It's not often that we get the privilege of speaking to someone with such a clear and passionate vision for where they want to be, but when we first spoke to Sasha Barnett it was clear this woman had what it takes to carve out a name for herself.
Sasha is a highly decorated equestrian and after taking some time away from the horse scene she purchased her beloved Silver (pictured) and was ready to return to the competitive equestrian world once more. But she wasn't coming back to just win trophies. She wanted more.
Sasha wanted to come back and create a personal brand that allowed her to become a recognised authority - an influencer if you will - within her area of expertise. It was clear to us that the knowledge and passion was there, but where she needed some help was on the marketing side of things.
Influencer is a term we hear a lot these days. It's an often misunderstood title and all too easily handed to someone who has accrued a large number of followers on social media and very little else. When we spoke to Sasha we knew she was more than a mere 'social media star'. She had the makings of an icon in her field, someone who the next generation of equestrian athletes could learn from and aspire to be like.
Being at the top of your chosen field and trying to build a personal brand is no small task, and is essentially two full time jobs, so it's no wonder that most throw in the towel quickly. However Sasha understood this and she made the smart decision to start with a marketing team behind her from day one, to manage her online presence and allow her to focus the remainder of her attention on the training and stable work. After a few discussions we signed her under a social media package that suited both her budget and goals, allowing for growth and consistency of activity online.
Within weeks of starting her social media management package Sasha was signed as a sponsored rider to the leggings and fashion brand Flexars - an incredibly quick result but nothing less than expected for someone with Sasha's level of drive.
As the months have gone on we've focused on growing her Instagram audience and building a truly passionate fanbase using methods from the 1000 True Fans Essay by Kevin Kelly. Her follower numbers have continued to grow and her DM's are consistently full of people asking for advice. The early signs are that Sasha is on the path to being so much more than merely a social media personality - our prediction? She'll be on magazine covers and known as an equestrian authority within a few years.
She recently competed in her first competition of the year and early signs are that she is ready to sweep the board once again - a force to be reckoned with, we are grateful to on her side and not competing against her!
With long term views to reclaiming her various competition titles, starting her own clothing brand, and moving into coaching and training it is clear that Sasha is not slowing up, and with expert marketing behind her there's nothing standing in her way. And even if there was, she's no stranger to jumping hurdles!
If you're looking to create a personal brand and place yourself amongst the elite in your industry contact us today to discuss our various methods for building marketing plans around you and your aspirations.