Everything Horse magazine Everything Horse UK Magazine, March 2015 | Page 14

Top Tips for Equestrian Businesses
Horse & Country TV
goes live in Australia
Horse & Country TV, the award winning
international TV channel devoted to
equestrian sports and lifestyle, has now
gone live in Australia. The network offers a
lively mix of top international sport, behind
the scenes shows with leading trainers and
personalities from the equestrian sector,
and compelling documentaries on travel
and adventure, food, farming and country
living.
The channel is presently available on Fetch
TV for Dodo and SlimTel customers, where
it is being offered as an à la carte option
for $7.95 (AU) per month. The Channel
will also be rolling out on other Fetch TV
partner networks in the coming weeks
and is actively pursuing other distribution
opportunities. Further announcements in
this regard will be made in the future.
H&C TV’s CEO Heather Killen says that H&C
TV is working to broaden the platforms
on which the channel will be offered, to
make it accessible over the internet and
on mobile devices as well. The Company
also plans to make the channel available
through mainstream television platforms in
the future.
The dynamic team at H&C TV (UK) has been
busy putting together an amazing schedule
of programs for Australian audiences. The
line-up includes: FEI World Cup Jumping,
Dressage and Driving series, FEI Nations
Cup Showjumping series and FEI Equestrian
World magazine series, The Global
Champions Tour, At Home with Carl Hester,
Carl & Charlotte: Dressage Superstars,
extended coverage of Badminton Horse
Trials 2015, Backstage Pass with Monty
Roberts, Parelli Horsemanship’s Amazing
Grace, Chris Cox Horsemanship, Yard Talk
and H&C Masterclass featuring equestrian
stars such as Boyd Exell and Sam Griffiths,
and Vet Essentials.
In addition to its international content,
H&C TV plans to develop and acquire
local programming and will produce
an Australian version of its successful
equestrian magazine show format.
For more information and to follow H&C
TV (Aus) news visit:-The Australian website
www.horseandcountrytv.com.au

Social Media
made simple
By Equine Events UK
As of January 2015, Facebook has just
surpassed 1.23 billion monthly active
users. The largest online community
ever created, and all brought together
by this one simple site. A community
that includes every walk of life
imaginable, all accessible through one
click of that search bar.
So then how can you, as a brand,
rider or trader, become part of the
community relevant to you… the
community that will potentially keep
you in business?
The simple answer is Facebook groups.
Facebook groups are a fantastic
networking tool and allow anyone to
reach the potential customers at street
level.

Take all comments in a positive light. If
someone says not to use you or your
product for a certain reason, ask them
why, offer some form of assistance or
compensation, take stock of the issue
and address it professionally. Do not
bite back. Be honest and if you feel you
made a mistake or are being discussed
unfairly speak out.
To join a group you have to join using
your personal profile, so if you don’t
want to do this then Facebook groups
might not be for you. However it is
nice for communities to feel they are
speaking directly to the rider/manager/
owner of the business in question in
conversation.
Focus on a handful of groups to begin
with. Simply visit each one and see
what conversations are relevant to you
or if you are looking for some simple
unquantified market research then
groups are the perfect place to pose
questions to your target market.

Not sure you
can find the
Groups are
correct group for
essentially free
your potential
Picking a specific
online forums
customer? Start
for discussion
group local or
one yourself…
between members.
whether it be
integral to your
Sounds scary.
‘Dressage Training
The ‘F’ word.
business can be a
South Devon’ or
We all know
‘Saddle Fitting
fantastic way to
how sometimes
Wiltshire’. Open
destructive forums
talk with potential
a group, promote
can be to a brand;
it to friends
customers on an
encouraging nasty
and colleagues
gossip which can
and promote
informal level
lead to significant
discussion.
losses in business.
Facebook is a
However, join
community and you need to be part
the right ones and use them in a
of it!
professional manner and they can do a
world of good to a reputation.
Picking a specific group local or integral
to your business can be a fantastic
way to talk with potential customers
on an informal level. Groups are
comprised of members who have
applied to be a part of them, purely
on the fact that they want to discuss
those certain topics. Maybe they are
looking for a recommendation for a
good local saddler or dentist, they may
be on the hunt for that perfect calming
supplement or looking for the correct
bit for a youngster. These communities
are a great place to promote your
business or Facebook page.