All-in-one workshops

Small businesses need to take crafty measures if they want to compete with the bigbox stores —sometimes literally. At Barrels & Branches Nursery, based in San Diego, California, Kristi Beach, marketing coordinator, shares why workshops are a cornerstone of the nursery’s marketing plan. Two of the nursery’s most popular events are its monthly macramé workshops and its succulent wreath-making workshops. 

“Our monthly macramé workshops are taught by Lara of ‘Macramama.’ She’s been teaching macramé for nine years, so she was teaching before it became trendy. Since she’s been doing this for so long, she has a strong following on social media. And what’s important is that many of her followers are local. That’s critical for reaching those folks who can actually attend a workshop," says Beach.

Besides being an experienced teacher who travels all over the county teaching at numerous venues, Lara is really savvy with her marketing. She’s very active on social media, creates beautiful content and understands what attracts interest, according to Beach.

"Macramé specifically works for us because a majority of her students buy plants after the class (for use in the plant hanger they just made). And even if the class project isn’t plant-related, we’ve found that those people who enjoy making macramé are often plant lovers as well, so it’s a natural fit," Beach says.

The workshops at the nursery tend to sell out quickly. Above are customers making their own succulent wreath and macramé creations.

The succulent wreath-making class (the latest of which occurred on Valentine’s Day) sold out fast.  Beach says that workshops not only bring in potential customers for the retail nursery but act as a marketing function for the business. 

“Our primary business is landscape design and installation as well as retail nursery sales. Workshops get the word out about us in a way that retail sales marketing doesn’t. It allows people to experience our business in a different way than shopping. It’s slow-paced, hands-on, and more personal. Our customers love it, and often enroll numerous times,” Beach says.

Try something new

The nursery branched out into events and workshops because they had unused event space. The move proved helpful in drawing in the crowds, but some events had their drawbacks. 

“After hosting weddings and receptions for a number of years, we decided that in 2020, hosting primarily small daytime events made the most sense for us. When certain events take up too much of your resources, it’s can be good to makes changes and refocus back on your core business," Beach says.

The nursery utilizes its event space to host its monthly workshops.

Beach attributes the success of the workshops to their partnerships with its workshop instructors, many of whom are local artists. Artists need to be a good fit, but one of the challenges is finding an affordable balance. One of the drawbacks of being a small business is that they won't book a class if they can't meet an artist’s needs.

“If you’re an artist and I love what you're doing, but we can't afford you, I'll recommend you to another workshop place where I think you can get paid what you want to get paid,” Beach says.

Finding which workshops resonated with people took a little bit of trial and error. They tried to do a calligraphy class and a cooking class using organic produce, but those workshops didn’t draw enough interest. She notes that sticking to the “green” side is what generates the most turnout.

Attractive, wide-open spaces allow your customers to take photos and share them on social media.

“We still experiment with different kinds of classes (recently indigo shibori dyeing and hammered mandala jewelry), but inevitably, we return to plant-related topics,” she says.

The classes are well-priced. In Beach’s opinion, being thoughtful about pricing as well as offering a range of workshops suitable to different budgets make the workshops accessible for customers.

Year-round warm temperatures help workshops thrive at the nursery.

Get on the ‘gram

The nursery has a small team of full and part-time employees who are focused on customer service and inventory and grounds maintenance. With such a small team, there isn’t a whole lot of time for social media marketing. What Beach has found works best for them is Yelp, Google, Facebook and her favorite, Instagram, as an easy-access marketing tool.

“We’re trying to really up our presence on Instagram, and I try to focus on stories since that tends to be more of where we see people looking. I like evaluating the stats, seeing who viewed the story, how they navigated it, if they tapped on any stickers or hashtags,” she says. “That kind of data is so useful. Whereas just a post itself, I can only see if they “liked” it or left a comment. There’s so much I miss.”

Workshops help attract foot traffic, which can boost sales during the off-season.

If you’re looking to boost your marketing plan, Beach suggests hosting workshops to see how they work out for you. For small business owners who want to dip their toes into the realm of workshops, explore your customers’ interests and popular trends such as house plants and succulents. Utilize social media and reach out to potential artists and partners. Above all, have fun with it and welcome those who come into your space to learn and be creative.