Family Life on the Ranch

Entrepreneur Aly Robins

WRITTEN BY REBECCA COLNAR PHOTOS ROBINS FAMILY

Twenty-six-year-old Aly Robins believes in the power of rural communities. She attended Miles Community College in Miles City, then transferred to Montana State University where she received a range management degree, followed by three years working for the Natural Resource and Conservation Service.

“I felt I wasn’t living up to my potential, so I decided to branch out into marketing. I believed that many small towns, rural areas and ag businesses weren’t using the internet to their best potential. They weren’t able to grow,” said Robins.

In 2019 the enterprising young woman from Moore, Montana, started Snowy Mountain Marketing offering website development and today, she has a team of subcontractors in place: Aly works on marketing strategy, one of her team members works on development and the other focuses on copy creation.

“I work on developing websites, social media marketing consulting and business coaching,” Robins said. “We work to create a customized plan for a business’s market strategy, bring that plan to life and troubleshoot what is needed. We are there to support and guide while the plan is implemented and serve as a sounding board for questions.”

She explains on her website, alyrobins.com, there is so much “noise” on the internet, it’s hard to know what direction to go because it seems like nothing works. “I’ve found that using social media and your website is the cheapest, fastest and most effective way to increase sales in your business. Using a strategy that’s specific to your business is key to seeing the results you want.”

She enjoys business coaching, which offers a way to get a business back on track if it’s struggling to make a profit. Robins explained, “Business coaching is helpful for people who have started their business or been in business for some time but want to take it to the next level.”

Working with small rural businesses is Robins’s passion, especially when it involves agriculture. (She grew up on her family’s ranch outside of Helena.) Recently, she developed a website for Wyoming-based Williamson Land & Cattle, who help ranchers buy and sell cattle. Another client using her expertise in marketing consulting is Broken Arrow Outfitting.

Her advice to anyone wanting to start a business is to figure out what you’re selling and put it out to the people via social media. “Social media is free, so figure out what you want to sell and see what people’s reaction is. It’s a great way to make sure what you’re selling is what people need. Get the word out as much as possible. I believe it’s the only way to know if you’re on the right track.”

Robins and her husband welcomed a baby boy, J2, in February, but the young son hasn’t slowed her down.

“I have an in-home nanny three days a week so I can work, and the other four days I spend a lot of time with my son. That’s one of the many reasons why I love owning my own business,” said Robins. “Having a newborn in the house has made me look at my values and priorities closely. Time is very limited and precious because the little guy needs a lot of undivided attention. It’s important to make sure I am staying organized so I can stay efficient.”

Her father ranches east of Helena and Robins regrets not living closer so she could take her son there more often. “However, I do take him to see my aunt and uncle, who are closer,” said Robins. “I hope to have him out in the fields and around livestock often because I want him to get used to everything as early as possible. It's one of my priorities to have him around agriculture even at a young age. The earlier they understand how it all works, the better.”

For information on Snowy Mountain Marketing, its workshops and master classes, visit alyrobins.com and follow her on Instagram @alyrobins1.

Rebecca Colnar is Director of Public Relations for Montana Farm Bureau and a freelance writer from Custer, Montana.