Support Your Sponsors Cheat Sheet

The competition season may not be in full swing BUT don’t leave your sponsors out in the cold!

Here is a list of Social Media post ideas that can be used to shout out and support your sponsors during the off season (and beyond)  - no riding necessary...

Whether your sponsors are; feed companies, clothing, tack, bedding, supplements and anything in between, with a little bit of creative thinking it is possible to keep your social media game up, keep supporting your sponsors and engaging with your audience (who have much more time on their hands, so a perfect time to engage with them)!

Feed Sponsors:

• Video tour of the feed room
• Hyper-lapse video (or normal speed) of feeds been made up
• Any specific benefits of feed?  Video describing difference feed or supplement has made to X or Y

For Saddlery / Tack sponsors:

• A video to demonstrate any specific features of the tack either in the tack room or on a horse
• Photo of tack room / clean tack and thank sponsor.  Add to this by telling your audience something fun such what tunes are popular for tack cleaning or who eats all the biscuits or similar
• Features of boots can be discussed or demonstrated  - what do you use day to day and why?
• Photos of branded saddlecloths - any special ones? ie this is the one I wore when I won X.
• Rugs can be filmed or photographed on or off the horse and any features pointed out ie wicking qualities, infrared, magnetic etc

Clothing / Safety Equipment:

• Helmets / air jackets - features can be pointed out, why do you like wearing it?
• Boots, why do you like them, any features, any rituals re cleaning them before an event?
• Competition kit - if feeling silly you can dress up in it and do a yard fashion video, with someone commenting on what you are wearing...
• Branded every day clothing - can be photographed anywhere - do it!

Bedding / Haylage  / Hay:

• Hyper-lapse videos would work really well here.  Speeded up video of stables being mucked out, hay been steamed, haynets been filled etc
• Photos of horses sleeping (bedding) or eating (hay / haylage)

Generic Ideas:

• Introduce members of the team, feature one person at a time and they can talk about a sponsor or a product and how it helps them.
• Introduce the horses, what are they wearing, eating, sleeping on?
• Behind the scenes videos work really well and make one of your sponsors a feature of that video
• #Throwbackthursday - showcase sponsors product in action
• #Tiptuesday - any tips, methods , learnings to share with audience.  Doesn't have to be about a sponsors product but wear something branded..
• Caption this... a great way to increase engagement
• Vote on something - also a great way to increase engagement BUT try to incorporate one of your sponsors in these as well.
• Share a discount code from a sponsor
• Do 'live' Q & A's

Try to avoid doing 'multi tag' posts ie tagging all your sponsors in one post, each sponsor really wants their own post to make the feel special.  A multi tag post is fine in some circumstances such as 'just arrived at XYZ and ready for action...' but try to give them some individual posts as well. 

Even when not dashing from one competition to the next, it's important to support the companies that support you in order to preserve your relationship and prove your value -  so get creative!!