencers? Who should I work with?

Brand ambassadors or influencers? Who should I work with?

Do you want to work with a brand ambassador or an influencer? Do you want to be an influencer or a brand ambassador? Is there even a difference?! That’s what this episode of the Small & Supercharged podcast is all about!

 

Brand ambassadors or influencers? Who should I work with?

I regularly get asked this question, and it’s easy to see why there’s a confusion, because in many ways, they’re very similar. However, there are reasons why you might opt to work with one vs. the other, or reasons why you as an influencer might like to stay unattached to any particular brand.

Influencers, brand ambassadors, and sponsored people are such a key part of so many industries now, and take up an increasing amount of marketing budgets because of the ROI that they can deliver. That is, if the right brand ambassador or influencer is selected. Not only does this episode cover the basics in terms of the difference, it also goes a bit deeper and shares loads of tips around working with both.

So, what’s the difference?!

One of the key differences (in my experience) between ambassador and influencer is their ‘loyalty’ to a brand. A brand ambassador will usually have a long standing connection to the brand they’re an ambassador for, and will also (generally) not work with brands that conflict with any they’re a brand ambassador for. You’d expect to see regular mentions woven into content too.

And what about an influencer? Influencers are usually people with larger social media accounts that promote a range of different products without showing specific brand loyalty. To make any collaboration work, the influencer needs to have an alignment with aspects of the brand, but that doesn’t mean you’ll only see products from that brand. Usually, a brand would work with an influencer on a specific campaign rather than on a long term basis.

As always, if you tune in and like what you hear, please consider leaving a review- I’d really appreciate it.

Small & Supercharged Mastermind

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Hashtags and tagging

hashtags and tagging

Hashtags and tags can be a great way to get your content discovered, find new likeminded people, help small businesses you love, be part of a movement… and even find the solution to a problem! But how do you use them? Today’s podcast is a speedy guide to hashtags and tagging, to help you use them well for maximum benefit.

Hashtags and tagging


In this episode we go into detail on hashtags and tagging brands – because both can hold huge value for you, for the businesses you love and tag, and even other users of social media too as they will be able to find your amazing content a whole lot easier if you’re allowing it to be discovered when they search!

Hashtags

We talk all about hashtags – from their function on the different platforms to how they work, how to pick your hashtags and why relevancy really matters.

Hashtags work the best on Twitter – which is where the humble hashtag started in my world, but is now also seen a lot on Instagram too. We talk about how these work on both of these platforms, and I share a working example of how spending a little time on the #journorequest hashtag on Twitter got me on the radio. True story!

Tagging brands

We also chat about tagging brands – why it can be a great idea, when to do it, when not to do it, and how to do it for maximum benefit too.

Tagging your favourite brand in a post you’ve taken that showcases them in some real way can be hugely valuable to them and to you too. We talk about tagging the image and adding them in the caption in addition to why it’s so SO important to declare any relationships with brands and, if the product has been gifted, why it’s important to declare that too.

Let’s get tagging…

Small & Supercharged Extra

In the podcast I talk about the Small & Supercharged Extra group, which is my marketing and social media membership for small businesses. Last month, our focus was hashtags (each month there’s a cheat sheet, a challenge, a live Q and A and lots more too), so I wanted to give that an extra shout out here, because if you want to deepen your learning on the humble hashtag, it’s a great place to be!

Small & Supercharged Extra

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Step by step Instagram Stories – follow along and start posting!

step by step instagram stories

Do you want to start using Instagram Stories more but you’re worried about the features? You don’t want to make a mistake? And what will people think?! Well I’m here to (hopefully) help – and we’re starting at the very start. How to use Instagram Stories. And a step by step guide to Instagram Stories at that. We chat about all the functions, features, stickers and lots more too… so here you go…

Step by step Instagram Stories – follow along and start posting!

 

In this podcast, I talk you through how to post to Instagram Stories- literally step by step, to (hopefully) give you the confidence to give it a spin. I talk through the different functions and effects, stickers, all the things, and why you should be embracing all of this.

There are so many good things about Instagram Stories – SO MANY. I find that they’re such a great way to show behind the scenes, to share your day, and to engage with people in a much deeper way. I really love them. And I’d like you to too. Or maybe just to like them? Yeah, let’s aim at like.

In the podcast I mentioned a freebie all about five ways to use Instagram Stories in case you need a little help – and this is where you’ll find the download. And I also talked about hiding hashtags in your Instagram Stories – well, the blog I’d written about that – and here’s the link to that.

See you on Instagram!

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Let’s talk about hiding likes on Instagram

Contact Rhea Freeman - equestrian pr and marketing and business coachHave you heard all this talk about hiding likes on Instagram? There’s a lot of talk online at the moment about Instagram hiding likes on posts. How do you feel about this? Are you infuriated? Are you secretly pleased? Are you a bit confused?! Well, in this Small & Supercharged Podcast episode, I chat about my views on hiding likes on Instagram. And as I say on the podcast, this is just my own view based on what I’ve read and learnt… and obviously added my own spin on it too.

Let’s talk about hiding likes on Instagram…


I decided to record this podcast as a result of the Instagram TV video I did all about it. I did it because I HATE all this social media scaremongering. Whenever any social media platform releases an update it drives me MAD when I see so many people whining and moaning about it. Actually, what I hate even more is when people use these updates to scare people into things. And that’s why I decided to record the podcast.

In this episode, I talk all about hiding likes on Instagram. I discuss why likes shouldn’t be the only measurable on Instagram and how REAL engagement in terms of comments (that are relevant) and DMs are much more valuable. And I also talk about how Instagram removing the likes count (potentially, if they decide to, obviously!) could have big and positive impacts on people’s engagement, content, and their feeling of self worth when this is linked to popularity on the social media platforms we use each day?

So hiding likes is all good?

Now, of course, these changes don’t come without their downsides. Or not downsides as such, more adjustments. If people appreciate that the number of likes is only seen by them and no one else, the chances are that people will be looking at how to foster more visible engagement, such as comments.

There are, potentially, a lot more positives than negatives about hiding likes on Instagram. Real, genuine community is definitely one. Please don’t fear these changes. If and when Instagram decide to roll this out, there is nothing you can do about it. All you can do is look at what the people behind the platform are trying to achieve, think about why, adapt, go with it, and crack on. Or you can leave the platform.

Is there anything else?

In this episode, I also have a little chat about why, when social media platforms make these changes, it should remind us all of the importance of our own website hubs. I am a HUGE fan of social media (well, obviously, I talk about it a lot and do a lot of work on it!), but I also know why it’s so so important to have your own owned space on the internet too. Because that should be yours. It won’t just change overnight (well, it really shouldn’t!), you can customise it however you like, the features won’t change without your say so… and if you have a newsletter set up on your website or connected to your site too, you can reach out to those people whenever you like without having to worry about the algorithm or the visibility your content is receiving.

So, there you go, my take on hiding likes on Instagram – why it’s not something to fear – how you can embrace these changes… and how it might encourage better, genuine connections…

Five steps to great social media graphics

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5 Instagram post ideas…

5 instagram post ideas

Instagram – you know how much I love this little app, but I realised that I don’t talk about the main grid all that much. Those little squares that reveal snippets of our lives that we then share with the world. I usually talk about Instagram Stories, but I thought I’d change in up a bit and give you five Instagram post ideas today – for when your inspiration is lacking a little. These Instagram post ideas will work for all businesses, whether you have an equine business, a country business, or whether you have a business completely unrelated. They’re broad in theme but should help you come up with some great posts…

Instagram post ideas – five to get you started

  1. Introduce yourself. Making sure your followers know who the person behind the account really is can be a great way to increase engagement and, also, creates real connection with your followers. The great thing about Instagram is that your account will continue to grow and change, and this means that your audience will too. You can introduce yourself at regular intervals. Maybe when you’ve had a steep increase in followers or on special occasions. A simple ‘I wanted to say hello to all my lovely new followers, so here’s a little bit about me…’ will do (spoiler alert- next week’s Thursday post will be a little challenge all around this subject…)
  2. Where are you working today? Whether you’re an influencer or a business, sharing your world with your followers is important. And one way to do this is showing the behind the scenes of your day to day life… and one of these could be where you’re working today.
  3. Share a quote you love. Quotes are, usually, pretty popular on Instagram. If you follow me over there, you may have noticed I use them quite a lot. I create quotes on a couple of different apps and use a mixture of my own quotes, famous quotes, and podcast quotes too.
  4. Awareness days. There are SO many awareness days, I can’t even tell you! If you have a Google or buy a media diary, you’ll be able to find them. These can help you connect to a popular theme or # and just give you a few more ideas. Things like Wear A Hat Day are a real thing… and there’s a load more of these days ranging from the really random to the oh so serious.
  5. Testimonials. If you listened to episode 28 of the Small & Supercharged podcast, you will have heard me rave about the power of testimonials – and one place to use these is on your social media. You could publish an image of the person who left the testimonial, then add the copy to your caption, you can create a graphic and use bits of the testimonial on that, or maybe you could combine the two in some clever way? Testimonials can be great for your business or blog… but you have to promote them!

So there you have it, five Instagram post ideas that are super easy to implement and should, hopefully, give you some inspiration. If you need additional help, Sophie Callahan has created a full year’s worth of social media prompts that give you ideas for what to post each day of the year. It might be worth a look!

Subscribe to the Small & Supercharged podcast on iTunes

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