| Marketing a horse today requires technology. In the | | | | average horse professional does not have the time to |
| past you would put up some flyers, put an ad in a | | | | keep up with this ever changing technology. |
| horse magazine, take the horse to some shows, and | | | | Before posting an online ad, it is necessary to get good |
| call the appropriate trainers to let them know about | | | | photos and videos because most buyers now don't |
| your horse. While those methods still work, more and | | | | even look at the ads that don't offer them. This |
| more people are going online to do their horse | | | | requires a decent digital camera and video recorder. |
| shopping. This requires the seller to get digital photos | | | | While good photos and video are always part of a |
| and videos of the horse and post them on web sites | | | | good marketing plan, the digital world adds a lot more |
| along with other pertinent information about the horse. | | | | technical knowledge requirements to the process. Not |
| If you are not familiar with all this technology, you need | | | | only is it necessary to understand the proper way to |
| to learn or hire someone else to do it for you. For | | | | use the equipment for obtaining good photos or video, |
| sellers with multiple horses for sale such as trainers | | | | but also how to get them onto a computer and out to |
| and breeders, a website, at the very least, has | | | | the web in the proper format. Many horse sellers don't |
| become a necessity. | | | | have the time, desire, or resources to do all this and |
| The first piece of technology necessary for online | | | | are forced to hire someone else or make do with |
| horse marketing is a computer. It is not necessary to | | | | inferior ads. Those that are able to do it themselves |
| own one, but frequent access to one that has a | | | | must invest more time not only in producing the ads, |
| decent internet connection and the ability to upload | | | | but also maintaining them for optimal exposure. |
| pictures and video are required. Of course, hiring | | | | Social networking is also a big part of marketing a |
| someone else with a computer that meets these | | | | horse. After the ad is posted, interested buyers need |
| requirements is always an option, but the average | | | | to be directed to the site. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, |
| horse seller does not want to add this expense to the | | | | YouTube, MySpace, and blogs are just some of the |
| cost of marketing the horse. Video and photography | | | | social networking places on the internet that are great |
| editing software are highly recommended also. For the | | | | for letting people know about the ad. Most people on |
| seller with multiple horses, the ability to burn a DVD to | | | | the internet already use one or more of these sites, so |
| give prospective buyers is also very helpful. | | | | frequent posts will reach thousands. Horse |
| Of course, along with the need for a computer there is | | | | professionals can also take advantage of these sites |
| the requirement of knowing how to use a computer, | | | | to direct people to their website as well as their |
| the necessary software, and the internet. Most people | | | | individual ads. |
| reading this may find that statement rather obvious or | | | | Marketing horses is not so different from marketing |
| unnecessary, but there are still a lot of people out | | | | shoes in today's technical world. Thousands search the |
| there, especially in more rural areas, who either don't | | | | internet everyday for shoes and horses; they are |
| own or use a computer, or don't know how to get on | | | | looking for the right size, color, style, and fit. The ad that |
| and use the internet, much less post an ad. Most of | | | | makes the cut must provide enough information for |
| the internet sites available for marketing horses make | | | | the buyer to make a decision to purchase. While more |
| the process of posting an ad simple for the average | | | | people will want to "try on" the actual horse before |
| internet user. There is also some very simple software | | | | buying, many horses are sold on the internet from just |
| for video and photography editing that doesn't require | | | | the pictures and videos. The technology required to |
| a lot of technical knowledge. Building a website on the | | | | successfully market a horse is certainly more time |
| other hand should be something that is outsourced, | | | | consuming and costly than in the past, but it expands |
| preferably to someone who also has some | | | | the market so much that it is more than worth the |
| experience with horses. It is worth the price and the | | | | investment. |