Today, growing a community requires more than just creating engaging content on social media. It’s about meeting your customers where they are through creative in-person events.like this gym + coffee We’ve grown into an 8-figure lifestyle brand loved by our community.
CEO and co-founder Niall Horgan launched the brand with two of his best friends and oversees events, partnerships and retail expansion. Niall and his team plan well over 50-60 events a year, and have organized over 400 events in total to date.
Nile shares how to plan and execute successful events that establish a loyal community and dedicated customer base.
How to grow your brand through events
Not all online businesses can reach international customers, but those that can should take advantage of this opportunity. Connect with local customers using tips from successful founders.
1. Make it personal
“We’ve all been at events where we have people we don’t know or feel a little bit awkward about. Maybe it’s your first fitness class. So we quickly remove those barriers. We want to break through,” Niall says.
To ensure guests feel comfortable, Nile welcomes everyone to participate in branded group workouts and hangouts. “We introduce them, tell them about us, and find out a little about them,” Nile says. Those who attended the event became loyal customers, establishing a meaningful connection with the brand, its ethos, and the people behind it.
Actively connect with everyone who came to your event. Then they will become supporters of your brand. “If Gym + Coffee became personified, you would be the first person to greet you when you walk in the door to your fitness class, while other brands might be in the corner taking selfies. ” says Niall.
2. Start small
“Our first event was small with 20 participants, but we used that to build momentum,” says Niall. You don’t need to have a huge following to host a live event. If you start small, you’ll get feedback that will encourage you to keep going.
This dedication has allowed Gym+Coffee to grow its events with each successive edition. “We initially committed to a 10-week event series, which started with his 20 participants and grew to around 300 participants by the 10th week,” says Niall. The people you meet at your first small event will inspire you and remind you why you do what you do.
3. Collect information from attendees
As the team welcomed more and more participants to their events, they made sure to obtain their contact information and note which types of events were most popular.
Once the Gym+Coffee team took over their first retail space, they were able to host events in-store and track participants’ online purchases after the event. Gathering attendee information allows you to continue the conversation and build trust after the in-person interaction. Nile also uses this data to understand: customer segmentation and profiling at a deeper level.
Establishing a popular event series may feel out of reach for new businesses, but starting small can help you grow into a well-known brand through impactful activations. Focus on the individuals who come to you early on and watch them grow into your most loyal customers.
Nile tells us more Shopify Master episode.
