The real force behind getting new business is a farrier’s ability to market a practice. Marketing isn’t reserved just for large-scale businesses. Independent contractors, like farriers, must effectively promote their business to sustain and grow it.

Marketing doesn’t have to be a complex undertaking. Some farriers may be marketing, but haven’t yet realized it. Hanging a promotional flier at a feed store or the quality of your work for your existing clients are example of marketing. 

A key concept of marketing that one must understand is branding. A business brand serves a similar purpose — it lets potential customers quickly assess who and what you’re all about and whether your services or products are a good fit for their needs.

However, a well-built brand is more than a logo and a website. Your brand is akin to your professional reputation and identity, and if you’re not taking steps to craft your own, you might be missing out on a competitive advantage.

They’re Sizing You Up

Even if you haven’t consciously developed your brand, you’ll have one by default.

“Your name will be associated with a brand whether positive or negative, because it’s based on what people remember about you,” says Dean Moshier of The Balanced Hoof and Horse, Inc., in Delaware, Ohio. 

“How many times have we heard a horse owner say, ‘That farrier hit my horse!’ That’s the kind of thing that makes a lasting impression to the client; they’ll remember if you showed up on time or late, or if you hit their horse, and they’ll tell others.”

A brand is also a measure of how you compare to other farriers, especially those doing similar work. Humans naturally want to judge, categorize and assign meaning to what they encounter in the world; it’s just how our brains are wired. This trait can be harnessed in developing a brand, because people want to “figure you out” so they can file you away in their mind’s archives. 

Taylor Keenan, APF, of Taylor Keenan Farrier, Inc., in Clinton Corners, N.Y., says that a first-rate brand actually helps distinguish you from the herd.

“Farriery is an industry-specific trade with few professional tradesmen worldwide, comparatively speaking,” he says. “How can you separate your business from others in the industry and in your geographic area? It’s when you’ve effectively explained what you do professionally and how you’re unique in the industry that customers will be able to respond and be able to believe in you because you believe in your business and what you stand for.”

Defining The Terms

The American Marketing Association dictionary says that a brand is a “name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that identifies one seller’s goods or services as distinct from those of other sellers,” and reports the definition’s source as the Marketing Accountability Standards Board. 

However, author and marketing guru Seth Godin says that today, these tangible aspects of a brand often take a back seat to more esoteric qualities. He writes in his blog (called Seth Godin’s Blog) that “just as it takes more than a hat to be a cowboy,” a brand encompasses more than it did in the past.

Godin defines a brand as “…the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.”

Your brand is the collection of perceptions a horse owner or another farrier has about you, including what they’ve heard from others, their own experiences with you and what they’ve learned about your business.

Getting A Grip On Branding

Farrier Mike Hayward finds that clients wearing clothing with his logos and his vanity license plate are effective contributions to the development of his brand.

Just as there are many different factors that shape a business brand, there is also a multitude of ways to identify brand attributes and later incorporate them into marketing tools such as business cards or logos. While it can be challenging for an individual to list all their brand characteristics on their own, some have a pretty fair grasp on the matter.

“I’m known for getting along with difficult horses and having good horsemanship skills. I treat every horse with respect and in a calm and gentle manner. I’m also extremely punctual. And, I’m known for my mechanical skills, for knowing how a foot functions and how we can accommodate any hoof to work in the best way it can, Moshier says.”

To assess your own brand traits, create a list of things you already know about yourself and your business. Then ask others who know you in a variety of settings what they notice about you. Including a half-dozen or so viewpoints can start to give you a well-rounded and thorough image of how your existing brand is perceived. That can lead to “aha” moments that either strengthen your brand or facilitate change in a different direction.

Building A Brand From The Ground Up

Whether you’re just starting out on your branding journey, or you’re re-tooling or fine-tuning after some time in business, a lot of your process will be the same. Norwich, England, farrier Mark Aikens points out there are many factors influencing a farrier’s branding choices.

“Education, diversity, lifestyle, mentoring and peer influences, family background, expectations and geographic location are all part of branding decisions,” he says. “Branding is a very personal choice. It is influenced by a person’s previous life experiences, how they see themselves right now as well as how they would like to see themselves evolve.”

Branding, Revisited

Branding is also something that should be revisited periodically, especially if there are changes in the business, the individuals involved or the marketplace. “Moshier Manicures” was the first business name that Dean Moshier came up with. 

“After I decided on the name, the logo became an image of a mare sitting like she’s at a nail salon getting her hooves done and wearing a pearl necklace. What did that say about the business? That it was about ‘pretty’ or appearance,” he says. Everything changed when his wife Jennifer came in, and they incorporated the business.

“That’s when we came up with The Balanced Hoof and Horse, Inc.; it encompasses everything we talk about.” 

Their new logo is a Quarter Horse balanced on a handmade bar horseshoe; the bar implies therapeutic shoeing, and the handmade shoe reflects precise attention to the work. As for their tagline (A New Level of Excellence), it was also developed with their brand traits in mind. 

Putting The Brand Into Practice

Once your brand is defined, it becomes a measuring stick for decision-making. “Since defining myself, I’ve found it’s easier to draw lines in the sand which I will not cross, for example, when there’s an owner dictating how their horse should be trimmed or shod,” says Moshier. “When you’re called in as the professional, you should be directing what happens at that appointment. The problem is that younger farriers or those who haven’t clarified their brand can lack the confidence of their convictions and can get sucked into doing what the client wants instead of what they know is right.”

On Time Performance

Based in the Bay Area of California, Mike Hayward says he’s built his business on what he discovered in farrier school. Punctuality and thoroughness is part of his brand.

“When I was in horseshoeing school, I learned that the number one client complaint is that shoers don’t show up, or they don’t stick to appointments or even make them,” he says. “If you can make appointments and pick up the phone to call people, you’re already ahead.”

Hayward, like other farriers who call to notify clients of tardiness, gives a time frame for when he will arrive. 

“Unless you’re the first appointment of the day, I won’t know exactly what time I’ll get there, but I can provide a 2-hour window.”

To reinforce his brand traits of proactive client communication, reliability and organized business processes, Hayward has embraced a variety of electronic tools to help him smoothly run his business. That includes keeping clients in the loop on his whereabouts. 

“I have a GPS with all my clients’ addresses programmed in. As my day progresses, I can call or text them with a more precise arrival time,” he notes, adding that his iPad also receives daily use. 

Every first-time client fills out an information sheet that Hayward developed. This completed form provides phone numbers, email addresses, barn location, veterinarian and emergency information, etc. He then creates a record for each client so he’s got the information and uses it at each appointment.

Build A Website

While Hayward has added his name to several online farrier directories, a common approach for shoers today, he feels a business website is a must.

“If I need to shop for something or find someone to do something for me, I go to my smartphone or my computer and do an Internet search. It’s what most people do now,” he says. “We’re in the service industry; you have to let people into your world, let them see that you’re a nice guy. A good website is a way to do that.”

One of his website features is a “Respective Responsibilities” document. 

“It’s such a great idea and helps weed out prospective clients that aren’t a good fit.”

And lest you think that all of this shoer’s branding happens virtually, rest assured that he’s also attentive to the in-person details.

“I keep a professional image, with clean clothes and a clean, well-organized rig. I’m British, and my license plate is “UKSHOER,” so from the moment I pull up people know what I’m about,” Hayward adds.

Name recognition also extends to what he wears — Hayward’s had polo shirts, hoodies and sweatshirts printed with his name, logo, website and phone number on them. His primary focus is on building a professional, easily known identity.

“Every time we go out in the truck, we wear our ‘uniform.’ I think a lot of farriers, when they’re at a barn, you don’t really know who they are. For me, when my name is on the back of my shirt, people can call me by my name and that builds familiarity and comfort for them.” 

The Bottom Line On Branding

These farriers built a positive reputation over time, paying attention to the details and making sure they live up to that reputation on a daily basis. The good news is anyone can use a similar strategy — just be sure your brand qualities and marketing tools honestly and authentically reflect you and your horseshoeing practice. 

Why is that authenticity important? It’s because the “equestrian grapevine” is still alive and well today. Horse owners talk to each other, and word will get around about your business practices. 

Are you frequently late to appointments when your website says you’re always on time? Do you treat horses with the care and concern that their owners would appreciate? Do your clients feel good about you at every interaction and recommend you to others? Focus on what’s positive and true in developing your brand, and evaluate your behavior regularly to see how you’re measuring up.

A brand is a promise to your customers, your colleagues and to yourself. It’s the promise of what your business will provide to each individual, each and every time. 

Outlining how you want your business to run day-to-day can help define your brand, and once your brand is clarified, it will actually help you deliver on those promises.