Add some excitement and urgency when you launch your business idea using a limited time challenge or promo. Challenges and promos are a great alternative to using paid advertising on social media.
If you're just getting started with your business or you're adding to your range of services, it's easier to gain some attention and support if you have a specific "event" happening. This makes it easier for your friends, colleagues and coaches to help you spread the word.
What kind of challenge or promo should you host?
It depends on your business type and your ideal client avatar. If you've had a good amount of sales and customers already, you can create a list of ideas and have them vote on which one they find the most valuable.
I don't recommend blindly asking for feedback in a Facebook group. This is because the members in that group (who happen to see your post at that time, because of the algorithm) may or may not be your ideal customers.
If you haven't had a lot of sales yet or your reach on social media isn't big enough to produce great results on a poll, then ask your coach or mastermind for suggestions. Or just go with your gut!
Remember: Whichever challenge or promo you decide to host will not be the only one you EVER host.
So have fun with it, learn through the experience, and remember that you can tweak things the next time around.
What's a challenge?
A challenge is an event, usually 3-5 days (although some people host 30 Day Challenges! whew!) where you interact with and provide free value to your ideal clients.
Choose a challenge or activity that will guide your participants through something related to the service or product you offer. Hopefully you've done the work to understand your ideal client's dream lifestyle, immediate needs, and long-term vision!
Examples:
- If you're a fitness coach, a 5-day meditation challenge may compliment the fitness and motivational content you've been posting or publishing recently.
- If you're a rock or jewelry seller, a 3-day journaling challenge can help you demonstrate that buying and owning your type of product helps build the dream lifestyle they've always wanted
- If you're a mindset coach, a 3-day de-cluttering challenge can show the effects of environment on our peace of mind
- If you're a book publisher, a 4-day networking challenge can break the ice between participants and kick start the possibilities for spreading the word in the promotion phase
What's a promo?
A promo is where a purchase within the parameters you've set (usually a date range) means that the client gets a special bonus.
If you're reading this, you're probably not a giant, corporate business that can send out coupons via direct mail every month. But even small businesses can tap into this promotional strategy, as long as you're smart about it.
Offering discounts doesn't require a lot of explanation, compared to hosting a challenge. It's also a good "excuse" (not that you need one! But anyway...) to hike up your price tag a little bit more so that you feel okay offering a discount.
Examples of discount promos or bonuses/perks:
- A discount promo:
- Grand Opening! All products and services are 20% off until Friday! No coupon required.
- Use the discount code #PODCASTFAM to get 15% off your order. But shhh! That code is for podcast listeners, only!
- Spend $100 or more and get a $20 credit to spend on the Spring collection!
- A bonus or perk:
- Schedule your consult call between [dates] and get free admission to a group workshop I'll be hosting on X.
- To celebrate the beginning of summer, get a free gift in the mail when you sign up for a package of 3 coaching calls!
- We will feature all new, 90-day mentorship clients in an upcoming podcast series that I'll be publishing this Fall!
As you can see, you can be as creative as you want with it. Think back on the last 6 months (maybe skim over your emails or past purchase receipts) to what kinds of special promos or challenges caught your eye.
We tend to have a lot in common with our ideal clients. Was there a certain kind of promo or challenge format that you found fun, entertaining, or educational? Your ideal client will likely enjoy it, too!
I hope that this article has given you some inspiration for attracting your future customers with a challenge or promo. You can mix and match the ideas described to find the one that best works for your situation.