Want a fun and different way to reach new potential run coaching clients? Consider running a free challenge or workshop!
I have been running free challenges, bootcamps and workshops for 8 years to help me attract thousands of clients into my coaching business. While Instagram and Facebook are a way to make an initial connection with someone, you can go much deeper and help potential clients build trust with you, try out your coaching and see YOU as the one who can help them, by running a well executed free challenge or workshop.
Every December, I run my free Goal Setting for Runners workshop on Facebook. And in my Runner Rising business, my I host my 3 Day Instagram for Run Coaches workshop before my next Runner Rising Academy begins.
A free challenge is a way to showcase your coaching skills, build community, develop deeper trust with potential clients, and serve them.
How Run Coaches Can Run a Free Challenge To Get New Clients
How do you run a free challenge for runners? I recommend running the challenge on Facebook because mostly people are ALREADY on Facebook. Lower the barrier to entry by allowing them to participate in an app they already have on their phone and likely log into every day anyway.
What kind of challenge or workshop should run coaches run? This will depend on your niche! The challenge should solve one of your ideal athlete’s problems and be specific to their needs. For example, my client Lia works with moms of young children who need to run in the morning but often skip it. She ran a free challenge to help moms wake up earlier and get their runs in.
How do run coaches get NEW people into the group or workshop? There are a lot of ways to promote your group – you can share it on your Instagram page, Facebook page, create a Facebook event, post about it in communities you’re in, run ads to it. I highly recommend asking people to invite their friends and if possible, giving away a prize for the person who adds the most friends. Make sure you are collecting email addresses before letting people into the group – you can do this with a google form or using your email system.
How many running clients can you expect to get from a challenge like this? Depending on how “warm” the leads are and how good the challenge is, you can expect 1-4% of participants to convert. You should expect only 50% of the people who join the challenge to even participate at all and about 25-40% to complete the challenge, depending on how long it is. This is why its VERY important to get as many people into the group as possible.
How far in advance should run coaches plan the challenge? I recommend planning the challenge at least a month in advance and start marketing it at least 2 weeks before.
Listen to the Runner Rising Podcast for More Business Advice for Run Coaches
On the latest episode of the Runner Rising Podcast, I get tactical with the exact steps to launch your own free challenge.
Business Coaching for Run Coaches Who Want to Get More Clients
The Runner Rising Academy is the only business growth program for run coaches! The next group cohort opens in January 2024, but I have 2 openings for 1:1 business coaching for run coaches.
Set up a call or learn more at https://runnerrising.com/ or send me a message on Instagram at @runner_rising.
