1. Challenges are fun!
Challenges create an easy way to create an experience.
I’ve been running challenges since 2013 starting with my first ever, Clone Camp. We themed Clone Camp and ran it online like a literal CAMP – I called lights out at the end of each day. Of course, there were some people who didn’t listen and snuck out of their cabins at night to go skinny dipping – no joke!! 😉
The Planathon was themed and then designed to be run like a marathon or a telethon. There is lots of momentum in a short period of time. Then you get back to business and back into action. Planning is important, but the magic happens when you implement.
2. Because they can be so fun, challenges are engaging
The more fun you can make your challenge, the more engaged your audience will be! Ever launch to crickets? Get people talking about and in your challenge more than any other marketing campaign.
My trick for theming a challenge is to think about something in real life – a camp, a marathon, a telethon, a disco party, a casino… Then tip it on its side and bring it to life online.
Thank you for not being boring.
3. Challenges are inexpensive to run
The biggest expense in your challenge budget will be ad spend. Other than that, you can run even a challenge that generates more than six figures in revenue on a very simple budget.
4. Challenges are great way to test an idea
Because challenges are relatively inexpensive to set up and run, it’s a great way to test an idea. People say they are interested in your product, services, or marketing campaign, but you’ll really know when they start to actually sign up for what you are offering. Someone sharing their email address with you is a great first step to them confirming that you are offering something they are interested in
5. Challenges are a great place to identify what your clients need from you
Even more than testing the idea, once people are engaged in the challenge, you’ll uncover so much about what your audience needs. In the Planathon (hop in the group here if you want to see our challenge group, even though the challenge is live in the Fall only), we are having conversations about all areas of business. It’s incredible for challenge participants to learn from one another and really uncover how you can best serve your clients.
6. Challenges bring community together
I don’t know about you, but I get stressed to the max when it’s all about me! Challenges totally take the pressure off. You can invite people to speak during your challenge, much like a summit (without all of the fuss). Even more importantly people connect with other people who are interested in and going through the same thing. That’s powerful, y’all! Personally, I’m sometimes a lurker in groups like these, but I can’t help but feel more connected and engage when I’m in a group of people who all love office supplies and post it notes… Are you with me?!
7. Challenges are better for relationship building with clients & prospects
It’s easier to flow in and out of a challenge than a webinar, for example. Throughout a challenge, you’ll build stronger relationships with your clients because you give them time to grow and develop. The relationship has time to nurture.
8. Challenges are the perfect way to deliver results in advance
You’ve heard the marketing advice to give people results in advance? If not, here’s how it goes. Give people such good stuff in their marketing that they are getting results with you before they’ve paid you a dime. It makes people realize if I’ve gotten this much before we’ve even worked together, imagine how good it will be when we actually are working together.
Challenges are the best way to deliver results in advance. They offer the most natural way to continue from pre-work to actual working relationship.
9. Challenges take the ick out of selling
After you run a 5-7-14 day challenge and you’ve gotten some good stuff done with the group, it’s simpler to transition into an invitation to work together in the next step. Trust me – After a week of spending time together in the challenge, even you won’t want the progress with the group to end, and you’ll be chomping at the bit to invite them to your next level offering. The beauty is that it isn’t a pitch as much as it is an invitation to continue the work you’ve just started in the challenge.
10. Challenges can simply help you generate $10K, $30K, $60K, $80K, $174K or $200K+ in Revenue
I’m not saying you’ll zip up to the $200K with your first challenge (although some of you absolutely will!). I started with a $30K challenge, then went up from there as I reinvested my earnings in ad spend and grew the community in our challenges.
Intrigued about how this whole challenge thing works?
Then you need to join me and Zach here – Live Masterclass on How to Create a 5-Day Launch you can flip into a $10K+ launch (with ease)!
He’s running a challenge on how to run challenges…. Meta, right?
Make sure you tag me in when you get over to Zach’s challenge. I’ll be there and am happy to share all of my experiences on running challenges alongside Zach.
I just love ‘em and want you to get some mad results with them too.
See you there!
