News

ONLINE ‘SIMMENTAL MARKET’ PROMOTING SIMMENTAL CATTLE FOR SALE

• Easy to use website bringing Simmental sellers and buyers together

The ‘Simmental Market’ website, www.simmentalmarket.co.uk, established in early 2020 has proven to be a popular and practical forum to help members market their animals for sale, and to help buyers looking for pedigree Simmental stock.

Free to use, the site was set up during the ongoing Covid-19 situation to help breeders’ market and promote stock they have available for sale. Since being rolled out the use of the site has developed to also hold and promote pictures, videos, and pedigree details of all stock forward at upcoming Society, breeders, and Club Sales.

The site has attracted some fantastic visitor figures and the pull through of that is that stock entered on the site is being readily sold! A large percentage of the animals entered for private sale have been notified as sold. Some of the leading buyers at the pedigree sales have fed back that they first saw the animals on Simmental Market whilst doing their ‘pre-sale homework’. The 2020 year also saw some export trade of cattle and genetics outwith the UK and again with Simmental Market having spiked their initial interest. details, and a picture and/or video to information@ britishsimmental. co.uk and it will be uploaded to the site. Entries show the picture of the animal, the preferred contact details of the breeder, and a link through to the pedigree and performance information. There is the opportunity to include any short footnotes around each of the entries.

We have been posting all new entrants onto the Society’s Facebook page first, which has further increased exposure, and with a link through to Simmental Market. All sale animals are listed under an Upcoming Auction Sales heading. The site also has a regional index and this has made it easier for would be buyers to look at the geographies of their choice.

The site will continue to be developed as is required and in line with the needs of breeders and buyers respectively. It is very much a site and service to help members promote their stock available for sale and to bring buyers and sellers together. So, please send your entries, any short text, and pics to: information@britishsimmental. co.uk and phone 02476 696513 if you have any further queries about Simmental Market.

‘NEW LOOK’ SIMMENTAL SOCIETY WEBSITE TO BE LAUNCHED IN 2021

Look out in 2021 for a ‘new look’ to the British Simmental website at www.britishsimmental.co.uk

Work is being commenced early in the year with a view to the site being simple, effective, and easy to use for all. The aim of course is to provide a site that professionally promotes British Simmental and is a point of reference for all things British Simmental. We recognise the growing power of short, sharp messages on social media for immediate news and updates. The website will also reflect that in style but increasingly will have the content for those wishing to read and reference breed Society news and information in more depth.

Visually strong but easy to load on mobiles, tablets, and PCs, we’ve looked at where the site is most visited and will try and reflect that in the build so that you can get to those pages as quickly and as easily as possible. Use of the database searches and access to the latest news will be located on the homepage or within a click. Header buttons will be kept to a minimum but through which you’ll be able to access such as: features; case studies; performance recording information; a sales section; advertising; Society rules and fees; contact details; useful links; videos; and references to archived material.

In visiting www.britishsimmental.co.uk we want the site to promote the Simmental breed to commercial producers and ‘new’ breeders by providing them with up to date information including forthcoming sales and events, news and articles, strong breed visuals, and examples of the breed in action. Similarly for members we want the site to be informative, helpful and a service that adds value to your membership.

Year Letter for 2021 is

M

The Year letter for Bulls born in 2021 is M followed by the year 21

eg: Prefix Mario 21

M

SIMMENTAL PROMOTION ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Through the 2020 year the Society has been working hard to build the breed and Society’s profile on social media over the recent months. Posts on Facebook have been frequent and wide ranging in content covering such as the ‘Virtual’ Show; Simmental Market; upcoming sales; market briefs; herd events & news; exports; trait leaders; flashbacks; and just all-encompassing Simmental news. The linkage of posts and media just builds traffic and Simmental visibility overall. Through the year social media has continued to provide a terrific, cost effective means of breed promotion through shared platforms for members, the breed and the Society. Traffic and visitors through the respective medias has been fantastic with numbers growing month on month with significant breed interest from both home and abroad. The Society is active on both Facebook and Twitter and towards the end of 2020 has started to use Instagram. Where you are able to it would be great if you could like and follow the respective Simmental accounts, and like, share, or comment on any of the given posts. This is what extends the reach and visibility of the Simmental page and will help to further promote the breed.