Ariane Goldman founded Hatch more than a decade ago. Her business centered on the 12 key pieces she believed were necessary before, during, and after her pregnancy. Although Hatch established a standard in the maternity space, the lessons are applicable to entrepreneurs at any stage of their journey, particularly those seeking nontraditional methods to running a business.
Through in-person events and activations, Ariane caught the attention of Marquee Brands. The umbrella organization invested in her company and combined forces, making her the leader of the Hatch Collective.
Ahead, discover how in-person events can supercharge your community’s interest and create opportunities for new customer acquisition.
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Infusing education into your events
Ariane and her team at Hatch used live events to share vital information and bring in new customers. Ariane incorporated experts into her events so the audience would feel confident about her products and know they could trust the brand. “It wasn’t about sales,” Ariane says. “It was about bringing in women to educate.”
“We started bringing in doulas and sleep trainers, and we had dads come in to learn how to swaddle and change diapers,” Ariane says.
Planning events around your products or services
Even though events may not increase sales right away, you can hold events related to your goods or services. “What we found was the attendees wouldn’t necessarily walk out with a shopping bag, but they’d become long-term customers,” Ariane says.
To ensure your attendees become loyal to your brand, Ariane recommends following up after events with relevant product offerings and continuing to keep event attendees in the loop about future events, whether by email or SMS.
Adjusting your events as life changes and time goes on
“Events became the halo of what made Hatch so special,” Ariane shares. She saw how much people needed these events and educational services during the recent pandemic. There seemed to be demand for events beyond the New York City area, so she launched the Babe platform, moving events online. While doing so was a heavy lift, it became a blessing in disguise.
“[I wanted people to be able to form] their own community of like minded women,” Ariane says.
Because she prioritizes events that speak to her customers, today, Ariane’s events welcome more than 25,000 RSVPs from across the country.
As trends change over time, it’s important to evaluate your events to ensure you offer education and support along with your products. If you expand the type and number of events you host, more customers will find you, and your company will grow.
Tune in to the full Shopify Masters episode to hear Ariane’s current strategy for PR and category expansion, and tactics for hosting events that really pay off.