Image above : A Tara Punter PR client , Italian eventer , Dan Bizzaro riding cross country .
Image top left : Tara at home , ready for what ’ s ahead .
Image left : Tara and ex racehorse , Ollie enjoying a hack .
Image below : The sky ’ s the limit for Tara Punter PR as she looks on from Ollie ’ s ears whilst enjoying a ride with spectacular views .
“ Gradual growth is more sustainable than an overnight explosion . I ’ ve worked to gradually build my business , which has meant I can grow it properly ensuring my clients are all happy as I do so .”
Do you suffer from good old ' writers block ' and if so what do you do to combat it ?
Luckily not ! Dog walking and riding are the times I normally think of things to write about . I ’ m forever making notes in my phone as if I don ’ t write them down , I ’ ll forget them !
What would you say is the most important part of your role aside from securing new clients ?
Ensuring my current clients are happy . I check in with them at least once a week , either by email or phone , to ensure that there ’ s nothing new I need to be promoting and to update them on any progress with their social or PR campaigns . I ’ ve also invested heavily in a piece of software that enables me to offer the very best PR reporting documents . This is essential and I believe pays for itself - it enables me to give my client a PDF with all of their coverage complete with circulation figures and digital ratings . It ’ s a game changer !
What part of your job do you get the most enjoyment out of and why ?
PR on the whole - it fills me with such pride to see a client featured in a magazine . I know how competitive magazine space is as there are so many wonderful businesses out there all wanting the same space !
How strong a role do you believe social media plays in developing an equestrian based business today ?
Social media is huge and continues to get bigger all the time . I ’ ve grown my business from nothing to an internationally recognised brand in 18 months and I believe it ’ s all down to social media . I ’ d say it ’ s over 95 % of my new clients find me on social media - its ’ power can never be underestimated .
Do you own horses , if so how many and can you tell us a little about them ?
I have one very gorgeous horse , called Ollie . He ’ s a 15 year old ex-racehorse who I totally adore ! When life is so totally manic , he ’ s the one that calms me down at the end of a day - there ’ s nothing quite like a summer ’ s evening ride after a stressful 12 hour day at the desk ! There ’ s something about getting on board and exhaling deeply that just seems to take a huge weight off my shoulders .
As my business has grown I haven ’ t managed to ride and get out anywhere near as much as I ’ d like to but am hoping that now I have a wonderful team of girls at TP PR I can spend a little more time in the saddle ! Ollie has been out of racing for 2 years now and I just know he ’ ll be fantastic when I get him going properly . He loves his jumping !
If you could give anyone aspiring to develop and grow an equestrian business a piece of advice , what would it be ?
Gradual growth is more sustainable than an overnight explosion . I ’ ve worked to gradually build my business , which has meant I can grow it properly ensuring my clients are all happy as I do so . Also , just be grateful for every single client - regardless of how big or small they are , you couldn ’ t do what you do without them .
What do you hope the future holds for you and Tara Punter PR
I ’ m hoping to become more international - I want to travel to Ireland and America with work - seeing clients and visiting some wonderful places !
To learn more about Tara Punter , her team and services offered , visit https :// www . tarapunterpr . co . uk
@ TaraPunterPR on the socials !
ISSUE 36 • AUGUST 2018 • EVERYTHING HORSE MAGAZINE 31