In this episode of The Angus Table, Scott Wright sits down with Sarah Horrocks from Horrocks Media, for a conversation about social media strategy, brand building, and marketing for Angus cattle breeders.

Sarah shares her journey from photographer and journalist at New Zealand Herald in Auckland to giving up her journalism career in 2014 to move a sheep and beef farm, meeting Guy Sargent through a dinner party introduction which led to a role with Angus New Zealand and AngusPure NZ.

She discusses instrumental work developing AngusPRO brand identity, creating the AngusPRO publication sent to 24,000 New Zealand farmers alongside Beef Country magazine and the recent transition to e-book format improving measurability.

Sarah and Scott discuss her values, her goal to make the industry better, and how Guy Sargent’s mentorship has shaped her career.

Sarah explains platform strategy for farmers, consistency rewarded by algorithms, why year-round posting beats sale-season hammering, video content as algorithmic priority, common mistakes costing breeder reach, building trust through authenticity, Angus Australia's growth to 2-3 million monthly viewers, e-book advantages over print, and why AI should enhance not replace creativity.

So pull up a chair at the Angus Table for this conversation about authentic storytelling, social media fundamentals, and building trust through consistent brand presence.

Key topics covered:

• Sarah's background as a photographer at New Zealand Herald transitioning to rural sheep and beef farming, and marketing career development through AngusPure NZ
• Developing the AngusPRO brand identity and differentiation strategy, educating farmers about Australian-registered vs New Zealand-registered Angus genetics
• AngusPRO publication expansion reaching 24,000 New Zealand farmers via partnership with Beef Country magazine
• The transition to e-book format improving measurement (27,000 opens), reducing advertising costs 68% while maintaining reach, enabling video integration in advertisements
• Why Sarah advises farmers to assess target market before selecting a social media platform
• Facebook and Instagram as general priority platforms for farmers versus TikTok for younger audiences
• Consistency rewarded by algorithms regardless of posting frequency, with 2-3 times weekly off-season ramping to daily during sale season as ideal strategy
• Common mistakes, including sale-season-only posting, missing contact information in bios, lack of image libraries, and not identifying a point of difference from competitors
• Why video content is the king of engagement, with watch time, saves, shares, and comments metrics outweighing follower counts
• Types of trust building year-round content, such as showcasing calving, scanning, tagging, and management practices so audiences feel they know your operation
• Sarah’s work on the Angus Australia social media explosion from 10,000 to 2-3 million monthly viewers through consistent video content
• How members can benefit through Angus Australia’s collaboration guidelines and member engagement framework
• Why authenticity and storytelling are the most powerful marketing tools and the benefits of including the good, bad, and ugly of farming operations rather than polished highlights only
• The difference between using AI as an administrative tool versus a creativity killer, with emphasis on maintaining human thinking and avoiding important career-building junior roles being automated away
• About Sarah’s values of professional integrity and relationships, as well as career mentorship from Guy Sargent

Contact details:

Contact Sarah via her website https://www.horrocksmedia.com/ or @sarahhorrocksmedia on Instagram

This podcast is proudly brought to you by Angus Australia https://www.angusaustralia.com.au/

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CREDITS:

Host: Scott Wright, CEO. Get in touch via email [email protected]

Producer: Mel Strasburg [email protected]

Audio editing and post-production: Ellen Ronalds Keene at https://perkdigital.com.au