What is it?
A free challenge for your newsletter is hosted publicly, usually on social media platforms. Participants complete daily tasks working towards a specific goal over a set timeframe (e.g. 7-Day Fitness Challenge).
The ultimate aim is to convert these participants into long-term newsletter subscribers once they've got some value from your challenge.
As people join the public challenge, they begin sharing their updates and successes through their personal social accounts.
This exposure encourages more people to join the challenge, spreading awareness of both the challenge and your brand/newsletter.
Free challenges work well for topics where participants are looking to make transformations or build new habits. Health, creativity, productivity, and self-improvement niches can all be good fits.
The Good and the Bad
Examples of how to crush it
Ali Abdaal
Ali Abdaal hooks new subscribers to his newsletter through his free 30-day Productivity Challenge.
Participants receive a new bite-sized lesson via email each day, offering actionable productivity habits.
After being wowed by 30 days of his expertise for free, the hope is that by the end his new subscribers see the newsletter as a must-read to continue leveling up.
Morning Brew
Morning Brew provides multi-day personal finance challenges like their "7-Day Budgeting Bootcamp" and "7-Day Investing Crash Course", offering step-by-step daily lessons via email.
They add a clever twist to their method, encouraging people to recruit an "accountability pal" to join the challenge with them.
This really the reach of their lead magnet in an organic way. When you enlist a friend or family member as your challenge partner, you're essentially cross-promoting the freebie and driving even more email signups for Morning Brew.
