The Social Stirrup

12/08/2024

Excited to be sponsoring the Junior In Hand Points Championship for Edenthorpe Equestrian, a show we attend quite often and always have a great day at!

02/08/2024

Struggling for your August content? Don't worry - we got you!

Heres 4 simple ideas you can use - let us know what you went for in the comments 👇

24/07/2024

We loved creating this with Nick & Mark!

Give them a follow to find out what’s coming 👀👀

22/07/2024

We are thrilled to share some exciting news with you guys!

We've passed the exam with flying colours and are now officially recognised as a Wix certified accessibility specialist. This means that we are more equipped than ever to make sure that your online presence is inclusive and accessible to everyone, regardless of their abilities or disabilities.

This certification shows that we know just how to include the best practices and cutting-edge techniques in website accessibility. Helping to make sure that your website is easy to navigate, readable, and usable for everyone, including those with visual, auditory, physical, and cognitive impairments.

Whether you are starting a new project or looking to improve an existing site, we are here to help you achieve your goals and reach a broader audience. If you have any questions about how we can help you to make your Wix website more accessible, pop us a message, we'd be more than happy to help!

20/07/2024

Bet all of them are easily recognisable right?

This is why branding is so important - it can make your brand memorable, or it can make it forgettable.

All of the brands in the carousel have strong, consistent branding. In the equestrian industry. Consistent use of colors, fonts, and messaging across all platforms ensures that their audience can easily identify and remember them.

Your brand is your story, reflecting your values, mission, and what makes you unique. For equestrian businesses, this could mean highlighting your commitment to horse welfare, your innovative training methods, or your high-quality, cruelty free products. A unique brand identity helps you connect with your audience on an emotional level, encouraging loyalty and aiding repeat business.

A strong brand creates a sense of belonging in your audience. When they feel connected to your brand, they’re more likely to become advocates and super fans. For equestrian businesses, this could mean creating a community of passionate riders who share your beliefs, or loyal customers who swear by your products.

Having a well defined brand strategy makes sure that all your marketing materials, from you social media posts to your website and attending events, convey a consistent message. This not only makes your marketing more effective but also helps to maximise your return on investment.

If you feel like you need a bit of help getting your branding into place, drop us a message!

18/07/2024

Promoting equestrian businesses is about more than just showing off the beauty of the sport - it's about really understanding and connecting with our audience. When McDonalds said, "our head of social media is the customer," they're recognising the deeper meaning behind it: the customer's needs is what should be leading the way.

By popping yourself in to your customer's shoes, you can create content that relates to what they are passionate about. This means you need to be actively listening to their feedback and responding to it tactically. Do you see them asking for advice on pain points? Tell them how you can solve it for them! When you do this, you're not just sharing information; you're building a community where your audience feels valued and they feel heard.

This approach not only makes your content more engaging and relevant but also strengthens the trust and loyalty in your brand. And in the world of marketing, there's nothing more powerful than a loyal and satisfied customer.

How do you think you could better cater to your audience's interests? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

16/07/2024

Creating a strong online presence is absolutely essential in today's competitive market.

To achieve this, you need to focus on developing a comprehensive strategy that sticks with your target audience. It's far more effective to gain genuine, loyal followers than to aim for broad, mass appeal with lukewarm engagement.

Here at The Social Stirrup, we specialise in tailored approaches which ensure your brand connects with those who matter most (ie - your ideal customer!). We understand that every brand is unique, and our mission is to highlight what makes you different in a way that catches and keeps your audience's interest.

By collaborating with us, you can expect polished content and campaigns that not only stand out but also create lasting relationships with your audience. We take the time to understand your brand's core values, what makes you you, and your audience's pain points, creating a connection that helps drive engagement and loyalty.

We can guide you through every step of the process, from initial strategy development to the ex*****on of campaigns. Together, we can ensure that your brand not only reaches but impacts those who are most important to your success. Are you ready to take the first step towards transforming your business marketing? Drop us a message!

04/07/2024

Here at The Social Stirrup, we love creating eye-catching images and videos. Especially ones which tell your story just perfectly, ones which tailored specifically to your brand’s identity, and most importantly, ones that engage your target audience!

Our comprehensive approach ensures that every piece of content sticks in the mind of your audience. Whether you need captivating photos or amazing videos, we’ve got you covered. By posting stunning visuals and videos, your brand will stand out from the crowd, attracting more followers and potential clients.

Our content creation service has you covered with both photo and video options, including all licensing. One fee, and it's all yours! Drop us a line if you think your social media feed needs a boost 🚀

29/06/2024

Did you know that the average reading age in the UK is between 9 and 11 years old? 👀

I didn’t either until today. But it’s an important factor to consider when doing your copy and content writing. Whatever you are writing for captions, websites and blogs needs to be able to be understood by a wide range of people, and still keep their attention.

Find your audience’s pain point, show them exactly what it is and then solve it for them! Make it, clear, concise, compelling and credible. Also known as, simple, no waffle, attention grabbing and genuine.

Let me know what you do to supercharge your copy/content writing 👇

19/06/2024

Whoops.

I’ve done something wrong when I’ve been setting something up this week and I’ve managed to break my emails! I’m working on a fix, but I do need to wait for Google to get back to me first.

Please bear with me - but if you do need to get in touch, feel free to WhatsApp me on 07522223638

06/06/2024

I’ve been chipping away at the website behind the scenes, and we’re almost there!

It did have a tiny bit of downtime, but it’s back up and running now! Why don’t you pop over for a looksie 👀

01/06/2024

It's time for another Social Standings!

Just look at the results this client has had in just one month working with us!

🌟 Increase in Followers by 7.22%
🌟 Increase in Reach by 688.26%
🌟 Increase in Engagement by 4734.62%

I don't know about you, but I'm really excited to see how their account progresses again in June!

If you'd like to supercharge your socials, it's simple, just drop us a message!

27/05/2024

There's lots of posts floating from folk around social media about content not doing as "well" as it has previously for people on Instagram. Well, here's the tea on that!

Instagram has changed the algorithm. If you follow their pages, they've recently posted about what updates they've made.

Previously, they'd push your content out to your followers, if they watched and engaged, they'd push it out to more people, so the more of your followers that engaged - the better. But, that is no more!

Now, they'll push your content out to an audience that IG thinks will like your content, based on things like SEO, keywords etc, they don't have to be following you to be the first to see it. If they engage, they'll push it to a few more, and then the process continues so more and more people will see your content.

They've said their reasonings for this is to give every creator the chance to break through and grow - rather than just the accounts with larger followings!

Now is the time where you really need to know your audience! Know what they want to see, what problems they need solved and what really makes them hit the like button or comment!

So small accounts, micro & nano influencers? Now is your time to shine 🥳🌟✨

18/05/2024

Struggling to figure out who you are as a business, a brand, or an influencer?

First things first, its best to figure out your who what and why, or your vision, mission and values.

Your vision, is your long term goal and what you see as the future. So, here at The Social Stirrup, our vision is to create a community who can create, engage and grow together organically!

Your mission? That's how you're going to achieve that vision. Its basically the job description of your business. It's why you do it, how you do it, and who you do it for. So our mission statement is to be able to empower equestrians and their businesses to grow, pursue excellence and achieve their ultimate goals.

Walt Disney once said "It's not hard to make decisions once you know what your values are". Your values, these are much like personal values, they are your beliefs that will help to lead you towards a goal. Here at The Social Stirrup, we pride ourselves on caring about the success of our customers, empowering customers to make decisions that will benefit them, being truly transparent, open and honest, and finally always acting with integrity.

Have you figured out your vision, missions and values? If you have - why not drop them in the comments. You never know - your people might just be reading 👀

06/05/2024

Did you know that every one of our packages at The Social Stirrup come with detailed social media insights every month? We will always present them in a way that is easy to understand so you can stay totally informed on what's going on.

We have been collaborating with Lassetter Dressage for around two weeks now, and after a week of posting content, we are excited to share our achievements! There has been a significant increase in reach and profile visits in the past seven days, which is fantastic news! We are currently analysing posting times and audience insights to further improve their performance - but this progress already is great to see!

If you need any assistance with your social media, feel free to reach out to us, and let's explore how The Social Stirrup can support you!

02/05/2024

Looking forward to working with Lassetter Dressage alongside Riviera PR Ltd!

Smiling like this because we’re excited to be back with a bang!

Here at Lassetter Dressage we’re relaunching our social media, sharing all of our latest goings on, including competitions, clinics, and of course, our favourite products with you.

Stay tuned for tips on training dressage horses and the unique methods for training a para horse that serves both disabled and able-bodied riders.

Share in the comments about what content you'd like to see from us next!

26/04/2024

Yep, we're talking about algorithms today!

The one and the only, the bane of every person trying to be successful on social media's life.

Things change in these all the time, so its important to try and keep up to date. For example, when Instagram launched their Reels in 2020 to compete with TikTok, they really pushed out video content rather than photo content.

By knowing the basics of algorithms, we can help ourselves and then just have to change tiny little bits of what we do to keep up with what's new!

👉🏻 If you like it, comment on it, engage with it, click on the link. The algorithm thinks that is what you want to see, so will show you more of it. You like lots of photos of Capybaras or repeatedly watch videos of baby pigs all day - that is what your social media feed is going to be full of. Remember this when you're creating content for your audience - what they like, they'll see more of!

👉🏻 If you don't interact with who you follow - algorithms will filter it out. This is why people will "disappear" from your feed, and why engagement is so important!

👉🏻 Relevancy is key. If you're running equestrian social media, and randomly post about a nice rug in your house, it's pretty likely that that post is going to well and truly flop. Unless, of course, its maybe got a horse on your rug 🤔.

Tell me more about your top tips for tackling the algorithm in the comments!

25/04/2024

🚨NEWSFLASH🚨

I’m super excited to let you all know, that we’ll be working in partnership with the amazing Riviera PR Ltd ❤️.

Katie encompasses areas of rider management, in order to help you smash your socials and seek out sponsorships and brand ambassador roles, as well as some of the PR aspects of what you need. Some of the Riviera Riders are working with companies such as Holland and Cooper, Charles Owen, and even filming with Horse & Country TV!

Alongside our services, we’ll be able to help you smash your socials, post on point branded content, achieve your sponsorship goals and help to give you all the time in the world to spend with your pony with it too!

If you’re interested in working with both of us, or either one of us, just drop us a DM!

09/04/2024

Preparation is key is what everyone says right?

Well, I fell into a huge mistake when I was trying to be prepared 🤣. I've been busy with job 1.0 (my OG career), and thought I'll schedule everything in, and let it run itself for a little bit while I got myself back together.

Until I found out that I scheduled everything for 2025. Which was poor preparation on my part - and a large learning curve for checking what I'm doing before I decide its OK!

Mistakes are totally normal in any business - and these ones though they seem terrible (because I've now not posted in over a week 🙈), but it's pretty minor in the grand scheme of things, and I'll recover from it.

Whats the biggest mistake you've made whilst doing your socials?

25/03/2024

Sometimes, it takes a team to make it work ❤️

22/03/2024

Those of you who know me in real life, know that captions copy-pasted from chatGPT wind me up something rotten 🤣.

I think you can spot them from about 12 miles away, and not only is it obvious, but it feels like it takes the personality away from your business.

Make it you, make it your brand and give it a bit of sparkle (but not Canva AI sparkle either 👎🏻).

Check out what I have to say about it by swiping through! And don't forget to drop your guesses in the comments!

PS. You can also click on the hashtags from those types of posts to find EVERYONE who is doing it 🤣

18/03/2024

Forget about just selling products or offering services - every man and his dog does that.

Social media these days is more about how you showcase yourself online.

Show your audience that you can meet their needs and make their lives better. When you're passionate about what you do, it naturally comes across in your posts, leading to authentic relationships with potential customers, and leads to sales. Treat your social media presence like you would with a friend, and you'll see the benefit in the results!

Here's 10 things you can post about that's going to help you to do just that.

Show your audience just how awesome YOU are!
There’s no reason to hide just because you are marketing what you do – being open and honest by sharing little things about yourself will help you become more relatable, feel more personable and people will feel that they really know you, and trust you!

Be a little bit inspirational!
Life can be chaotic at times, and in amongst all the social media negativity, it’s really nice to see a little bit of positivity on social media inbetween it all. It might just bring a smile to someones face!

Go ahead and blow your own trumpet!
What have you acheived? What is going on with you and your business thats just amazing and you can shout from the rooftops? Let your audience cheer you on and share in all the good things you're feeling about it.

Give them a hand.
Sometimes, its nice to give a little. Why not share a top tip you have, or a total life hack thats saved you loads of time and hassle.

Share the LOLs.
Sometimes, laughter is the best medicine. Share a funny story, or a meme that'll help brighten your audience's day.

What floats your boat?
You'll find that what appeals to you, will often appeal to your audience too. So if you've got another brand, blog, podcast or page that you cannot get enough of? Share it!

Reuse and Recycle.
Just because you've posted it once, doesn't mean you can't post it again! Maybe edit the caption a little, change the photo, but it will still add value. And, someone who followed you last week probably doesn't know what you posted a year ago.

Where you at?!
Share plans, tell people where you're going to be or what you're doing. Off to Badminton? Let them know!

WOW!
What products or services do you do that will give your dream customer the WOW factor! Tell them all about how you can fix their problems.

All about them.
Make things about your customer. Ask them questions, encourage them to share a photo, get to know them. At the end of the day, it's just going to increase your engagement.

Drop in the comments an idea for a post you're going to do 💡

17/03/2024

Here is a few reminders about what can help to make a post successful.

Tip top content - Make sure you're posting high quality visuals, portrait mode on your phone can just add that little bit more!

Good timing - Use your insights! Have a look and see when your audience is most active, and use it to your advantage.

Engaging captions - Speak to your audience. Ask questions and don't forget your call to action at the end!

Engagement - People will speak to you if you speak to them. Take a bit of time to talk to your audience, ask them questions and comment on their posts.

Relevant hashtags - Theres no point in putting on a photo of a pair of gloves. Make sure what you're using is relevant to your business, what you're posting and what you're trying to say.

Of course, it all comes down to you knowing your dream audience, and ultimately, making sure the message you're trying to send out is relevant!

15/03/2024

Looking for a viral guarantee?

Not here I'm afraid!

A little case study - I recieved a message in the last week asking for "viral content".

I'm very much of the thinking of you can't guarantee something going viral on social media. I can provide great content to people, content which is brand related, speaks their values and matches their look, and we can position it in a way that it sees as many eyes of their dream client's as possible. And hope that it goes viral.

Posts going viral has to count on so many contributing factors, and being able to hit the algorithms where it works. It's not as easy as people think it sounds.

I said no to that potential client, I don't like to stray outside of my values, and I couldn't provide the guarantee they wanted.

If you want "guaranteed viral content" I ain't your gal - because I don't believe its something you can genuinely promise you will provide people.

If you want content that screams your brand, what you do best and how you can solve your customer's problems - then I am definitely your gal, so hit me up!

12/03/2024

Lots of work going into the final touches of a first stage content plan today 🤩

If you would like some help with yours - drop me a 📝 in the comments!

06/03/2024

I had a great call with a client tonight, we talked all things strategy and we’re going to put a content plan in place for her.

Content planning is a great way to make sure you’re getting out not only the content you want, but quality content too. It helps you think about things a little bit in advance - like using holidays that are relevant to your business (like April 20th which is National Pet Parent day!).

How do you plan your content?

04/03/2024

The all new Pro Cleanse Shampoo Bar launched by The Mane Hub and Equishine this weekend at The National Equine Show 😍

03/03/2024

Sometimes, talking marketing can be a whole load of gobbledygook. Literally.

Here's some common terms you might hear, and what they mean ➡️

Swipe to read 👀

01/03/2024

There's lots to talk about here when we're analysing the analytics for this Instagram page!

It's a small page, with a following of just 136. But, the reach on the account is way more - in fact, it's a 2333.09% increase on just the follower count! Which is amazing - it means the content is being seen by thousands of potential clients, which eventually will bring a return on investment (ROI), and an increased follower count.

But, there's a small engagement level of 185. If we compare this to the follower count - it looks great doesn't it! But comparing it to the reach, its an engagement rate of 5.59%, which doesn't seem like a lot. But good engagement on instagram is seen as 3% and over - so it's a pretty good mark for a new start up.

It's important not just to look at the numbers - but to look at what they actually mean. Doing this can make digesting those numbers feel better and slightly less terrifying!

If you're looking for help with your social media analytics - drop us a line!

29/02/2024

Not to scare you all or anything - but it's March tomorrow!

Here's some helpful dates to think of when planning your content.

Thank me later 😉