Are you a grazer, grainer or both?
Unfortunately and despite our best efforts, horses still find ways to get sick or injured. Fortunately, we have great veterinarians we can rely on when these unfortunate circumstances occur. We at Western Horseman understand how traumatic horse illnesses and injuries can be and know it is nice to have a trusted friend in the waiting room while you sit anxiously anticipating the diagnosis, not to mention the bill. Next time you find yourself in this situation, you’ll be glad to know 12,000 equine veterinary clinics across the U.S. are now receiving Western Horseman each month to have in their waiting rooms just for you. As an added bonus, we work to include a horse health feature in every issue. These are just two ways we are partnering with the American Association of Equine Practitioners to meet the horse-health needs of our readers and your customers.
Marketing Tip: Are you a grazer, grainer or both?
Now I am not claiming to be any kind of a Horse Whisperer, but if you really want to understand how your customers gather and process information watch horses eat. Take horses grazing in a pasture for instance. They walk a short distance before stopping to eat a clump of grass and then move on to another clump several feet away. They repeat this process over and over throughout any given day. Now, contrast this with a horse contently enjoying grain in a feed bag or feeder. They get comfortable, settle into one spot, and then start taking bites of grain, chewing methodically on each before taking the next, then the next, until their entire portion is gone.
People seek and process information in much the same way. Those looking for information from the internet conduct a search, find what they need, chew on it for a minute or two, and then move on to another web page or site. Just like a horse grazing in a pasture, they seem to relish the freedom to stretch their minds and move about at will. Similarly, people who choose to spend time with their favorite magazine, they gladly are paying to have sent to them each month, are more like a horse feeding on a balanced ration topped off with a complete supplement. They get comfortable, settle in, and contently consume each page trusting they will be provided with the information they want and need in order to be fulfilled when finished.
Just like a good horse with a job to do needs to be grained and also have time to graze in a pasture, people have a need to gather information in much the same way. As a company with products to sell to the horse owning public, are you doing what you should to engage your customer’s “grazing” and “graining” habits? If not, give me a call and let’s see what we can do to help you feed information to the “grazers” and the “grainers” who want and need your products.
Coming up in Western Horseman and on WesternHorseman.com:
We are working on the August issue of Western Horseman, which will feature special ad sections on truck and trailer aftermarket products as well as a special ad section on horse sales. We also have a feature on the inaugural Classic Events Championship from Guymon, OK planned. This event features an all-around championship format based on bronc riding and steer tripping. It should be a great story on a very unique event.
A Little Something Extra:
“It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.”
W. Edwards Deming (American Consultant, Stastistician and Educator, 1900-1993)