You’ve probably heard that 5-day challenges are a way to build your email list and drive sales—maybe you’ve even tried running one yourself. The concept is pretty simple: You set up a series of daily, live events. Each day includes a mini segment or lesson with simple tasks for participants to complete.
The idea is that by interacting with you and your brand, prospective customers are that much more likely to convert once the 5-day challenge is over. They’ve gotten a taste for your expertise and a sneak peek at the full transformation you offer. The assumption is, then, they’re ready to pull out their wallets and purchase your full offer.
Sounds great, right? The only problem is that’s not actually what ends up happening.
Challenges aren’t as effective as they should be—or need to be—for the amount of time you’re investing in them.
Problems with 5-Day Challenges
Customer Interest Isn’t at Its Peak
The main problem with 5-day challenges (or four or six or 30 days) is that your prospective customers aren’t at their peak excitement. Prospective customers are most excited about the transformation you promise and you as a brand when they first encounter you.
So, when you make them sign up and then wait for the challenge, their interest is already dwindling.
Timelines Are Designed for You—Not Your Customers
On top of making your prospective customers wait, challenges require them to show up multiple days in a row at a time that works with your schedule—not necessarily theirs.
It’s no surprise, then, that people typically don’t show up every day of the challenge (if they show up at all).
People Are Less Likely to Show Up
At weddings you can expect 75-85% of your guest list to actually attend. That percentage is often even lower with live events like challenges.
Interest decreases day by day. People don’t often come back (and rarely attend all days of your challenge).
If people miss a day, there’s the feeling of “oh well, why bother coming back? I’ve already missed a day.”
You Spend Valuable Time on People Who Haven’t Paid You
When you’re doing a challenge, not only are you taking time out of your schedule, you’re taking time and energy to serve people that haven’t yet purchased from you.
Plus, if you make your challenge as effective as can be, you run the risk of would-be customers thinking their problems are already solved. They have a mini transformation that is “good enough,” and see no reason to purchase your paid offer.
Create Challenges That Convert
If would-be customers need to attend a challenge in order to even get to your offer, is it any wonder that people aren’t buying at they rate you hoped they would?
This isn’t to say that challenge can’t convert. They absolutely can help to sell your offer. But you need to send warm traffic to your challenges.
The problem with sending cold traffic to your challenges is that while you may get people to join your list, they’re likely not ready to buy. They don’t know you or your brand yet. And even if they join every day of your challenge ,
If you’re making them wait, then challenges aren’t an effective way to get people to purchase. As we touched on earlier, people are most excited about you and your offer when they first interact with you.
But challenges can re-excite prospective customers. And it doesn’t mean you have to do challenges live. You can layer a challenge into your nurture sequences.
Your Turn!
What are your best tips for running effective 5-day challenges? Tell us in the comments below!