What Most Equine Businesses Get Wrong About Advertising with Jillian Blades-Rice
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Welcome to the show notes! Remember, this is a brief summary from the How to Market Your Horse Business podcast. You'll want to listen to the entire episode for all the good stuff!
When equine business owners think about digital advertising, the conversation often jumps straight to Facebook ads.
But in this episode, Jillian Blades-Rice shared a much bigger, and more sustainable, picture.
You’ll learn why effective advertising isn’t about throwing money behind a post and hoping it converts. It’s about building trust and creating a customer journey with intention from the get-go.
Here are the biggest takeaways Jillian shared for equine entrepreneurs to get the most from your digital advertising.
Digital Advertising Tips for Equine Businesses
1. Horse People Can Spot “Fake” Instantly
Horse people are detail-oriented. They notice when tack is fitted incorrectly, when a riding position looks off, or when an image feels staged or AI-generated. And when something feels fake, trust disappears pretty quickly.
That means your advertising should reflect real horses, real riders, and real experiences.
Jillian explained that while polished branding absolutely matters for some luxury brands, many equine businesses don’t need a full-scale professional production to create effective ads. In fact, sometimes a genuine iPhone photo performs better because it feels relatable and trustworthy.
The key is matching your visuals to your audience and brand positioning.
If you serve high-end hunter/jumper clients in Wellington, your audience may expect elevated branding.
But if your audience is everyday horse owners, authenticity often wins over perfection.
As with all marketing, it comes down to knowing your audience.
2. Ads Don’t Work Without a Funnel
A lot of equine entrepreneurs say, “I tried ads once and they didn’t work.”
But often, the issue isn’t the ad itself. The issue is the lack of a funnel behind it.
Jillian broke funnels into three stages:
Top of funnel: Awareness
Middle of funnel: Engagement and relationship building
Bottom of funnel: Purchase or conversion
Most equine businesses try to send completely cold traffic directly to a sales page and expect immediate purchases. But horse people rarely buy that way.
Instead, Jillian recommends warming people up first.
For example, a cold audience might click on an educational blog post about proper bridle fit.
Then they join your email list. Then they begin seeing product offers later.
That sequence builds trust and credibility before asking for the sale.
3. Stop Sending Ad Traffic to Your Homepage
This practical tip alone could save equine business owners a lot of wasted ad spend.
One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is sending ad traffic to a generic homepage. Instead, your ad destination should directly match the message of the ad itself.
For example, if the ad is about a specific bridle, send people to that product page, nont just home your homepage.
If the ad is educational, send them to a blog post or lead magnet connected to that topic.
When the landing page matches the ad, people are far more likely to stay engaged and continue through the funnel.
She also encouraged business owners to test everything:
See how your audience responds to different headlines, images, landing pages, and even different button colors.
4. Equine Buyers Need More Trust Before They Purchase
One of the biggest differences Jillian sees between the equine industry and other industries is the sales cycle.
In some industries, purchases happen impulsively. But horse people? Not usually.
Equestrians invest huge amounts of time, money, and emotion into their horses, so purchasing decisions tend to take longer and involve more research.
When it comes to your advertising, that means testimonials, word of mouth, social proof, and educational content all matter.
5. Build Your Own Audience (Don’t Depend on Social Media Alone)
The importance of moving people off social platforms and onto channels you own is something I already preach on my podcast. And Jillian backed it up 100%.
Specifically, she said to prioritize your email list and customer database.
When you rely solely on algorithms and platforms, you’re releasing direct access to your potential clients and customers.
But when someone joins your email list, you have a direct connection with them that isn’t dependent on a social platform deciding whether your content gets seen.
That’s why equine businesses should use ads strategically to grow your email list, capture leads, build long-term relationships, and create sustainable marketing systems.
Advertising works best when it supports a larger strategy — not when it’s treated like a magic button for instant sales.
Of course, you'll want to listen to the full episode to dig into each of the insights shared and discover how you can apply each one in your horse business!
Links Mentioned In This Episode
More Leg Marketing (Jillian Blades-Rice) Website | Instagram
✨ FREE The Equine Entrepreneur’s Roadmap to Grow a Sustainable Business Without Burning Out
Take the Reins: 1:1 Business Coaching for Equine Entrepreneurs: Craft and implement a clear strategy for your brand messaging, website, social media, and email marketing in my 1:1 coaching container.
The Business Barn Collective: The 6-month curated group coaching experience to grow your equine business sustainably, so you can do what you love for the long-term.
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