by Kathleen LeGrys | Jan 6, 2019
You want to launch a free online challenge, but you may be wondering where the heck to start to get the word out to as many people as possible. How and where do you promote it?
I’ve got you covered in this post, my friend. We’re going to cover 10 different ways to promote your challenge.
TIP: Since building your email list is one of the biggest benefits of running a free challenge, you want to attract the right people (so more of them will enroll in your paid programs at the end of the challenge). One way to do this is to be clear about conveying who your challenge is for and how it will benefit them.
No need to take notes, just grab your copy 🙂
Okay, let’s dive in…
Here are 10 Ways to Promote your Next Online Challenge (9 of the ideas are free):
1. Livestream videos (Facebook Live and/or Instagram Live)
Let people get to know you quicker by doing live videos and invite them to your challenge. For great tips on using Facebook Live, check out episode 75 of The Wellness Business Podcast
2. Instagram stories
Since more people will typically see your stories than the posts in your feed, using Instastories to promote your challenge is important (in addition to posting it in your feed).
3. Invite your current email subscribers
This may or may not seem obvious. Doing a challenge is a great way to grow your email list and it’s also a great way to build more trust with your current subscribers, so be sure to invite them to join your challenge too.
4. Your social media followers (use hashtags on Instagram)
Let all your followers know about your challenge! On Instagram, be sure to use the hashtags that will attract the audience you want to reach. To learn more about using hashtags to attract your tribe, listen to episodes 32 and 33 of The Wellness Business Podcast where we do a deep dive into using Instagram for your wellness business. Episode 32 Episode 33
5. Your current Facebook group if you have one
If you have a Facebook group, let your current members know about it. Running a challenge in your existing group can be a great way to boost engagement and interaction.
6. Create an “event” on Facebook and invite people
You can only invite your friends to your event, but you can encourage them to share the event with their friends to help spread the word. You can Google “how to create an event on Facebook” and you’ll find tons of helpful information.
7. Encourage those who sign up to share with their friends via social media
It can dramatically expand your reach when people share about your challenge on social media. This is an ‘icing on the cake’ strategy – not a main strategy. You don’t want to rely on others sharing about your challenge, but it’s great when it happens.
8. Find colleagues who can promote your challenge, and you can promote one for them in the future
What colleagues do you know who are in complimentary fields who would be happy to share about your challenge (personal trainers, massage therapists, chiropractors, etc.). Figure out a win-win where you can promote something for them in the future.
9. Write a blog post about one of the topics you’ll be covering during the challenge, and share the blog post
Use a blog post to generate interest about your challenge, then promote the blog post. Pick a topic that relates to the theme of the challenge and then explain how your challenge is designed to help them (include a link to sign up for the challenge).
10. Facebook ads targeted to the audience you want to attract.
Facebook ads can work really well when you know who you want to target, and you have the right objective. You’ll want to decide on your ad budget before you begin and keep an eye on the results as you go. We did an in-depth episode about Facebook ads that also covers how to find the best audience to target. Our expert guest did a phenomenal job of breaking it all down for us. You can listen to episode 43 here.
Additional tips:
Tease about your challenge at least a week before you plan to start promoting it. This will pique interest and let your audience know something is coming.
During your promotion period of 7-10 days, do as many livestreams and Instagram stories as you can (daily is great) where you cover a different angle of the challenge such as how it will help them, what will it involve (prizes?) and what results people have had before if you’ve run it in the past. You can do a daily livestream about common questions and struggle and how your challenge is designed to help or solve that issue or problem.
Get creative and have fun with it!
Check out the 7-Day Healthy Habits Challenge here if you want a challenge that’s done for you, including marketing materials, emails, Facebook groups posts and more!
by Kathleen LeGrys | Oct 10, 2017
Show Notes
On today’s episode, Karen and Kathleen share 5 proven ways to market your business to find new, marketable clients. Every business, regardless of what type it is, is also in the marketing business. Marketing is the lifeblood of your business; it’s how your customers are going to know that you even exist.
Take a look at these 5 proven ways to market your own wellness business and check out the freebie for this week 10 Ways to Boost Engagement in Your Facebook Group.
- In Person Workshops
This gives you the opportunity to instantly establish rapport and trust with your audience. Your workshop needs to offer real solid value while still leaving your clients wanting and needing more. At the event invite them to join your mailing list, discovery programs, etc. You’ll discover 6 steps for promoting your next great workshop.
- Webinars
Webinars are a great way to build your business, market your business, and grow your email list without having to have the sales pitch attached. It’s also a fantastic way to make a name for yourself in your business industry and make new contacts in your specific field. For more valuable information on webinars, check out Karen’s Webinar Profits Now.
- Host Your Own Facebook Group Short Challenges
Facebook groups are a great way to set yourself apart as a leader and create your very own community of people that share similar goals. Take a moment to visit Kathleen’s Done For You Challenge for help on setting up successful challenges for your wellness business. Facebook Groups are different than Facebook Pages. Groups are way more interactive for your marketable clients. You can have a general free group as well as smaller private groups when adding paid programs. Check out both Kathleen’s Facebook Group and Karen’s Facebook Group.
- Referral Partners
There will be a future episode dedicated just to referral partners, so be on the lookout for that! Don’t only look for referral partners from the obvious sources, anyone who is dedicated to the same niche and passion you are, that you aren’t in direct competition with can be a great referral partner. Referral partners are all about building relationships with colleagues, you bring business to them and they bring business to you.
- Free Content
Blog posts, Pre-recorded Video Series, Facebook Live Videos, Guest Posting on another site, Podcasting, being a guest host on another podcast, these are all great ways to build up momentum with your potential clients. Offering various types of free content to those potential marketable clients who find you online will draw in more clients to your email list and in the future bring you more business overall. Once potential clients are on your email list, there becomes an expectation from those potential clients to see you deliver content to them.
Action Item: Pick one of these marketing strategies to focus on this week and apply it to your wellness business in the next 7 days, but stay consistent with it for the next 3 to 6 months.
Resources and Links mentioned on the show:
Subscribe and listen to The Wellness Business Podcast on your favorite platform!
by Kathleen LeGrys | Sep 26, 2017
Show Notes
In this episode, Karen and Kathleen interview Lisa Simone Richards about how to leverage free media coverage for your business with Lisa Simone Richards. Lisa is a visibility strategist for health, fitness, and wellness entrepreneurs and has helped many of her clients skyrocket to new heights.
Lisa’s “ABCs” of Publicity
- Awareness – People can’t work with you if they don’t know who you are!
- Buzz – Stand out from the crowd! (Become an industry celebrity or “go-to” right away.)
- Credibility – Show your potential clients that you are really good at what you do!
How to Start Developing Free Publicity
- Have a healthy media mix. We all choose different ways to get our news/information, ask your best three clients how they get their information. From there make sure you are on all of those media platforms or start researching who could be a good contact to get you there.
- Once you have found those contacts, (Twitter, Google, LinkedIn) be really focused on developing those relationships.
- Think about doing contributed content for already established blogs, websites.
- Try and get featured on a podcast or a radio station.
- Start doing Facebook Live and YouTube content to practice your video skills.
- Television and Video!
How To Pitch for Publicity
- Come up with a compelling story idea to pitch, make your business be part of a larger story/conversation.
- Find the right contacts for the type of media outlet you’re reaching out to.
- Understand different “Lead Times”. (The time it takes from being an idea to actually being published.)
Media begets media. Once you get a piece of media coverage, share it everywhere. Because that will open up the doors for more publicity opportunities in the future.
Action Item: Pick ONE outlet you really want to be featured in. Create a private Twitter list with contacts from that outlet. Check it once a day and start building those relationships.
Subscribe and listen to The Wellness Business Podcast on your favorite platform!
by Kathleen LeGrys | Sep 19, 2017
Show Notes
In this episode, Karen and Kathleen reveal ten invaluable hacks for doubling your productivity and skyrocketing your results. Staying productive in your business can be a struggle, so these 10 hacks will give you more clarity and direction, and help you build momentum.
- Start with a 30 day plan and break it up into weekly goals.
- Know the number of hours you plan to work each week, but also know your boundaries.
- Be aware of other people’s agendas (and focus on yours instead)
- Tiny progress each day, week and month results in big wins.
- Skip the bells and whistles until you have a solid working model.
- Get an accountability partner that will hold you accountable.
- Get away from the house to work in two hour blocks, with no distractions.
- Don’t do anything else, until you complete the 1 big thing each day that moves your business forward.
- Use Single focus instead of multitasking
- Set expectations that are obtainable rather than focusing on a big end goal.
There are three main reasons why businesses can start off on a rocky road.
- Grandiose ideas of what your business will be, with no real action plan in place for that to happen.
- Not focusing on the highest priority actions and tasks (that will bring the biggest results)
- Feeling overwhelmed with no real direction
Action Item:
Choose just one hack to focus on and implement this week.
Resources and Links mentioned on the show:
Subscribe and listen to The Wellness Business Podcast on your favorite platform!
Show Notes
In this episode, Karen and Kathleen chat with Angie Jones, of Healthy Angie about how using the Facebook Livestream feature has completely changed her business. Angie discussed her overall strategy, how she prepares, and the added benefits she’s noticed after using Facebook Live.
Angie’s Overall Strategy
- Just do it! Don’t be afraid of going live. Your streams don’t have to be perfect, it’s all about being yourself. Worst case scenario, delete it afterwards!
- Be consistent when it comes to your live streams. Try and find a day or time each week and stick with it.
- Promote it ahead of time. This is when I’ll be live streaming, and this is what I’ll talk about. Promoting it ahead of time lets your followers know when to tune in AND holds you accountable to follow through.
- Don’t worry about how many people join in on the live portion of your video.
- Repurpose the content! That one video can turn into a weekly email, a weekly blog post, and be shared across various social media pages, keeping your business in your customer’s minds.
How to Prepare:
- Know your opening line. You only have a few seconds to capture the attention of a potential customer. Know your opening hook and have it prepared.
- Have an outline nearby to guide you. Place any products or props you want to show in the area ahead of time.
- Don’t rehearse too much, it’s not about being perfect, but about being you!
- Know your closer and your call to action, the ending is just as important as the beginning.,
- Remember your video will have two audiences, the live audience and the replay audience. Make yourself accessible to both.
Added Benefits:
- Gaining self confidence in who you are and what you stand for.
- Client’s reaching out more often via message or email, they have a better feeling for who Angie is now and are more comfortable reaching out to her.
- Angie’s email list has more than doubled!
Weekly Action Items:
- Download your FREE Facebook Live Stream Checklist.
- Take Angie’s lead and create a live stream for your business this week.
