As the final quarter of 2021 approaches the final countdown is on to boost the annual sales figures for businesses across the pet and equestrian spectrum. There is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and you don’t have to be a magical leprechaun to find it.
You just have to take savvy steps to successfully guide your prospective customers to find your smart sales funnel and watch them disappear down the rabbit hole.
Sadly the business of running a business is fraught with unexpected twists and turns that take even the most ardent B2B and B2C owners by surprise. Pop up competitors, copycat products, net neutrality (yes, that is still a thing), out of date and ill-synced websites, old-fashioned sales funnel designs, poor social media management and a lack of positive influencing all combine to cause headaches for the multi-tasking multiple hat wearing business manager.
At a recent PR/Marketing get together in New York City of my local chapter, the topic of creative communication and how to earn consumer attention yielded information on many new methods that the well-informed PR/Marketing Strategist can bring to the table. Here are some notes from that meeting that may interest those of you interested in staying relevant in today’s PR/Marketing world.
Do You Have The Talent?
A talent for producing eloquent and carefully crafted wordsmith materials is required to maximize conversion rates and thus positively contribute hard cash to the bottom line.
Is your business writing dry and derelict of interest for the consumer? Or does it chat and offer a personal viewpoint from a professional POV?
Nothing Works That Is Static
While my main focus is in the equestrian and pet industry I also produce content for a myriad of other businesses, from niche material science industry firms rebuilding our infrastructure with scientific breakthroughs to highly technical medical industry manufacturers. I regularly contribute to a small number of PR teams in the film industry. Ghostwriting projects are always on my calendar on everything from memoirs to investment strategy to interior design /lifestyle books. What I have learned throughout my professional writing career wherever it takes me on any given project or account is that the business of PR/Marketing and content creation is never static. E-blasts change, formats for websites change, depths of discussion for articles and evidence based education change, needs change. The consumer is not sitting on a couch anymore waiting for you to drop in on a pop-up and garner their attention.
Make sure your content creator is abreast of current trends and has your back so you are not left behind the competition.
Hung Up On Copyright?
Another hot topic was the endless arguments over copyright ownership and fair use definitions. The take home message here was that the addition of the author’s name to content produced from writers not directly employed ‘in-house’ by a company, i.e. payroll taxes paid etc. should be considered a plus not a minus when it comes to branding.
As one of the speakers said, “ Don’t use and abuse writers’ works. That’s bad business.”
Don’t Be Shy Not To Be Dry
Ensure that you embrace writers that bring a positive energy in your content production. Creative angles in any writing format are essential for reader engagement. Don’t let your perspective become monotonous or tedious to read.
I believe serious business can be fun. My British sense of humor combined with my unique voice (I mean writing voice not just my actual voice, which is a weird combo of British accent with American language!), and singular background offers clients a remote team member that brings something completely different to the table.
Not unlike when I am standing in the center of an arena giving a clinic or symposium, I know from many years of experience that humor and a fresh angle can wake up even the most jaded of riders. Similarly when training horses I always seek to engage the horse’s mind and stimulate a two-sided conversation. Writing is no different. You have to have a passion for what you do and translate your interest with enthusiasm in a meaningful way.
You’re Invited ~
If you would like to engage my services via my company Horse in a Kilt Media Inc., please don’t hesitate to reach out to find out what’s on offer. Individually tailored package pricing is more affordable than you may think, and having a professional content producer on board for your pet or equine business will make all the difference in your branding and market presence.
Trot in and visit Nikki Alvin-Smith, Horse in a Kilt Media Inc., to learn more about my stable full of marketing skills as a content writer, equestrian blogger, columnist, and marketing specialist. As a British/American professional Grand Prix competitor/coach/clinician I offer a unique experience/angles and thought leadership/authority to my wordsmith wizardry.
About Nikki:
Internationally published writer, content creator, PR/Marketing specialist, photographer and equestrian Nikki Alvin-Smith offers “Engaging Content that Engages Riders to Read,” with unique and fresh material for your horse or pet related business, magazine, website, newsletter, blog and email blast sales machine. Her portfolio of works is extensive and includes equestrian and pet features that have been published worldwide in over 230 different magazine titles. Her clients include equestrian and “B” list movie celebrities for whom she regularly ghostwrites and provides PR services; manufacturers of equine and pet related medical devices, feedstuffs, supplements, grooming supplies, fencing and barn equipment, horse transport, horse structures and professional equine service providers; profit and non-profit initiatives and organizations; and non-equestrian related businesses/publications in the pet industry, investment, real estate and international travel and rural lifestyle.
Nikki Alvin-Smith is a British international level Grand Prix dressage competitor/trainer/coach/clinician. Together with her husband Paul, who is also a Grand Prix dressage rider, Nikki operates Willowview Hill Farm in the Catskill Mountains of New York; a full service horse training facility. The duo provide ‘team’ clinician services to clients worldwide to riders of all levels and many riding disciplines.
Contact: Nikki Alvin-Smith: Content Writer; PR/Marketing Specialist
Email: Nikki@NikkiAlvinSmithStudio.com
Website: NikkiAlvinSmithStudio.com
Cell: 607 434 4470