Before developing a marketing strategy, I conducted an audit of Open Horseshoe Association’s digital presence, evaluating engagement rates, audience demographics, and content performance. This analysis highlighted key areas for improvement, particularly in brand awareness, community engagement, and event marketing strategies.

SWOT Analysis Overview:

• Strengths: Dedicated and passionate equestrian community, strong word-of-mouth promotion despite being a virtual association, and established event schedule.

• Weaknesses: Limited brand awareness outside existing members, inconsistent social media presence due to lack of structured marketing initiatives, and reliance on member-submitted photos leading to visual inconsistency.

• Opportunities: Increased event participation through digital marketing, storytelling-driven content to highlight diverse class offerings, strategic partnerships with equestrian brands, and standardizing visual aesthetics with curated user-generated content.

• Threats: Competing equestrian organizations with larger followings and professional media resources, limited budget for paid advertising, and shifting social media algorithms affecting organic reach.

To enhance brand visibility and community engagement, I designed a comprehensive content strategy that positioned Open Horseshoe Association as a leading voice in the equestrian world. Key initiatives included:

• Brand Storytelling & Member Spotlights – Prioritized member-driven narratives to compensate for the lack of in-person event photography. By structuring user-generated content through storytelling, graphic enhancements, and editing consistency, we amplified the prestige and excitement of OHSA events.

• Interactive Campaigns & Community Engagement – Developed a social media contest encouraging members to share personal stories and visuals, fostering connection and participation while providing additional branded content.

• Strategic Messaging & Targeted Content – Tailored content to align with audience values, focusing on family-oriented events, equestrian safety, horsemanship education, and the advantages of joining a virtual equestrian association.

Through a detailed analysis of demographics and engagement patterns, I identified key behavioral trends shaping our marketing efforts:

• Core Audience: Primarily women with conservative values, favoring family-friendly and tradition-driven messaging. This audience responded best to content that reinforced community, heritage, and inclusivity within the equestrian space.

• Content Preferences: Highly visual formats (photos and reels) outperformed text-based posts. As a virtual association, OHSA relied on user-generated content, but posts with professional edits, filters, and text overlays saw higher engagement, showing a preference for polished visuals.

• Peak Activity Times: Engagement spiked during evening hours on weekdays, particularly between 6-9 PM. By shifting our posting schedule to align with audience behavior, we were able to increase impressions and interactions without needing additional ad spend.Using these insights, I refined our content strategy to better resonate with the audience, ensuring that messaging remained engaging and value-driven.

• Achieved a 233.3% increase in followers and a 53% increase in event registrations through strategic advertising efforts.

• Engagement rates soared by 90.4% within three months of implementing the new strategy, indicating heightened interest and interaction among followers.

• Positive participant feedback was overwhelmingly enthusiastic, leading to a 53% increase in attendance at the World Show, solidifying its status as a must-attend event in the equestrian community.

By translating data-driven insights into tailored marketing actions, I helped Open Horseshoe Association not only increase its digital reach but also strengthen its identity as a virtual-first community. Through a combination of strategic messaging, structured content curation, and audience-driven engagement tactics, we transformed user-generated content into a cohesive brand presence while deepening audience connection.