Selling Horses at Auction
Besides having a horse with performance breeding, type and sufficient education there is now a lot more required to have your pride and joy found in a sea of other quality sale horses at auction. Vendors need to be savvy marketers or seek the support of others to ensure all their hard work preparing a sale horse pays off.
So what can you do? Have a plan.
The following outlines how to promote your sale horse.
Great Photos – Professional photos are a must and worth the money, this may even save your marriage. Believe me, it’s a three person job to stand up a horse to get the best conformation shots possible and to encourage the horse to prick its ears through the whole session, when the horse would rather switch flies and eat grass. If you have been in this situation on a 45-degree day, I’m sure you are saying AMEN right now to professional photographers. Money shots that scream BUY ME I’M WORTH IT are essential.
HOT TIP – Soak your pony in a fly repellent and if you don’t have any on hand then try white vinegar. It works a treat and will give your horse a great shine.
Target Market - Is your horse suitable for kids or only very experienced competitors? What disciplines would the horse excel in or what training has it had? Think about who you want to target and what they are looking for. Ensure your sale description is accurate and relevant to your target audience.
Promotional Materials – I recommend the use of a professional graphic designer to produce an eye-catching flyer to display on the stable door at the sale and any other marketing collateral. Ask your designer to provide you with a low-resolution jpg version to use on Facebook. Some Graphic Designers are now including this as a package which is very helpful.
Advertising – Get Social. Now that you have quality photos and a professional flyer and depending on your budget, you can place adverts within industry related magazines and share on social media. Alternatively, a marketing campaign using social media will provide a wide reach and help determine who is engaging with your post. Facebook & Instagram are the two most relevant mainstream platforms to use where you can tag friends and use hashtags to attract engagement (likes, shares, comments). This engagement will help your post show in the news feed of friends and their friends. Also, research Facebook Groups where your audience is active and share your sale lot information. Your promotional campaign should continue up to the sale using a mix of media including videos.
Reserve Price - Now that you have given your blood, sweat and tears getting to the auction. Make sure you have an auction strategy based on realistic expectations. Evaluate your sale lot against similar aged, bred and education level of other horses to determine what you’re prepared to sell for. I was once told there are three different prices for a horse, there’s what the vendor wants, what the purchaser would like to pay and somewhere in the middle is the market value.
I hope this article has provided you with some helpful tips and advice. I would be happy to assist your equine business with marketing services including a new website, managing social media pages or public relations to help your business achieve its goals.
Thanks for taking the time to read this blog