|
Tom from Big Sky Internet Design here.
We have been getting inundated with website updates with all the things going on. Many customers are changing HOW they are doing day to day business.
With that in mind, I wanted to create a quick post about the psychology of marketing.
Specifically, Horse and Horse Program marketing when things are going crazy all around you.
We have been building websites for horse businesses long enough to remember and survive the turmoil after 9/11, the 2008 Banking Crisis, the 2016 Economic Downturn and now COVID 19 is wreaking chaos.
Is this the same as those events? Not even close. However, how people react will be very similar.
Consider the horse industry as an interesting economy all of its own.
There are so many variations of it from smaller backyard operations to training operations to breeding farm operations to huge farm and ranching operations. All are impacted. But all are impacted differently.
Undoubtedly, many operations, both large and small, will go out of business. Very sad and unfortunate, but true.
How?
The main thing we have seen is that the really tough decisions often come too late to have the desired effect. We have seen this first hand through past customers as they cancel their websites because they have gone out of business.
However, both large and small operations will also weather the storm and come out the other side in better shape than when they went in.
How?
These business-savvy folks will make some really, difficult decisions.
Decisions like culling mares and stallions that do not produce quality or are too old, or discounting foals and babies to get them off the feed bill or only put training money in the top 10% of their stock instead of the top 50%.
Quality over quantity.
Tough decisions.
These are the horse operations that run more like a business, without quite as much pure emotion controlling there plans and decisions.
And those decisions are hard.
We are all in the horse business because of our love of horses.
Pure and simple.
No one EVER gets in the horse business with the thought of getting rich.
We do it for the love of them. That is what makes these choices harder than in other businesses.
We have seen this cycle 3 unique times in the past. This will be the fourth time.
Each time we have persevered and came out the other side stronger than when we went in.
We have seen customers on both sides of it, and I am sure we will see that again.
Now is the time to really consider your plans and your overall marketing strategy.
If you pull back or do nothing, you are almost surely allowing defeat and putting up the white flag.
But, if you have a plan and take action on that plan, you have a much better opportunity of not only surviving but sling-shotting out of this situation better than most.
If you happen to be struggling to try to decide what to do, we have the experience to help you with your marketing needs, to get to the other side.
From the use of social media and optimized websites to Google and Facebook ads (which by the way are historically cheap now!).
We have been there, done it and came out the other side.
Please contact me to chat about your business and how we might be able to help you.
No pressure.
If we can help, great!
If not, we'll at least make a new friend!
Take Care and God Bless,
Tom
|
